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Personal Operating Manuals

A Personal Operating Manual (POM) is a document that allows you to explicitly communicate how you work best and your work preferences. It’s a document that provides others with a framework on how to best interact with you. POMs can also help teams function together more effectively, by building psychological safety, improving communication, avoiding misunderstandings, and improving collaboration.
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Materials

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Personal Operating Manuals Training Deck
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Personal Operating Manuals Training (Recording)
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Content Overview

We recommend watching the training recording and reviewing the training materials in full, however a high-level summary of the content is also included below for your convenience.
Personal Operating Manuals help foster team trust
Everyone has their own unique working style — POMs outline what works best for each team member and helps to develop team norms. Get to know your team by asking questions such as:
How do you like to work?
How do you deal with conflict on a team?
What work brings you energy?
What work depletes energy?
Start with your Personal Operating Manual
What is your work style?
When do you like people to approach you and how?
What do you value?
How do you like people to communicate with you?
How do you make decisions?
How can people help you?
What will you not tolerate in others (pet peeves)?
As a manager, share your POM with your team, but don’t make it one-sided. Encourage your team to create their own, and share together as a group. Revisit your POMs on a regular cadence, or at the beginning of major projects.
Leadership Assessment Resources
Taking a Leadership Assessment might help you become more self-aware of your own style before articulating it in your POM. Here are some free resources:
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The Leadership Compass Assessment
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The Trust Quotient Assessment
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: Trusted Advisor Associates
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IMD Global Leader Index
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: Leading independent business school, IMD
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NHS Leadership Framework Self-Assessment Tool
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: UK National Health Service
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Your Leadership Legacy
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: Based on a book: Your Leadership Legacy
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USC Leadership Styles
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: USC (University of Southern California)
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Next Section:
Navigating Difficult Conversations
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Previous Section:
Employee Offboarding
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