Collaborating with Intent
Jen Wike Huger shares practical tips for fostering intentional collaboration and finding joy at the intersection of community and digital marketing
During its time, opensource.com earned a reputation as the go-to resource for unbiased insights and thought-provoking perspectives in the world of open source technologies and methodologies, spanning an array of topics that were as diverse as its global contributors.
In my conversation with Jen Wike Huger, one of the people behind the magic of opensource.com, she shares her journey, navigating the tech world for over 15 years and not just surviving, but truly thriving, by staying true to her core values of community, collaboration and humanity.
Being Authentically You
From studying communications and Spanish to becoming a content strategist, editor and community builder in open source software, Jen opens up about the challenges of not having a traditional technical background when entering the field. "There were times when I felt out of place, you know, times when I felt not good enough because I didn't know the technical," she recalls candidly.
However, Jen realizes that her skills in areas like writing, editing and community building were just as vital. As she puts it: "You can't be all things and you shouldn't be all things. You should be you and bring your skills and talents." Her conviction that diversity of thought and expertise is what truly powers innovation really resonates with me.
Moving the Needle
When recounting her decade at Red Hat on the opensource.com team, she beams with pride about creating processes focused on "always moving things forward" through intentional collaboration. As Jen reflects, "We were data-driven, but we were also talking and having fun and being creative. And working with people." That human element, balanced with strategic process, was the magic formula that allowed their small team to scale from publishing one article per day to three, and from working with a handful of writers to thousands globally.
With AI and machine learning advancing rapidly, Jen emphasizes that we desperately need those who understand technology's human impacts. "We don't want people who have that talent to say, 'Oh, well that's not good enough.' Because we need that...we need people who are our people people and our humanity people to give us their insights."
“We were data-driven, but we were also talking and having fun and being creative. And working with people.”
Making Space for Jellyfish
With the reality of our global pandemic and the subsequent shift to remote work, the art of collaborating with intent becomes even more critical. Jen implores, "Collaboration cannot be ignored or put on the second tier.” She emphasizes the need for structure and guidelines to foster better ways of working together. To ensure productive meetings, some of her team's tactics have included:
- Conducting meetings and one-one-ones with purposeful agendas
- Understanding everyone’s roles, including that of the host
- Having a weekly "Around the Horn" meeting to kick off each week
- Making space for offline discussions to avoid rabbit holes, using safe words like “jellyfish”
“Collaboration cannot be ignored or put on the second tier.”
In Search of Joy
Looking forward, I asked Jen what reenergizes her for this next chapter. Her response is beautifully authentic: "I've been really enjoying my life, which makes me think, do we work to live or live to work? What are we doing here?" For Jen, the "joy barometer" is what guides her - consciously making space for passion projects, personal growth and balancing work with the other precious elements of life.
As I look ahead to the next phase of my own career journey, Jen's reflections deeply resonate. Her core philosophy of leading with joy as the ultimate "barometer" for a life well-lived is something I'll be striving toward in 2024.
You can learn more about Jen and her work, check out her new consulting business, and connect with her by navigating to her website at www.jen.io.
In a world often obsessed with hard metrics and output, Jen is a reminder that sustainable success requires bringing your whole, authentic self to what you do. By prioritizing joy, collaboration and intention, we can all light the way a little brighter.
