Click here for a pdf version of the Lessons Learned list….

1. Be maniacal about doing the right thing.
2. Say thank you. If your people work late or go the extra distance, acknowledge it.
3. How to always have successful projects. “If the project fails, it’s your responsibility. If it’s successful it was your team” is the mindset.
4. Administrators react, managers anticipate. Be a manager.
5. Add value to every communication: if no one’s commenting, no one is reading it.
6. No substitute for “in person talking”. By the second email, pick up the phone. If it’s urgent, go talk to a manager.
7. Never underestimate the power of pre-selling to those you will impact before you make a change.
8. If you’re in the meeting, say something. Contribute. Staying on the sidelines is worse than getting sacked in the game.
9. Prioritizing gives time back to you. You will always have too much to do.
10. Friends and family spell love “T-I-M-E”. Show up.
11. Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for the best you can do.
12. Most things we worry about never materialize.
13. Be a true team player. Help someone who is down. Don’t badmouth. Coach.
14. Be brave: stand up for your position. Speak up.
15. When things go wrong, tell people immediately and take accountability. Bad news never ages well.
16. Hire slow, fire fast.
17. Don’t play the angles/weaknesses/backdoors to a process. Point them out.
18. A mentoring test: Are you having a cup of coffee with two senior people who care about you and know you every couple of months? Invest in the relationship now…not when you need help.
19. Assume positive intent.
20. If someone is faltering, is it a skill or will issue? If it’s skill, you can change it. Will you can’t.
21. A presentation needs to tell a story: it’s almost always “Where we are, where we want to be, and how we’re going to get there.”
22. Be fast AND accurate. One without the other isn’t enough.
23. Always take the tough assignment. Raise the bar for yourself.
24. Myth: “My work will stand for itself”. It’s not enough to get you promoted. It’s usually the 3 Ps: Platform, Performance, and Perception.
25. Say hello
26. Be consistent. Random wins do not make you a first string player.
27. Learn how to say no. Usually “If we do this, we can’t do this” is a good start.
28. Inspect vs Expect…or “in God we trust, all else we review”.
29. Put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you try and help others.
30. Provide feedback as soon as things happen, both good and bad.
31. You don’t need to have a plan, but you need to know your anchor value.
32. Don’t opt out prematurely.
33. You must always have a Plan B.
34. Don’t take things personally.
35. Don’t jump to conclusions….or at least, not to wrong conclusions.