Promote Yourself

New workplace, new rules

"If you want to succeed you will need to master these new rules."- Promote Yourself, page 12

Our economy seems to be changing every day. So what are the new rules to navigate through those changes? Dan explores the following 14 rules throughout the book.

1. Your job description is just the beginning. You can’t be doing just the bare minimum if you want to get noticed. Intrapreneurship is a great way to identify what is needed within your organization and create the solution.
2. Your job is temporary. Statistics tell us that the average American will have about eleven jobs between the ages of 18 and 34. (That’s a job change every 1.45 years!)
3. You’re going to need a lot of skills you don’t have right now. 60% of all new jobs in the twenty-first century will require skills that only 20% of current employees have. But it’s never been easier to acquire those skills. The soft skills (interpersonal) have become more important that the hard skills. Companies want leadership, organizational, teamwork, listening, and coaching skills.
4. Your reputation is the single greatest asset you have. It’s not your title but rather what people think of you that matters most. Do they trust you? What aura do you give to those around you?
5. Your personal life is public. The average Gen Y is connected to 16 coworkers on Facebook. Even the smallest things – how you behave, dress, your online presence, body language and with whom you associate can help build your brand or tear it apart.
6. You need to build a positive presence in new media. Expanding your social network will help you get in touch with people who can help you get ahead.
7. You’ll need to work with people from different generations. The increasing life span and economic needs are keeping people in the workforce longer. There are now 4 distinct generations in the workforce: Gen Z (interns), Gen Y (employees), Gen X (managers), and Baby Boomers (executives). Each was raised differently with different views of work and different communication styles. Learning how to nurture relationships with different ages will help you.
8. Your boss’s career comes first. If you support your boss’s career, make life easier and earn her trust, she will take you with her as she climbs the ladder or goes to another company.
9. The one with the most connections wins. Our information economy has changed to a social economy. It’s less about what you know and more about whether you can work with others to solve problems.
10. Remember the rule of one. It just takes one person to change your life. When everyone is saying no, you just need one person to say yes.
11. You are the future. By 2025, 75% of the global workforce will be Gen Y. Soon you will take major leadership roles when the workforce shifts and the older generation retires.
12. Entrepreneurship is for everyone, not just business owners. An entrepreneur used to mean someone who started a business but today it means someone who’s accountable, who’s willing to take risks, and who promotes his or her ideas.
13. Hours are out, accomplishments are in. Stop thinking you need to put in crazy hours every week. Instead, figure out and deliver value, measure it and promote it.
14. Your career is in your hands, not your employer’s. Companies will look out for themselves. While you should focus on contributing to their success, be a smart giver and make sure you are learning and growing. Don’t rely on anyone or anything. Be accountable for your own career and take charge of your life.

Entrepreneur is a mindset

"…90 percent of people say being an entrepreneur is a mindset instead of someone who starts a company."- Promote Yourself, page 6

As an entrepreneur I was worried I would bias my daughters to the benefits of starting a business. What Dan helped me realize is that an entrepreneur is a mindset, not just a person who starts a company. With the right mix of passion, expertise, ambition and confidence and a skill set that includes selling, motivating others, working with teams and persistence you can control your own destiny in any organization.

Working for a large company first can help you start your own company later. I know, in fact, that I could not have identified my passion or created my ability to serve others without having first worked for a large pharma company. It was essential.

Everything you need, you learned in Kindergarten

"When my company interviewed employers about the most important traits they look for when hiring students, 98 percent said ‘communication skills,’ 97 percent said ‘positive attitude’ and 97 percent said ‘teamwork’."- Promote Yourself, page 55

Why do you think people get fired? Because they can’t do their job? Interestingly, only 11 percent are fired because of lack of skills. 89 percent of people who get fired within the first eighteen months are let go because of attitudinal reasons.

Having the technical (hard) skill just gets you to the starting line. The big questions that take you to the finish line relate to your interpersonal (soft) skills like:

• How well do you fit in with the corporate culture?
• Can you build relationships with the people you work for and with?
• Can you overcome personality conflicts?
• Can you motivate yourself and your teammates?
• Can you sell your ideas to others?

Before you can begin to develop these skills, you first need to know yourself. It’s crucial to improve your communication skills, your attitude and your teamwork. As a good start, just think back to what your kindergarten teacher taught you about listening to others, caring about their needs, minding your manners and making friends.