MONEY 127 - BUSINESS ADVICE

THIS IS MY  127^TH 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.