People pay an awful lot of money for an education that is supposed to prepare them for the workforce, which in turn is presumably intended to help them create some degree of career success for themselves. But if that plan is to work, then a course needs to be added called "What NOT To Do, if You Want To Get Ahead." The following would be my top 5 picks for the syllabus:
5. Don't yell at people. Flying off the handle does little to affect the other person(s) in anything other than a negative way, but instead, it makes you look crazy and unable to handle pressure.
4. Don't lie in the presence of others. They will figure out that you either do not tell the truth, or selectively tell the truth when it suits you and they will doubt your authenticity as a result. You will end up with people who don't take you seriously and keep you at arm's length because you make them feel unsafe and uncomfortable.
3. Don't tell someone something "in confidence" that you swore to someone else you would keep under wraps. All it does is show firsthand that you can't be trusted with confidential information, which is definitely not a promotable quality.
2. Don't be negative and lower yourself to childish, irrelevant, gossipy games. Rise above it and stay focused on the business, not the bulls**t.
1. Don't ignore people who need a response. It's like playing a game of catch; if you don't throw the ball back to the person who threw it, everyone just stands around waiting. Not a good business model. Not a good reputation builder. Not a good choice.
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