Smooth Operator Podcast

Culture is an increasingly important part of how we interact with one another in a work environment and having the right culture can be a big difference maker for you and the organization.

We’ve be able to see that our internal culture has literally saved our asses several times when doing difficult projects and trying to survive the busiest of times.

And while this is very much led by the CEO of an organization, there’s a significant role that operations can have in helping to foster and grow the culture that is present inside your own company. You can help to build mechanisms that will enable the culture to grow and be supported, guide your team members to embrace the culture, and help to hire new team members that fit in with the rest of the team.

So how do you go about this?

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

How often do you meet with your team members in a 1-1 environment? If this isn’t yet part of your communication structure with the team, I would really, really recommend that you reconsider and work to implement this as soon as possible.

1-1 calls allow for a more personal touch. For you to get feedback in addition to receive feedback from your team.

To build rapport and allow for more transparency

Demonstrate empathy

Problem solve things that the team is encountering in their work.

While it’s a long day, 1-1 calls are some of the most important things that I do as a leader on my team. Here’s some things that have made them successful for me:

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

If there’s one thing that we’re not lacking in these days, it’s ways to communication with one another.

Most, myself included, find ourselves constantly connected to one never-ending stream of information that we need to quickly decipher and digest before we’re able to move on with our lives.

The positive is that this has enabled us to build completely remote companies, stay in sync with another, and be in touch with our colleagues no matter what side of the pond they’re on.

The downside? We’re always in touch with everyone and never get a moment respite from the contestant stream of information.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

Sometimes, you just need to go “all in”

That’s where I’ve been the last several weeks. We had simultaneous projects all coming to fruition at the same time which all required a ton of my attention. It was a tough period.

And yet I feel like I’m coming out of it a little better than I have in the past. Some things that I’ve added into my routine have been a tremendous benefit to giving me the strength and mental acuity to survive while in the trough.

Because launches are a part of what we do. It’s a part of our experience and you can either fight it or lean into it.

It’s something that I’ve also been uniquely prepared for given my background in special ops. Emergencies and tough times were part of the game.

Hard times make hard men
Hard men make good times
Good times make weak men
Weak men make hard times

What helped me get to this period? There were a handful of things that really helped to move the needle this time around.

Learn more in this episode.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

We've talked about how to identify and prioritize tasks to offload to other team members to free yourself up for emerging tasks to move the company forward.

If you’ve followed that, then you’ve already seen a couple of opportunities to offload one or more of your tasks to other team members. However, before you pull the trigger on that, there’s a big pitfall that you need to be aware of which can have major negative implications to what you’re trying to do. 

Doing this one activity can completely sabotage all the other good things you do for your team.

Learn more in this episode.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

As you progress in Operations, eventually the time will come when you need to clear some of the tasks that you used to do off your desk to make way for emerging tasks and projects.

It’s a natural evolution and something that tends to make most of us uncomfortable at even the prospect of handing over some of our tasks to someone else.

By following a process you'll be the best positioned to do this successfully. 

Learn more in this episode.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

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!

Learn more in this episode.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

Most of what you and your team are doing within the business are repeatable and predictable tasks. These recurring tasks are what really makes the company run with your current obligations, serving the customers that you already have or the routines that have to be done to maintain your business.

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.

Learn more in this episode.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com 

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof 

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. In fact, while we’re off imagining and implementing the future of the company, our teams are deeply emerged in balancing any requirements that we have for them while simultaneously maintaining the day to day of the company.

And while Operators are drawn to those big and exciting projects, properly managing the recurring tasks are going to be a game changer for taking stress and anxiety off your team and making sure that things don’t get dropped during the process.

This becomes even more important as you scale and the recurring tasks become more important to fulfill on the promise that you’ve made to your customers.

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

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof

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.

Learn more at https://www.adamliette.com

Discover the 5 secrets to run your business like a Special Operator: https://www.adamliette.com/sof