/Wes Kao

How I Give High-Quality Feedback Quickly tl;dr: (1) Give feedback on one thing that will make the biggest difference. (2) Don’t jump straight into line edits. (3) You don’t need to write out all your feedback. (4) Balance what’s easy for you (feedback giver) and easy for them (feedback receiver).

featured in #582


“Looks Good To Me” Is A Lazy Default: Why Managers Should Give Feedback On Work Output tl;dr: Managers typically say “looks good” for one of two reasons: (1) You care about quality, but it’s faster to fix the work yourself. (2) You don’t prioritize quality, so you think the work is fine as is. This approach normalizes mediocrity in the name of efficiency. Wes prompts us to ask the following: Do I really think this looks good? What would make this excellent? What did they do well, and what could they improve? What’s one piece of feedback that will make the biggest impact in improving this? What’s something I’m noticing, that I can point out so my direct report learns to see what I’m seeing?

featured in #580


Are Your Standards Too Low? In Defense Of Raising The Bar tl;dr: Wes discusses why you should consider raising your standards and why this has the potential to dramatically improve your team’s chances of getting what you want: (1) Why every leader should set higher standards. (2) Challenges when raising the bar. (3) How to normalize a culture of excellence. 

featured in #574


How To Write Your Own Job Description (And Invent Your Role) tl;dr: “Creating a new position for yourself—one that doesn't yet exist — sounds too good to be true. But many of us have done it, and I’ve personally done it multiple times. I want to share a few ideas that will help you do it too.”

featured in #572


How To Give A Senior Leader Feedback (Without Getting Fired) tl;dr: Wes share some ways you can share feedback with senior leaders, or anyone more powerful than you—while being respectful, helpful, and protecting yourself from their wrath.

featured in #569


How To Give A Senior Leader Feedback (Without Getting Fired) tl;dr: Wes share some ways you can share feedback with senior leaders, or anyone more powerful than you—while being respectful, helpful, and protecting yourself from their wrath.

featured in #568


The Art Of Workplace Finesse (Part II) tl;dr: In this week’s post, we’ll cover examples of finesse in the workplace. (1) Identify when to ask for forgiveness vs permission. (2) Acknowledge that perception matters. (3) Know what you can get away with. (4) Don’t be too literal. (5) Know when to be discreet. (6) Never bet against incentives.

featured in #566


5 Frameworks To Master Communication And Influence As An Engineer tl;dr: Wes and Jordan discuss the following frameworks: (1) Reduce cognitive load using phrases like “For example”, “Action Items”, “Action Needed”, “Next Steps,” etc... (2) MP-CB: Main point, context below. (3) Anticipate the objection. (4) CEDAF for delegating tasks. (5) QBQ: Question behind the question. 

featured in #566


5 Frameworks To Master Communication And Influence As An Engineer tl;dr: Wes and Jordan discuss the following frameworks: (1) Reduce cognitive load using phrases like “For example”, “Action Items”, “Action Needed”, “Next Steps,” etc... (2) MP-CB: Main point, context below. (3) Anticipate the objection. (4) CEDAF for delegating tasks. (5) QBQ: Question behind the question. 

featured in #565


What Finesse Looks Like When Reading People And Situations tl;dr: Wes covers: (1) Share bad news effectively. (2) Understand power dynamics. (3) Know when to call someone out. (4) Understand intention vs impact. (5) Recognize the question behind the question. (6) Consider what’s advantageous for both parties. (7) Realize popular adages aren’t fully accurate. 

featured in #564