“Winning” by Jack Welch (Part I)

We all like winning.

We marvel at the mastery of the New York Yankees and the New England Patriots on the sporting field. We are impressed by the rags to riches ascent of Dell and Microsoft Corporation.

So what makes these organizations winners?

I just completed the book ‘Winning’ by Jack Welch and learned what I believe are the five tips for winning in any scenario (professional or personal).

I highly recommend the book, even if you aren’t a big fan of Welch, GE, or his aggressive style.

So here are the five tips:

1. Don’t be a victim.

You may work for a bad boss. You may have not been assigned the ‘best’ project. But you do have a chance to make an impact in any organization. Instead of moaning and whining about what is wrong with your company, roll up your sleezes and fix the problems. No one likes the person that digs, gripes, and bitches, yet does not offer solutions.

At the end of the day, whether you are the Yankees, a Marketing VP, or an entry-level worker, you are measured by what you deliver to the organization. If you don’t know what you are measured on, push your ‘boss’ for the details. Take the initiative and come with goals, priorities, and objectives that will help the company/organization achieve their targets.

You may have been given a job description on your first day on the job. Feel free to color outside the lines. Your boss wants you to push the envelope and add value to the organization whereever you see fit. The standouts at your company are the ones that don’t say ‘that’s not my job’. Instead, they chime in with: ‘I can do that.’ Don’t be satisfied with exactly what’s within your job description. Push to impress by offering suggestions on how to drastically improve cost, quality, and service at your organization. This will get you noticed.

Stay tuned to Naden’s Corner to ‘Winning’ steps 4 and 5.

Until next time,

Dan Naden