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Meet Claudia

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Everything you need to know about working with me!

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👋 Hi! I am Claudia McSweeney.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a diverse set of people from varying backgrounds, countries, and generations who bring unique life experiences to every situation. Through these experiences, I have learned that we all have different ways of working, communicating, and learning. These differences create strong teams, and I am confident we have a wide array of styles within our group.

The purpose of this ‘style guide’ to give you a better idea of my work style, communication, quirks, and growth areas. I am thrilled to be working together and I am excited for what we’ll learn from each other. I encourage you to reflect on your work style, and share those reflections with me. A better understanding of each other will allow us to work better together.

My Style

I am a genuinely curious human being - you will find I get jazzed about a topic or hobby and spend a disproportionate amount of time learning about it. This curiosity drives my passion for both work and play.

My results-oriented nature drove me to a career in sales. I prefer environments with a high amount of variety and change. I tend to be high-energy and competitive. As a leader, I like to cultivate environments with a high degree of role clarity, clear expectations, and accountability.

I get energized by discussion and engagement, I enjoy competing opinions and having honest, open, and respectful conversations to understand other perspectives. I welcome challenging the status quo. If you decide to challenge an idea, couple it with a solution and take ownership of implementation. This will help the team grow, and allow you to have a full success story from problem → execution → results.

I describe my leadership style as servant leadership. My idea of success in this role is to support our team in the outcomes we are looking to achieve and support individuals in their career growth. Career development is important to me, and will be a priority as we work together.

Much of my career and personal life has been shaped by the challenges I have faced. Compassion is a core value of mine. We all have a story, and I admire those who have used adversity in their life to make those around them and themselves better. David Goggins, retired Navy Seal and author of “You Can’t Hurt Me”, is someone I look up to in this regard.

How I Communicate

I find that the vast majority of issues can be solved with better communication. For this reason, I lean towards over-communication.

I am naturally extroverted - and to put it simply, I love to talk. I have learned over time how to become a better listener, and you will find that I am constantly looking to improve my listening skills. I may ask for clarification, or repeat things back to show my understanding of something.

I appreciate straight, direct communication. Say what you are thinking, without the smokescreen. We will all benefit from creating transparent, respectful dialogue at work. I will do my best to give context and hope that you will provide context too.

Sales is a team sport. Collaboration is key and I want your input so that the team can be the best it can be. Feedback is important and goes both ways. I would like to cultivate a team environment where feedback is given and received regularly and respectfully.

Hierarchy of communication (most → least urgent): Call→ Text→ Slack→Email. (240)-688-8094 is my cell. Work-life balance is important to me but if you need me, I will be available.

1:1 meetings are very important to me. I will do my best not to cancel them and will give ample notice (outside of an emergency) if I need to reschedule.

I do not expect messages to be responded to in real-time, however, I do appreciate the acknowledgment of written messages (a slack emoji will do here 👍) and an idea of an expected timeline to complete time-sensitive tasks.

How I Learn

I always say I am a visual learner, but if I am being honest, I am more of a blended learner. I like to see things drawn out, and that translates in sales to Salesforce reports, slide decks, and whiteboards (when in the office). On the other hand, I like to listen as I learn. I listen to most books on Audible and pretty much am always listening to a podcast at home while doing things around the house. I ask a ton of questions when I learn something new - so prepare for the onslaught of questions asked (hopefully not more than once).

My Clifton Strengths

(Descriptions based on Gallup)

Activator. Impatient with inaction, know that Goal begins with GO!

Focus. Single-minded objective to accomplish a goal in the most direct and efficient way possible.

Command. Confidently and candidly confronts conflict; loves the thrill of a debate.

Communication. Connects with people by giving voice to visions, thoughts, and feelings.

Woo. Fearless with strangers, can talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything.

My Growth Areas

Too much data: I love to look at data, and use it to better understand my assumptions. However, in sales there can be a thing as too much data. Let me know if I ever need to pull away from the data in our conversations.

Action without the full picture: I have received feedback that I often need to understand something well before taking action. This supports my communication style of giving and desiring context. This benefits me in some situations, however, in other scenarios, there could be a need to take quick action. I am working on being better at moving forward without all the facts.

Books I Recommend

Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, and Ron McMillan

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Wilnik

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhligg

The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge

Books On My List

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman

Conversations That Win the Complex Sale by Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer

Gap Selling by Keenan

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The points are not an exhaustive list, but should save you some time figuring out how I work and behave. This is a living document, and will evolve as I continue to understand my style and how I will work best with each one of you. Feedback is welcome.

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