Meet the Team – Scott Raven, Head of Community
Hi, I’m Scott, and this is me getting ready for my first day at CXO Portals. Here is a short insight into my first week as their new Head of Community…
As an ex-teacher, working from home is a completely new experience for me, but that won’t stop me from my gold standard morning routine:
· Hitting the snooze button too many times,
· bracing for a cold shower then chickening out in the moment,
· and fighting down scolding black coffee.
Being able to work from home this week has taken so much anxiety out of starting a new job. I have been able to meet lots of new people without completely depleting my social battery. This means everyone I meet gets the best version of me. It also means I have the energy to socialise outside of work which has helped me reset and ready for the next day.
My first meeting is with Jay Barter, Director of People Performance & Culture. Jay is a massive reason why I took this job. For a start-up to have a lead on people and culture is like finding a diamond in the rough. Diamond Jay is a clear indication they want to build a forward thinking, flexible company that leads with empathy. I only wish I got to see his two gorgeous dogs on the Zoom call more. HINT HINT JAY.
Over the next couple of days, I get to spend time with the fabulous Charmaine Baker and Glenn Hapgood, the Co-CEO dream team. Their drive to develop a company that generates value in an ethical and morally resolute fashion is refreshing and inspiring. So much so that I have found myself getting completely off topic and talking about decolonising ai with them again… wait, what were we talking about? Ah yes, the Log in details for LinkedIn.
After getting to know more on how the organisation works, the latter half of my week has been focused on research. I’ve had the pleasure of investigating the content produced by our talented Advisory Board, and I have even helped set the agenda for their next meeting. Ffion Waddon has been outstanding in catching me up to speed with how the community works, and unlike Jay, she has been far more generous in showing me her gorgeous dog Maddie! The passion in which she talks about the community is stirring and I feel almost guilty taking this baby from her.
As I write this, I am preparing for my first end of week all-team meeting. There I will get to meet the other marvellous members of the team. There is no pressure or nerves though, as we will all be in the comfort of our own homes and happy to share little parts of our personal lives through our little portals on Zoom.
I already cannot wait for next week.
P.S. I’m wearing pyjama bottoms. 2024 is the year we make professionalism comfortable.
