How to Kill Your Career

Original article by John M. McKee: http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/11/career-killers-advice-oped-cx_jmk_0114killers.html

I came across this while browsing around Forbes. It’s amazing how such little things can make such a large impact. When reading this, you may think “that’s common sense”. But look at it objectively, and really reflect on how often you do the things listed below. I know there are at least 3 that I need to improve upon…

• Don’t Keep Your Skill Set Current
  • The business landscape is ever-changing and there is more demand for jobs than supply. Not staying on par with colleagues and those vying for your job will be a death knell.
• Fail To Deliver Results
  • Winners in business know that it’s all about accountability. Those who harbor a sense of entitlement for simply having put forth effort, irrespective of the results of those efforts, are guaranteed to fall by the wayside.
• Confuse Efficiency With Effectiveness
  
  • Those who think that communicating via e-mail replaces the need to actually talk with people around them fail to recognize the importance of personally connecting with others in today’s highly automated and technological environment. Communicating in person whenever possible is imperative for success-seekers.
• Believe You Are Irreplaceable
  
  • There is no room for “divas” in the workplace. As soon as you convince yourself that you and only you can do the job “right,” your star will surely start to fall.
• Know All The Answers
  
  • The old adage remains true: Knowledge is power. Professing to know it all can readily stagnate a career. Winners remain unceasingly interested in learning new ideas and approaches.
• Surround Yourself With “Brown-Nosers”
  
  • Losers like having people tell them how smart they are, whether or not it’s true, while successful managers and other professionals accept and encourage intelligence and creativity in others.
• Forget To Give Credit To Others
  
  • Losers inappropriately take full credit for positive events despite the help or input received by others, while winners give credit where credit is due. Losers inevitably reap what they sow.
• Fail To Self Promote
  
  • Bragging is one thing, but letting colleagues throughout your industry know of your success through case studies, promotion bulletins or other such tools is quite another. Losers often fail to recognize the importance of letting others know about their successes, or go about it in entirely the wrong way.
• Lose Perspective
  
  • Intuitive business people recognize that, despite their best attempts to do everything right, sometimes they approach roadblocks and seek the advice and perspective of a respected friend, colleague or even a business coach. Those who fail to recognize their shortcomings are destined for the unemployment line.

~ by The Ratt on April 8, 2008.