Golden rules

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Business is made up of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.


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Keep track of what you do; someone is sure to ask.


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Be comfortable around senior managers, or learn to fake it.


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Never bring your boss a problem without some solution.


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You are getting paid to think, not to whine.


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Long hours don’t mean anything; results count, not effort.


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Write down ideas; they get lost, like good pens.


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Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your boss.


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Help other people network for jobs. You never know when your turn will come.


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Don’t take days off sick unless you are.


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Assume no one can / will keep a secret.


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Know when you do your best morning, night, under pressure, relaxed; schedule and prioritize your work accordingly.


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Treat everyone who
works in the organization with respect and dignity, whether it be the
cleaner or the managing director. Don’t ever be patronizing.


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Never appear
stressed in front of a client, a customer or your boss. Take a deep
breath and ask yourself: In the course of human events, how important
is this?


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If you get the entrepreneurial urge, visit someone who has his own business. It may cure you.


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Acknowledging someone else’s contribution will repay you doubly.


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Career planning is an oxymoron. The most exciting opportunities tend to be unplanned.


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Always choose to do what you’ll remember ten years from now.


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The size of your office is not as important as the size of your pay cheque.


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Understand what finished work looks like and deliver your work only when it is finished.


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The person who spends all of his or her time is not hard-working; he or she is boring.


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Know how to write business letters including thank-you notes as well as proposals.


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Never confuse a memo with reality. Most memos from the top are political fantasy.


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Eliminate guilt. Don’t fiddle expenses, taxes or benefits, and don’t cheat colleagues.


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Reorganizations mean that someone will lose his or her job. Get on the committee that will make the recommendations.


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Job security does not exist.


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Always have an answer to the question, What would I do if I lost my job tomorrow


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Go to the company Christmas party. Don’t get drunk at the company Christmas party.


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Avoid working at weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.


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The most successful people in business are interesting.


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Sometimes you’ll be
on a winning streak and everything will click; take maximum advantage.
When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.


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Never in your life say, Its not my job


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Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself.


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Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Use them whenever you have an opportunity.


ü People remember the end of the project. As they say in boxing, Always finish stronger than you start.