Today I’ve been asked to attend an event designed to provide mentoring to young people. The format of the event puts me at a table with 2-3 people for 20 minute sessions to answer questions and dish out advice.
It got me thinking… what do I wish I had known before I started my career? My first thought was… everything! But that’s not really true. Some of the fun in life is the journey. Without the ups and downs we wouldn’t be the people we are today. Still, there are a lot of things that would have been useful to know.
So, I decided to jot down a few ideas based on my own experience. Some items from this list are things I wish I had known, and some are things I wish other people would have known. By all means, I hope you’ll add to the list if you think of something I missed.
- Listening is the most important tool in the business arsenal. Before you give your opinion, ask others for their opinion first. If you’re going to agree it makes it easy. If you’re going to disagree you’ll know before they do and be able to change your delivery to “sell” your idea to others. And when you ask a question, be patient as you wait for an answer. Knowledge is power and your goal should be to get as much as you can while giving out only what is absolutely necessary.
- Patience is a prerequisite to success. Everyone is looking for the quick buck, but no one wants to earn it. Heck, I understand. I wish for the same thing too! But it just doesn’t work that way. If you’re going to be successful you are going to have to resign yourself to the fact that it’s going to take hard work, and a lot of it!
- 40 hours a week won’t make you rich. Think about it. You can’t expect to work the same hours as 95% of the population, but somehow be in the top 1% of incomes. If your main goal is financial in nature you are going to have to really work in the same general percentage of the bell curve as you want to be rewarded.
- Don’t judge a book by its cover. The only thing that matters in a business setting is how much a person contributes to the overall cause. It doesn’t matter how they look, or if they boast about how great they are. The only thing that counts at the end of the day is if they are continuing to move the business forward.
- Whoever said “I didn’t learn anything useful in school” was an idiot. It’s true, you can’t learn everything in school, some things only come with experience. But believe me, you are going to have to learn everything, so get yourself a huge head start by learning it early and you’ll leapfrog all the other people who are sitting around wondering “why do I need to know this”?
- Whiny, angry people are destined for failure. If you have a bad temper, or if you find yourself complaining a lot, you need to work on that. No one in a work environment wants to see either of those things. You have to be calm, cool and collected to solve problems, and problem solving is what business is all about. Don’t even bother pointing out problems unless you plan on being part of the solution.
- Work harder than anyone around you. Arrive earlier, take shorter lunch breaks, and leave late. Not only will you get more actual work done than your peers, the folks in charge will love you and consider you for advancement.
- Keep your personal and work life separate. You need to be friendly at work, but never, never forget it’s a competitive environment. Tell people you have problems at home and everyone will soon think, “it’s affecting your work”. Tell people things are going great and they’ll think, “its affecting your work”. You need to craft your work image carefully, and protect it like your reputation counts on it! Oh, and don’t drink. Getting drunk around people you work with is a recipe for disaster.
- Take calculated risks. Risk, generally speaking, is a bad thing. Calculated risks however, can leapfrog a career. A calculated risk is one you feel has been thoroughly investigated, has a reasonable chance of success, and most importantly leaves you with viable options in case of failure. I’ve seen too many people take huge risks and fail because they simply lack the patience to wait for the success that comes from hard work.
- Don’t be so certain you’re right. Every day I see people assert things they know to be “true” only to be proven wrong. The world is not black and white, so keep your ego in check and constantly challenge your own assumptions. Do the research to back up your opinions, but remember that the research could be flawed. Don’t be afraid to try things, but don’t be too proud to admit when it doesn’t work.
I’ve got some seriously successful folks who read this blog, so even if you’ve never left a comment, now’s a good time! Got anything to add to the list? It’s for the kids!
I just waned to add that, you should always keep learning…you should always learn to improve yourself …so need to read a lot…news, blogs, books…so when there come a discussion you know whats going around and act smartly!!
Treat people the way that you expect to be treated, but don’t expect that all will oblige. That is to say that you will definitely encounter (and work with) some people along the way that aren’t very nice. Never reduce yourself to their level, never convince yourself they’re getting ‘ahead’ because of their actions/behaviors, and never forget that “what goes around, comes around”.
Two things I wish I had know…
Hang with the right crowd… When you start in your career there are those that are “fun” to hang around with (but are usually less successful) and those that are the true winners. Learn to identify the winners and become their associates. Picking the right crowd allows you to learn at an accelerated pace, move up the ladder a lot faster, and become part of a crowd that will enhance both your life and career. Hanging with the wrong crowd can do the opposite! And don’t just think that the right crowd are your co-workers, they will pop up at conferences, business meetings, social gatherings and lot’s of other great places.
Respect the Young Ones Luckily for me I was able to learn this early, my first CEO was graduating high school when I was hired. The lesson learned and carried through is you don’t need 20+ years of hardcore industry experience to be a winner. Young Entrepreneurs have the ability to work 48 hours straight, out study, and school old timers from time to time. They also have the ability to take risks, fail, and start over again without worrying about mortgages, bankruptcy, or families to feed. Latch on to a Young Entrepreneurs and you will learn loads.
- If you are not a US citizen, your visa to the US should be rejected at least once.
- They should detain you for a couple of hours in the airport! Don’t get angry if they don’t believe you… stay cool!
- Never rely on luck because it turns out to be your worst enemy when you want something so bad.
- Don’t build a Woopra competitor because you will not be able to compete!
…
:D
I would like to add: anythign you say to a co-worker can and will be used against you. The walls have ears.
Wow – great post, John. Very well said – and some of the comments that follow are pretty valuable, too. Comes at a great time for me, too.
Treat each failure as leading to your eventual success. Many people give up after one thing doesn’t work, and usually you have to try a bunch of things before you get it right.
Great list!
BTW, John, I’m looking at the site in Firefox (PC) and your apostrophes seem to be coming out garbled in the list. They look like this: ’
Don’t Expect Your Boss to Know Your Aspirations –
Your manager, if a good one, should ask periodically what you want to be when you grow up and subsequently help you get there. However, many managers throughout your career will not be this helpful. Thus, it’s your responsibility to make them aware of the fact that you want to be a manager, you want more money, you want to get a certification, or whatever other aspirations you want. Take ownership of you career early on…it will only benefit you in the long run!
Whoever said “I didn’t learn anything useful in school†was an idiot.
Although the actual knowledge that is gained in school may never be used, it does assist in acquiring the skill of learning. School imparts some basic knowledge that is the basis of what we need to know further in life. It is up to us to take that further and continue our learning to suit our individual needs. Those of us that feel that learning is a waste of time end up in dead-end jobs with no future. Those that continue their ongoing learning come out ahead.
I am not completely in agreement with this one…
You dont have to work long hours but you do have to work smart…
Kim:)