The Hindu Business Line : A stint with a bad boss can make you a better boss

You are on a new job, and you want to hit the ground running, diving in `with all your energy, ready to make an amazing first impression'. Wait. You may not know what you're running into, alerts Karen Otazo in The Truth About Managing Your Career, from Pearson Education (www.ft-ph.com). "Unless you're a time-limited consultant or interim manager, no matter how much you're expected to fix things, always put aside time to get feedback and guidance from others and think about the long term as you start a job," advises the author. The book has 60 truths or `proven principles and easy career management techniques you can start using right now'. Such as, spending the early days to listen and observe rather than revealing a lot about yourself, because "after all, you don't know who's who or what's what."

A few more guidelines for the newcomers are: take ownership of your job without stepping on toes, build your circle of information, and recognise whom to trust. Part II is about working with bosses, where you read an unusual insight — that you can count yourself lucky if you have a bad boss? Because the stint can help you become a better boss yourself.

When working with others, remember Otazo's counsel that you create goodwill by showing real interest in others' contributions, that good listening means tuning in, that compassionate criticism works, and that confidentiality counts. "Begin and end meetings on time," stipulates truth 15. "No matter how great the conversation, ending a meeting on time is just plain efficient; it focuses minds and allows people to keep other commitments. If there is truly more to review, the discussion can continue offline, on e-mail, or at the next meeting."

In a section on networking, the author reminds that you have connections to more people than you think. "There are only `six degrees of separation' between each of us and almost anyone in the world," so the first thing to do is `to start putting out feelers'. Since `good networking is about enjoying the conversation', focus on other people's needs. "It's easy to spot networkers who are motivated by pure self-interest. They often strike you as phoney, even manipulative. They're the folks who look past you into the room as they shake your hand."

Getting things done is facilitated if you lay down the bottom line first. "Clearly communicating the endgame sets a deliberate and logical approach, focusing colleagues' minds as well as your own." When stonewalled, it may seem the easiest to give up, but don't. "Staying in the game no matter what the obstacles or detours is a career builder. Finding ways around obstacles is even better and helps you hone your strategic abilities."

Truth 26 reads, "Good prioritising means factoring urgency against importance." Otazo offers a grid to help categorise tasks on urgency and importance axes. "Urgent tasks have immediate deadlines. Important tasks may not have a pressing deadline but will help you achieve long-term goals." Identify the 20 per cent of your tasks that lead to the greatest payoff. "Focus on these and do them as soon as you can," exhorts the author. "These tasks will get you noticed in the organisation and thus have the greatest impact on your career."

A book that can help make your career effective.

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