30 Days of Work Advice to My Grown Sons

FORWARD

To Alex, Andrew, Adam and Aaron,

When Alex was a teenager, there was a moment when your Mom and I realized that all we were doing was telling him what not to do. It felt like we were failing him as parents. So we read some books (what else?) and found one that was particularly helpful. It talked about how parents must change their parenting style when their kids start to gain their own identity as young adults. The parent role, the author said, must change from “manager” to “consultant”.

As a consultant, we could provide advice, but only when asked…the standard consulting model. And, as the employer of the consultant, you had the right to listen or not. If we wanted to be impactful on your life, we better give good advice when asked. Seemed to make sense. But it was tough for us, because we had made it such a habit to spew out advice without much thought.

So I made an arrangement with Alex. I promised that, if I gave him unsolicited advice, I’d pay him $50. Wouldn’t you know, the day after we shook on the deal (smiling all the while), he caught me red handed and I paid up. The arrangement was good for a laugh, but it clarified our relationship and gave us a way to navigate the “no” moments without overreaching as parents. Alex helped me become a better consultant as he couldn’t stop reminding me of my $50 error every time we sat down for a serious talk.

Even though your Mom and I have become much better at limiting the unsolicited advice we give you guys (thanks to Alex), there are still life lessons we think are important to convey. Some of them, like how to approach work, are lessons we have tried to teach through example. To memorialize – and clarify – the lesson our example was meant to teach, I posted “30 Days of Work Advice to My Grown Sons” on LinkedIn each day throughout March 2018. 

By passing along these lessons through a blog, I implicitly gave you the option to accept the advice or not. I’m circumventing the rule we set about limiting unsolicited advice. It seemed like a clever way to tell you a bunch of things I thought were important without having to dole out $50 bills.

Because LinkedIn makes it a bit hard to go back and read each one, I’ve collected them in one article – below. I won’t feel bad if you never read it. But don’t be surprised if I refer to it when you encounter different work experiences in the future. It saves me from sounding condescending in those moments.

I know that lots of other people have read these posts and am happy some have resonated. But my audience was you. If the experiences I’ve had over 30+ years of work can help you have a fun and exciting career, then it was worth all the words. And don’t ever hesitate to bring up Day 14 or Day whatever as a discussion topic over dinner one night. Like any aging professional, I have stories to tell…and can bring any of the blogs to life – if asked.

Last thing I’ll say is that I have worked with many people in my career. What I’ve seen of your capabilities thus far tells me that each of you are cream of the crop. If I weren’t so stubborn about avoiding nepotism, I would hire every single one of you. Not because I love you and want you to be close. But because I want to hire people like you. You are smart, hard working, articulate, creative and funny. You have natural leadership skills and have a moral compass that self-prohibits issues with integrity. I couldn’t ask any more from an employee.

Without any more bluster, I give you all 30 days of advice in one place. Enjoy.

143,

Dad

Day 1 - Nobody is Invisible

There isn’t an unimportant job in any company. Yet there are people that are treated like they're invisible. There aren't many strategy sessions that seek to fully leverage the skills of a security guard, a material handler or a custodian. But, like with any other role, some of those people are exceptional. Even though your peers or leadership team may not view them as strategic, the company will not succeed without their contributions (think about how you view a cafe with dirty restrooms...someone needs to handle that job well).

Treating anyone like they’re invisible is a rejection of their worth to the company. Not only that, the exceptional people have potential way beyond their current role. You can't figure that out if you don't take an interest in them.

The best Senior Executive that I got to meet in GE started as an Administrative Assistant. I’m sure there were people who didn’t see her as executive material in those days...but, fortunately, some did. Be the latter.

Day 2 - Walk Right into Conflict, and Get it Resolved

It has been my experience that problems don’t resolve themselves, particularly if the problems arise out of personal or professional conflict. It's natural to build up a situation in your head until it's much more exaggerated than real life. I’ve found that it’s better to walk straight at a conflict, rather than hope it goes away.

I had to relearn this lesson myself in a recent role. There was a day when leadership made some particularly crazy decisions about the future of the business. I thought all of our work was for naught and I carried around a funk the whole day. What I didn’t realize was that – being one of the leaders in the business – my funk worried my colleagues.

The head of the business pulled me aside late in the day and dressed me down. He gave me a perspective that made me realize things weren’t as bleak as they appeared and reminded me of the impact I was having on those around me. It was tough love, but set me straight. He’s right, I should have confronted the issue with him right away…walked into the conflict and gotten it resolved. I didn’t, and it was the wrong decision.

I won’t forget the lesson – and I’m passing it on to you.

Day 3 - Create Exceptional Output

The old saying is true…”if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well”. The evangelist that blazed this idea into my brain was Tom Peters. There were a few years when I read and listened to everything Peters had to say. And one of his more compelling messages was, "be exceptional."

Over my career, I’ve seen lots of mediocre, and I bet you have too. Think about the last time you were at a fast food restaurant and saw something amazing.

I was sitting in a Chick-Fil-A a few weeks back and there was a young employee whose responsibility was to keep the place clean. Most of his colleagues were busy, but he was working at a whole different speed. Never stopped moving, never stopped cleaning. That is a young man committed to being exceptional. Wouldn't you hire someone like that?

Exceptional can be applied to everything you do at work, from running meetings to writing procedures to training operators to ordering lunch for your team. Anyone can get a task done. You want to be the person that everyone tells stories about after you leave the room…the person who did something so exceptional that people remember it. I’ve taken that to heart and it’s served me well.

Day 4 - Write Thank You Notes

After one of our corporate relocations, I was so grateful to the HR team for making our move effortless, that I wrote them a thank you note. Seemed like the right thing to do and it probably took me 15 minutes. I forgot about it.

Fast forward 5 years.

I went to that same office to complete my termination paperwork, having just taken a new job across the country. The week before, (coincidentally) they had rearranged their office and found my thank you note - crumpled and yellowing at the edges - taped to the side of their file cabinet. They laughed when I walked into their office and told me how much that note meant to them, because they don’t typically get thank you notes from anyone, for anything (hence, it's preservation on their cabinet). It was over 20 years ago, yet I can still close my eyes and see that office and their smiles. It made a big impression on me.

It’s not hard to find reasons to criticize people when things don’t go well. And, if done constructively, criticism can be beneficial. But if you want to make a real impression on someone, recognize their greatness with a thank you note. It’ll make their day - guaranteed - and put you in a class by yourself.

Day 5 - Focus on Choices, Not Money

As you move from one job to the next, prioritize the personal growth each job will offer, over money. A job that offers you the ability to grow will bring out the best in you – and will naturally result in better compensation. And you’ll find yourself happier at work.

The world you’re inheriting from my generation is volatile. There was a time when people could work at one company their whole life...not so now. If you find yourself in a position where your employer is in a steep decline, you’ll be much happier to have a broad and rich experience base than a big paycheck. It’s about choices, not money.

Early on, I made a big change in my career, joining a small company – at a ? pay cut. But it was a company I really loved. Within 5 years, I had made up the difference in pay and was at higher compensation than if I had stayed on my prior career path those 5 years. It was the energy I brought to work that fed the compensation dynamic and, more importantly, I got to do things in that job I never would have done in my prior role. It helped me leap forward in business skills and gave me new career options.

Keep this in mind as you face opportunities in your own career.

Day 6 - Run Toward Tough Tasks

When I was a lifeguard in high school, the nastiest task given to our staff was to clean out the pool’s filtration sump. It was horrible, smelly work – performed in a dank basement. Nobody wanted to do it. My friend Dan and I volunteered and we didn't just do it, we crushed it – every week that summer. The water was never cleaner.

For our efforts, we earned the nickname “Sumpmen", a nickname we still wear like a badge of honor. A year later, I was promoted to head lifeguard. I always figured it was partly due to my penchant for taking on tough tasks – evidenced by my days in the sump.

I never stopped looking for tough tasks. There were always plenty around me. They just got bigger, harder and more impactful.

I suggest you also look at the tough tasks around you, particularly those that are important to the business’ mission (e.g., keeping the pool clean). If everyone is running away from the work, consider running towards it. Likely, you’ll solve a problem that everyone needs solved, generating high value for your business, praise from your colleagues, an intense feeling of satisfaction and maybe landing you a really cool nickname (OK, so Dan and I think it’s cool).

Day 7 - Respect Your Elders

Since 2000, a number of really cool technology-driven innovations has entered the workplace and consumer market. The closer you look, the more you’ll realize that the foundation supporting those technologies came from best practices developed in the mid-to-late 1900s.

In those decades, skilled trades, engineers and business people figured out how to design complex parts, develop advanced machining methods, control workflow, manage investments and establish dynamic team environments (and more). 

Already, so many of those exceptional people have retired, taking with them knowledge that is hard to replace. And, while technology can do some new and amazing things, it does not replace deep understanding of how things work – and why. 

My advice to you is find the (crusty old) people in your companies that know how things work – people that developed technologies and methods years ago. Show them the respect they've earned, by asking them questions and learning from their answers. Don’t let them retire with the crown jewels in their heads.

Realize that every day they are retiring…so don’t wait.

Day 8 - Be a Master of Time

One lesson I wish I had learned earlier in my career is that the most valuable (and expensive) asset we manage in business is time. Those companies that effectively manage time have happier customers, lower operating costs, more revenue generating opportunities and higher performing investments. 

Projects that take longer to complete have more opportunities for issues. Recruits that take too long to hire tend to get scooped up by competitors. Delays in customer service response annoys customers. And slow moving factory inventory consumes cash, floor space and non-value added labor.

I'm not saying that everything should be done in haste. Some tasks require more time. But effective use of time to improve quality or performance or customer experience is different than allowing idle or wasted time to creep in between important actions.

My advice is to understand the inherent timeline in your work and, when necessary, execute faster, eliminate wasted time and reduce steps that add no value. Doing these things will make you an impact player inside your company, and a master of time.

Day 9 - Communicate Carefully

A colleague at OBG, Beth, reminded me of this very important advice... “be careful what you say, because you never know who is on the elevator with you.”

It’s important to have passion at work. And I won’t ever discourage you from speaking your mind. But not every audience will understand your perspective – or the context in which you are offering a strong opinion. Consider this thought before writing a scathing email, speaking loosely in a cube farm or discussing sensitive information in a crowded elevator.

GE got burned enough times with incriminating emails that they trained all employees to write messages as if they might end up on the front page of the newspaper. It’s a wise policy, especially in this age of high technology communications (ever butt dial someone with your cell phone and wonder what they just heard you saying?).

Of course there are good ways to express controversial opinions or hold sensitive discussions. Take advantage of a huddle room at work. Go for a walk and talk. Or meet in your home. Just don't have those discussions in places where inadvertent eavesdropping by a colleague can cause an unnecessary misunderstanding.

Day 10 - A Good Office is Important

I’m going in a slightly different direction than the title implies. A “good office” is one that makes you a better employee, better teammate and better leader. It’s not likely the one in the corner with the big beautiful windows…

There may have been a time when having a nice office with a window and a door was important. But I’d suggest that time is not now. Things move too quickly in business. You need to be in a place where you can stay involved in the action, to communicate intensively and force interaction with colleagues. A corner office is not that place.

In my last startup, I had an office in the bullpen among all of the staff on my team. When I was in that space, I knew what was happening all the time and was able to ask questions or inject input when appropriate.

Then I had to move to a walled office to make room for a new team member. For 3 months, I had privacy and quiet…and I was clueless. Then the bullpen was expanded and I rejoined the action. Suddenly, (happily) I was back part of the team.

Even though you might find walls and a door appealing, it says more about status than about engagement. If that’s the trade-off, I’ll take engagement any day.

Day 11 - Keep Your Commitments

One of the best experiences I had at work was running a customer service team. We didn’t just answer questions, we owned our customers’ problems. But there was one specific lesson that I want to relay to you – as I’m certain you’ll have a chance to apply it in your own work.

When I was with PROMODEL, our team provided analytics support for software licensees. Occasionally a customer would call with a problem that took multiple days to solve. Since we couldn’t commit to a specific day when we’d find a solution, we would commit to contact them at intervals to inform them of progress.

What we found is that customers cared as much about our keeping the commitment to contact them as they did about ultimately getting the answer. It generated trust – and, not surprisingly, strong customer loyalty.

I’ve applied this lesson to everything from delivering on big projects to making courtesy calls to job candidates that did not get hired. What it’s taught me is...if you make a personal commitment, follow through.

Day 12 - Create a Safe Work Environment

When I was a production supervisor years back, we got behind on our orders. Site leadership put us on 7 day operations. It was a grind. There was a welder on my team that I asked to work 16 weeks straight without a day off. At the start of week 17, he was admitted to the hospital for a minor stroke, brought on by stress at work. I went to visit him in the hospital and promised myself I’d never put a colleague’s health or safety at risk again (I’ve been true to that promise).

Prior to that incident, I had taken the company-provided, compulsory training sessions. I learned about the mechanics of safety...hazards and first aid and administrative controls. What I failed to take away from those sessions was that safety starts with a perspective…take care of people around you. Protect them as you would your family.

You’ll have no worse feeling than to have been the cause (or a contributor to) an injury or illness of a co-worker. So I counsel you, in the strongest possible terms, to think about the health and well-being of those around you. Create a safe work environment for them – whether or not it’s in your job description.

Day 13 - Separate Business and "Business"

While vacationing at EPCOT Center this week, I took a break to use the restroom. Walking in, I hear this guy doing two types of business at the same time. One was biological, the other on his cell phone. 

This was not some first responder giving instructions to his team while they saved a crowd from fire. He wasn’t a military commander barking orders to his troops. He wasn’t even an investor rushing out a multi-million dollar buy order to the trading floor.

No, this guy was changing the time of a teleconference scheduled to happen that night. The background music for his “urgent” work call was a symphony of toilet flushes, running sinks and blowing air dryers (among other less savory sounds).

C’mon man.

If you haven't already, I suggest that you adopt a work rule like mine…no cell calls in the restroom. Besides the unmentionable hygienic issues, nobody on your team needs to share in your private time while on a call.

And, realize that mankind made it through millennia relieving himself (and herself) without wireless telecommunications. I suspect we'll survive another 5 minutes next time you feel the urge.

Day 14 - You are Better than you Know

Early in your career, you won’t fully appreciate the value you bring to your company. Moreover, you will underestimate your potential to generate future impact. This is the most common feedback I give to early career staff on my teams.

What you lack is perspective. When you complete a task, you will view it in isolation and won't see the downstream value it creates. An analysis you complete, an idea you have or a decision you make will seem minor in comparison to big activities going on around you. You’ll feel like a tiny cog in a huge machine.

You have potential way beyond anything you can imagine. Think about every little startup that turned into a business icon…Hewlett Packard, Google, Apple, Amazon. Each was started by people that didn’t see limitations. They only saw opportunity and dared to trust their own abilities.

I’m encouraging you to remove the blinders that limit your contributions. Understand your unique strengths and discover new ways to multiply them within your company. Help your leaders see those strengths so they can exploit them more effectively and, occasionally, help others replicate those strengths.

You are better than you know. Now go show it.

Day 15 - Brighten Someone’s Day…Every Day

There are special people in this world that bring sunshine where there’s darkness. They make you feel happy, just because they enter the room (your Mom is one of those people). It’s a rare trait and one that I admire. I’m not sure you can re-wire yourself to be that way, but you certainly can take a lesson from their book.

Time commitments, unexpected issues and excessive workload can put a damper on anyone's day. Look for ways to relieve stress by doing something unexpectedly beneficent for a colleague needing a pick-me-up. Even a simple act – like surprising an officemate with a cup of coffee – might be just enough to flip their day around. Even better, I’ve seen this behavior become contagious.

The benefits of bringing sunshine to work go far beyond the moment. Offices that consistently experience this kind of personal support are more trusting, creative and fun…driving productivity through the roof. I’ve been part of several teams like this and it’s an environment I crave. 

Do your part to create a positive work environment. Look for your own opportunity to do or say something nice to at least one person, every day. It's what your Mom would do.

Day 16 - Spend Company Money Like It’s Your Own

My first job out of college was with a lab serving the US Navy. It was a great place to start a career because big money was spent on important things and almost nothing was spent on perks. My desk was 40 years old and my chair hardly stood straight. Everything about work was spartan, except when it came to spending on anything mission critical.

Tempting as it might have been to spend loosely – given the huge budgets we managed – we stuck to a rigid spending strategy aligned with our objectives. It forced me to see how spending at work is just like spending at home…conserving resources for only the important stuff.

In my private sector jobs, it's been more common to see wasteful spending. Employees stay at hotels they wouldn’t ever patronize in their personal life. Some opt for an expensive computer, just to manage their email. And, occasionally, too little diligence is performed before making significant purchases (wouldn't do that buying our house).

Don’t get me wrong, you need to spend money for business to succeed. But don’t waste it. Fight the urge at work to think of company money as easier to spend.

Spend company money like it’s your own.

Day 17 - Ask Dumb Questions

I can’t even remember all the times that I participated in a meeting where it seemed everyone understood the topic of discussion – but me. I sat there thinking that it would sound stupid to ask the meaning of an acronym or the reason why we were so focused on a particular detail. Then another meeting attendee asked “the dumb question” that everyone else in the meeting wanted to ask. And we all felt a sense of relief discovering our confusion was communal.

Over time, I’ve become less hesitant to ask the dumb question and, for the most part, it’s been a rewarding change of behavior. Often, I find that a well-placed dumb question can put a meeting back on track, focusing on the key issue rather than wandering through meaningless details. And I’ve been surprised how frequently the person being asked the question appreciates the help in clarifying their message.

Of course, the hesitance to ask dumb questions is mostly driven by pride. Few of us want to show that we’re the dumbest person in the room. I guess my advice for you is to realize that - if you feel that way - you’re more than likely in good company. 

So ask away.

Day 18 - Micro-Celebrate

It may seem counter-intuitive, but I believe it is better to recognize people for progress than results. There are several reasons I feel this way:

...Recognizing progress encourages behaviors that drive results you want. When you were a baby, we cheered when you stood up and held onto the couch. If we waited until you were walking to celebrate, you’d still be in a crib.

...Once a result is achieved, there is a natural sense of satisfaction. When you got straight A’s on your report card, you already knew we’d be happy. Our trip to Chuck E Cheese was, in all honesty, more a celebration of our own happiness as parents.

...Mountain tops are reached one step at a time. It can be hard to see how an individual action is helping you get any closer to the goal. As athletes, your coaches taught you to practice the right way, then execute one play at a time. That's what earned you championships.

The lessons you learned about recognizing progress throughout your life are part of you – but easy to forget now that you work. Help your teammates see the progress you are experiencing. Don’t wait to do a massive celebration at the end of the project. 

Become an expert at micro-celebration.

Day 19 - Fully Disconnect on Vacation

For our 25th anniversary, your Mom and I vacationed in Italy. It was the first vacation where I fully disconnected. I felt anxious leaving home, headed to the airport, knowing that my phone and laptop were sitting on the kitchen counter.

What an amazing vacation. It took a day to realize that nobody would be contacting me. When that feeling settled in, I started to really enjoy myself…and I was a much better travel partner for your Mom.

Two things helped me disconnect: (1) I unloaded all of my work to a colleague (thanks Rich), and (2) I put details about our trip into my out-of-office (OOO) notification. I was surprised to find that the OOO message allowed others to share my excitement and realize that I was doing something they shouldn’t interrupt. Since then, I’ve continued to put vacation details into OOO notifications…and, by cutting off the “supply” of interruptions, it's helped me disconnect every time.

It's my belief that employees who take real vacations from work are more balanced, creative and energetic than those that can’t ever disconnect. I encourage you to take real vacations…leave the work behind. And try my OOO trick, it’s worked wonders for me.

Day 20 - Your Career & Industry 4.0

“Industry 4.0” refers to the connection between physical activities and computer technology. In your lifetime, you will see these connections drive profound changes in everything from buying groceries to running factories.

But what does this mean for your career? You must be able to see how your work fits in the broader set of activities happening around you. Work you do will not only exist locally. It will connect to a larger set of business mechanics going on around you. If you don’t recognize connections and adjust your work accordingly, you will find your skills become less relevant.

Some things you can do to stay current in this shifting work environment:

...Develop relationships with people in different disciplines at work, not just your own.

...Read voraciously about new technologies. Few will directly impact your daily work, but they will open your mind to possibilities.

...Volunteer to be part of cross functional teams. See projects from a colleague's perspective.

...Take on unfamiliar tasks. Challenge yourself to learn new things by doing.

My generation thought it saw radical change with the introduction of computers. Your's is going to have a much wilder ride.

Day 21 - Compensation is Not Taboo

When you buy a house or car, it's a big decision, so you negotiate price, options and terms. You should approach any discussion of work compensation the same way. There is nothing taboo about discussing compensation in an open and honest way.

You work in a labor market and a market is a place where commercial dealings occur. Deals are not one-way communications. A person makes an offer and another accepts or rejects it. Simple business.

Try to approach your own compensation discussions without anxiety. You and your employer may have a different perception of your value. That’s OK. It may be a big enough difference to warrant a career change. But there are also other factors that can be brought into the deal. Maybe you get the company to fund a series of MBA classes or give you more interesting assignments. Make a deal.

It goes without saying that you only have leverage in a compensation deal if you have something unique and valuable to offer. We cover that in many of the other 30 days of advice. All I’m saying here is that it’s important to retire the stress you have about talking pay with your boss (and, don’t be surprised to find your stress is less than theirs).

Day 22 - Take the Initiative

In school, you learned how to think, work hard, communicate and cooperate. All great skills. Now that you're working, I think it’s vital that you focus on developing an even more important trait…initiative.

Taking initiative is possibly the most valuable contribution you can make throughout your career…and is one of the rarest you’ll find in your peers. Initiative is defined as “the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do.” In an era of fast changing, disruptive technology, can there be any more valuable personal quality than to act?

Initiative requires confidence and vision…feeling like you can take a step and knowing where your foot should land. These are hard lessons to teach through lectures or homework assignments. They require risk taking and life experience.

I want you to be aware of the value initiative plays at work, because it could very well be the difference between you achieving your professional goals – or not. Look for opportunities to act, to take charge. Find the people at work with initiative and emulate their behaviors. Take some risk and step out in front. It is a critical skill and one you (and your company) will be glad you mastered.

Day 23 - Value Women

The best manager I’ve had in all my years of work was my first…a woman, named Bev. She was everything I could ever want in a manager: brilliant, inspiring, intuitive, hardworking and decisive. I owe much of the credit for my work success to the example she set.

I was fortunate to have a woman as a first manager...because I’ve met so few in my career. There’s no way to sugar coat it…it’s still a man’s business world. Bev taught me that there is no inherent leadership, intelligence or performance advantage in being born male. She broke all those stereotypes while I was in my professional infancy.

At GE, I recall working with an exceptionally talented woman. We were both aggressive in how we tackled work and equally effective at getting results. People saw me as assertive. She was pushy. Frankly, that distinction ticked me off.

The historical biases that have caused gender imbalance at work are waning ever so slowly. You can fight those biases in your own companies. Bring the same respect you show your Mom to work every day. Treat the women on your teams as you would any man. 

It’s my hope that – when you're my age – there will be no need to pass along this advice to your own sons.

Day 24 - Communicate Face-to-Face

Technologies developed in your lifetime offer many ways to connect with people, without ever being in their presence. These innovations have certainly helped productivity but have removed some humanity from business. Not a good thing.

There isn’t a work call or email that was so impactful that I remember it to this day. But I recall dozens of face-to-face interactions that taught me something new, generated amazing results or helped a colleague through a problem.

Communicating in person engages more of your senses, and your emotions. When your emotions get involved, the impact is more profound.

You also gather more information in person. You can gauge a person’s mood, see the amount of work piled on their desk, read their expressions, and sense their reactions through body language. Even the best video conference systems mask these perceptions.

At work, instead of sending a text, walk down the hall and have a conversation with your manager. Visit a customer at their site to resolve a quality issue. Provide performance feedback to a team member over lunch. Do the important stuff face-to-face.

But, there’s one exception to this advice…call your Mom (how about tonight?).

Day 25 - Your Career in Steps

I believe careers happen in three steps: learn, grow and share. Your progress may be slower or faster than your peers. But I’ve seen enough careers to have recognized a pattern.

On the learn step, you take on new things, figure out what you like and what you do well. This can be unsatisfying as you want to have the perfect job. But that's rare. Most graduates have very imperfect jobs just out of school.

The grow step is about executing. You find a niche and perform, adding value to customers, companies, colleagues. You sense your worth and feel the thrill of accomplishment and responsibility.

You’ll reach a point in your career when you realize that you have lots of experience and want to make a difference. So you start step 3...share. You may do it as a consultant or a Board member or volunteer. Every billionaire has a foundation in their name later in life. They’re sharing.

It’s important to understand these steps because it means you’re not alone in your early career frustration. You’re going to pivot into the growth stage soon. If it hasn’t happened yet, keep working hard, doing new things and figuring yourself out. Your best days are ahead of you. I’m sure of it.

Day 26 - The 15/70/15 Rule

I've never worked in an organization that wanted to hire anything less than the best people possible. Arguably, on the day they were hired, every employee was viewed as a top candidate. But human systems have a way of stratifying talent over time. 

I’ve found that talent follows a 15/70/15 rule…15% of the people are naturally exceptional. Another 15% are poor performers. The remaining 70% are in the middle.

The percentages may be slightly different in some companies. GE always thought that the lower tier was 10%, hence the rule that 10% of the staff must be refreshed each year. The numbers aren’t important. What's important is the middle group.

Bad companies, that don’t have strong discipline around customer service, quality and growth will tend to see the 70% drift down toward the lower 15%. Great companies engage the 70% and make them look more like the top 15%. That, in my mind, is the goal of leadership…to motivate the middle to be exceptional.

Already, it seems you are part of the top 15% group. That makes me proud. But I’d suggest it places a burden upon you – to look around and find ways to lift up your colleagues. Pull on that 70% and make your company great.

Day 27 - Your Manager Isn't a Psychic

I’d love to to tell you that every one of your managers is going to help plot out your career. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy. You’ll be lucky to have one manager in your career that has the empathy, vision and communication skills to pull this off. 

Besides, it’s a lot to ask of a manager. To plot out a career, your manager would have to know what motivates you, your personal goals, your finances and your full skill set. I’m your Dad and I don’t know all of this.

To have the career you want, you’ll have to actively manage it yourself. Start by setting some direction. Do you want to be a business leader? A technical expert? Your own boss? Then seek opportunities to move in that direction. Don’t worry, you can always change direction. But I don’t think you should wait for the perfect job to land on your plate. 

The next part is key…tell your manager what you want. They can't see into your mind. Your manager may not believe you're ready for a next big move. But they may give you a chance to prove yourself. 

You can’t control everything about your career. But if you actively manage it, you can improve the odds that you’ll get where you want.

Day 28 - Stay Connected to the Collective

Imagine me giving you advice about staying connected. That’s all you’ve been doing for the last 10 years with your cell phones, laptops and – now – smart watches. But the kind of connecting you’ve been doing, while socially fulfilling, has been largely unproductive (IMHO). Now that you’re working, it’s time to take connection to a new level.

Problem solving in the 2020s and beyond will be collective. Leveraging the expertise of people you know in Japan is just as easy as the person in the next cubicle. If you don’t know something, you can learn it on Youtube this afternoon. Even some colleges make their expertise available online.

While all of that is really cool, the most valuable connections you will maintain are with business contacts...people you meet or former coworkers. These connections offer opportunities to collaborate on business startups, share ideas or consider new career moves. If you don’t nurture your network, it will atrophy.

Periodically connect with friends from college. Email a former boss. Check on a customer. Consult a supplier. Eventually, something special will come from the collective. It’d be a pity (if not futile) for you to resist.

Day 29 - Be Uncomfortable in the Comfort Zone

There have been times in my career when I felt I was producing at an exceptionally high level of output. Each time had one thing in common…I was constantly experiencing new things. I’ve since learned to get uncomfortable when I enter my comfort zone.

Turns out, I’m not alone. Studies of the brain have shown that cognitive vitality can begin to wane as we leave childhood. The trick is engaging in new activities that challenge our mental faculties. Check out this article:

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/learning-new-skills-keeps-an-aging-mind-sharp.html

You may find that you reach mini-plateaus within your career – moments where you are doing the same thing every day or don’t feel particularly challenged. I believe it is in these moments that you need to push yourself to experience something new. 

This is easy advice to give. Hard to follow. A good place to start is making your own connection between moments of high performance and what’s happening in your life. If you’re like me, I expect you’ll decide discomfort is motivating...and recognize when it's time to exit the comfort zone.

Day 30 - Do What You Love

The most important advice I can give you about your career is simple…do what you love. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how much power you accumulate, if you hate your job it’ll mess up the rest of your life. As your Dad, I don’t want to see that happen.

For over 20 years, I’ve been in jobs that I love. At GE Fuel Cells, it was the incredible staff that made work so fun. As Product Manager for the battery business, I loved meeting customers, especially in places like Africa and Asia. And, at GE Research, I felt the thrill of accomplishment as we developed crazy new technologies.

You’ll be tempted to take on jobs that you think others want you to do. Don’t succumb to that pressure. This is your career and the “best you” is going to come out when you’re in a place you enjoy.

Apply my parking lot test to every job. If you love getting out of the car and heading into work each morning, you’re in a great place. If you always feel a sense of anxiety at that moment, it’s time to rethink your situation.

Our mission as parents was to raise you to discover the wonders of life, and to truly be happy. Please follow my lead on this one…find what you love, and then go do it.