Career Success? Start With These

Every so often a young person starting out will ask, "What does it take to be successful at work?"

It' easy to wax poetic and get all philosophical. It's also not very helpful. So, here's my most recent stream-of-consciousness:

Start Doing These. Now.

Business is made up of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.  Keep track of what you do; someone will ask. Be comfortable around senior managers or learn to act that way. Never bring your boss a problem without some solution.

You are getting paid to think, not to whine. Long hours don't mean anything; results count, not effort. Write down ideas; they get lost like good pens.

Arrive at work before your boss. Be sure to sit at the conference table, not over by the wall. Help other people who are networking  for jobs.

What goes around comes around. Don't take sick days--unless you are. Assume no one can/will keep a secret. They won't.  Always have an answer to the question "What would I do if I lost my job tomorrow?"

Go to the company holiday party. Don't get get drunk at the company holiday party. Avoid working on the weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.

The most successful people in business are interesting.

Sometimes you'll be on a roll and everything will click; take maximum advantage of those times. When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.  Never, ever, ever  in your life say," It's not my job."

Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself. Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Whenever you have an opportunity, use them. When you use them in the service of others outside of work, you'll find that your career mystically mushrooms.

People remember the end of the project. Every boxer still standing will remind you, "Be sure to finish stronger than you start."

Comments

[peter vajda]

Hi, Steve,

At the risk of "waxing poetically and philosophically," and also pointing to your statement, "Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself", I would add, "know why you're on the planet (the 50,000-foot level) and then see the nexus to your life at work (ground level.)

In my experience, those who've thought about personal vision and purpose often find the internal support to be engaged and find meaning at work (even doing the most mundane and menial tasks, even in a tough economic environment). Many of these folks do the things that represent "going the extra mile,' behaving maturely at office functions, not abusing sick-days, expense account and other policies, not bitching, moaning and whining, etc. They show up and more often do what it takes, absorbing the discomfort when it arrives as see their life in a larger context.

The being "loyal to youself," to me, is firt and paramount. And, if I don't really, really know myself, then life at work is more often one of conflict, dis-engagement, emotional acting out, meaning-less-ness and an "is this all there is," "one-off" experience. There's no one to be loyal to.

Is there any wonder that more and more folks seem to be experiencing "mid-life" crises at 25!?

[Steve Roesler]

Ah, Peter,

. . .and when the pain gets great enough, one is more willing to listen to the foundational truths, eh?

That's when the real work begins.

[peter vajda]

Indeed, Steve...and when one has explored these foundational truths, and consciously designed their life on the basis of these truths, then one can, as in your graphic - both practically and metaphorically - stand over another and bow with grace and respect, rather than gloat in myriad ways, shapes and forms as so many are inclined, consciously and unconsciously, to do today.

[Peggy McKee]

I couldn't agree with you more. I wish we could print this up and hand it out to everyone at their first job. I wrote some similar "life rules" for people who are in sales here: http://www.phcconsulting.com/WordPress/2009/03/18/forrest-gump%e2%80%99s-guide-to-selling-success/.

[Joan Schramm]

Absolutely spot on -- should be required reading for all new employees (and plenty of old-timers, too).

I'd add two things:

1. Take initiative. Pursue new ideas. Don't be afraid to fail or make a mistake -- as long as you don't keep making the same mistake over and over.
2. Don't air dirty laundry at meetings. This is probably the most important lesson I ever learned about how to work with others. If you have to call someone out, or have a complaint to make, or a gripe to air, do it in private. You gain nothing by trashing someone in a public forum, and too many people think meetings are the place to say things like, "I wasn't able to get the final specs on the account because Bob didn't get me the right information." Good luck in ever getting Bob to help you out on a project in the future.

[GL HOFFMAN]

Great tips, Steve. I especially like the one about sitting at the conference table. Too many young folks hang back, trying to be cool. Every company should post this on the company refrigerator. Do people do THAT any more?

[Steve Roesler]

Peggy,

Maybe we should decide to combine the two and follow your suggestion.

It's pretty clear that young people starting out do not receive a degree of guidance that helps them know what to do and what not...

[Steve Roesler]

Joan,

Oh, yeah...appreciate you adding the "dirty laundry" thing. There seems to be a tendency to for some to enjoy a forum for one-on-one issues. Never a good idea and a definite career-limiting opportunity.

[Steve Roesler]

GL,

Thanks for the kind words and the great shameless marketing lead-in:

If a company needs a refrigerator to post these on, I have one that I bought after the tornado that was only used for 5 days. Will offer it to a small company kitchen area at a very reasonable price. Good quality and a small freezer as well.

Contact me via email or the phone numbers in the sidebar for more info.(I'll even put the list on the side with a magnet).

[Kaizan]

I love the last point about people remembering the end of the project! It's so true. You want to start well, but you also want to end well.

Great post!