THIS
IS MY 127TH BLOG ON UNDERSTANDING MONEY TOOLS
Recently,
two people asked me a similar question: but with completely different
perspectives. One person, a successful district manager of a major US
company, asked if I would put down my ideas on how younger people in the
business world could make themselves better. The other person was a young
female employee asking how to become successful. Wow, a real challenge. I
put on my thinking cap and came up with this short blog.
This
is like asking a blind person to explain what the color green looks like.
You can give the basic elements, colors blue and yellow, but can’t give a
definitive answer. I’d like to start out with a common element for
success and that is passion or desire for something. Working alongside
many young people, I find they don’t have a passion or interest in
anything. This is our first challenge. Find a passion!
The
best way I can suggest is to immerse yourself in many things and try to find
your passion and zest for life. Talk to people with varied backgrounds.
Take classes on various subjects about things you are interested.
The
next thing is to ask yourself, “what is success in your mind?” As ideas, this could be
something modest or extreme. It could be academic success, financial
success, sports success, political success, helping others including the
medical field……on and on.
I hate
to say this but the point is to start, don’t procrastinate. Start working the
mind. Life can be short. The sooner you start the process, the
better.
Let’s
move on with some thoughts. I’ll list ideas below in fragments to shorten this
blog, yet hopefully make it meaningful.
- Number one is dumb luck, or being in the right place at
the right time!
-1. Education is all-important.
Continue with education and learning. Those people who stall will find
themselves out of work, or by themselves, in this fast changing world.
-1. Develop social
skills/communication. Even in this world of technology, to advance in
most cases, social skills are needed. Those who relate, get along, etc.
will advance quicker than those who lack these skills. Have a
temper? Cool it! Moderate, accept, think, then act. Avoid
trouble. You catch more bees with honey than vinegar!
-1. Discipline is imperative.
Constantly try to improve upon creativity. Most of the large company CEO’s are
right brained, thinking of the big picture, versus left brain analytics.
-1. Dress for success. Even
though you may be young and your peer group has a certain dress “thing”, hair
“thing”, tattoo “thing”, dress a certain way so that the people who can help
you in life relate to you. Always be clean and groomed. This
doesn’t necessarily mean suit and tie! I have a good friend who is a
technology and communication consultant. I always recommend that he wears
tan or gray slacks, casual “in” shirt and loafers or “in” shoes and socks that
his clients who pay the bills can relate to. Again the people who pay the
bills need to easily relate to you.
-1. Be a problem solver. If
there is no need, chances are you are not needed. Move on until you can find a
needed place.
-1. Put yourself in places where you
will be noticed by the “right” people.
-1. I have mentioned this before in
blogs, however again if you are interviewing for a job, know everything about
the interviewer and company. If you have done your homework, try to get
the interviewer to discuss their passion(s). They will tend to run with
it and dominate the conversation away from you. And, they will remember
you!
-1. Learn language skills. Don’t
use the word “but” as it indicates finality/closure, use the word “and”
which opens up and supplements the conversation. Don’t use the word “honestly” and do use the word “candidly”. If you use the word “honestly” in context, it indicates
sometimes you may not be honest.
-1. Your conversation: Let’s say you
are interviewing someone. Try to find a chair or place where you have a higher
position to gain control. It is known that most very successful corporate
leaders are taller and bigger.
-1. If you can tactfully do it,
answer a question with a question of your own. It mitigates the situation
and takes back control.
-1. Stay away from overspending and
debt. Mortgage debt may be okay if your home is going up in value. Credit
card and car loan debt is terrible and can sink you. Cars depreciate in
value. Don’t feel you need to “keep up with your peers”. Invest in
your mind and body; stay in shape, eat right. Something to be said about
moderation!
-1. If you want to get somewhere in
life, you need to seek out a “profession” where you can advance versus a
“job”. A job usually pays a minimal wage and has little room for
advancing. There most likely is little room for your “passion” with a job,
however there is with a profession that can last a lifetime.
-1. Plan out where you want to be at
different times in your life. As an example, when you are age 25 you want to be
where? At age 35 you want to be where, etc.? You need to plan your
work, and work your plan. You can’t build a house without a plan.
The same holds true with your life.
-1. You will have life setbacks. Live
with them and move on. The quicker you can move on is a measure of
success. Most younger people don’t know the baseball player, Babe
Ruth. For a long time he hit more home runs than anyone else. He
also struck out more than any other baseball player in his time. What I
refer to is that if you set your sights high you are going to have failures and
setbacks. Live with it.
-1. Read and keep reading. Stay tuned
in with what is happening locally, nationally and internationally. Be
“smart”! There are so many variables that may set you backward. The
game of life is to eliminate as many of these negative variables as
possible. This strategy can be applied to everything in life; driving a
car, co-workers, motorcycling, travel, selecting stocks and bonds, etc.
-1. If you are already in business
management, employ people who are smart and make you look good. Some of the
most successful people I have known were not that smart, but they were great at
employing the right people for certain positions. If you aren’t familiar with
the business expression “The Peter Principle”, go Google it. It was created by
Laurence J. Peter. I love the way he spelled his name “Laurence”!
-1. Decision making: Most
people you talk with are very close to agreement; a range of 48 to 52 in yes or
no. Few are either 1’s or 10’s. Avoid politics where this may not
apply!
-1. Target Stores spends a lot of
money on market analysis. They have found that people shop places for
fun, pleasant experiences and service. Products and lower prices can be
had at so many places that these come in second.
-1. Park your big ego if you have
one. There always will be someone better, smarter, etc. It’s just a
matter of time before they surface.
-1. Always have empathy for each
other. Whether a person is normal or handicapped in some way, each is an
equal. We are here for a reason. If there are 100 entrants in a
running race there are 100 winners. An individual or two may be faster,
but because you participated in the race you are a winner!
I hope
these thoughts will be of some value to you.
