By Gerold
This is the second of a three-part series. See Part 1 if you haven’t already read it. Categories are in alphabetical order, so it doesn’t matter in which order you read these articles.
Herewith is Part 2.
Elevator Speech – Many people have short attention spans. Many people also ramble on and on and never get to the point. That’s a dangerous combination in an era where effective communication is paramount. How do you overcome this? One way is to learn to make ‘elevator speeches.’
An elevator speech is a brief, clear, persuasive message delivered in 20 to 30 seconds (about the time it takes to ride an elevator.) Think of it as a short sales pitch.
An elevator speech is usually prepared ahead of time and practiced until you’ve memorized it and you’re comfortable with it. Try to find that spot between passionate and constraint without sounding like a pre-recorded message (even though it is.)
First, write it down and make sure you get to the point by highlighting just what’s important. Then practice in front of a mirror. The more you practice, the better you become at getting to the point, and the more you’ll be able to create elevator speeches on the spot without preparation.
If you want to improve your communication skills by learning to get to the point, consider reading How to get your point across.
Familiarity – As you get to know coworkers, colleagues, vendors, etc. your familiarity with them increases. That can be perilous. Don’t let familiarity overcome your professionalism by becoming a wise guy. Remain polite and professional and let the idiots crack wise.
Formal Debates – Yeah, I know! Listening to a formal debate is about as exciting as watching paint dry. However, doing formal debates in High School enabled me to think on my feet and gave me the flexibility to change direction quickly.
I doubt our Public Indoctrination Education systems still have formal debates, but consider finding and joining a debating club. As with everything else, at first it’s as frightening as public speaking, but practice leads to improvement and increases confidence.
Friendship or Respect? – Whether you move into a leadership position or just dealing with coworkers, you face a tough choice between either being liked or respected. Unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways. It’s one or the other.
Respect is more useful and gives you more traction to get things done than does friendship. If you want a friend, get a dog.
Glory-hounds & Superstars – Everybody wants recognition, but if you grab all the glory you’ll alienate coworkers as well as your boss. Superstars eventually get sidelined because they care only for themselves, and not others or the company as a whole.
Don’t hesitate to give credit where it’s due. When you receive praise for something, be humble and share the credit. People are much more willing to cooperate with someone who doesn’t hog the limelight. On the other hand, don’t downplay your successes. The key word is ‘share.’
Health – There’s only one person responsible for your health, and that’s you, not your doctor. Your doctor only looks after your illnesses. It’s called ‘health care,’ but it’s really ‘sick care.’
Do the things your Mother told you; exercise, eat healthy food, get proper rest, etc. You can’t overcome your genetics, but you can improve your odds of staying healthy. If you don’t, you’ll fight an uphill battle with the medical industry, increased absence from work and poorer job performance. Besides, no one likes being sick.
Hello – Sometimes it’s the little things that count the most. Something as simple as saying, “Hello” or “Good morning” or “Hi” or “Hey” will put you far ahead of the grunting troglodytes. This is valuable advice especially for today’s young people encumbered with iGadgets and unencumbered with social skills.
It takes so little effort to greet people with a smile, and it pays big dividends to your career.
Help Others – Many people have helped you, so pay it forward by helping others. The person you help today may become your boss, a client or a life-long friend. The benefits of helping others may not be immediately apparent, but it will pay off for yourself and others in ways you don’t know yet.
IT Dept. – When you’re dealing with computer people, remember these are computer-people, not people-people. With a few exceptions, many aren’t noted for social skills so they’d rather hide behind their computer screens.
- If they’re developing something for you, you must check with them regularly, ask to see or discuss their progress and request changes if needed. Otherwise, they’ll develop what they think you want, give it to you and get on with their next assignment. And, you’re stuck with what you get.
- If you approach them with a problem (i.e. Help Desk), their first inclination is to blow you off. Keep trying, but be polite. Re-word your request if necessary. Persistence pays because you show you’re not going to give up and go away.
Jerks Miss Opportunities – Most of us will never know the opportunities we miss for a variety of reasons. Being a jerk is one way. Here’s an example.
I once owned a 1976 2-door Chevelle Malibu Classic with the optional Rally Wheel package. It consisted of small bullet hubcaps, and chrome beauty rings that, unfortunately, were prone to falling off. Corvettes of this vintage had them and only a few Malibu’s, so they are relatively rare.
I lost two beauty rings, and despite searching the U.S. and Canada, I was unable to find replacements. Because they’re uncommon and sought after by car restorers they rarely appear on the retail market and, instead, are often sold privately.
I removed the remaining wheel package, replaced them with cheap hubcaps and threw the package in the trunk thinking I might find a new home for them some day. A while later, I saw a beautifully restored ’67 Malibu with the Rally Wheel package. The owner was standing beside the car talking to another fellow. I was so impressed with his restoration; I decided to give him the package for free.
I walked over and politely waited to be acknowledged … and waited … and waited. The car’s owner was deliberately ignoring me. I waited some more then turned around and left. He will never know the great opportunity he missed by being a jerk.
Lesson: don’t be a jerk. You’ll never know the opportunities you missed.
Knew It – When someone tells you something you already know, it’s tempting to say, “I knew that.” Don’t say it. You’ll snub your source of information, and they’ll remember the snub the next time and may withhold valuable information.
Instead, be humble and say, “Thank You” and you’ll keep the lines of information open. Remember, it’s the information age.
Lead by example – You don’t need to be a supervisor or manager or CEO to lead people. Quiet leadership means people see you doing the right thing. You’ll never know how many people are watching you, but it’s likely more than you think.
Do it even if no one is watching. Someone probably is. Ever notice how many people pick their noses behind their windshield as if no one sees them?
Life-long Learning – I mentioned this before, but it’s so critical to your success that it must be said again. If you want to get ahead and stay ahead, you’ll never stop learning both on the job and in your free time.
The key element in the education system, whether public, private or home-schooling is teaching us to learn. After that, learning how to teach yourself produces the greatest results. If you stop learning, you’re no longer preparing for the challenges ahead. Your brain is like a muscle; use it or lose it.
Loyalty – Be loyal to yourself. Period. Many companies pay lip service to loyalty, but most will let you go in a heartbeat when times get tough. You don’t need to show them any more loyalty than they’ll show you.
Make Your Boss Look Good – No matter what your objectives are; your number one priority is making your boss look good. Your boss has more on his plate than he can handle so, if you help make him look good, that’ll give him the incentive to cover your backside. This enables you to stick your neck out and outdo your co-workers. It’s a symbiotic relationship that helps both of you.
Ask your boss what his biggest problem is and find a way to solve it. Rinse, repeat.
Meet People – It is critical that you go out of your way to meet and introduce yourself to new people whether it’s coworkers, customers, suppliers, the neighbors or whoever. This is especially critical for people warped by the plethora of electronic gadgets that has left them shy and socially-challenged. Many Millennials would rather text than talk. Building a social network provides an essential safety net as well as creating opportunities.
On the other hand, everybody is busy at work so you must pay attention, be sensitive to people and know when to let people do their jobs.
Microwave – Never cook fish in the microwave at work.
Mistakes – ALWAYS admit a mistake. It will usually come out, and it’s better coming from you than someone else where it’ll look like you were trying to cover it up. The cover-up is worse than the mistake itself.
Proper preparation and planning can avoid mistakes. However, mistakes happen despite your best efforts so make sure you learn from it. It’s not Ok to repeat the same error. That’s a sign of incompetence.
More than Money – No doubt you’ve heard you shouldn’t settle for a job unless you’re passionate about it. But, let’s get real. There simply aren’t that many jobs out there to suit our passions.
Some of my old schoolmates have retired from high-paying jobs at the mine in my old home town. The atmosphere in that workplace was toxic, and I don’t mean chemical, but psychological. I avoid them when I visit home because most of them are now bitter, nasty and noxious. Sure, they made a lot of money, but they lost their hearts and souls.
I’ve read numerous articles stating that about two-thirds of people hate their jobs. You don’t need to be passionate about your work, but if you can find a job that you enjoy you’ll be miles ahead of the crowd. Enjoyment is that sweet spot between hateful and passionate. Aim for that, and the job you enjoy will grow on you.
Name Please – If you make a telephone request to an outside party you’ve never dealt with, end the call by asking them to repeat their name. If necessary, ask them to spell it (unless it’s simple.) Then say, “Just a moment please, while I write that down.” Now they know you have their name. You’ve made it personal; you’ve made them accountable, more likely to fulfill your request and maybe even prioritize it higher than they normally would.
Network – the best jobs are rarely advertised and are often filled by someone who knows someone. By the time companies ‘post’ a job, they often have a candidate in mind, or they’re checking if someone even better applies. Forget ‘job boards’ because they’re usually the crummiest positions. Start networking early in your career and never quit.
It doesn’t matter if it’s LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or whatever. Make and grow your connections. The global workforce for good jobs is fiercely competitive so the more people who know you, the better your opportunities.
Never say ‘No” – Not saying “No” does not mean you have to say “Yes.” Suppose you’re asked a question or do something that you know probably isn’t possible and if you say no, there can be adverse consequences.
- You appear negative
- You don’t look like a ‘team player’
- It invites argument
Instead, say that that’s an excellent question and you’ll look into it. Then, ask an expert and report back what the expert said and the reasons they gave. Now you don’t sound negative; you’re only the messenger. If he wants to argue, he’ll have to argue with the expert and not with you.
Furthermore, the expert can sometimes suggest a way of getting it done that you hadn’t considered. Remember, two heads are better than one.
Note Pad & Pen – I remember maybe three things, and that’s on a good day. I always carried a small notepad and pen (or digital) rather than rely on memory. Being told or asked to do something and then forgetting it is a career-killer.
Writing it down shows you care enough to record it in a world where nobody seems to give a f**K. It reassures the person giving the information that what they said is important enough for you to record. And, it encourages further communication. Remember, this is the information age and the more lines of communication you have, the better.
Opinions – Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one. That doesn’t mean you have to listen to them or express yours. Opinions are nothing more than personal preferences. Some people like chocolate, some like strawberry.
Be wise and keep your opinions to yourself. If you’re going to spread something, spread knowledge.
Persistence – Be persistent and tenacious on the job. Everybody’s busy, so they often try to blow you off. If you chase down someone for something and you don’t get it the first time, keep at it until you do get it. You’ll build a reputation as an insistent bulldog, and fewer people will try to ignore you because they know that you don’t give up.
Personal Life – Most people like to talk particularly about themselves. Keep your personal life to yourself. The more your co-workers know about your private life, the more they’ll use it against you.
As well, the more they know about you, the more you lower yourself to their level. Do you want to be only as good as your coworkers or better?
Phone – Let it Ring – Effective sales people know to let the phone ring when they’re dealing face-to-face with a customer. Someone else can answer the call if it’s a land-line or it can go to message. You’ll never overcome snubbing a client by making him wait while you take a phone call. You’re telling them someone else is more important than they are. This is tough advice for a generation with its face buried in smartphones.
The phone companies have indoctrinated us to answer the phone quickly. The first few generations of phones were deliberately made with a shrill ring to encourage people to answer immediately, and this culture still prevails.
At home, I can make guests squirm by letting the phone ring.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?” they ask.
“No, if it’s important, they’ll leave a message.”
“But what if it’s an emergency?”
“Then they have the wrong number and should dial 9-1-1.”
Overcome your indoctrination and let the damn phone ring. That’s why there’s an answering service. And, if it’s an emergency … you know the rest.
Point? – If you can’t get your point across in a conversation, you’re wasting your breath and someone else’s time. If you ramble, you’re in good company, but you’ll never rise above the herd
If you want to improve your communication skills by learning to get to the point, consider reading How to get your point across if you haven’t already done so.
Promises – Under-promise & Over-deliver – Everyone is my boss. Although I’ve been in the union, on staff, a supervisor and management, I learned that everyone is my boss. If you survive in the working world, it’s because you learned to serve no matter your position.
We have been trained to deliver so it’s easy to agree to something and then later regret the commitment. It’s a lot easier to make a promise than deliver on it.
That being the case, you must learn to under-promise. It’s not easy because most of us want to please. However, constantly over-promising and under-delivering will ruin your reputation. Do what you say you will do.
On the other hand, it’s not enough to say you’ll ‘try.’ They’ll reply, “don’t try; just do it.” Somewhere between these two extremes is a target you need to find for yourself because everyone and every job is different.
Quarrels – Never argue at work or in your personal life. That’s your ego getting in the way. The more you argue with someone, the more they resist, and the more concrete becomes their position, so they never change their minds.
Instead, state your case and let it go. Numerous times, weeks or months later, people will tell me what I told them. It’s tempting to say, “I told you that.” Don’t do it. Instead, thank them for that great information. You’ve just created and encouraged a new source of information.
We, humans, are a funny bunch. One of our many biases is we remember the information, but forget the source. You remember how to tie your shoe laces, but do you remember who taught you?
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This is the second of a three-part series. Stay tuned for Part 3. Click here for Part 1 if you haven’t already read it. Categories are in alphabetical order, so it doesn’t matter in which order you read them.
Some good advice in there. Especially good advice if you want to rise to comfortable middle management.
If you want to be really successful, the general theme is incorrect, in my opinion.
First, I believe the most important attribute of a very successful manager is aggression – a full on aggression and unwavering focus on the job and results.
I think most of the advice is fairly sound. A couple points are, however, horrific, and will doom a senior manager career.
Under-promise and over-deliver? Bullshit and worst advice I can imagine. Recipe for disaster. Over promise and deliver. Promise the impossible, then do it. Anyone can under-promise. And I mean anyone. Very few can promise and then do the impossible. Be one of them.
Never say no? More bullshit. No. Say it all the time, to customers, suppliers, employees. But be right when you do. Who has time to go and find an expert to say no for you, to make it sound nice? Not me. Time wasting is for career middle managers. Being nice does not always get the job done. Saying no is incredibly important. It guides the company, and prevents time wasting. It shows customers you actual care about them, so long as you can back it up. I refuse to sell a customer something they do not need. “I want 3 widgets”. “No, and here is why.” Customers love me.
Network – non-productive most times. If you get good enough, jobs will seek you. Forget about that shit. Focus on getting results. Get results consistently, and job offers will pour in.
My definition of professional: doing a good job even when you do not want to. Always be professional. If you cannot, quit. Because it will kill your career.
Re help – I never do anything for my employees . Or co-workers. Instead, I give them the tools to do whatever it is themselves. Then I send them on their way. They complain “but, you could just do it for me in five minutes, but it will take me an hour!” “Tough shit. Once you learn how you will forever be able to do it yourself”. I will spend an hour teaching them, but no way I will do it for them. I have my own job. They piss and moan. Then come back sometimes years later to thank me for changing their lives.
The world is full of bad managers and employees. Full of them.
Ross Perot said”give me one bull neck man and I will move the earth”.
Be that guy.
PS: if I want to cook fish, I will. Don’t be a pussy. Be shot for a wolf not a sheep.
Llpoh, your ass must be jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth.
First, I’m not giving advice on how to rise to senior management; to do that you need to be a sociopath.
Nobody is stupid enough to work for a manager who practices what you call “full on aggression.” I’ve seen many aggressive managers booted out the door.
You say, “Promise the impossible, then do it.” More bullshit! If it’s impossible, then by definition it cannot be done. Conversely, if it can be done, then it’s not impossible.
There are boundless experts and it takes no time to find them. It’s simply a matter of knowing who they are. If it’s a question of liability, ask the comptroller. If it’s a matter of logistics, ask your carrier/trucker/vendor. They work for you. They’ll gladly answer questions. Etc. Etc.
Helping co-workers means teaching them how to do their jobs, not doing it for them.
I’ve dealt with customers for 4 decades. People do not make rational decisions. They make decisions on the basis of feelings. For instance, a customer wanted a mid-priced used Backhoe Loader for his cottage. Being private rather than commercial, I told him he’d be paying to much and suggested he’d be better off buying a cheap competitive unit and sent him on his way. He later came back and bought one from another of our salesmen. Say ‘No’ all you want, they’ll do what they feel.
I wouldn’t work for you if it was the last job on earth.
You misconstrue aggression with bullying. The two are very different. There are many passive bullies in the world, just like their are many aggressive GREAT managers in the world.
90% of the problems I have faced as a professional have come about due to passivity. Either I wasn’t in the mood, or I had a perceived lack of authority, or whatever.
Attacking work with aggression is the only way to go. And I don’t mean the loud complainer, you can be the crazy son-of-a-bitch who is in the most miserable situation laughing your ass off and putting everyone else to shame. The guy who wades in and does the shit that nobody think can be fixed.
Aggression comes in many forms.
TPC – I never bullied anyone. I ran over many folks that tried to prevent me fom doing my job. Refuse to accept inco,petence. I refuse to make excuses. I refuse to be beat. I refuse to duck and cover. I stand up, do not pussyfoot around and avoid the word “no”.
Bullying? What fucking purpose does that serve?
Gerold’s response indicated he equates aggression with bullying.
Modern management tactics also conflate the two. Everybody is a wuss these days.
I’ve commented on this blog for several years. I don’t know what had transpired in the past, but many elevate Lipoh to almost a god like status. Everything that I have read, that he has written, has the same ‘tough guy’ tone. However he conducts his business may work for him, but how he conveys management style is awful. Maybe you can intimidate lower class / illegals to work under those conditions – but your not going to retain professionals / skilled workers. Additionally, this is not going to build a positive corporate culture – this is the stuff where Delta airline employees forcibly remove a seated, ticket holder, paying passenger. You see where that got them.
Dutchman – Tough is what I am. Wha makes you think I would do anything so ridiculous as removing a paying customer from their seat?
Think what you want. My experience is positive cultures flow from success. From refusing to accept failure. From demanding accountability from others around you.
What would you know about it anyway? You ever run a decent sized business? Ever been accountable for thousands of jobs? For profits to sustain such? Just what is it you have experienced, anyway?
Work for yourself seems to be your experience. That is a good thing.
But your experience running business is lacking. As is Gerold’s.
BTW – I have had no problem retaining skilled and professional employees. Seems that those sorts like to worl for competent and successful businesses. Go figure.
Dutchman, I like the time of the month when you seem to be most in touch with your feminine side, you almost sound human. LLPOH is not a god here but he is an authority on running a successful business, not an adult day-care.
Gerold – you are a wimp. Seriously. Your new age bullshit is just that.
So, I guess I was a siciopath.
Under-promise? Damn, that is piss-weak. Seriously. That is for pussies.
What level did you rise to? How many employees reported to you?
You do not know what you are talking about.
You prmised to give it too them good and hard, yet come up with motherhood statements. I chewd wimps like that up and spat them out.
Network, you say! Networking is for folks that cannot build a reputation.
People have loved to work for me, if they do not get fired. Why? They learn shit, they are successful, they see what is involved and required to be successful. As I said, the come back to me years later and thank me for what I did for them. I put them on the road to success and off the pussy trail you advocate.
You talked about coming back to your same job somewhere, after bombing out in your own business. Man, great story. Really. I loved hanging around at the same job year after year. Yeah, right. Two years, max, promotion, new facility or business to run. Rinse. Repeat.
You know nothing about being successful. You want to talk about it. Problem is, you never did it.
Llpoh
Gerold – from what I can glean of your skills, you would not be able to work for me. Under-promising, time-wasting sorts tended to get the boot.
But bet you were really good at protecting your mid-level career.
First of all, I’m not that breast from Woody Allen’s film, that is my mother. She’s not so plump now, she’s a bit saggy, as a matter of fact. Anyways, now that she’s living in a nursing home, I’m the one working as a momager. My employees call me Mama. I am not aggressive with them at all, I cater to them and they do my bidding. Although life in this office is hard, I have to have several buckets on my desk in case I start lactating.
“Never say no.” – Loops is right, this is a bullshit piece of advice. For a myriad of reasons. Both with internal and external customers.
He’s also right about aggression, and poor performers would labor it as bullying. Aggressively solve problems. Aggressively move forward. Aggressively convey information. A huge part of the problems I faced in my first few years at this corporation were due to timidity and a perceived lack of power. Eventually I got sick of it and said “fuck it,” and just started implementing changes and daring people to stop me. Its worked out pretty well so far.
“Over promise, and deliver” – Eh, I’m a scientist. More importantly, I’m an APPLIED guy. So you rarely get a simple “promise.”
This is the mark I’m going to hit, this is the mark I’m trying to hit, and this is pie in the sky.
Why is everything not pie in the sky? Because I’m not going to win the Indy500 in a honda civic.
On networking. Its more important for getting your foot in the door than it is for continued professional growth. As a professional your friends circle and rolodex should be nothing BUT people that others want to network with. Successful skilled people like being around other successful skilled people.
A young person or new person should network until they “get in.” Then focus on being good. The rest will take care of itself.
I really enjoyed this piece. Gerold should have followed up with this very complementary video:
As a guide for would-be employees, it is par excellence.
I would say that LLPOH’s commentary here could make an article on its own, titled, Managerial advice you won’t get anywhere else.
As for LLPOH’s god-like image, BB might have been the disco-god, but LLPOH is and always will be a legend on TBP.
Take it easy, Pulicidae, no dicks were blown in the posting of this comment.
It’s a crock of shit. These corporations don’t give a shit about their employees. Lay you off / out source you, at a whim. There is no more loyalty. And even if there was, just wait till the company is bought out – everything you’ve worked for is ‘reset’.
The real way to make money is work for yourself.
In general this is good advice. The exception is never say no. If you don’t say no they will pile it on until they break you. Be professional, respectful, polite and show concern in matter small and large,but not to personal. It will serve you well. Cover your ass and remember they are like the police and are not your friends. It’s business.
Three grumpy old farts.
Overthecliff – covering my, or your, ass is a waste of time, too. Don’t bother. Concentrate on the job.
Covering ass is for folks wanting to be career middle management. It is done in the hope that it will keep them from getting canned.
Best thing to do to avoid being fired is to perform. I, and other serious managers, are not in the business of firing performing employees. They have no need to cover their asses as I am not going to fire them.
The ones needing to cover their asses I will discover quickly enough.
I tend not to employ career middle managers very long. There are plentiful employees of that calibre out there. Career middle managers attempt to entrench themselves permanently, and oft forget why they are there.
By not allowing then to entrench, I keep new blood flowing. And I want alphas. Business needs to be driven hard, not trotted.
There are probably seven people in the entire world who can adhere to the list(s) above. Why not just say, ‘be perfect’ and get it over with. There are too many variables in life for that one list to address – many of those WOULD NOT work in my line of work. More ‘do as I say not as I do’ form a boomer. Fuck I’m tired of the preaching, no wonder they’re call prophets in T4T.
I’ve really enjoyed your advice, Gerold. You remind me of lots of the seasoned traffic managers and logistics professionals that I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve been in the freight forwarding business for about 15 years now and my job is a combination of sales and operations (small, specialized forwarder for project cargo). I wanted to reach out and smack you when you said you give the sales people the silent treatment because I know you are right (both in that sales people hate silence and that it’s effective). My industry is changing so fast right now it’s tough to keep pace. There are fewer and fewer smaller freight forwarders like me around as the private and public equity is gobbling up the bigger logistics companies into entities like XPO. I’ve been in the hunt for a position in a traffic department for a manufacturer for about 8 months or so now because I suspect that lots of forwarders will end up in the corporate mill at some point as the information and tools to move freight is becoming more universally available. There has always been a lot of back selling in our industry, but when you have even very specialized lines that are now struggling to stay solvent contacting your clients directly, you’ve got to wonder where the industry is going.
It’s everywhere….other firms are increasingly in direct competition – like how YRC, Estes, OD, etc. are how hauling and arranging HHG! Van line service with different legal liabilities – Carmack be damned – and it’s legal. Allow this, hold these down. Like cabs with medallions now worthless watching uber and lyft eat their lunch. It’s everywhere. We’re fucked.
Some of the best forwarders I know work for manufacturers–true story. My business has always been the middleman and there will probably always be money for people that can solve problems and take care of the details someone else is either too busy to learn or not willing to learn. It’s crazy how common carriers get into things like HHG. We get calls for that kind of stuff all the time and I’d rather handle a container of paint than somebody’s HHGs. It’s gotta be the most despised cargo out there. We just politely give people the number for the local Mayflower rep and wish them well when the call wanting to load a container of HHG for an overseas move. Regulation is sadly one of the reasons why forwarders make money and I realize I benefit from more than a fair amount of regulatory capture, but the information to do your own forwarding as the shipper has never been more widely available. We’re in an age of more and more information and it becomes almost an effort to filter at this point. The “supply chain” concept is only going to expand outward at this point too as companies start to see logistics more in terms of not just necessary but also critical to getting ahead of competition. That means lots of back selling and the end of small forwarders IMO.
You’re right, Keyser Söze. The freight forwarding industry (logistics in general) is fast changing. And, they’re diversifying into many new areas. You’re right about the big fish swallowing the little ones.
Give some thought about switching sides, though. Many jobs will get automated – truck, bus and cab drivers as well as machine operators will be replaced with autonomous vehicles. I doubt I’ll be replaced when I retire in early 2019. Logistics positions like mine will be replaced by processes. More suppliers will manage freight previously handled by their customers. My company is allying with a large 3PL provider that’ll fill the gap after I leave.
“Ever notice how many people pick their noses behind their windshield as if no one sees them?”
Some people just dont care.
Someone remind me how awesome the job market is again. http://www.breitbart.com/california/2017/06/07/tens-of-thousands-line-up-for-1200-a-day-jobs-at-l-a-port/
KaD. – those jobs too are doomed, and will be automated away, especially given longshoremen’s propensity to strike and the ridiculous wages the are paid.
“You don’t need to show them any more loyalty than they’ll show you.” That’s not a path to the top. Look at successful sports teams. I’m enjoying the series, but I agree with Llpoh, some of this will cut your pathway up pretty quickly. I want alphas, or as close as I can get. Nice guys cost me money.
Star – huis advice is for pussies wanting to hide in tha ranks, not make waves, try not to get fired, and acoomplish nothing.
Alphas are what you want. You only need a couple to move the world.
Above I talked about doing the impossible, as opposed to under-promising and over-delivering, which I find to be very bad advice indeed.
Gerold responded that by definition the impossible cannot be done.
Well, virtually everything in the modern world would have at one time been deemed impossible. Canned food. Frozen food. Cars. Airplanes. Electricity.
I made my career by essentially doing those things that others considered impossible. Cut overheads in half? Impossible! Reduce inventories 40%? Impossible! 100% on time delivery? Impossible!
The “impossible” is usually no such thing.
I do remember who taught me the important things. My sister taught me how to tie my shoes and wipe my ass. My mother taught me what good food was and the power of not saying anything. My old man taught me to be tough and how to work. No, I don’t agree with the statement that you don’t remember where the information came from. If it’s important, you’ll remember.
Penforce – great comment. Made me laugh.
Gerold above says to become a senior manager/CEO to pe you have to be a sociopath. Clearly, he is parroting something he has read. And clearly he has not known too many CEOs.
I have worked directly with a large number of CEOs. About 10 – 20% would fall into the sociopath category. That is a very high number, but it is nowhere near all. And they were generally poor at their jobs, tended to get fired, but unfortunately also tended to walk away with piles of money.
Most CEOs are of this mold: charismatic or friendly on the outside, with rock-hard underneath. Customers, and non-direct reporting employees tend to see the veneer. Those working closely with the CEO get to see the rock hard that is underneath.
There are some exceptions. If there is no rock under the veneer, the CEOs do not tend to be successful.
Llpoh is trying to sell his boot-strap economics again. Don’t fall for it. The 1% will keep telling you that it’s your fault that you can’t get ahead economically, even as fly-over country slowly turns into the 30 Blocks of Squalor. There are 100 million working age people in the U.S. out of the workforce. They are not all stupid and lazy. They are victims of a system rigged against them.
Llpoh once made a claim that if he had even a simple lawnmower, he could make money. I would challenge him to come back to the U.S. and try to do just that. He would be competing against Pedro Gonzalez and his crew of illegals who work for cash.
Llpoh is an outlier, worthy of admiration. But just as a singer with perfect-pitch can’t relate to someone who can’t sing, so is Llpoh. His advice is not relevant to Joe and Mary Six pack.
Vodka, I have a young man who worked for me for seven years. Guatamalan, spoke broken english, no high school diploma when he started. But he had what I was looking for. Drive, and naked ambition. He came to work to see how much he could get done. He ended up able to run everything I do. He decided to strike out on his own, and set up a little lawn service. Even though he knew nothing about that business, and even though we are super saturated with them down here, he was thriving within a year. His secret? He did a better job. And that was his pitch. Something most people don’t understand. No matter how much money you have, there is no guarantee the service people you hire will do a good job. You are at the mercy of your own ability to hire talent. If you find somebody who kicks ass, writing the check is easy. So he could charge more, a lot more. You can’t pay people to care. They do, or they don’t. The ones that do are gold. There is an old saying, good, fast and cheap. You get to pick two. Or be two. I have never been the cheap guy, or wanted the cheap guy. I don’t have the patience. I would bet if you dumped Llpoh out anywhere, with just a lawnmower, even at his age, he would do fine. Quicker than you think. Skillset is everything. Everything. CYA has nothing to do with it.
Yes, a wonderful story about your Guatemalan employee. But TPTB use emotionally charged immigrant success stories like that to convince the sheep to keep eating the shit sandwich that they are served daily.
I’m not going to eat a shit sandwich. If you are that obtuse to what is transpiring, you have my sincere condolences. Anecdotal bullshit.
Not obtuse at all. Not wanting you or anybody else to eat a shit sandwich. And nothing anecdotal about watching people compete in a tough environment. I probably understand what multi-national corporate scum have done to america as well as anyone. And I like Gerold’s articles. He’s about two thirds good tips for employee self improvement, and I commend him for that. But we have to start competing again. Slackers are about to get left in the dust. Slackers need to get left in the dust. Employees without drive are worthless. As a country, we have overpaid and coddled a lot of really mediocre people for a long time. Llpoh and I butted heads for a long time. And I always thought I was being deferential. Took me a while to understand what he was saying. I get it now. I don’t agree with him on everything. Don’t have to. But I think he brings valid points to the table. Where does the money come from? My Lamborghini example the other day was to get people to understand that to get a kid or a homeless guy to sweep the floor costs more than said Lamborghini. Double the minimum wage like the dims want, and now it’s two Lamborghinis. To sweep a floor. So my Guat buddy needs to hire a guy to run a lawnmower, all it costs is two lamborghinis. Wanna kill small business, there is exibit A.
Vodka, Prof Pangloss repeated the famous definition of MBA, Master of Brutal Action. Henry the K used the 5 option system to direct Nixon. It went from Gerold’s New Agey option to LLPOH’s nuclear option. Henry said he would make his own preference option 3 so that Nixon chose Super K’s advice independently.
You think LLPOH hasn’t competed against Pedro in Puerto Rico? Think again, amigo. Right now, LLPOH is competing against snakes and spiders in Oz. Those dogs he’s got are not Yorkies.
Don’t mention Special K(issinger), or we might have to suffer a month of “insight” from Yo and Zara on the topic.
It’s a fact that Trump brought him into the picture. I said that we had two candidates from NY running for president. Special K is more of the same, fucking Yankees. YoBo puts a fine point on it, I lump all those fuckers under the rubric, Yankees.
Vodka – I understand your skepticism, but fact is I am in manufacturing. I have never outsourced a thing. My employees make $50k+ a year. And my competition – the Chinese- make far less than anyone who works in the US. Those Chinese work cheap, don’t you know. So please, spare me the notion that I can not compete against Mexicans.
So, in the most competitive business environment imaginable I thrive, and have done so my entire life. How is that possible?
Because I compete. I am aggressive in pursuit of my goals. I know how to negotiate. When to say no. I never under-promise. I promise, and accomplish, that which others fear. And take their customers from them as a result. I deliver on time every time. I provide world class quality and service. And I bulldoze anything that stands between me and getting the job done and meeting my commitments.
Lawnmower and a pick-up can grow into a fine business. If you know what you are doing. Simple fact is, I do.
I thought that there were a lot of insightful suggestions in there, especially along the pay it forward line. Not everything you do in life requires immediate satisfaction but that kind of investment has to come from someone with either a deep sense of decency or an extremely long event horizon. It takes time to realize the benefits of those behaviors and in the short run they may seem like
poor investments, but the social cohesion and loyalty developed are big rewards if you can see past the short term.
Case in point.
I respect Llpoh even though he breaks my balls because he is consistent in his views and his demeanor. There’s nothing wishy-washy about his positions and you can count on him telling you about the things he knows without wondering if he’s shining you on. I know which areas of discussion to avoid with him, but I also knew that when he was discussing his move to Australia and what he was going to build that it was going to become a reality and when he posted his piece the other day I was as happy for him about it as if he were a close friend even though we probably don’t have much in common otherwise. I’m a lot more comfortable with people who exhibit a moral code even if they are at odds with my own than with someone who is easy going but has no real beliefs. The former FBI director is one of those guys who has absolutely no consistency in his behaviors or beliefs but pretends to be such a sterling example of professionalism and does it so convincingly that he has had people completely fooled his entire professional life. Those are the people you really need to be afraid of, IMHO.
Really good start for a book though, most people are never going to put together that many sound pieces of advice in a lifetime on their own.
HSF – whatdoyamean I am not always right? 🙂
I think Gerold is pointing this advice to folks different than those I would.
I seek absolute excellence. My advice goes to those that want the same.
I had no interest in being a career middle manager, and care not one whit for those that do. My advice is for those striving to rise above, to be great at what they do. Politics- not for me. Covering my ass- not for me. Do not like what I do, then fire me. If you give me the responsibility, then I demand the authority, simple as that.
I was once asked in a job interview what I would do if a long-term employee was not pulling their weight, and I was told I could not get rid of that person because of their tenure with the company. My exact respnse, no kidding, was “I would not take a fucking job like that”. I got the job offer.
I have groomed many senior managers. I taught them the critical bits – no backward steps, be fearless, focus on the job to be done, and fuck anyone who interferes in that. And I mean anyone. I know what I am doing. I have a long history of success running businesses. I could give not one shit what anyone told me to do – I did it my way. If I am responsible, I will do it my way. If I am not successful, fire me. Simple.
I was a specialist turnaround manager. My job was to save failing businesses and plants. I never failed at it. I ran things my way. The business owners knew that when they hired me. Interfere and I was gone. My responsibility, my authority. End of story.
I tried Gerold’s way, at first. It is losing advice. It is not for those that want to truly be independent while at the same time being employed. Just because you are employed does no mean you cannot act independently.
You can control your destiny. If you are capable of standng up and seizing it.
HSF – btw, thanks for seeing consistency in what I post. My code is one developed over time. It may have flaws, but it is mine, and I stick to it best I can.
Who I am, what I have become, is on me and no one else. I had no guidance, and found my own way. I am reasonably happy with it, and stick to it. It is the compass I have wrought from nought.
LLPOH, I seriously think you could compile all your comments here and post it as an article.
I appreciate that you bring into focus the things that confuse me, what smarter folks call cognitive dissonance but I call bullshit. Here, you cleared it up for me – responsibility without authority.
I’m not in any position of great importance yet your message applies and invigorates me. I prefer a manager like my boss who in a way has adopted the LLPOH Way. I told him, they didn’t like that I was laughing, should I be in a bad mood because they don’t like me laughing? He said, fuck ’em, be in a good mood. I prefer that than Gerold’s Way. Gerold would advise me, as my lead did, to not get caught laughing at those assholes.