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Executive Times |
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2007 Book Reviews |
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From Day
One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career by William J. White |
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Rating: |
*** |
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(Recommended) |
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Click on
title or picture to buy from amazon.com |
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Mentor Bill White’s
book, From
Day One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career, provides
outstanding advice to workers at any career stage. While this former Bell
& Howell CEO and current Northwestern professor could provide clear and cogent
advice of his own, he reinforces much of his advice by letting the stories
and wisdom of others appear on these pages. Here’s an excerpt, from the
beginning of Chapter 5, “From Day One,” pp. 91-95: From Day One, your first days on the job are
critical. When that time is gone, it’s gone! The day
you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. You’re about to start a new job.
All the hard work has paid off, and now you’re approaching Day One as a new
employee. You might be tempted to breathe the proverbial sigh of relief that
the job-search process is over. The truth, however, is that you’ve only just
begun. Day One on
your new job signals the start of the most important phase of your career.
Within your first few months, you will do more to establish yourself as a
good fit in the organization, as a proven contributor, and as a person of
value than you probably will in the coming years. In fact, I’d go so far as
to say that if you fail to get off to a strong start in the first one to
three months, you will greatly undermine your chances to succeed in the
company and face significant challenges to prove yourself. The key to
your success is being conscious of the fact that these early days are so
important. Let’s assume you have accepted an offer for a job that will begin
right after graduation. Even as your friends and family congratulate you,
something more pressing is on your mind: What should you concentrate on
during your first 30 days on the job? The fact that you are even
asking this question proves that you’ve solved 90 percent of the problem. This question reveals your
acute awareness of the importance of the first impression you will make on
the job and whether you will be seen as a “good fit.” That depends on how
well you demonstrate your commitment to making a contribution to your boss,
team, department, and company. If you are aware of this,
you’ll be alert and mentally prepared to make the most of these first few
months. If you are not aware, however, you’ll be at risk of coasting during
this important time. You may be lulled into thinking that “being new” is a
blanket excuse that keeps others from evaluating you too critically. Granted,
many things exist that you won’t know and will have to learn. Nonetheless,
from Day One let your enthusiasm be your biggest contribution. Show your
desire to learn as much as possible, and commit yourself to surpassing the
expectations of what you can accomplish. After all, this is an exciting time
in your life. You’ve worked hard to find the right job, so celebrate by
diving into it. An
Extraordinary Career Many young professionals
enter the business world with high hopes and lofty expectations. Their dreams
are as vast as the possibilities they see before them. Looking many years
into the future, what does a successful career look like? Based on some very
compelling research, the answer is both humbling and inspiring:
Extraordinarily successful executives focus on the careers and success of
others as much as—and sometimes even more than—their own careers. That was
the finding of research conducted by Spencer Stuart executive recruiters
James Citrin and Richard Smith, who are also coauthors of The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers:
The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction. “Extraordinarily
successful executives, it turns out, were not perceived as overly
self-interested. Quite the opposite was true. Nearly 90 percent were described as being concerned about the
careers of their subordinates as much as or more than their own careers.
Further, a mere 4 percent were described as being most concerned with their
own careers... Our research clearly demonstrates that a leadership approach focused on the success of others is a
truly significant pattern among successful executives.”41 Jim Citrin brought home the
point for college graduates and young professionals who want to get off to a
strong start from Day One. “It’s an absolute fact and it is a guaranteed
success strategy, whether you’re an MBA coming out of school or a CEO. If you
make those around you succeed, you will be successful,” Jim explained. How, then,
can a new employee, who may be in a junior or entry-level position, help others
be successful? The answer is simple: Look for ways to be helpful, be willing
to take on extra tasks, and be focused on the goals of your boss, your team,
and your company instead of solely on your own success. This begins with a
commitment to add value by exceeding expectations. “You have
to do a good job with those things that are expected of you. That’s the
ticket to the game,” Jim added. “The average professionals think it is their
job to fulfill their job objectives. Successful professionals are the ones
who do what’s asked of them and then over-deliver consistently, such as in
sales or project management by doing more than their quota or completing
something faster. But the extraordinary professionals are the ones who do
what’s required, but then rather than doing more of the same, they figure out
what they can do that both adds value to their organization or unit and that
differentiates them in the process.”42 Admittedly, this probably
won’t happen overnight. As a new employee, you will have a learning curve
that will be shorter or longer depending on the size of your organization,
the tasks you are assigned, and how your team or department operates.
Throughout this learning process, however, others will be making critical
judgments about you. In a large organization, you will have more opportunities
and a longer period of time, because more people will get to know you and
form impressions about you. In a smaller company, the number of people with
whom you interact is limited. Therefore, one or two mistakes early on will be
amplified. Whatever the circumstance, expect to be “under the microscope” of
your manager and co-workers. Warren Batts, former
chairman and CEO of Premark and Tupperware, observed that most people have a
fair amount of tolerance for new college graduates when they are first
hired. “No one expects them to come in knowing everything,” he commented.
“But there are those who seem to do their best, who quickly demonstrate their
interpersonal skills, and who spend a good deal of time finding out how to
make a contribution. That means understanding the informal system for
getting things done in the organization. That desire to understand is very
much appreciated in companies and will help the new employee for a long time
to come.”43 Your
Success Plan from Day One With that in mind, what
should you bring with you that first day on the job? Certainly not your
lunch! Seriously, from Day One you must be aware of the patterns you are
establishing, including your observable behaviors, attitudes, and actions by
which others will evaluate you. To do this successfully, you need a plan to
get off to a strong start so that you will feel good about the company you’ve
chosen—just as your boss, peers, direct reports, and other colleagues will be
pleased with the company’s decision to hire you. Your
Plan from Day One • Last-minute
due diligence • Setting
expectations • Making a
contribution • Be
conscious of where you spend your time • Who are
your new friends? • Watch your
work space • Choose the
right pace The seven steps in your
plan are designed to help you prepare for your “launch date” on Day One and
to carry you through the critical first few months on the job. Let’s take a
look at each step individually. From Day
One is a mentoring experience in print. This is a great gift for a college
grad, but can be a fine refresher to anyone at work. Steve Hopkins,
February 23, 2007 |
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·
2007 Hopkins and Company, LLC The recommendation rating for
this book appeared in the March 2007
issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/From
Day One.htm For Reprint Permission,
Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • 723 North Kenilworth Avenue • Oak Park,
IL 60302 E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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