7: Praise your peers not yourself
Respect and acknowledge the talents of your peers. There is nothing more unprofessional and self-serving than telling others how wonderful you are.
Professionals are humble and generous in their praise of others.
8: Share your knowledge
When I was hired at Hughes Aircraft, a second person with similar skills was hired with me. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that one of us wasn’t going to survive. The competitive nature of the situation was palpable. I am no stranger to the belief that it is not in your best interest to share your knowledge with your associates, AKA the competition.
It is easy to find yourself in that comfortable place with “unique” knowledge. If you are a hoarder of information and are of the opinion that all of the nuts you have squirreled away grant you immutable job security, think again. The harsh reality is that nobody is irreplaceable.
Information isn’t a limited resource. Contrary to what some might think, your mind won’t be emptied by giving away kernels of wisdom or experience. Think of knowledge as an ocean of facts and not a stream of data. It is possible to share what you know and still keep one step ahead of the competition — simply apply yourself and learn something new daily.
Professionals help their peers and are respected for doing so.
9: Say thank you
I always tried to find a way to thank others for their help. When their help was above and beyond the call of duty, I would buy them a Coke - a testament to the marketing power of Madison Avenue and Mean Joe Greene.
The items I value the most in my personnel file from Hughes Aircraft are two AVOs (Avoid Verbal Orders memos) to my manager from frontline employees. The AVOs thanked me for the support I provided that helped them do their job better.
Silly me — what was I thinking? I was sharing a Coke when I should have been sharing my thanks in a printed internal document to the employee’s manager.
Professionals thank others in a meaningful way that most benefits the recipient.
To be Continued ....
