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I have a few younger siblings that have recently entered the workforce. This blog is for them and their friends. It has nothing to do with technology. It contains a few very simple, tactical "habits" that I feel everyone needs to follow to be successful in business.
1) Never Answer Your Cell Phone in the Middle of a Conversation (if you answer it in a meeting, you could/should be shot).
This seems obvious but you'd be surprised by how many tenured people break this rule. This was taught to me by an old mentor of mine, Gautam Shah. He said, "Answering your cell phone in the middle of a conversation, even a water cooler conversation, is disrespectful and negates any goodness that could come from that conversation. At that moment in time, the person on the other end of the line is no where near as important as the person you are talking to." 15 years ago, before cell phones, this wasn't an issue, and it shouldn't be today. You should always be engaged with the person you are speaking with, it establishes report, respect and trust. And, God forbid, if you're in a meeting, and you answer your cell phone, you should be wrapped up in the projector screen and bludgeoned with whiteboard dry erasers, because you just made an ass of yourself.
2) Always Bring Something to Write With
My first day of work at Andersen Consulting, I was told by a very smart guy, "Whenever you get up from your desk, make sure you're carrying a piece of paper with you." I smiled and asked, "OK, why?" He said, "It doesn't matter if you're going to a meeting, walking across the room or going to the bathroom, if there is a piece of paper in your hand, you're busy, if you have nothing, you're wandering." I think this is an important lesson for anyone in business. Perception is reality. It's especially important if you're called into your client/bosses office. ALWAYS, bring something to write with. ALWAYS. Never go into a meeting (any meeting) empty handed. Being empty-handed totes an essence of disrespect and uncaring. Oh, and don't forget to WRITE STUFF DOWN. Taking brief notes, even trivial ones, demonstrates that you are engaged and that you care about the conversation.
3) Don't Cross Your Arms When Someone Is Talking to You
This is a funny one that I was guilty of for a number of years until I took an Improvisational Acting class a few years ago (which I recommend to anyone in business). The teacher of the class, Steve Roath, would always point people out who were crossing their arms, before making them put them down. He said, "Crossing your arms creates a barrier between your mind and the knowledge or opinions being shared by others." As subconscious as this reflex may be, I believe he's absolutely right. I've made it a point to acknowledge my arms in conversations and in meetings and I find that when I do cross them, subconsciously, it's typically (for me) a defense mechanism. By lowering them I instinctively open my mind to listen to the information being conveyed to me, and I'm much more apt to listen more fully and to either learn from that information, or craft a much more intelligent response. In summary, don't ever cross your arms. It's a terrible defense mechanism. If necessary, put your dukes up!
4) Make a Real Difference by Creating a Job for Someone Else
This was the most impactful lesson I learned, and it came from Robert Blackwell. Robert and I were at lunch a number of years ago, talking about my then-career as an independent consultant. He asked, "J, do you think doctors are successful?" I replied, "Yes, I think doctors are very successful." He responded, "I think doctors do great things, but it's the guys that build hospitals that are successful, because they create jobs for doctors." That statement always stuck with me. It should be our goal to not just fill a role for ourselves, but to create roles and jobs for others. You don't have to be an entrepreneur or a financier to do this, you just have to figure out ways to save your company money or increase it's revenue. So whether your helping a business operate or helping a business develop and grow, you have the opportunity to make a difference, and ultimately, if you do a kick ass job, you will create a job for someone else. That's what makes America great, and how you can be a contributor to it's continued success.
These are a few tips, there are a gabillion others, and that's what blog comments are for. So tell the Millenials, what are your "habits" that you'd like to share with our future leaders?
-J
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6 comments:
Professionalism is key in a work environment (and some may say, outside of work to a point, as well). Leave "outside of work" stuff, to well, outside of work. Treat everyone, from the janitor to the CEO with the same respect and professionalism.
Also, remember email is an extremely important form of communication, so watch how and what you are saying. When I worked in the corporate world, I can't tell you how many educated and tenured people got reprimanded and a few even fired for their emails.Treat emails as if you were talking to the person face to face. Never hide behind an email.
Do what you say you are going to do. One of my huge pet peeves. This speaks volumes about your integrity,what kind of person you are, how trustworthy you are..the list goes on and on.
I did a full presentation on using technology to communicate effectively for the junior associates at my law firm -- "Avoiding the Digital Disaster." A lot of good tips in it, but the most important rule to be distilled from it -- Find out how the person you are working for/with likes to communicate, and respect that. E.g., Don't leave voicemails for a partner that's always on email; don't send a million emails to a partner who prefers a phone call; and ALWAYS find time for a face to face conversation, because it usually saves a lot of time and increases clarity.
I'd also follow up your "don't answer your cellphone" rule with "put the blackberry/iphone down." Sometimes you have a reason to be checking it, but basic etiquette still applies. If I take a junior associate to lunch and they're staring at their blackberry the whole time, I will not take them to lunch or give them good work again.
I would offer the following three additions to this already great post:
1) Don't make the good hostage to the perfect. It is particularly tempting to those who are conscientious and/or idealistic to take things one step further to make things that much better. Unchecked, this temptation can lead to never finishing what you first set out to do. Sometimes “good” really is good enough.
2) A bad idea written down is worth more than a good idea forgotten. Of course, a good idea written down is better than either. The point of this advice is: write down your ideas. A bad idea often has less to do with the seed and more to do with where and when the seed was planted. Writing down your ideas allows you to revisit them and consider whether now is the right time to pursue them – or whether they are worth pursuing at all.
3) Learn to be a great communicator. Expanding on the remarks about the importance of email: All communication is important – but knowing how to communicate will always give you an advantage. The level at which man communicates separates himself from all other animals. Those who can communicate well further distinguish themselves from other men. Consider this: How many problems in your daily life can you trace back to poor communication? As any married man can tell you, “It's not just what you say, but how you say it that matters.” Poor communication results in everything from accidents, to missed deadlines, to divorce, to international conflict. Conversely, how much more at ease are you when you fully understand something – usually as the result of effective communication. The good communicator removes ambiguity and uncertainty. The great communicator does this and inspires and sparks the imagination.
Great advice, J. The cell phone tip is something I need to continue to work on:)
Here are some additional tips I have found useful:
1. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you (or at least people you perceive as smarter). The smarts start to rub off and you'd be amazed what you can learn.
2. Ask questions. A common misconception is that you are hired to know all the answers. In reality, no one knows all the answers. Rather, it's the questions you ask that help the team work toward the right answer that will set you apart.
3. Do what you love and the money will follow. A colleague once told me that if you do what you love you will always make money. It stuck with me and it's something that I continue to ask myself throughout my carerr - am I truly doing work that I love? Would I do it for free? Don't get me wrong, you won't always be tasked with work that you are passionate about."When life hands you lemons make lemonade" is a motto to live by. Make the best of it, stay positive, and look for the parts of a job that do fulfill you. Your career is a journey and you'd be surprised where the experiences that, on the surface, don't seem that interesting will take you.
There are probably two thoughts that I would like to add to this insightful list. These may not be news to the Schwan siblings, but they are worth repeating: 1) A mentor of mine told me very early in my career to follow one simple rule. If you wanted to advance your career quickly, always get to the office in the morning before your boss and always leave after your boss. Sounds simplistic, but I found it had several benefits other than the obvious image benefit. If you do arrive before your boss (or anybody else for that matter), you have an opportunity to plan and prioritize your day before the inevitable interruptions occur. This means you are likely going to get done the things that are truly important. If you stay after your boss leaves, you are likely going to complete the things you need to. You can leave the laptop at work and enjoy your valuable time outside of work with your family and friends. 2) Your real boss is not the person you report to, but your peers. A smart boss realizes that his/her people will always be at their best when he/she is around. However, when it comes time for promotion/review of an individual, he/she will informally seek feedback from that person’s peers. What do you think of Sarah? How has she helped you…our team etc? The smart boss will value this feedback very highly since it is indicative of what contribution that the person is making to the organization on a daily basis.
Wow, great comments and advice everyone. I'm going to take some of these tips for myself while we're at it! Pass on the blog to your friends and let's see if we can collect some more tips. If we get some traction, I'll get this turned into an article for a paper pub and get you guys quoted.
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