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Three Things to Remember As You Succeed

June 6, 2001

"AS you move up the ladder at your company, there are certain habits you need to develop in order to remain successful.  If you do these three simple things, you'll establish a solid relationship with your peers and employees, make friends in powerful places, and build a network of colleagues who admire and support you.

* Reserve a half hour every day to return phone calls.  Even if it means cutting into your lunch hour.  Develop a reputation as someone who 'always gets back to people right away.' It sends the message that you respect other people.  Also, people will be much more likely to call you back when you need them to.
* Demand that people criticize you.  There are two types of managers: those who avoid criticism at all costs because they think it makes them look weak; and those who encourage criticism and use it to improve their performance.  Be the latter kind of manager.  Let your colleagues, supervisors, and employees know that you welcome criticism, as along as it is constructive.
* Reputations are built at the bottom, not the top.  Remember the low-level manager who helped you out so much when you were first starting out?  When was the last time you took her to lunch?  What about the team employees who worked so hard on the project that garnered you so much praise?  Did you thank them and point out their accomplishments?   As you move up to the next level, don't forget about the people on the previous one.  These 'little people' are responsible for your success - and they hold your reputation in their hands (2000, Positive Leadership, p. 7)."

Three things to remember as you succeed in corporate life. (sample issue). Positive Leadership. 

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Created: 2009-01-02, Updated: 2009-01-15