10 important things I have learnt in 24 years working to date

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3 Years after started at company I am with today.

  This month it is 24 years ago since I started working at the company I am with today. And about 30 years in all I have been working.


I was reflecting on some of the big things I have learnt over the years about how I have been managed, and what found works.


Here they are:


(1) Only recruit people that you believe and will want to work for eventually. The danger many make is to hire people focused on today, but you need to think about who has so much potential that one day they will be your boss. Remember, they will be grateful to you, so hopefully nice to you on the way up!


(2) Never put work before you and your family. Ever. They are more important that your job. Spend time with them. Enjoy them. Do not plan to do it "one day when things slow down", as that day may never come. 


(3) Always be kind, friendly and interested in the people around you. The receptionists, office services, canteen people, finance clerks. They will make your life a dream, or subtly make it hell. In my career it is these people that have got me out of a hole, stepped up when needed. 


(4) Have fun. The best ideas come out of teams and people that are having fun. Enjoying life, enjoying work and are excited and stimulated. It is not just a job. If the fun stops - leave


(5) Think about what your legacy will be. What will people across the organization remember, admire and thank you for. It may not just be something directly in your job specification. Make sure you leave a positive mark.


(6) Make your team believe they are part of something special and amazing. It is not just about sales, share or profits. What are you trying to do that makes a difference in the world. There is a saying that people will remember you for how you make them FEEL, not what you did. The best bosses and leaders I have ever had have done this.


(7) If your boss is a dick to you, they probably are to everyone. Speak up. Just chose to who and when, and make sure you have documented examples.

(8) Stand up for what you believe is right, and even if everyone else around you is not ethical or fudging the lines, do not do it. The good guys always win in the end, a saying from my Mother than I believe and have seen.

(9) Focus on what you can do or influence. Not what could be or should be. People spend too much time waiting for leaders to led. Focus on what you can do or influence and make it happen.

(10) Take informed risks. Doing what others do will do nothing more than keep you in middle of the pack, the people that win will always lose some and win more. Followers never win a race. Ever