I’m Conner Reed, Financial Analyst at IBM, and This is How I Work
· Location: Rochester, MN
· Current Gig: Advisory Financial Analyst at IBM
· One word that describes how you work: Cyclical
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without? Why?
Microsoft Excel! This is by far the most critical tool within finance and planning at IBM. I use it to create spreadsheets for presentations, as well as use add-in tools to query financial databases to pull budgets, actual spending dollars, and load forecasts. I also use it for to-do lists and organizing daily tasks.
Google. I get many reactions when I tell people the information that I have found on Google. Answers to questions that most would think are too specific to IBM to be on the World Wide Web happen to be out there. Google is the fastest way to find information on formulas in Excel, best way to format in PowerPoint, or do whatever technical thing you may have problems with.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut/life hack?
I need to start using some to organize my work. I don’t really use any but need to come up with something for to-do lists and organizing my time.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else? What’s your secret?
Knowing who to go to is a skill I rely on heavily. I am notorious on my team for knowing people around the site at IBM Rochester. This is one of the benefits of growing up in the same town where you’ve made a career.
What do you listen to while you work?
Netflix. I am sure this would make some managers cringe, but I need that in the background to concentrate, otherwise I get easily distracted by other things going on around me. My team is very agile in the sense that they are constantly communicating with each other up and down the hallway. If I need to lock in and get something done, I will start a movie I have already seen on Netflix, put on my headphones and work away. That background noise is therapeutic for me to help me concentrate, more so than music.
What are you currently reading?
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Are you more of introvert or an extrovert?
Introvert, unless I am really comfortable around the people I am with. I have no problem shutting my door and working away all day long. But some days my team will find me pacing up and down the hallway as I’m restless and needing to chit chat about whatever is going on.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
IBM is a very large corporation. Nothing I do will make or break it. This can be somewhat depressing if you take this to mean that nothing I do is important, but I look at it in a different light. The company can go on without me, so those things in life that are more important such as friends and family do not need to be put second to work. There is always someone who can cover.
Where do you find inspiration and new ideas?
Facebook. LinkedIn. Pinterest. It all depends on what I need inspiration on. I love woodworking and cooking so I often use my wife's Pinterest account to look up ideas. When it comes to work I rely on brainstorm sessions or just casually talking in the offices of my coworkers. Again, it all depends on what problem I’m trying to solve.
What kind of leader are you?
I am sure the members of my team would consider me to be laissez faire, to an extent. Unless I am needed I don’t intervene in a controlling manner. My team feels very comfortable coming to me if they have an issue, but I will not stand and watch them work over their shoulders. If there are serious problems affecting my team, I will intervene to the extent that the situation deserves. I am happy to provide guidance, recommendations, or a strong arm if needed, however I am also very happy letting other team members lead the charge to fix the issue affecting their specific desk.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be interesting to readers?
I’m a man of few words…
