Metadata
- Author: Geoffrey James
Highlights
Because you’re now a freelancer and your own boss, you’re also a salesperson, whether you want to be one or not. — location: 47
If you can’t (or won’t) sell yourself, your services, and your ideas, you might as well give up now. If you’re not unemployed already, you will be soon. And you’ll probably stay that way. — location: 48
Courage is not the same as being fearless. Only fools are fearless. Courage means taking risks to get what you want. Courage means facing the reality that if you stand up for yourself, you might lose your job. — location: 84
The business world is full of challenges. Sometimes the game is rigged. Sometimes people do weird things. Sometimes deals go sour. Sometimes your plans don’t pan out. — location: 99
So what? Stuff happens. However, you’re far more likely to pick yourself up, try again, and ultimately succeed if you adopt beliefs that help you remain optimistic, enthusiastic, and positive. — location: 100
Think of your boss as providing a service that helps you get your job done. Your boss secures the resources you need, makes decisions when there’s disagreement, works interdepartmental issues, and secures money to get you a raise. — location: 135
Your boss wants to trust you. Really. Your boss wants to trust you to get your job done, — location: 277
Therefore, whenever you accept an assignment, follow through religiously, even fanatically. Do what you say you’re going to do. Never over-commit, and avoid hedging your bets with vague statements like “I’ll try” and “Maybe.” — location: 279
Even if you’re afraid some bad news might upset your boss, don’t wait until the last minute to deliver it. (Note, though, as explained below, your report of a problem should always include your best attempt at a solution.) — location: 285
Your boss doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but bosses appreciate employees who truly care about what they do and are willing to take the time to do a job well and thoroughly. — location: 289
Bosses are particularly annoyed by employees who treat work as an extension of their personal lives. — location: 292
After all, maybe your boss knows more than you do. — location: 300
When you see your boss about to make a foolish decision, it’s also your responsibility to attempt to convince him or her to make a better one. Make your best case, and express yourself clearly. — location: 297
once your boss has made a decision, stop second-guessing and do your best to implement it—regardless of whether you think that decision was the best one possible. — location: 299
As a general rule, never bring up a problem unless you have a solution to propose or are asking for the boss’s advice. — location: 303
take your boss’s advice without adding a “Yeah, but…” argument. — location: 304
When dealing with your boss, speak and write in short sentences, use the fewest words possible to make a point, and make that point easily understandable. — location: 309
DO YOUR BEST WORK. Bosses expect you to do your absolute best at whatever job you undertake. — location: 313
job well. In the same way that the quality of a product creates that product’s brand image, the quality of your work creates your reputation. — location: 316
MAKE YOUR BOSS SUCCESSFUL. Regardless of what it says on your job description, your real job is to make your boss successful. — location: 319
GETTING YOUR BOSS WORKING FOR YOU COMMUNICATE what you need in order to do your best. KEEP your manager informed of your progress. MAKE a case that you’re doing a useful job. ENSURE that everyone knows how you contribute. UNDERSTAND your boss’s goals and desires. FIND and cultivate a common interest. — location: 413
Both salaries and raises are based entirely on the cost of replacing you. — location: 509
Companies view your salary as an expense, so asking for a raise is asking your boss to spend more of the company’s profit, cash reserves, or borrowed money on you, rather than on other priorities. — location: 507
If the cost of replacing you is greater than what they’re spending on your salary, you can ask for a raise and reasonably expect to get one. If not, you won’t get the raise. It’s really that simple. — location: 510
When you ask for a raise, you’re asking your boss to compare the cost of giving you a raise with the cost of replacing you. — location: 513
make a list of all the training you’ve received, either through courses or on the job, since you were hired. — location: 543
ASKING FOR A RAISE NOBODY cares what you need, want, or expect to be paid. YOUR salary is dependent on your financial contribution. LET your boss know how much it would cost to replace you. GATHER information to buttress your case. ESTABLISH a discrepancy between your value and your pay. FIELD objections so they reinforce your case. PUSH until you’ve gotten a commitment with a number. — location: 624
As Abraham Lincoln said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” — location: 784
Asking for advice is a compliment to whomever you ask, and most people enjoy teaching what they’ve learned. — location: 883
Companies create brands because brands help buyers remember the experience they’ve had (or expect to have) with a company’s products. — location: 1050