Category: Personal Development: Basic (BA17)
Originally Submitted on 7/16/97.

Management isn't what it used to be. Chaos has replaced order, mobility has replaced security, and cynicism has replaced trust. Men and women entering business or government today need to be savvy in ways quite different than their predecessors. Here are ten things worth keeping in mind.

1. Instead of planning for a career, think of two, three, or more.

In all likelihood, you'll have as many as three different careers during your working life. Even the nomenclature of career guidance has changed.Redirection rather than planning has become the operative word. In the future, you will be required to change course frequently as career paths become fuzzy, lead nowhere, or dissolve only to reappear in new forms.

2. Be clear about where your loyalties lie.

One of the principal distinctions between average and outstanding performers pertains to the way each group thinks about loyalty. Average performers expect a certain amount of loyalty from their employers. High achievers, on the other hand, have different priorities. For them, loyalty to oneself is paramount, followed by loyalty to one's group and, as a distant third, loyalty to one's organization. Based on the popularity of downsizing, one could reasonably conclude that employers as well put themselves first.

3. Start with the assumption that you don't communicate well.

If you're a recent college or MBA graduate, you may think thatyou've been taught to write and speak correctly, if not eloquently. The reality is that most managers and many professionals do not write or speak well. Communication is an art that must be doggedly pursued. Good writing and clear effective speaking ability emerge over time and after considerable effort. If you want to learn to write and speak well, get yourself a critic, someone whose communicative skills yourespect--a boss, acoach, or even your spouse-- and practice, practice, practice. In the world of work,roughly 85% of your time will be spent communicating.

4. Set your own standards.

Average performers let others set standards for them--the boss,their peers, the position, or the situation. Outstanding performers set their own more rigorous standards. A standard is a defined level of performance: what you will or will not do and how well you will do it. Setting your own standards and setting them high, sets you apart and allows you to stand out above the crowd. Letting others set your standards for you sends a signal: you're a follower, not a leader.

5. Set your own boundaries and be sure others are aware of them.

Standards and boundaries are different. Think of it this way. A standard defines what you demand of yourself, what you will do or will not do, and what you require of others. A boundary defines what you will accept from others. Boundaries are designed to provide space--physical and mental. Boundaries are the autopilot of appropriate behavior. For example, one of your boundaries might be simply, "I have no time or interest in gossip." Once you've set your own boundaries, they need to be communicated to those around you--tactfully. There's an old expression: "a soft word turneth away wrath", and it applies here. You want others to be know whereyoustand, but you don't want them to run away!

6. Understand the two definitions of responsbility.

The first: what you are responsible for and to. Basically, you are responsible for YOU--your thoughts, words, actions and their effects upon others. You also have a BIG responsibility TO others; it is, simply, to allow others what you demand for yourself--dignity, consideration, space, interest, for example.The second definition requires hyphenation and a slight spelling change:response-abilty. You will be judged by how effectively and quickly you respond to a host of people and challenges, some fair and reasonable, many unfair and unreasonable. Frankly, the difference is irrelevant. The only thing that IS relevant about a demanding person or situation is what you do about them or it.

7. Look into the mirror, frequently.

One of the most difficult things in life is to get an objective picture of oneself, and it gets harder and harder the higher up the ladder you climb. With increasing authority and responsibility, there will be fewer people-- including your best friend--who will tell it to you like it is. It's awfully easy to develop a self-image that simply doesn't square with the way others see you. One of the strange aspects of human behavior seems to be that it's often those people with whom you have conflict that are the most likely to tell you what you need to know but are reluctant to hear. Your friends won't; they want to retain your friendship. There are a number of so-called, 360 degree profiles around--blind assessments that will enable you to get anonymous feedback from others as to how you come across. For what they do, they're not inordinately expensive. And, a word here: if you find yourself resisting this idea, consider that it may very well be something from which you could measurably benefit!

8. Pay more attention to your vision than your plan.

Goal-setting has become a popular place to start for nearly every new management fad. It's not that goals and plans aren't necessary; it's that all too often, these efforts are simply mechanical exercises devoid of heart. If your goals and plans are based on what you SHOULD accomplish rather than what you WANT to accomplish, trash them. Concentrate instead on your vision--the ideas,concepts, and possibilities that literally turn you on, inspire and motivate you. One way to understand the difference: a vision is something that is deeply ingrained inside; it's something that recurs frequently during the day and, when it does, you feel invigorated at the thought of it. Goals and plans, on the other hand, are most often found in the bottom left hand drawer of your desk.

9. Do better than your best at everything.

Well, almost everything. It's called expanding the envelope. It's a continuing life-exercise in self-development based on the premise that you can always do better. And the reason for doing better is not your boss or your spouse,it's YOU. When you're in a situation where your best is not demanded, or when the demands are excessive, it's easy to let yourself off the hook. When you do, you're only hurting yourself. It's true, doing your best at everything can mean that you get very few things done. There's a way around this dilemma, or rather two ways. The first is to delegate,shuck off, or simply not do things that are unimportant. Instead, concentrate on the important things, the things that further your vision and turn you on. The second is to recognize that all tasks have their level of excellence. For example, you probably wouldn't devote as much time and energy to taking the trash out as you would to crafting your resume. Decide the level of excellence that applies to each task and then perform up to that level--that's for the work-a-day tasks that you can't delegate to others. For those tasks that are important, that really turn you on--go for them, 110%!

10. Recognize that failure is often a necessary precondition to success.

Most people are afraid to fail for the same reason that, when you fall down and are hurt, you immediately try to get up and assure everyone thatyou're all right: fear that others will think less of you for it. Yet, failure most often represents a forced lesson in what you most need to learn. Thomas Edison was once accused of being a failure when, in over 2,000 tries, he had been unsuccessful in his efforts to invent the incandescent light bulb. His response to his critics: No, I haven't failed; I have just eliminated 2,000 ways that won't work. Many great men and women have failed over and over again before succeeding. So, if you want to really be outstanding,you might consider the possibility that failure is just part of the course.

About the Submitter

The original source is: Written by Shale Paul, Copyright 1996 Top Ten Lists, Inc. Copyright 1997, 98, 99, Coach University http://www.coachu.com/

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