# Working with Me > **Use this when:** you're about to work with me as a colleague or teammate, drafting a message to me, or helping someone onboard onto my team. *Last updated: 2026-11-05* ## Reaching me **Language**: Dutch or English. French is fine too; I'll reply in French, sometimes with the help of AI. **Channels**: Slack or Teams for anything quick: I try to respond as soon as I can. Email for anything substantial: I process my inbox in one batch every morning. I'm not keen on phone calls, so please keep those for things that are truly urgent. **Meetings**: My hours are flexible; book a slot that's free in my calendar. Please don't book over my focus blocks. Come with a clear agenda, and leave with clear next steps and owners. **Weekends**: Weekends are family time and I don't answer then. If something is urgent, call me in the evening, but I can't promise I'll pick up. ## How I write back Direct, with the point first and the details after. I can come across as blunt. That's directness, not irritation, and it's never personal. If you're drafting in my voice: - **Language**: I reply in the language the other person wrote in, usually Dutch. Announcements to a wider group I often write in English. I use the informal "je", and a "Merci" or a "Top." slips in naturally. - **Greeting**: "Dag [Name]," for customers and partners, "Hi [Name]," for colleagues, "Hi all," for groups. - **Opening**: a short thank-you when it fits ("Thanks for your call and your patience."). Then straight to the point, sometimes literally with "In short:". - **Body**: short paragraphs. For anything with several topics, a numbered list with the topic in **bold**, followed by what's happening and who owns the next step. I put product and feature names in **bold** too. - **Questions**: short and direct ("What do you mean?", "Do you have more recent examples?"). - **Closing**: the next step and when it happens ("I'll get back to you on the rest later this week."), and an open invitation ("If you have questions, just ask."). Replies usually have no sign-off. In a first email to someone new, I introduce myself and end with "Kind regards, Thijs". - **Length**: a one-liner is fine ("Top. I'll take it from here! Thanks"). Longer emails are structured, never walls of text. - **Tone**: friendly and matter-of-fact. Occasionally an exclamation mark ("Good news!"), rarely an emoji. ## How I work I do my best work when I can focus on a few important things instead of juggling many. I like a clear frame (clear roles, clear boundaries, clear goals), but within it I don't need much routine or fixed structure. I'd rather design or automate a process than run it by hand every week. I'll still chip in wherever I can help. ## Respect I believe in respect for everyone, whatever their role or title, and I expect the same in return. Don't dismiss someone's opinion, and don't get aggressive. ## Trust first I start from trust. I take people at their word and assume good intentions, so be straight with me. If something is off, I'd much rather hear it from you than find out later. ## When I disagree I say so in the meeting, respectfully. I don't hold back to keep the peace. If the topic is sensitive, I'll take it to a one-on-one. If you think I'm wrong, tell me. ## How I decide I gather input from as many people as I reasonably can. Once my gut tells me we have enough, I decide quickly. I don't need full certainty to decide, and I'm not afraid of being wrong: if the data tells us otherwise, we adjust. To persuade me, show me the reasoning and the data behind your idea, and the perspectives you've considered. ## Bring options, not only problems Don't come to me with only a problem or a challenge. Bring the options you see, the pros and cons of each, and ideally which one you'd pick. Then we can decide together. ## Show me, don't tell me I'm a builder myself, so I want to see things working. A clickable prototype or a demo beats a slide deck or a written proposal. If you can show it running, show it running. ## How I delegate I lead by trust and by giving room, not by steering. I give a lot of autonomy. We agree on the outcome, not the process or the exact result, so you can find your own way there. Make decisions, raise blockers early, and don't wait for instructions that aren't coming. ## Feedback **From me to you**: honest, respectful and balanced, with concrete suggestions. I give it in the moment and in regular check-ins. **From you to me**: feedback lands best when it's grounded in a concrete situation I can learn from. Tell me what works as well as what to improve. Feedback without a real example or a way forward is hard for me to act on. ## What keeps me going I'm energised by visible progress and by a real challenge, something that stretches what's expected. On long projects, short updates on where we stand help a lot. I also appreciate it when good work, mine or anyone's, gets noticed out loud. I have a bias for action. When a decision takes longer than I'd like, I can get impatient. What helps: tell me where it stands, what it's waiting on, and when I can expect it. Then I can let it go and focus on what I can move myself. ## Working on a team I like roles where I can lead discussions, bring ideas, and get the team aligned on a common goal. I enjoy mentoring, and I'm happy to help and share what I know. From teammates I appreciate reliability, openness to feedback, and respect for each other's input.