(from Manila Bulletin, an article by Former President Fidel V. Ramos)
1. Always say less than necessary. When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less control.
2. So much depends on reputation -guard it with your life. Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone, you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable and will be attacked on all sides.
3. Win through your actions, never through arguments. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through actions,without saying a word. Demonstarte, do not explicate.
4. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself-isolation is dangerous. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from - it cuts you off from valuable information.
5. Keep your hands clean. You must seem a paragon of efficiency and civility. Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds.
6. Plan all the way to end. The ending is everything. Plan all the way toit, Taking all to account is possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others.
7. Master the art of timing. Never seem to be in a hurry - hurrying betrays a lot of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to youn eventually.
8. And despise the free lunch. What is offered for free is dangerous - it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for.
MANAGING YOURSELF
1. Know what you are supposed to be doing. what is your priority? whats the end point? whats the goal? You've got to know what you are supposed to be doing.
2. Be proactive, not reactive. the greatest advancements were created by innovators - people who imagined things that did not exist and asked why. If u are'nt proactive, you'll stagnate.
3. Be consistent. If you turn in good work and then one day handin a pile of rubbish, people are going to think you've blown it. People need to know what to expect from you.
4. Learn from your mistakes. We all make mistakes. We couldn't be wonderfully creative if we didn't. Once you made you're mistake,the important thing to do is to find out the right way to do it next time.
5. Cultivate those in the know. You need to know who are the movers and the shakers are - and cultivate them. That means charm and politeness, tact and discretion, and gamesmanship.
6. Face the future. Whatever you are doing now, things are going to change. Things will change; thay have to. People you now work with will leave you're team.
7. Know when to let go. Sometimes,its really hard to let go, to when to stop, when to back off, to walk away whistling - pride intact and dignity in place.
8. Have principles and stick to them. When you think about it, you've got to have principles.If u don't, you end up despising youreself, or in dept, or in prison.
9. Keep learning, especially from opposition. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
10. Dont bad mouth your team. Your team makes mistakes, thats a given. Things will go wrong, that too is given. You'd be a fool not to expect this.
11. Aim for respect than being liked. You have to creat mistique, authority, friendliness, without the desperate need to be liked. They've got to be able to look up to you, respect you, have you as role model.
12. And go to the extra mile. This is the easiest rule of all. Going the extra mile should be the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning and last thing at night.
THE RULES OF WORK
walk your talk ~never stand still, be 100 percent committed, enjoy what you are doing, and , develop the right attitude.
know that your being judge at all times ~cultivate a smile, exude confidence and energy, be cool, speak well; and write well.
have a plan ~know what you want long term, know what you want short term, develop a game plan, set objectives, know you're role; and, look for opportunities.
if u cant say anything nice just shut up ~ dont gossip; stand up for others, be a good listener; and only speak sense.
act one step ahead ~think one step ahead,talk of 'we' rather than 'I;' and, prepare for the step after next.
cultivate diplomacy ~be concilatort; never lose your temper; never get personal;mknow how to handle other people's anger; stand your ground; and, put things in perspective.
handle the opposition ~identify the opposition; don't back stub; don't give to much way; keep your ear to the ground; and cultivatethe friendship and approval of your colleagues.
