Our Gardian of the Month is Tori Miller Liu, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CIP President & CEO for the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM).
To close out 2026, we're trying something new! In November and December, we’ll feature two individuals from the same organization to share (and compare) their unique perspectives, experiences, and insights.
EG: What’s something you’ve had to learn in your current role that you didn’t expect when you joined the organization, and how did you go about learning it?
TML: When I stepped into the CEO role for the first time, one thing quickly became clear: facilitation skills are essential. As CEO, you facilitate conversations with staff, members, and the board of directors, and it's vital to create a space where productive discussion can happen, people can collaborate, and every voice is heard. I first began learning about facilitation through a community of practice within the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Last year, I wanted a more structured, formal learning experience, so I took part in the Facilit8 certificate training. It was very valuable, and I regularly draw on what I learned to hold better conversations.
EG: How do you build and maintain relationships across your organization, and what’s distinctive about your approach?
TML: At AIIM, our 1:1 meetings and staff meetings are sacred. I try not to reschedule or cancel them because I believe in the importance of regularly connecting. In 1:1 meetings, I try to avoid spending much time on status updates because that can be shared via Slack or email. Instead, we focus on sharing possibilities, problems, and celebrating positives. In staff meetings, we have certain rituals that help our remote-only team foster our culture and relationships, like fun icebreakers and taking time to celebrate (and brag) about wins. We also set a topic of the week where we take time to discuss an idea, crowdsource a problem, or revise our culture. It’s a time where we can collaborate outside of our usual project work and planning.
EG: What knowledge or expertise is most important to pass on to others, and what makes it easier or harder to share across roles or teams?
TML: Active listening and empathy are essential competencies, yet many of us were never taught them as children, and professional training in these skills isn't widely available either. To build them, we need to model the behavior ourselves and set clear expectations through our cultural norms.
EG: Just for Fun - If you could have any superpower, but it had to be completely mundane, like being able to perfectly fold laundry with your mind, what would it be?
TML: My superpower is creating detailed trip itineraries, planned down to the quarter hour that take into account most efficient travel routes, reviews, discounts, and opening hours. I am deeply resentful that AI has encroached on my superpower. My family is deeply relieved.
EG: What is a resource that has been valuable to you in your work, and what makes you appreciate it?
Click the video below to see Tori's response!
