Once upon a time, a dysfunctional company in NY hired a new VP of Marketing. I’m going to call him Mancy, because that is only one letter from his real name. This is the true story of how Mancy introduced himself to the company. Mancy walks into a conference room packed with developers, product managers and…
Category: Career
Rule 38: Work politics is chess, not checkers
The higher you climb in an organization, the more you need to think through each person’s motivations. Most people are very self-serving, as they should be. We aren’t working in a utopia – we are being paid. Everyone you interact with is building a career, influence, and ultimately power and job security. If you play…
Rule 41: A Pro dresses up on casual Friday
To an executive, this is how you look Monday through Thursday, milling about with your peers: To an executive, this is how you look on Friday, dressed awesome when the schlubs around you are looking “casual”: You’re welcome. ——-Author Update in 2024: This was originally written in 2012. The pandemic changed a lot of things….
Rule 37: A Pro stays sober-ish at the holiday party
Treat the holiday party as an enforced meeting where your goal is to be as charming as possible while remaining utterly forgettable. You are not charming when you are drunk, you just think you are. You are not forgettable when you are drunk, you just forget the things you did. No one, and I mean no…
Rule 36: An MBA is not a real degree
At some point in your career, you might consider getting an advanced degree. One of the most popular degrees among those who aren’t quite sure what they want to do with their lives is the MBA. This article is for you. First off, we need to distinguish between the two types of MBAs – the…