The Rules of Work, Expanded Edition: A Definitive Code for Personal Success

by Richard Templar

Overview

Let's face it: for most people, work doesn't work.

For a fortunate few, though, work comes naturally: success, promotion, and above all, self-fulfillment.

Were they born that way? No. They've learned the rules. Rules you can learn, too.

Here they are: 108 simple rules to work by . . . Rules for getting way more out of your skills and talents . . . doing the job better, and having more fun along the way . . . developing more style, more confidence, and a plan . . . knowing who really counts (and what they really want) . . . when to stand up (and when to shut up) . . . how to get noticed, get respect, get promoted, and get paid

These are the most important work rules you'll ever follow. Follow them straight to the top to make more money, gain more recognition, and enjoy greater effectiveness and more satisfaction at work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780137072064
Publisher:	FT Press
Publication date:	07/06/2010
Series:	Richard Templar's Rules Series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Richard Templar is an astute observer of human behavior and understands what makes the difference between those of us who effortlessly glide towards success and those of us who struggle against the tide. He has distilled these observations into his Rules titles. More than 1 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules.

Table of Contents

Foreword viii

Introduction x

Part I Walk Your Talk 1

1 Get Your Work Noticed 4

2 Never Stand Still 6

3 Volunteer Carefully 8

4 Carve Out a Niche for Yourself 10

5 Under Promise and Over Deliver 12

6 Learn to Ask Why 14

7 Be 100 Percent Committed 16

8 Learn from others' Mistakes 18

9 Enjoy What You Are Doing 20

10 Develop the Right Attitude 22

11 Be Passionate But Don't Kill Yourself 24

12 Manage Your Energy 26

13 Never Let Anyone Know How Hard You Work 28

14 Keep Your Home Life at Home 30

Part II Know That You're Being Judged at All Times 33

15 Cultivate a Smile 36

16 No Limp Fish-Develop the Perfect Handshake 38

17 Exude Confidence and Energy 40

18 Develop a Style That Gets You Noticed 42

19 Pay Attention to Personal Grooming 44

20 Be Attractive 46

21 Be Cool 48

22 Speak Well 50

23 Write Well 52

Part III Have a Plan 55

24 Know What You Want Long Term 58

25 Know What You Want Short term 60

26 Study the Promotion System 62

27 Develop a Game Plan 64

28 Set Objectives 66

29 Know Your Role 68

30 Know Yourself-Strengths and Weaknesses 70

31 Identify Key Times and Events 72

32 Anticipate Threats 74

33 Look for Opportunities 76

34 Make Learning a Lifelong Mission 78

Part IV If you can't say Anything Nice-Shut Up 81

35 Don't Gossip 84

36 Don't Bitch 86

37 Stand Up for Others 88

38 Compliment People Sincerely 90

39 Be Cheerful and Positive 92

40 Ask Questions 94

41 Use "Please" and "Thank you" 96

42 Don't Swear 98

43 Be a Good Listener 100

44 Only Speak Sense 102

Part V Look After Yourself 105

45 Know the Ethics of Your Industry 108

46 Know the Legalities of Your Industry 110

47 Set Personal Standards 112

48 Never Lie 114

49 Never Cover Up for Anyone Else 116

50 Keep Records 118

51 Know the Difference Between the Truth and The Whole Truth 120

52 Cultivate Your Support/Contacts/Friends 122

53 Date with Caution 124

54 Understand others' Motives 126

55 Assume Everyone Else Is Playing by Different Rules 128

56 Keep the Faith 130

57 Put Things in Perspective 132

Part VI Blend In 135

58 Know the Corporate Culture 138

59 Speak the Language 140

60 Dress Up or Dress Down Accordingly 142

61 Be Adaptable in Your Dealings with Different People 144

62 Make Your Boss Look Good 146

63 Know Where to Hang Out, and When 148

64 Understand Social Protocols 150

65 Know the Rules about Authority 152

66 Know the Rules about the Office Hierarchy 154

67 Never Disapprove of Others 156

68 Understand the Herd Mentality 158

Part VII Act One Step Ahead 161

69 Dress One Step Ahead 164

70 Talk One Step Ahead 166

71 Act One Step Ahead 168

72 Think One Step Ahead 170

73 Address Corporate Issues and Problems 172

74 Make Your Company Better for Having You There 174

75 Talk of "We" Rather Than "I" 176

76 Walk the Walk 178

77 Spend More Time with Senior Staff 180

78 Get People to Assume You Have Already Made the Step 182

79 Prepare for the Step After Next 184

Part VIII Cultivate Diplomacy 187

80 Ask Questions in Times of Conflict 190

81 Don't Take Sides 192

82 Know When to Keep Your Opinions to Yourself 194

83 Be Conciliatory 196

84 Never Lose Your Temper 198

85 Never Get Personal 200

86 Know How to Handle Other People's Anger 202

87 Stand Your Ground 204

88 Be Objective About the Situation 206

Part IX Know the System-and Milk It 209

89 Know All the Unspoken Rules of Office Life 212

90 Know What to Call Everyone 214

91 Know When to Stay Late and when to Go Early 216

92 Know the Theft or Perks Rule 218

93 Identify the People Who Count 220

94 Be on the Right Side of the People Who Count 222

95 Be Well up on New Management Techniques 224

96 Know the Undercurrents and Hidden Agendas 226

97 Know the Favorites and Cultivate Them 228

98 Know the Mission Statement-and Understand it 230

Part X Handle the Opposition 233

99 Identify the Opposition 236

100 Study them Closely 238

101 Don't Back-Stab 240

102 Know the Psychology of Promotion 242

103 Don't Give Too Much Away 244

104 Keep Your Ear to the Ground 246

105 Make the Opposition Seem Irreplaceable 248

106 Don't Damn the Opposition with Faint Praise 250

107 Capitalize on the Career-Enhancing Moments 252

108 Cultivate the Friendship and Approval of Your Colleagues 254

Postscript Know When to Break the Rules 256

Preface

Introduction

I first started formulating The Rules of Work many, many years ago when I was an assistant manager. There was a promotion going for the next step up—manager. There were two possible candidates, myself and Rob. On paper I had more experience, more expertise, most of the staff wanted me as their manager, and I generally knew the new job better. Rob, to be honest, was useless.

I was chatting with an outside consultant the company used and asked him what he thought my chances were. “Slim,” he replied. I was indignant. I explained all about my experience, my expertise, my superior abilities. “Yep,” he replied, “but you don’t walk like a manager.” “And Rob does?” “Yep, that’s about the strength of it.” Needless to say he was quite right, and Rob got the job. I had to work under a moron. But a moron who walked right. I studied that walk very carefully.

The consultant was spot on—there was a manager’s walk. I began to notice that every employee, every job, everyone in fact, had their walk. Receptionists walked in a particular way, as did the cashiers, the catering staff, the office workers, the admin, the security staff—and the managers, of course. Secretly, I began to practice the walk.

Looking the Part

As I spent a lot of time watching the walk, I realized that there was also a manager’s style of attire, of speaking, of behavior. It wasn’t enough that I was good at my job and had the experience. I had to look as if I was better than anyone else. It wasn’t just a walk—it was an entire makeover. And gradually, as I watched, I noticed that what newspaper was read was important, as was what pen was used, how you wrote, how you talked to colleagues, what you said at meetings—everything, in fact, was being judged, evaluated, acted upon. It wasn’t enough to be able to do the job. If you wanted to get on, you had to be seen to be the Right Type. The Rules of Work is about creating that type—of course, you’ve got to be able to do the job in the first place. But a lot of people can do that. What makes you stand out? What makes you a suitable candidate for promotion? What makes the difference?

Act One Step Ahead

I noticed that among the managers there were some who had mastered the walk, but there were others who were practicing, unconsciously, for the next walk—the general manager’s walk.

I happened at that time to be travelling around a lot between different branches and noticed that among the general managers there were some who were going to stay right where they were for a long time. But there were others already practicing for their next step ahead—the regional director’s walk. And style and image.

I switched from practicing the manager’s walk and leapt ahead to the general manager’s walk. Three months later I was promoted from assistant manager to general manager in one swift move. I was now the moron’s manager.

Walk Your Talk

Rob had the walk (Rule 18: Develop a Style That Gets You Noticed), but unfortunately he didn’t adhere sufficiently to the number one rule—he didn’t know the job well enough. He looked right, sounded right, but the bottom line was—he couldn’t do the job as well as he should have done. I was brought in over his head because they couldn’t sack him— having just promoted him it would have looked bad—and they needed someone to oversee his work so that his errors could be rectified quickly. Rob had reached the level of his own incompetence and stayed there for several years neither improving nor particularly getting worse—just looking good and walking right. He eventually shuffled himself off sideways into running his own business—a restaurant. This failed shortly afterward because he forgot Rule 2: Never Stand Still— or maybe he never actually knew it. He carried on walking like a manager instead of a restaurateur. His customers never really took to him.

By practicing the general manager’s walk, I got the promotion, but I also got it because I paid great attention to doing my job well—Rule 1. Once in this new job I was, of course, completely out of my depth. I had to quickly learn not only my new role and all its responsibilities, but also the position below, which I had not really held. I had stood in for managers but I had never been a manager—now I was the manager’s manager. I was in great danger of falling flat on my face.

Never Let Anyone Know How Hard You Work

But I was, by now, a dedicated Rules Player. There was only one recourse—secret learning. I spent every spare second available—evenings, weekends, lunch breaks—studying everything I could that would help me. But I told no one— Rule 13.

Within a short time I had mastered enough to be able to do the job well enough. And the embryonic Rules of Work were born.

Have a plan

Being a general manager was both fun and pain. It was 50 percent more work but only 20 percent more pay. My next step, logically, was regional director. But it didn’t appeal. More work—much more work but for not that much more money. I began to develop a plan (Rules 24–34). Where did I want to go next? What did I want to do? I was getting bored being stuck in the office all the time and all those endless dreary meetings. And all that time spent at head office. Not for me. I wanted to have fun again. I wanted to practice the Rules. I formulated my plan.

What the company didn’t have was a roving troubleshooter—a sort of general manager’s general manager. I put Rule 4: Carve Out a Niche for Yourself into play. I suggested to the chairman that a report was needed. I never suggested that this was the job I wanted, but the agenda was obvious, I suppose. I got it, of course, and became a peripatetic general manager, answerable directly only to the chairman and with a job description I wrote myself. And pay? A lot more than the regional directors were on, but they didn’t know and I didn’t let on (Part V: Look After Yourself). I cultivated their support and friendship; I was never a threat because it was obvious I wasn’t after their job. They may have wanted the money I was making if they had known, but they didn’t want the little niche I had carved out for myself.

And I did this without being ruthless, dishonest, or unpleasant. In fact, I was always diplomatic when dealing with the general managers. I treated them with courtesy and politeness, even when I had to confront them on some aspect of their job. I added If you can’t say anything nice—shut up and learned the rules in Part VIII: Cultivate Diplomacy.

Knowing the People Who Count

And I quickly learned that if I wanted to know what was going on in a branch, it was best to speak to the people who really knew—the maintenence staff, the receptionists, the cashiers, the elevator attendant, and the drivers. It was important both to identify these people and to be on the right side of them— Rule 94. They supplied me with more information than anyone would have believed—and all for the price of a simple “Hello Bob, how’s your daughter doing at college these days?”

The Rules of Work took shape. Over the next few years I watched them grow up and gain maturity and experience. I left the corporation and founded my own consultancy. I trained managers in The Rules of Work and watched them go out into the world and conquer their destiny with charm and courtesy, confidence and authority.

But I see you have questions. How do these Rules work—are they manipulative? No, you don’t make anyone else do anything; it is you that is changing and improving.

• Do I have to become someone else? No, you may need to change your behavior a bit, but not your personality or values.You’ll go on being you, but a slicker, quicker you, a more successful you.
• Are they hard to learn? No, you can learn them in a week or two—but it does take a long time to really master them. But we are learning all the time and even practicing one Rule is better than none at all.
• Is it easy to spot others doing them? Yes, sometimes, but the really good Rules Players will never let you see what they are doing; they’re too good for that. But once you become a Rules Player too, it does become easier to see what Rule people are using at any particular time.
• Will I notice benefits right away? Oh yes, you betcha—immediately.
• Do I still do them? I wouldn’t even admit to doing them in the first place—I’m a Rules Player after all.
• Is it ethical to use the Rules? Yes. You aren’t doing anything wrong, merely utilizing your own natural skills and talents and adapting them, using them consciously. This is a key area for understanding the Rules—consciously. Everything you do will have been decided beforehand— you’ll still appear spontaneous, of course, you decided that as well—but you will be a conscious controller of any situation rather than an unconscious victim. You will be awake and aware, living in the moment and taking advantage of your own abilities. The bottom line is that you must be able to do your job—and do it well in the first place. The Rules are not for slackers. You think you work hard now? It’s nothing to doing the Rules successfully—now that really does take work.

And let’s face it, you love to work. You love doing your job. You have to, to be wanting to read the Rules and to want to be moving up. What I am suggesting is that you consciously think about every area of that work and make changes to improve

• The way you do it
• How people perceive you to be doing it

If you don’t practice the Rules, you will muddle along, get by, maybe find what it is you are looking for. You may already know a lot of these Rules—and be practicing them— instinctively and intuitively. Now we will do them consciously. If you do you will

• Get promoted
• Get along better with your colleagues
• Feel better about yourself
• Enjoy your work more
• Understand your job better
• Understand your boss’s point of view better
• Take more pride in both yourself and your work
• Set a good example for junior staff
• Contribute more to your company
• Be valued and respected
• Spread an aura of goodwill and cooperation around you
• Be successful if you leave to start your own business.

These Rules are simple and effective, safe and practical. They are your 10 steps to building confidence and creating a new and more powerful you. And building that new you morally and ethically. You aren’t going to do anything that you would-n’t expect—and appreciate—others doing to you. These Rules enhance personal standards and elevate your individual principles. They are my gift to you. They’re yours. Keep them safe, keep them secret.

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