What They Don't Teach You In School

Beware of office and corporate politics. Every company has its own unique organizational culture filled with alliances, cliques, and power struggles. Choose your alliances carefully, for you will have to be with them for a while. Better to remain neutral at the beginning, listen and learning just who is who before choosing. As a great philosopher once said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and prove it."

The time that is the most important in any new position is the first 90 days. Find ways to score wins during this period. This is when people form their opinion of you and scoring early wins enhances your position and increases your personal power. Probably the best win you can achieve is forming relationships with as many people as possible. Work hard to prove your value to the organization.

We end with what we started, learning. Learn as much as possible. Learn about your team, department, organization, even the competition. The one thing you must understand is, in order to be successful, you must be a lifelong learner. Read books, attend seminars and workshops, sign up for as many training programs within your company as possible. Continue your formal education. Make learning one of your highest priorities. Learning is now not about getting that degree; it's about becoming successful in your chosen field.

By Dr. Bill Gould

Human resources director

Wall Street Institute, Thailand