Small Print of Success

David Thompson

Sujets

• Employabilité, métiers et formations

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) PTE LTD
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814382861
• Langue: English

Extrait

A terrific book, loaded with straightforward, amusing and practical advice to help you on your way to true success.
- D AN C OLLINS , Chief Innovator, Fresh Tracks Training Events
In the current climate, everyone is much more under the microscope in the workplace, so every little detail becomes much more important; things that once may have been taken for granted are back in much sharper focus. With this in mind, you should heed David s words of wisdom. As with his previous works, The Small Print of Success is a compelling read and another sure-fire success.
- R ICHARD C OLGAN, Managing Director, Oakleaf Partnership
He s done it again! David Thompson has a habit of cutting straight to the important issues, and The Small Print of Success is no exception. Put simply, this book is a roadmap for success in modern business.
- J IM B ANTING , entrepreneur and author of Get A Dog, Don t Work Like One

Copyright 2012 David Thompson
Published in 2012 by Marshall Cavendish Business An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
PO Box 65829 London EC1P 1NY, United Kingdom [e-mail]
and
1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 [e-mail] www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
Other Marshall Cavendish offices: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
The right of David Thompson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the publisher.
The author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book and disclaim liability arising directly and indirectly from the use and application of this book.
All reasonable efforts have been made to obtain necessary copyright permissions. Any omissions or errors are unintentional and will, if brought to the attention of the publisher, be corrected in future printings.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
eISBN 978-981-4382-86-1
Cover art by Cover Kitchen
Picture credits: pp. 27, 63, TopFoto; p. 36, Corbis/Click Photos; p. 47, Getty Images
Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International
In loving memory of Nikki Gorton ,
an amazing lady, a great friend ,
and a true professional
A few words before we start
CHAPTER 1: Being successful by being the best you you can possibly be
Learning from Lady Gaga: know what you want and make it happen
Getting to know me, getting to know all about me
Work it! Working with what you ve got, and really making it work for you
And the winner of Best Actor is
Your reputation is your calling card
If people judge a book by its cover, make sure the cover is one you want them to see
Grow up
The danger of assumptions
Control your emotions
CHAPTER 2: Getting your head in the game: keeping it all in perspective
Don t let work become a sexy Siren and lure you onto the rocks
Keep your perspective
Be clear about why you re doing it: know your big prize
The boss in the orange jumpsuit

CHAPTER 3: Getting the basics right - 21st-century style
Key skills for success in the early 21st century - how do you measure up?
Getting more from less: learning from the hare and the tortoise
How to work smartest, not hardest, every day
Action: 20%
Meetings: 20%
- Managing the omnipresent power play of meetings
- Seat yourself in pole position around the table
- Eyeing up the eye contact
- The one on paper is rarely the only agenda in the room
- Be alert; don t let yourself get distracted
- Be focused
- Come equipped
Email: 20%
Distractions: 10%
Eating/fresh air/personal time: 10%
Listen - then listen some more
Silence is golden

CHAPTER 4: Moulding yourself to your environment and making it work for you
Look, listen, learn: understanding the unofficial rules of your workplace
Your contract is but a piece of paper
Set yourself up for success
Speak English, not business bullshit
Keep confidences
Don t keep confidences
Naked at your desk
Desk sweet desk
Lunch al fresco or al desko ?
Guest at your desk? Minimise the internet!
It s a work desk, not a news desk

CHAPTER 5: Taming technology
Taming the email monster
That s what voicemail is for, dummy!
Every day should be a new voicemail day
Taking a holiday doesn t mean missing in action!
Phones and meetings don t mix
Too many cooks spoil the broth? The challenge of the conference call
The Ten Commandments of conference calls
1: Be on time
2: Chair and scribe: the Batman and Robin of the conference call
3: Have an agenda - and stay focused on it
4: Do a roll call
5: Manage the entry: summarise the purpose of the call at the beginning
6: Acknowledge new callers
7: Pretend they are in the room with you: be focused
8: Avoid interrupting others
9: Manage the time
10: Manage the exit

CHAPTER 6: The art of getting yourself noticed - in the right way, for the right things, with the right people
Differentiation, differentiation, differentiation
Identifying your unique differentiator
One eye on this role, the other on the next
Getting the job your heart desires: afore ye go, a warning
Make sure you are seeing what s really there: understand the role you want
Benchmark yourself against your dream role: is it right for you? Are you right for it?
Raising your profile: making yourself visible to the right people
Making the professional profile work for you
The entourage factor
Networking: the oil in the modern-day wheels of success
The final word on raising your profile
Acknowledgements
About the author
Browse any bookstore , real or virtual, for advice on how to be successful, and you will be spoilt for choice. The shelves are brimming with options - do this, do that, do the other. But the important bit that s always missing is the how . These ideas are great, but how do I actually do what they are suggesting?
That s where this book scores. And scores big. Yes, it shares with you what you should do to achieve the success you are looking for in your career, but, most importantly, it shows you exactly how to do it . It describes the actions you need to take, in specific detail. Step by step. The how as well as the what .
Success rarely comes by accident. More often than not, it s by design. And usually with a little luck and opportunity thrown in for good measure. You want the success, otherwise you wouldn t have bought this book. You now have in your hands the design to achieve that success.
Many people assume that if they simply do what they are paid to do, the success will come automatically. Wrong. Just doing what you are paid to do is the first step in the process - it s a given, a basic expectation. But real success requires a more sophisticated approach. And, more often than not, it s the detail that provides that sophistication. The little things. The things you often overlook, or might not even be aware of.
It s just like any contract. The headlines of the contract or agreement will be highlighted for you - Annual Percentage Rate and payment terms on credit cards, or headline benefits on a car insurance policy. But where the rubber hits the road is in the detail of that agreement - what we all call the small print . And have you ever noticed that the small print on most contracts and agreements are longer than the headlines? They are long. Page after page after page. You see, the small print is vital : it s the detail that enables the big picture. And so it is with the success you are seeking in your career. It s those little things that will make the difference between achieving the success you are looking for, or not. It s that simple.
This book focuses on exactly that. It lays out for you what makes up this small print of success, and exactly what you have to do to make it work for you. Along the way, the ideas and insights in this book will encourage you to become aware of different things around you - things that might have been invisible to you before - as well as thinking differently about what it takes to be a success. And with that comes a need to change the way you do what you do, and how you do it. Are you open to change?
So, how to use this book? This book has been designed to be used in a variety of ways. For sure, you can read it cover to cover, from start to finish, in the way you would normally do, if you so choose. Alternatively, because it consists of individual ideas and insights that can be read independently of each other, you can also dip in to the sections that are of particular interest to you. Both approaches will work well. One thing is for sure, it will serve you well on your journey to success.
Enjoy the ride!
David Thompson May 2012
Learning from Lady Gaga: know what you want and make it happen
Lady Gaga didn t apply for the job of global phenomenon . Too often, we constrain ourselves with self-imposed rules that then limit our achievements. Why? Because as we grow up and find our way in the world we receive constant messages about who we are, what we should and shouldn t do, what s attainable for us; and over time these messages are reinforced and compounded into our