In this blog series, Manager Moment, we shine a spotlight on managers from our community. Being a manager is a tough job aaaaand it’s a really meaningful one. Some of us have been lucky enough to have a manager who changed the trajectory of our careers.
Join us in celebrating wins, hearing the hard stuff, and learning alongside our Mintable Managers. In this installment, we had the pleasure of speaking to Melbourne-based Adam Bottega, Head of Design @ TeamForm.
Enjoy!
MOY: Tell me a bit about your background. What brought you to be in the role you’re in today?
Adam: I started my career as a designer straight out of university. I moved into front-end development and held similar roles for a few years. I have always had a passion for both coding and design. I was looking for a company that could utilize both my design & coding skill sets and align with my values, pace, and vision.
Fast forward 15 years, I’ve gained enough experience to be in a leadership position as Head of Design for TeamForm. I’ve typically managed between 1-3 people, I don’t think I could manage more than 3 reports as I like IC work. As TeamForm continues to grow and become more successful, I’m looking forward to growing our design capability and hiring more awesome designers!
MYO: Who is your favorite manager?
Adam: It would have to be the first manager I had in my career, Jason. He taught me a lot about tools, design and front-end code, provided guidance in these fields of work, and inspired my passion for what I do today. He was a good role model as he practiced design and coding simultaneously. I wouldn’t have had the career I have today if it wasn’t for him.
MYO: What’s your favorite leadership or management book that you’d recommend for other managers?
Adam: Resilience Project: Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness by Hugh van Cuylenburg. I’d highly recommend listening to the audio version on Audible as it’s narrated by the actual author (an Aussie bloke) and it’s fantastic listening to him talk (way better than just reading the book, IMO). It’s told in a life story / personal experience / autobiography kind of way, less like a self-help book, which I loved. And it’s all about mindfulness and gratitude. Everyone should read this, not just managers.
MYO: What is your favorite part of The Mintable so far?
Adam: It would definitely have to be the lessons & resources about giving feedback. Specifically how to give feedback and take feedback.
I’m very caring and provide good feedback easily. But if my team members aren’t meeting their deliverables, it’s hard. I’m challenged on how to give negative feedback without offending someone. The Mintable helps to not put people on the spot. To become a good leader, you must be transparent and honest, not brutally honest, so I try to be mindful and tactful in how to present challenging conversations.
MYO: Any final reflections on management?
Adam: My excitement stems from working for a small startup that’s starting to become successful. In this company, I wear a lot of hats and have to be across many things. It’s not that I won’t be on the tools at all, I’ll just be less hands-on and more focused on expanding the team’s capacity. I’m excited for the company to grow and to expand our design team, which I’ll strive to lead and guide in the best way that I can.
Missed our last Manager Moment with AgriWebb’s HR Partner Stacey Scheliga? Read it here.
Discover more about The Mintable’s community and the training and tools we offer managers here.