I recently interviewed for a contract role. Early in the conversation, the board asked whether anything in their list of needs raised concerns for me. I took the opportunity to share something important: while I had most of what they were looking for, there was one key area in which I didn’t have direct experience.
We also talked through logistics, including how much time I could realistically commit to the project and a few other details that might impact our work together. I remained clear and honest about both my experience and my availability.
Later that day, I found myself wondering if I should have framed things differently. Should I have avoided mentioning the missing experience? Should I have softened specifics about my time constraints? Should I have focused only on topics in which we had complete alignment?
Those options just didn’t feel right. In that conversation, they not only learned how I could contribute to their team; they saw how my values show up in practice. By being transparent, I gave them the information they needed to decide if I’m the right partner for them. And their responses helped me figure out if consulting with them was right for me.
That’s how we find the people and places where we can do our best work: by living our values, showing up honestly, and honoring our own boundaries.