Career Nuggets
When I got out of the Army I perceived myself as completely incompetent and knowing nothing about business (which was largely true). Given the Army leadership mantra "know yourself and seek self improvement" I started to amass this list of "Career Nuggets". In quotes because my first manager out of the Army (Granville Betton) told them to me and told me to start with his Career Nuggets list and build mine over my lifetime. So here were go (with attribution)
- Manage your manager
- Manage your schedule
- Make time for people
- It is all about relationships
- To be successful, make your manager's pain go away
- Never try to impress your boss's boss! Impress your boss, he/she will give you visibility when you are ready - if your manager is any good...which leads to:
- Don't take on your boss unless you can take him out (this is generally 99.9999% of the time a very bad idea)
- Work yourself out of a job
- Think of what mark you are going to leave on the business when you're gone...leave a legacy
- The first rule of wing walking is to have a firm grip of one thing before go let go of the other
"Marketing is merely a civilized form of warfare in which most
battles are won with words, ideas, and disciplined thinking."
- Albert Emery
"Don't let your job get in the way of your career."
"There is no private, confidential communication - everyone you talk to has a confidant other than you."
"If you are thinking of firing someone you should have done it a long time ago
Everyone cooks with water."
"If no have nothing to say... sing it"
"The right offer should be so attractive that only a lunatic would say 'No'."
- Claude Hopkins
"If in doubt, act indignant"
"If you are going to fail, fail fast"
- Credited to this list from Jenny Potter though since I first heard her say it many others have
“The board will give you an apartment at the corner of perception and reality… and that's a tough fucking neighborhood”
"We dance like motherfuckers so the grass can't grow underfoot”.
- Irish Proverb shared with me by Denise Tormey who also gave me the nickname of "The Magpie" for once stealing her coffee (but that's a different story)
Career Supercharge also from Jayme Kurtyka
- Love what you do!
- Never stop learning!
- Get international experience.
- Create new business opportunities.
- Expect more raises/fewer titles.
- Do what you do the best you can!
How to be a Star at work (in order and I am not sure where I got this):
- Initiative
- Networking
- Self Management
- Perspective
- Followership
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Organization Savy
- Show and Tell
“When effort is needed, effort will appear. When effortlessness becomes essential, it will assert itself. You need not push life about. Just flow with it and give yourself completely to the task of the present moment..."
- Nisargadatta Maharaj shared with me via CJ Rendic
Problem solving framework:
The utility of the framework is aimed at separating the emotional side of a decision, acting on the decision and of course what the right decision is. That said it's a three step process
- Gather and organize all the data that details the situation, keeping a sharp eye on the inputs being data only. No opinions or anecdotes
- Use the data to come to the solution in a context of what is objectively the right thing to do. Make the decision as if everyone in the organization, your clients and your shareholders had all the information you had and knew what you know
- Strategize on the best way to act, make an execution plan (maybe gaining legal opinions along the way), and act
“Difficult but possible, therefore certain”
"If you hold a nickel close enough to your eye you can block out the sun"
"Purpose before action"