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Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
@wes_kao
May 13 • 2 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
In my early twenties, I wished I had a manager who would “coach” and “mentor” me. I wanted this so badly.

One day, I realized, my manager taking the time to rip my work into shreds AND patiently explain their thought process with actionable feedback…

This WAS coaching me.

This WAS mentoring me.

This WAS investing in me.

I was too busy whining and feeling defensive to realize, in fact, I was getting what I wanted all along.

Don’t romanticize being coached and mentored.

You may have an idealized version of "the perfect manager" in your mind, but your manager (and no manager, including you, when you become a manager) will be able to live up to that ideal.

"Coaching" and "mentoring" and "investing in your growth" don’t only show up in formal career conversations, or look a certain way.

In general, if your manager cares enough to say "Hey, this kinda sucks, but here's how to make it better," they are investing in you.
If you liked this, you might like my weekly newsletter. 35,000+ operators read it to sharpen their ability to build, execute, and grow.

It's free, and I publish new essays on Wednesdays at 8am ET: weskao.com/join

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More from @wes_kao

Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Jan 23
After doing founder sales for 9 years, this is one of my biggest lessons:
Don't let customers turn molehills into mountains.

As founders, we are so excited about our product/industry that we can accidentally give customers words to use against us.

This is shooting ourselves in the foot.
For example, if a customer mentions an objection, especially one I don't believe is legitimate...

I don't allow it to get aggrandized and crystallized in their mind.

The more the customer thinks about the objection and puts words to it, the more crystallized it gets.

The more crystallized it gets, the harder it is to dislodge that anchor.
Read 8 tweets
Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Aug 23, 2023
Most people suck at managing up.

They waste their boss’ time with too much or too little information.

Here’s how I give the right amount of context (in any situation):
Star employees are exceptional at communicating and managing up.

This is even more important in a remote working environment.

They proactively communicate to show they've got it handled and prevent endless one-off questions.
If you don’t share enough context, you’ll waste time on:

❌ Needless back-and-forth
❌ Avoidable follow up questions
❌ Misunderstandings and confusion

Here are 8 ways to give your boss the right amount of context:
Read 18 tweets
Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Jul 27, 2023
Most people suck at asking for things.

Here’s an easy framework for how to ask (and get a yes):
You and I can’t do everything on our own.

Sheer willpower isn’t enough to push something through by yourself. Trust me, I’ve tried.

90% of the time, you need other people’s support and cooperation.

At a minimum, you don’t want them to block you.

You need their buy-in.
When people say yes, it means:

✅ More momentum and faith in your project
✅ More energy to do work that matters
✅ Less time worrying and trying to convince skeptics
Read 15 tweets
Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Mar 21, 2023
Framing is key when you share your ideas at work.

Here’s a quick way to get your boss to perk up and listen:
If you dive right into sharing your recommendation, your boss won't be primed to hear it.

They’ll wonder, “Is this even a problem worth solving? Why does this matter?"

They won't appreciate your solution if they don't even think there's a problem.
That's why you must frame the problem, then offer the solution.

Ask yourself:

"What bad things will happen if we don’t do this? What good things will happen if we do?"

I call this the Bad Things / Good Things framework.
Read 11 tweets
Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Mar 20, 2023
Teaching your audience something new is one of the fastest ways to build trust.

Here's a simple framework for how to create impactful educational content:

Personal
Actionable
Concrete
Tactical
Specific

Personal: "This isn't generic advice I've heard a million times before"
Actionable: "I can put it into practice and apply it to my own work"

Concrete: "This can be observed and measured--not just theory"

Tactical: "This isn't a generic idea I've heard a million times before"

Specific: "This is precise advice for a particular situation"
🚫 “Why communication skills are important for marketers"

^ Super obvious, nothing new, and too vague.

Except for new grads out of college, most professionals already know why communication is important.

They don't need to be convinced.
Read 7 tweets
Wes Kao 🏛 Profile picture
Mar 9, 2023
Some folks say “Avoid jargon! People don't know what x means!”

Actually the best marketers use jargon to repel folks who aren’t a fit–and to attract the right customers.

Here are 3 examples of jargon used effectively:
This isn’t about using big words or acronyms to sound sophisticated.

It means using industry terms when it makes sense to.

And not “dumbing down” your content to cater to the lowest common denominator.
@emilykramer teaches B2B marketing.

On her landing page, she doesn’t shy away from using marketing jargon like PMM, OKR, KPI, funnel, positioning, or growth levers.

Those terms might be confusing for some people…

But her target audience are senior marketers who get it. Image
Read 7 tweets

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