Best piece of work advice you got?

You just said it, keep ones mouth shut, try to embrace accomplishing what one can without dumping on others, and be patient.

 

Sixty years ago: “Stop taking a smoke break for 15 minutes every hour!” I quit smoking.

 

Never confuse 15 years of experience with one year of experience repeated 15 times.

 

You should choose your boss and a company, not a job.

 

I also believe who you report to is as important if not more important than the job itself.

 

Leave your religion and politics at home.
It’s not all about you.
If you’re working hard there is no time to run your mo.

 

My mentor through high school and college had this advice as I was heading out after graduation from UF. “Don’t buy into the myth of company loyalty. To them you’re just a business decision. Give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.” That advice served me very well.

 

These are pieces of advice that have helped me in my career:
1. Assume positive intent - not everyone is out to get you.
2. Go prepared to meetings, read pre-reads, have an elevator pitch for your key messages
3. You are in charge of your career development. Your management can only facilitate it but you need to drive it.
4. Time is not a criteria for promotion. You need to be already performing at the next level to get promoted.
5. There are stupid questions. Think before you ask.
6. Take notes. A short pencil is better than a long memory
7. Follow up. If you say you will get back to someone, do so.
8. Disagree respectfully. Team player does not mean agreement with everything.
9. Keep updating your skills or you will get outdated
10. My favorite - it’s only a job. The company will find your replacement in a heartbeat. I read this somewhere - 25 years later, the only people who will remember you worked late nights and weekends are your family. Don’t miss out on them for work.

 

Show up, do your job, go home. If you leave, it will be like you were never there in a very short time. Good bosses are hard to find.

 

1. Find good mentors (as opposed to a boss)

2. NEVER get emotionally attached to a deal.

 

I say something similar to my employees.

"I pay you money to make my life easier. As soon as you start making my life harder, I don't have much use for you anymore"

It's harsh but the truth, from an owner perspective.

As for the best I've received I just think about what the #1 life regret is from people on their deathbed. Spend less time working, more time with family. You don't get that time back.

 

I was told by my sales director to save my nickles and dimes, you're only as good as your last sale.

He was so right. Management changed so many times and the company I thought I would retire from became a place I ran from.

 

Be yourself. Learn from your mentors, and learn from your adversaries. Absorb every possible ounce of information. But always do your job in your own skin, not someone else’s.

 

Even a steer can try.
It was my great good fortune to work closely with someone who was absolutely the best in the world at what he did. Just Excellent. I saw what it took to achieve that excellence. He used that phrase on occasion when I lagged after a 14 hour day in the rain, the heat, and mosquitoes.
If you be ‘dere de day dey be ‘dere dat be de day to be dere.
I heard those words of wisdom from an old man as I chatted with him about the best days to fish but it spoke to me about the need for relentless effort each and every day.

 

I disagree strongly with this one. I've seen way too many screw ups by people not asking "dumb" questions

 

When juggling your priorities and setting your agenda for the day, prioritize your activities based on what will bring the most to the bottom line.

 

I must take a bit of an exception.

Mentors - Agree
Emotionally attached. I stuggle with this one, but am doing much better than in the past.

I do want to kick the buyers in the nuts when I hear "Nothing Personal" -

That statement while it may be true in many cases often does not reflect the actual story.
When a client purposely breaks a spec and feeds your number to a competitor........

It's personal.

 

Report bad news immediately.

Be sure to give others credit when due/acknowledge the contributions of others.

Be clear and precise in your speech/communications.