Eleven Simple Steps to a Better Career Than You Deserve

Here are eleven simple rule for success in business. Well, they may be simple, but that doesn't make them easy. But it's nice to have a short list to work from, and most of the time business really is about this simple. Simple rules do oversimplify, of course, but they can be used in personal experiments. For example, pick a rule and emphasize it for a day or a week.
    1. At the end of every day, ask yourself, "What did I learn today?" Be brutally honest. You might write down the answers, but if so never mention this to anyone.
    2. Keep a list of commitments you’ve made and commitments made to you. It’s OK to do this in a very public way.
    3. Keep your commitments. Every one. Don’t commit to what you can’t or won’t do.
    4. When you are unsure if you should say something, say nothing.
    5. When you are unsure if you should take offense at something, do not take offense.
    6. Be loyal to your subordinates and your superiors. Only then will you see true loyalty in return. If you are hard to replace, your boss will probably keep you even if they do not like or trust you. However, if your subordinates do not like or trust you, eventually they will destroy you. The worst thing a boss can normally do is fire you. (Sometimes this is also the best thing a boss can do.) Your subordinates can destroy your career.
    7. Consistently focus on the fundamentals: you will succeed even if you are not particularly talented. If you are particularly talented, you will still fail if you do not focus on the fundamentals.
    8. Make everything as simple as possible. Start out with too simple and add complication ‘til it works.
    9. Try to see the best in people. It’s natural to compare other people’s worst behavior to your best behavior, but you can’t afford that distorted view. When people do dumb or mean stuff, take the action you think needs to be taken, but have some mercy in your opinion of them.
    10. Avoid speculating on effort estimates. Your speculations will be treated as commitments. Every time you break this rule, it will come back to haunt you. Every time.
    11. If you have a sense of humor, tastefully show it.