10 Career Killers to Avoid - part 1

Thomas Hoffman has an interesting article in Computerworld on 10 Career Killers to Avoid There are some interesting thoughts here that are worth exploring.

1. Failing to have a life plan. "This is the No. 1 biggest mistake that I run into with my clients.... Three life aspects to focus on include one's career, personal and family, and financial goals.... this plan should be written down. Only 14% of people do that."

2. Not keeping your skills current. "The business landscape is ever-changing..." [In other words, learning should be a life long activity]

3. Failing to deliver results "... Those who harbor a sense of entitlement for simply having put forth effort are guaranteed to fall by the wayside...becoming preoccupied with creating greater efficiency may be a short-term solution to helping the bottom line, but it doesn't help the organization to grow...Great leadership is all about asking questions." [ I would add that delivering important and valuable results is the key, both in your career and in life]

4. Confusing efficiency with effectiveness. "Those who think that communicating via e-mail replaces the need to actually talk with people around them fail to recognize the importance of personally connecting with others in today's highly automated and technological environment. Communicating in person whenever possible is imperative for success-seekers." [Sending off a quick email with a question is a bad habit that I have fallen into at times. Experience has shown that a personal conversation it often a much more effective way to communicate.]

5. Believing that you are irreplaceable. "There is no room for divas in the workplace [or life]. Comparing notes with others in the organization helps keep people grounded. It helps anyone in the organization to have different trusted advisers' perspective on what's going on and how their performance is being viewed." [In other words, remember the value of being humble and trying to learn from others]

More later....