How New Graduates Can Succeed in American Companies

TheBizofKnowledge ^ | June 22, 2006 | Dr. Bill Belew

[G. Stolyarov II]

Jack Welch gives advice on how the new graduate can succeed in American companies. It seems to be good advice to succeed in any company -- anywhere.

His number one piece of advice:

OVERDELIVER - This is very un-American -- and very un-student-like.

In school, students learn to meet certain objectives -- answer certain questions within certain time parameters.

In the workforce -- it's not that way anymore.

To get an A+ in business, Welch says, a person -- 22 years old or 62 years old -- needs to:

1. Expand the organization's expectations of what you can do -- tell them you can do more than what they expect.

2. Then exceed those expectations -- tell them you can do more, and when your bosses begin to expect that, deliver beyond that.

In America, the idea is one of efficiency: get as much as possible for as little effort as possible. This is not bad.

But to succeed, one must give more and produce more than what is called for.

The goals, Welch says, is to make:

1. your bosses smarter

2. your team more effective

and

3. the whole company more effective because of your energy, creativity, and insights.

Be willing to do the extra work to answer the yet-asked questions -- how your company can meet expectations three years from now, what new products might emerge, what technologies can change the game, and how things could be done better if production went to China.

Abe Lincoln once said, "What kills a skunk is the publicity it brings itself."

So, when you are working your heart out, don't worry about who knows -- your bosses will recognize it soon enough. Start blowing your own horn, and your co-workers will begin to doubt your motives.

In short, set the standard high -- and then work hard and quietly to overdeliver.

[G. Stolyarov II]

Jack Welch's words suggest that quiet but persistent hard work is indeed the key to success -- provided that an individual is continually innovative and goes beyond his official "duty" -- acting to enrich himself and his company through creative means. See Dr. Belew's blog at PanAsianBiz

[AntiGovernment]

The goals, Welch says, is to make:

1. your bosses smarter

Alternative strategy: make your bosses more stupid, so that they keep promoting you, even though the only thing you do is screw up the company. /sarc