Career Tip #14: Show and Know Metrics
I'm amazed how many employees don’t understand the basics of a P&L. Those who do know how their measures feed the P&L. And, as a result,...
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Sam Decker Blog
Jan 21, 20073 min read
How to Take Career Risks — 7 Principles
A reader commented and agreed that taking risks (Career Tip #12) would be great, but wondered how he could take bigger risks. I think...
Jan 21, 20071 min read
Career Tip #13: Answer First
Many people do it the other way around – build up the background, details of decision criteria, lay out all the options, and eventually...
Jan 17, 20072 min read
Career Tip #12: Take Bigger Risks
Executives who land a high level position, play it safe, and clutch onto high salaries, need to be flushed out of companies. They have...
Jan 16, 20071 min read
Career Tip #11: Always Can Do
I learned the ‘can do’ lesson early in my startup experience. In 1996 the President of our .com startup suggested I find and email...
Jan 16, 20071 min read
Career Tip #10: Go Where There’s Margin Growth
In any company with multiple product lines or divisions there are some parts of the company that have high margin % and/or high revenue...
Jan 15, 20072 min read
Career Tip #9: Feed Others
I learned a painful lessons early in my management career. It is foolish to try to control too much. First, I discovered I didn’t have...
Jan 15, 20071 min read
Career Tip #8: Learn, Challenge, Fun
I asked the one of the best manager's I've had what what he looked for in his next position and these were his three criteria:...
Jan 14, 20071 min read
Career Tip #7: Connect to a Visible Brand
Sometimes it’s helpful to have something recognizable on your resume. My first interview with Dell in early ‘99 was for managing Dell’s...
Jan 14, 20071 min read
Career Tip #6: Inform Others
Inform your manager and peers about what’s going on. In 1x1s, in email, in staff meetings, make sure you are giving updates and status on...
Jan 13, 20071 min read
Career Tip #5: Take Initiative Outside Your Triangle
If there’s one piece of advice I’d give anyone in any job who wants to be considered a ‘rockstar’ it is to take initiative. Be...
Jan 12, 20071 min read
Career Tip #4: Choose Who Your Work For
Throughout my career I’ve worked for and with many bad managers, some good ones, and a few great ones. The great ones manage the business...
Jan 10, 20072 min read
Career Tip #3: It’s Who You Get To Know
But more to the point, it’s important who you GET to know. You may know many people, but are they the right people. And further, do you...
Jan 9, 20071 min read
Career Tip #2: Build Soundbites for Your Brand
When word of mouth takes off on a product there is usually a small sentence, maybe a couple, that are shared about that product. “It was...
Jan 7, 20072 min read
12 CEO (Leader) Diseases and Prescriptions
Dr. Robert Kuhn, who has 12 years experience in M&A and has worked with 15,000 companies and their CEOs, summarized 12 CEO Diseases and...
Jan 7, 20073 min read
Career Tip #1: Find and Follow Your Strengths
I’ve been ‘pinged’ for career advice from time to time. So, I’m starting on a series of perhaps 15 or 20 posts that summarize my career...
Jan 6, 20072 min read
The Merits of Cheap Ass Marketing
My esteemed colleagues at Bazaarvoice found a fun little site that allows you to make up your own Google search interpretation. It’s...
Dec 21, 20065 min read
15 Ideas to Create a Great Conference
iPods are great because they do so many little things right — software, packaging, itunes, advertising. It’s a whole experience. The goal...
Dec 12, 20062 min read
16 Insights from Ted Leonsis (Word of Mouth Marketing Association Keynote)
Mr. Leonsis shared tremendous insight and perspective on how marketing has changed, and he presented it with disarming humility and...
Dec 5, 20061 min read
Zappos 10 Rules of Customer-Centricity
1to1 Magazine published Zappos’ 10 rules for creating a customer-centric culture, via Jane Judd, senior manager of customer loyalty who...
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