Some lessons in life and business are hard to learn. Some are just too fabulous to keep to yourself. I reflect on the advice I received from my dad about business and it was mainly around getting a good job and working hard - great suggestions but not too specific. I reflect on three things I have wanted my teenage son to know that have really helped me and that I had to learn for myself. Nothing wrong with giving my son a head start and I share these three things with you now:
If your boss gives you five things to do on a list, how many should you do?
There may seem like an obvious answer to this question and my son promptly rounded with the answer - "Well, probably all five." "Actually," I said, "You should do at least six". He looked a little dumbfounded to start with and then I explained. In order to show initiative and get ahead of the pack, you have to do something different. If your boss gives you a list of things to do, ensure that you complete the list and then do something extra. Do something they weren't expecting. They will immediately see you as someone that goes the extra mile, is conscientious and can think for themselves. Easy and very effective.
Know what your weaknesses are and how you deal with them.
This was a relatively recent conversation. I preempted it by explaining that everyone has weaknesses. Anybody that says they don't have a weakness is either lying or hasn't grasped enough about themselves to understand what it is. Often we need help from someone pointing out what they are but for most people, if we're honest, we know. It's okay to have weaknesses and it's good to acknowledge what they are. You don't have to try and explain them away and try to explain them as some convoluted strength, you just need to know what to do about them. This is especially useful in a job interview.
For me, I hate detail. I don't have the patience to read through a whole report or prepare in depth for a meeting. So, for me, I have to discipline myself to do those things. It;s not that I can't - I just prefer not to and I know what to do about it. I have suggested to my son that he talks about weaknesses in terms of preferences. We all have preferences for everything in life and when I talk about my weaknesses as things I prefer not to do, it doesn't mean I can't do them, it means I have to work harder at them.
Make someone's day
We spend a fair amount of time at work so we might as well enjoy it. So many times I speak to people where I am a potential customer or maybe a potential supplier - in either case, a business partner of some sort - and I encounter people who are just unhappy or disinterested. So many times I hear people sigh as they pick up the phone or when I ask them a question. I wonder what their day must be like and though I can;t judge their situations, I try to make my engagements with people positive and here's why -
If someone thanks me for helping them, if someone acknowledges my smile with a smile back, if someone's day has gone better because of an interaction with me, then I feel better myself. It's a total win / win situation. So, if you are feeling down or have serious things on your mind and you are still at work, then look for a way to make someone else's day - do something for someone that perhaps you don;t have to do. Go over and above what's required and help someone feel like you genuinely were glad to talk with them, help them or put them on the right track - even if you couldn't actually help them with their need, like someone calling the wrong number - help them find the right one. If you're at work, you might as well enjoy it and helping to make someone feel special naturally makes you feel good about yourself!
So, in summary, there things I felt my teenage son should know about business and life in general include:
- Do more than is expected of you
- Understand your weaknesses and what you need to do about them
- Make someone's day
About the Author:
Derek Good has been a General Manager for a number of years and since 2002 has been involved in corporate training and consulting. He has won the North Shore Business Awards for Customer Service Excellence and the TUANZ Award for innovation for general education.
These days Derek's focus is on researching the changes in training trends and developing his online micro video training organisation LearningPlanet which is currently accessed by thousands of users across a number of countries.
For more information visit www.learningplanet.me and my Amazon page for books
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