Wes Kao

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Messages

11/20/2024
13 : 14

How to give a senior leader feedback (without getting fired)

There's a right and wrong way to proceed. Here's how to increase the chances your leader listens and takes action--while reducing the chance they feel threatened. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
11/15/2024
6 : 34

Part II: The art of workplace finesse

Knowing when to ask for forgiveness vs permission, what you can get away with, and more ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
11/6/2024
13 : 14

Part I: What finesse looks like when reading people and situations

7 examples of finesse, including understanding power dynamics, when to call someone out, and more ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
10/30/2024
12 : 4

When you’re pigeonholed as “great at project management”

Being good at project management is important. But ONLY being known for project management can limit your career. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
10/23/2024
12 : 14

Frustrated by rejection? How to plan before you ask

“It doesn't hurt to ask” is a lie. If you're going to make an ask, do a bit of strategic thinking upfront. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
10/20/2024
6 : 14

“What will I tell my boss?”: Why founders should understand the worldview of bureaucrats

A bureaucrat doesn't care about good results, investing in a long-term solution, or the ROI of your product. They care about keeping their job and not getting in trouble. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
10/2/2024
12 : 14

How to market a product you don’t use

Use the “Of Course exercise” to empathize with people who have different worldviews--so you can quickly relate to and appeal to them. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
9/25/2024
12 : 24

How to deliver bad news when it's not your fault

People tend to shoot the messenger. Here's how to avoid the negative halo of bad news. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
9/18/2024
12 : 14

Stop learning to give feedback. Learn to receive it.

Good news: Most people are terrible at receiving feedback, so you only need to be a little better at this skill to stand out. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
9/12/2024
6 : 54

Intellectual honesty

If you're committed to seeing clearly, you can cut through BS, act with more self-awareness, and learn more quickly. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
9/4/2024
12 : 14

Tone and words: Use accurate language

Words can encourage or discourage divergent thinking. Use language that accurately reflects your level of certainty, so you don't make overly-bold statements you can't stand behind. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/28/2024
12 : 14

Announcing: My new course ✨

My 2-day intensive live course on “Executive Communication & Influence for Senior ICs and Managers” is now live--here's why I built this and who it's for. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/21/2024
12 : 4

Derisking 12 common workplace scenarios

How to identify and address risks in situations like: giving constructive feedback, sharing a controversial idea, doing cold outreach, and more ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/20/2024
3 : 24

Derisking 101: How to identify and reduce risk in your daily work

Train yourself to sense what could go wrong--while you can still shape the outcome. Ask yourself these two simple questions. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/7/2024
14 : 24

How to be more concise

The truth behind why it's so hard to be concise, and 9 tactics I use to tighten my communication ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/7/2024
14 : 14

How to be more concise

The truth behind why it's so hard to be concise, and 9 tactics I use to tighten my communication ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
7/31/2024
12 : 14

Too detailed in the wrong ways, not detailed enough in the right ways

Details aren't the problem. The problem is too many of the wrong details. Here are 5 real-life examples, so you can spot this in your own work. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
7/24/2024
12 : 14

Managers, be explicit about what you need from your team

Sometimes you want to let your team figure things out via trial and error, and other times, it's faster and better for everyone if you point out what you're looking for. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
7/17/2024
12 : 4

Talking to vs about customers

Are you talking to your customers, or to fellow founders and marketers? The difference is subtle but it makes a big impact. Be clear on who you're speaking to in your customer-facing messaging. ͏ ͏
7/11/2024
6 : 24

Playing defense: How to control the narrative if your work is being questioned

No matter how well you frame your ideas upfront, there will be times when you'll need to address skepticism and defend your work. These are moments when you can shine. Here's how. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏