10 Great Career Tips: A 360 View

I wanted to share some great career advice that I have received from bosses, co-workers, those who have worked for me and a piece of career advice from yours truly.  Great career advice can come from anywhere at any time from anyone. I am hoping that this blog will inspire others to share valuable career advice, and to realize how career success is fueled by learning from those on each and every rung on the corporate ladder.

Top 3 tips from Direct Reports

1. Do not let your job change you are as a person.  You have core values and those need to align with your work environment.  If the two grow apart your career success suffers along in direct correlation with the gap of this divergence.
2. Little gestures of gratitude go a long way. You may not give us a big raise, but anything shows you care, and a thank you at each and every turn does wonders for morale and productivity.
3. Value each employee as a person. In order to get the most out of each employee you need to know what  makes them tick, and this means you need to know each one personally on some level.

Top 3 tips from Co-Workers

1. Listen, listen, listen. This may just be the best career tip anyone can receive. We can all use work here. There is nothing more powerful then knowing when to remain silent, and how to inspire  others to share with you information that will make you more successful in your job through effective listening. A previous employer gave offered us a one hour seminar on how to listen effectively. One of the most valuable meetings of my career.
2. Do what you love and love what you do. This seems a bit “corny”, but it is great advice. Once you lose your passion for what you do your productivity, and thus career momentum, will suffer.
3. Communicate negative feedback in a positive manner. There is certainly an art to offering constructive criticism. This can be as easy as “think before you hit send on that e-mail”.  In corollary, each person takes criticism differently, some people need it a bit “edgier” for it to be effective, and some need the “sugary” approach.

Top 3 tips from Bosses:

1. Do not work solely from your inbox. Your goal should be to gradually take on more and more ownership of your time at work.  
2. Do not place blame on anyone until you have the facts.  At times something that may  appear to be someone’s fault on the surface is often not the case. Gather the facts before any accusations are made.
3. Perception is reality in terms of company politics.  You need to manage how you are perceived by your co-workers as well as by me and those above you in this company.  Your work can be great, but if you are perceived as unproductive or hard to work with by people within this company that can derail your career success.

My two cents

Treat everyone with whom you work with the amount of professional respect they deserve. Those who work for you should be represented as your colleagues, in that they work “with you” and not “for you”.  Also, when you see anyone at your company being treated with a lack of professional respect, jump in, point it out, and make sure it does not continue.  Employees are the most valuable asset of any company and promoting and practicing professional respect will yield you relationships that matter on a personal and professional level.

 What are your thoughts?