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Why Don’t People Come With User’s Manuals?
In this solo episode, Jason introduces a practical team exercise called the personal user's manual. The concept is simple. It's a way for each person on a team to document how they work best so their teammates don't have to guess.
We have instructions for nearly everything we own. But when it comes to the people we work with every day, there's no guide. No clear way to know how someone prefers to communicate, when they're focused and offline, what kind of feedback lands well for them, or what quietly drives them up the wall. That gap creates unnecessary friction. The personal user's manual is a low-effort, high-value practice that closes it.
Key highlights from the conversation include
👉 What a personal user's manual is and how Jason first came across the practice more than 15 years ago
👉 The core categories worth including in a team template: work schedule and style, communication preferences, feedback and recognition, strengths, and personal pet peeves
👉 Why recognition preferences are more personal than most leaders assume and how asking the right question upfront saves a lot of awkwardness late
👉 A clear walkthrough of how to run the practice, from building a template to hosting a team conversation where people can ask questions and get curious about each other
👉 The specific team situations where this tends to have the biggest payoff, including newer teams, teams navigating change, and managers stepping into a role for the first time.
Additional resources for Personal Users Manuals:
https://slack.com/blog/collaboration/how-personal-operating-manuals-can-help-you-build-a-stronger-team-at-work
https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/my-user-manual?tab=instructions
JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/7l0SZfguXO4LGn1rtmHd
Connect with Jason Lauritsen:
Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/
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By Jason LauritsenIn this solo episode, Jason introduces a practical team exercise called the personal user's manual. The concept is simple. It's a way for each person on a team to document how they work best so their teammates don't have to guess.
We have instructions for nearly everything we own. But when it comes to the people we work with every day, there's no guide. No clear way to know how someone prefers to communicate, when they're focused and offline, what kind of feedback lands well for them, or what quietly drives them up the wall. That gap creates unnecessary friction. The personal user's manual is a low-effort, high-value practice that closes it.
Key highlights from the conversation include
👉 What a personal user's manual is and how Jason first came across the practice more than 15 years ago
👉 The core categories worth including in a team template: work schedule and style, communication preferences, feedback and recognition, strengths, and personal pet peeves
👉 Why recognition preferences are more personal than most leaders assume and how asking the right question upfront saves a lot of awkwardness late
👉 A clear walkthrough of how to run the practice, from building a template to hosting a team conversation where people can ask questions and get curious about each other
👉 The specific team situations where this tends to have the biggest payoff, including newer teams, teams navigating change, and managers stepping into a role for the first time.
Additional resources for Personal Users Manuals:
https://slack.com/blog/collaboration/how-personal-operating-manuals-can-help-you-build-a-stronger-team-at-work
https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/my-user-manual?tab=instructions
JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/7l0SZfguXO4LGn1rtmHd
Connect with Jason Lauritsen:
Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/