Measure Progress Early On

If you are moving in a wrong direction, over time you get further and further from where you want to be. Time and distance travelled compound the errors. In the end, it will be more costly to correct an error of judgment the earlier it was made in the first place. In business this means measure progress early in a project and take necessary action. Ask yourself; "Do we have the right people, procedures and resources in place?"

Show Genuine Interest

There is a humorous saying; "Everyone look out for themselves. I am the only one looking out for me". It is an enlightening realization that others generally are not interested in you. They think about themselves all the time. This means you don't have to worry so much about what others think of you, because they very rarely do. Instead you can relax and focus your interest on the other party. The best way to be interesting to others, is to show them genuine interest first.

Marinate Yourself In A Topic

Whenever you get a new assignment immerse yourself into it fully. Study everything you can find related to that subject. Attempt to become one of the most knowledgeable persons in that particular field. Figure out who is who and get the help you need to attain the expert level you aspire to. When I prepare a speech, for example, I think about oversampling, getting more data points, examples or stories than I will ever have time to use. In a similar way you can build your confidence and know you could handle any situation because you prepared yourself.

Dress And Talk One Step Ahead

One key to advance in your career is to start to dress and talk one step ahead. If you want to move to the position of your boss (let's say), take a look at how that person dresses and start to dress for the position you want to reach. If that means wearing a suit and tie, wear a suit and tie! Listen to the language of the person in the position today and start to mimic their lingo. Usually the boss talks more about what is important from the company's point of view. For starters, substitute "I" for "we".

Expectation As Motivator

People are different and respond to very different motivators. One powerful way to motivate your people is by changing their expectations. When you help them see positive consequences in their future as a result of their activity today that can tremendously boost their determination and effort. How can you work with changing expectations in your team or with your own children?

Be A Prime Time Producer

When others in the family are watching TV at night you can decide to use that time for productive work. During that prime time slot between 20:00 and 21:00 you could become a producer rather than merely being a consumer. You can write, read, study or prepare yourself for weeks coming up ahead. Think what you could accomplish if you dedicated five hours per week like this. It would be equivalent to one and a half extra, full time working month per year.

Different Strokes For Different Folks

In your dealings with people be flexible and adapt your communication style to that of the other person. Different people respond differently to the exact same message. We are not advocating a treat-everybody-the-same policy. Some people are open, others are more guarded. Some people are direct and others operate through indirect means. Once you understand how to approach these different personalities you can adapt and match your style to get your messages across in a more effective way.