You Can't Win a Fight with Your Boss: & 55 Other Rules for Success

"Capitalism is the one system that leaves everyone free to rise by his own efforts." --- The Center for the Advancement of Capitalism No doubt Markert has impressive credentials that tell me the author has actual experience and not just great google skills. He joined ACNielsen in 1987, holding various positions before becoming the Chief Marketing and Client Service Officer. Like Markert, I too believe in Capitalism and the principles of hard work and striving for personal excellence. However, for me it is only worth the sacrifices because I love what I do. Working for money and only money is self-destructive in the long run. It is not stated, but implied and that is my only problem with the book. Other than that Tom Markert has written a book to guide the career challenged and those of us who are always looking for good advice. I used what Markert wrote right away. That I like. True, some of the tips I have heard before, but many I had not. The book has humor, charm, and I highly recommend it for both the young college graduate and as a refresher for the rest of us. Oink.

I remember seeing YOU CAN'T FIGHT WITH YOUR BOSS by Tom Markert and saying to myself, "I know that!" Then I remembered when I just began my working life and the fact that nobody taught me that rule then--much to my eventual dismay . . . I had to learn the hard way, and I did. The same could be said about much of the other practical advice that Markert, a senior executive with ACNielsen, gives in this short but insightful guide to both getting and staying ahead at work--and in life, too . . . some of it may appear basic ("Put in the Hours," "Write Well," etc.), yet it all makes sense . . . and are things that even the most experienced of us need to be reminded about from time to time. What made YOU CAN'T so valuable to me was the fact that the author backs up his rules with many actual examples of situations that he has personally been involved in . . . when reading the book, I often felt myself nodding in agreement--and thinking to myself who would be next best for me to get my copy. There were useful tidbit that I gleaned in my reading; among them: * If I have an important issue for my boss, would he or she prefer a short e-mail, a phone call, a voice mail--or some combination? If you don't know, find out. The first rule of communicating effectively with your boss: Give it to them the way they want it. * If you are traveling, get up on time. "I overslept" doesn't cut it. I always pack a travel alarm, plus I use the alarm in the room, and I order a wake-up call. Paranoia? Nope, I just want to get to where I'm going on time. * A colleague of mine has a plague above his desk that reads: DWYPYWD It stands for Do What You Promised You Would Do. These are certainly wise words to live by. If you always do what you promised you would do, not only is your boss likely to admire you for life, but your career will move forward in leaps and bounds.

As I look back on my career in business, I do remember some fights with my bosses. They were wrong, but I was the one that got fired. I've always done pretty good on the first eight rules, but No. 9 is the reason that I've spent most of my career working for myself. That way I can't fight with the boss, or if I do, I can win because I'm the boss as well as the employee. Rule 16, Read Books, is one with which I completely agree. The best business leaders in the world write books on their lives, philosophies, even business rules. I find that I can't read one of these books without picking up an idea or two that makes the small price of the book. As stated in the title, this book is a little set of 56 rules for a successful business career. Each rule is only two to four pages long. It won't take long to read, but you'll pick up an idea or two