7 Tips for Business Success
Many executives and other business managers often forget that
they really have 2 jobs - the first is to do what they get paid
for (and do it better than others). The other is to manage their
career path and do what is required to ensure their upward
mobility isn't dependent on others who may or may not be working
in their best interest.
The following "secrets", amassed through my extensive background
as both a corporate executive and business consultant, will help
professionals better manage their success path:
1. Understand the "circle of success". A common piece of advice
given to managers is for them to spend a great deal of time
getting to know, and working side-by-side, with their staff to
ensure each employee has what (s)he needs to be productive.
While that idea is well intentioned, it's does not provide
maximum benefit to all involved. Rather, it is more important
that managers spend time helping their boss look good at every
opportunity. When (s)he understands that you are able to help
her/him succeed, you and your team will get more time, attention
and resources facilitating maximum productivity.
2. Results = Rewards. Companies spend a great deal of money on
new systems to help automate and, hopefully, increase efficiency
for the whole company. After these big investments, managers are
told to become "experts" with the systems and procedures to
ensure the intended benefits are realized. This often creates an
environment where many managers think that the most important
task at hand is to learn the in's and out's of these systems and
takes their eye off the real task at hand for which their
ultimately accountable. To ensure upward mobility, remember to
put the primary focus on your department's core objective in the
context of the company's overall objective.
3. Avoid stagnation. Far too many workers throughout our nation
are bored and disinterested, which is adversely impacting their
productivity and creativity. Consequently, many U.S. industries
are falling behind in the global marketplace. It's time for our
nation's corporate leaders to re-engage and spend more time
acting as leaders rather than bureaucrats. People respond best
to positive feedback, emotion and enthusiasm - not e-mail
communications, inexplicable charts and fear management.
Effective leadership ensures that everyone is focused on, and
vested in, getting to the goal lines. This is the most critical
issue impacting an organization's productivity.
4. Understand that outsourcing threatens everyone. Very few
professionals actually understand that their position can be
outsourced. They get complacent in this false sense of security.
While most people realize outsourcing has affected the service
industries, they fail to grasp that other professionals,
including accountants, lawyers, engineers, etc., can be readily
outsourced as well. Virtually no line of work is bulletproof,
and knowing this will keep you one step ahead of the game. At
this time, those involved in creative enterprises, which high
technology has yet to automate, look to be the safest career
choices over the long term.
5. "Presence" pays. One's "presence" plays a big part in who
gets promoted and who doesn't. In a nutshell, presence is a
combination of how we look, how we carry ourselves, and our
communication skills. Because many of us still associate one's
appearance, demeanor and speaking ability with their overall
ability, this remains a formidable challenge for those who have
physical or other bias-based attributes that are difficult, if
not impossible to change, such as height or weight. This
subjectivity is even worse for women as society is generally
more able to accept men with what's considered to be shortfalls
rather than women. Irrespective of these barriers, condition
yourself to carry yourself with best posture and to wear attire
that imparts your success.
6. Pace your boss. To really stand out from the others and get
the all important promotion, ensure you are in the office
whenever your boss is in the office. Let her or him see that you
share the same work ethic. Right, wrong or indifferent, these
are new rules of time management. Simply put, if your boss is at
work, you should be as well. If (s)he has decided that it's
necessary to be there after hours, on weekends, or early in the
morning, it is entirely to your advantage to be there at the
same time. In this day in age, one must take advantage of all
opportunities to distinguish themselves in the workplace.
7. Step up self promotion. This issue primarily impacts women,
but applies to both genders. It is important that those who are
in the position to benefit your career in any way know who you
are and what you've accomplished. Successful business people
understand the importance of letting others know about their
successes, and go about it in the appropriate way. If done
properly, it will not be construed as bragging or conceit.