What I've Learned in Business So Far... - Page 13

In fact, better to avoid the BCC and forward the sent email and include the message there.

Just started this yesterday. Up to chapter three now. Hasn't dazzled me just yet, but very early days. We shall see...


ya, that's queued up next

unimpressed. Lee, you can write a better book on this than Rasiel has. Hell, this thread and the consulting thread alone have more information than McKinsey way. Toss some MECE stuff in and youve topped him.

this interests me, I'll toss it on the list (which is 99 books long, damn you Personal MBA dot com). I am called on quite regularly to moderate brainstorming sessions...

Awesome thread. I'm 30, and struggled quite a bit in my early years from cockiness/negativity/etc in trying to learn the corporate culture. Here are a few things I'd like to add: (1) Find someone at work who sponsors you - not just mentors you. An average boss/mentor is someone who will give you advice on how to succeed. A sponsor is someone who will drag you to the top with them. How? They will bring you into meetings with the execs. They will put you in the spotlight. They will give credit where credit is due. They will help create positions and find a path for you. There's a HUGE difference between a mentor and a sponsor. (2) Communicate your failures early. It is much better to let an executive know that a project is in trouble and behind schedule several months in advance than telling them just weeks before. They can also help provide you with more resources and advice to get back on track. Obviously, don't start screaming that the sky is falling, but be honest with your progress. (3) .. corollary to #2 - communicate your successes! Most people have no idea how much work is done at the analyst/manager level and don't recognize all of the small wins. Try putting together a weekly update type email to send out to the people above you. Keep it short and easy to read. (4) Take up side projects at work. This particularly applies to large companies where you end up feeling like a cog in a machine and not interact with enough people. Pick a team that has a lot of revenue impact, and offer help on smaller projects. It's a great way to get exposure. (5) Keep email succinct. Especially for those sent to VP+ levels. If I have a lot to say, I'll often start with a short "quick summary" section that is no longer than three sentences. The executive types often have meetings back to back from 9-6, and don't have time to be in the weeds. Get to the point quickly and let THEM prioritize it. I'll add more as I think of them.

Some info/guide on conducting meetings effectively

I. Pre-Meeting (planning and Organizing)
* this imo is the most important part and is yet often neglected
- determine the purpose of the meeting
- write objectives targeting the purpose you want to accomplish
- from the objectives, determine agenda items and list them in a logical sequence
- set approximate time limits for discussion on each agenda item (based on their complexity and relative importance to your defined objectives)
- determine the overall length of the meeting
- decide who should attend and why
- assign house keeping responsibilities i.e. select someone to take the minutes, a time keeper and a facilitator
- schedule the best meeting date time and location to accomplish your objectives
- invite the appropriate people to attend, outlining the purpose, objectives and advance preparation needed

II. Meeting
* some of the statements below may not be applicable depending on the objectives of the meeting
- start the meeting on time
- for a 5-15mins meeting, have a stand up meeting (no seating)
- agree on what should be accomplished at the meeting
- define the specific problems to be resolved as a group during the meeting to reveal possibly conflicting perspectives
- generate a number of alternative solutions to each issue by encouraging active participation and open communication
- refer to the agenda to keep the group on course (i.e. focused on analyzing alternatives in terms of the objective)
- move the group towards decision on key issues by encouraging members to reach a consensus. if a consensus cannot be reached on certain issues, confirm what has been agreed to thus far, and schedule another meeting
- agree on action steps to be taken to ensure that each decision will be properly implemented
- delegate responsibility and set deadlines for specific task and overall plan
- determine how and when to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions discussed

III. Post-Meeting (feedback)
- have participants critique the meeting and use the info to improve on things

When do you know to move on from one job to another? I understand the "fuzzy"ness of the question but is there any key factors to look out for?

There are a few ways to know. 1> If you are not motivated to make it to the next level, you might be doing the wrong thing. 2> If you are "passed up" for a promotion in favor of someone less qualified or with less tenure than you it *could* be a sign that leadership doesn't have confidence in you or there are political factors that will be difficult to overcome. 3> If you have done significant research and know that other firms are currently hiring for your skill set with more pay. It's a big decision. It will almost never come without serious hesitation, but you will probably know when it's the right thing to do.

1. When you are on a steep learning curve in a specialized niche within your general field of interest. And you happen to have little to no interest in this specialized niche. You are also in danger of being pigeon hold into the field.

subscribed

great thread

I have one report who BCC's people all the time. it took me a while to just get used to it, but I used to be yelling at him all the time for it, then I gave up. but we did have some adventures as a result.

LOL. I almost never use it. Very very occasionally I may do it just so a client knows something is done, and even then I will typically follow it with a 'hey BCCed you there' note just to draw attention to the fact that they were invisible. That said, I see no benefit in doing that over just forwarding whatever I had to show was complete with a 'done' above the forwarded content. But generally, nup, too risky that someone will reveal themselves.