Helping Interns Understand Your Working Style
A short working-style overview helps interns understand how best to collaborate with you. It clarifies your preferences for feedback, decision-making, and work habits. This transparency strengthens trust and reduces the guesswork that often comes with remote work.
How do I help my intern understand my working style?
In a physical office, interns learn how you work by observing you. Remotely, they lose those cues. A Working Style Overview acts as a shortcut to trust. By being explicit about how you like to collaborate, you allow your intern to adapt to your pace and preferences, reducing friction for both of you.
Defining Your Collaborative Rhythm
Think of this as your Personal User Manual. When your intern knows your "settings," they can perform better.
- Your "Vibe": Are you a fast-paced "Just the facts" supervisor, or do you prefer a structured, reflective approach? Knowing this helps the intern set the tone for their messages.
- Feedback Preferences: Do you prefer to leave inline comments in a Google Doc, send a quick Loom video, or hop on a 5-minute call? Clarifying this prevents the intern from feeling overwhelmed when they see a sea of red comments.
- The Quality Bar: What do you value most? Some supervisors want Perfect Accuracy, while others value Speed and Initiative. Tell them what a Win looks like to you.
Setting the Boundaries of Autonomy
One of the biggest sources of intern anxiety is not knowing what they are "allowed" to do. Clear the air with these two lists:
| ✅ Decide Independently | 🛑 Check With Me First |
| Drafting first versions of social posts. | Sending anything to a client or external partner. |
| Researching tools for a new project. | Changing the deadline for a core deliverable. |
| Organizing internal folders. | Shifting priorities between two different projects. |
What if I’m Unavailable?
In a remote setting, you might be in back-to-back meetings. Give your intern a Plan B:
- "If I don't reply within 2 hours and it's urgent, please contact [Name/Role] on Slack."
- "If it's not urgent, add it to our 'Sync Agenda' for Friday."
A Snapshot of Your Values
Help them understand what drives you:
- What Motivates Me: (e.g., "I love seeing proactive questions and early drafts.")
- What I Find Challenging: (e.g., "I struggle with vague updates or long, unstructured meetings.")