001: Smooth Operator

Meet Adam Liette. Director of Operations for a 7-figure online business and 8 year Army Special Operations veteran. In this episode, Adam takes you into what it really means to be an Operator and how to employ operator tactics into your business.

002: I'm Broken

No matter where you are in business, things are going to be broken. Processes are going to not work. Workflows will fail. It’s inevitable. That’s just a fact of life and it’s very emboldening as the operator in a business. Thinking of things this way is a mindset shift for me personally as I no longer get anxious when things break. Instead I look for them to break and see that as a sign of progress.

003: Keeping Things on Task

Put any group of operators in a room together and ask the question “what’s the best task-management system for keeping your team working together” and you’ll get a number of different answers. Task-management systems are a bit like a favorite kind of music - everyone has their own and will defend what they prefer to no end. What’s more important is how you’re using these systems.

004: Daily Team Communication

No matter how big your team is, establishing predictable communications with them is imperative to maintaining cohesion, building relationships, and moving forward in your business.

But it’s not as easy with a remote team, is it?

005: Setting Your Zoom Stage

Things have changed an awful lot since the world first went on lockdown and Zoom became a household name. Since then, it’s become a regular thing in normal life.

It’s become very informal in certain ways and increasingly hard to take people seriously when they appear on camera.

I’d like to introduce the idea of treating your Zoom presence like you’re on a stage.

006: Conversation as a Performance

Like it or not, we are always being judged. Our team members and others are looking to us for motivation, inspiration, assurances, or even something as simple as acknowledging them during a call.

I’ve found that it’s best to not leave things up to chance. Having a plan and a process for getting ready for a call is a critical part of my day and something that I know has a direct result in my ability to be successful in that interaction.

Here’s the process that I use:

007: Storytelling for Managers

We are pre-positioned to love storytelling. We enjoy the triumph and drama of a good story. Stories compel us and bring a level of understanding and commitment that can’t be achieved through simple words. Stories have the ability to motivate and inspire your team to dig deeper and reach higher when times are tough or difficult.

And when we take the time to go over the stories from our own lives, I guarantee that you can find those stories from your own experiences.

008: Managing Recurring Tasks

When you’re running a business, the big projects are exciting and they inspire the team into action. It’s what tends to occupy most of our time in Operations and some of the most inspiring work that we’re able to do.

But most of your team and the team time is actually spent on all the recurring, day-to-day operational tasks that are required to keep the business running. 

The recurring tasks can make the difference between success and overwhelm.

009: Recurring Time Commitments

Most of what you and your team are doing within the business are repeatable and predictable tasks.

It can be easy to lose track of the commitments and time obligations that are baked into what your team is doing on a regular basis, leading to members being over committed, frustrated, and unable to contribute to emerging projects.

Which is why you need to have a method for organizing and predicting their time obligations on a daily and weekly basis.

010: The Sound of Silence

Of all the things that are the most uncomfortable for me in the world, silence was near the top of the list.

I hated when things were silent and filled my life with noise at almost all times.

And then I discovered the power of the The Silence and the massive impact it can have in my own life. Discover the sound of silence!