How to become a high flyer in any organisation? 11

[prc]

One will find employees with same qualification starting at same age reaching different levels in an organisation with in a few years.What are the qualities that distinguish a high flier from others? If we can list up these, the same may help youngsters starting a career.Remember Peter Druckers' "The Effective Executive"

 

[PhilBW]

There are as many ways to become a high flyer as there are bosses. To be a high flyer, you need to do what ever it is that impresses your boss. For some it might be hard work, for some it might be brown nosing, for some it might be innovation, and for others it is something else. Look at the current high flyers and see if you can figure out how they got there. Some bosses are so full of themselves that they will never view anyone as being capable of anything.

It may be that you can't get ahead at the job you are in. I would never be able to be a high flyer for a boss that valued brown nosing. That's just not in my personality.

 

[ScottyUK]

"...I guess organisation is one way to spell it in UK..."

That is the only correct way to spell it in the UK. We just allowances we make for other nations who choose to spell it differently. That said, if I was writing the word in my CV / resume I would spell it the way that the target reader would expect it to see it: there's no point in attracting negative attention.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[corus]

Spelin is for idjuts. If you want to leverage your way to the top in an organisation then don't use words like organisation but use acroymns suxh as BU for Business Unit. Face it an MD (see, easy ain't it) can hardly leverage a pencil never mind argue about how to spell. Oh, and always use the word 'leverage' in every sentence you can.



corus

 

[Twoballcane]

Read lots of Dilbert cartoons!!

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[oldfieldguy]

"An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance"

old field guy

 

[ctopher]

Depending on which measurement system you are using...

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)

 

[monkeydog]

As you can tell by the response you are getting.
Get out of Eng-Tips, and the technical side of your job, and start working the business side.

 

[ischgl99]

In my company is it whether you are green or red. We, on the red side, were bought out by the green guys and no matter how qualified we are, the promotions go to the green guys. Just recently a guy with 20 years experience was passed over for a good promotion in favor of someone with 4 years experience, but he was the right color.

 

[evelrod]

Marry the CEO's daughter?

Alternate: Catch the boss in bed with a chicken?

Rod

 

[prc]

Thank you all for throwing in the gems.I am working in industry for more than four decades in medium and MNC companies. I was always fascinated by what makes one a high flier and let me summarise my observations.No doubt luck (god?) plays a role -to be there at right place, at right time.But I feel that is only a small part.The guy with high flier instincts will somehow push up somewhere else.

These days marrying CEO' daughter also may not help you as a fall in share value may result in loss of shirt for CEO and high flier may end up as a scum.Toadies (let us avoid the word ...kissers)may have short runs, but will not result in permanent success.

The character I have seen in high flyer is the desire /will.He is determined,committed for his target.He has the passion for what ever he does.He enjoys the work that may be a burden for others.

He is ready for that extra mile.As others said it is all perception-but what makes this perception? Let us take a 5 feet six inch man versus 6 feet man.The difference in height is only 10 %.But change in perception is much more than 10 %. In day to day work also this is quite right.The high flier may be putting in only slightly more.But the perception among others immediately changes.

He is not the most knowledgable or studious.But he knows what he does not know and knows who knows it and have the skill/humility to get it done through others.Here comes the net working and inter personal skills. No doubt it has to be some where in your genes, but to some extent you can augment it by reading and deliberately practicing it.

As said by another contributor- he keeps both boss and client happy.How? Understand their needs and integrate it with your targets.Communication skills-language skill is a must.One best way I have noticed is to get addicted to a good newspaper or weekly .Keep a high grade dictionary side by and a journal to write in good expressions,words,pharases from your read -with meaning added-so that after some time these will become your own.

 

[evelrod]

Humor aside, prc, in 42 years of working for someone else, I have never found myself anywhere but on top. I've been fired a few times, but always found a better job (I tend to be rather outspoken to which some forum members can attest). I don't have anything special as to ability or education, indeed, my math skills are sub par. In work, I tended to be very self confident... No matter how odd or difficult, I never turned away from a job. Tell me it cannot be done and, I'm your man. I've been very successful in anything I wanted to try. I really don't know why.
I'm into vintage auto racing these days and I'm certainly not as smart as my competitors, nor as rich, nor as young...I still run at the front of the pack, even at 68 year old.

Now, if I don't get a cramp from patting myself on the back...Bottom line---There are some people that just succeed. Paris Hilton is famous for being famous type success in some cases. If we could only "bottle it"....

Rod ;-)

 

[ctopher]

It can be bottled, just depends who's buying.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)

 

[Jordonlaw]

Why would you want to be a high flyer ? In my experience this often means more work hours that are good for you and many high flyers burn out quickly.

Life is a balance between work and play (which can include family etc) and most high flyers I've known end up compromising their play way too much; often they end up divorced early as well.

I work to pay for the things I do outside work. Whilst being a high flyer can mean more money, it will mean less time to spend that money and the one thing money can't pay for is more time.

So, work out what your work-play balance should be and then work to that. In the long run you'll be happier than any high flyer.

 

[RRR04]

Good post Jordonlaw!

Sometimes I wonder why more ppl don't see things that way.

The high flyers at my firm have no life other than work life.
But my greatest pet peeve is when high flyers think all who aren't in their league are worthless and should come on board!

One last note for PRC, some managers are offended by those who push too much, work too much and who just make it ever so obvious that they're out to rub noses with the big boys. If you're new in this field, work hard but make it known that you have a life outside work. Well rounded individuals are always more valuable to a progressive company.

 

[prc]

Jordonlaw &RRR04,
When I say high flier, I dont mean guys who spend 14 hours in front of their desks pretending to be busy, or doing things which they should never do,carrying files to home etc. Infact the real smart high fliers that I have seen never do any such things.They only do slightly more than the average,never read Harvard Business Review or Economist, but sonme how always push them self in to top.They have some common qualities as our evelrod seems to have.

Working long hours is a cultural malady.In such socities not high fliers, all are expected to put in long hours.When your boss and subordinates are sitting after working hours, how can you run away.I do agree that this is not worth while and a balanced approach should be the target.But to be a high flier -above average -should be the motto of every professional.

 

[ctopher]

Culture: The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.

Society: An enduring and cooperating social group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another.

Just a FYI, some don't understand the differences/similarities.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)

 

[evelrod]

prc, I do come of sounding sorta high minded...I certainly don't mean it that way. I meant it when I said I am nothing special...It's just (knock wood) so far in life, when presented lemons, I have made lemonade...I don't like the term lucky...it makes me feel stupid, as if I had nothing to do with whatever endeavor I was attempting. The farther up the chain of command, the longer the hours and the greater the responsibility. The job, although I dearly loved what I was doing most of the time, was just a job. I never considered it a 'career'. I worked to support my family and my hobbies. By 58 years old and 36 years of mostly steady work, I had had enough and retired. Don't miss it a bit. Even in these forums my posts tend to be rather more anecdotal than technical. I am in awe of some of the engineers here and am reluctant to show my ignorance by "...opening my mouth and removing all doubt".

Additionally, from personal experience, I have two sons. One is extremely talented airbrush artist with several customs making the cover of several car mags. Now working as a tatoo artist and forever neck deep in s**t. He is hard working but cannot seem to make any correct decisions.
My other son is a 200 IQ Mensa and never actually 'worked' at anything other than getting someone else to do his jobs. Throw him in a pile of crap and he'd land on a diamond. Anything he does comes out on top, no matter how stupid it seems to me. He turned down Harvard, much to my disappointment and joined the Army. Although that did not come out all that well, even in disability he got 100% and ask any ex soldier how rare that is.

Rod

 

[prc]

evelrod,I do agree with you, but we cannot rule out luck 100 %.There are uncertanities everywhere.But sure luck alone will not take any one anywhere.But I disagree with you on attitude to job.Whether high flier or not, one should enjoy work,It should not be a job ,but passion.We have never seen a foot ball player or base ball player complaining of hard work,long hours or monotony.Job should be like that.Every Monday morning you should be sizzling to run to your job site or office.If you are not feeling like that, seek for something like.

I too have two sons and similar disappointments.But we cannot expect our children to thread the same line like us.Type of job is immaterial, I think, it the capacity,zeal to excell,that is important.I had a Japanese friend for long years.( poor soul,no more)He had only high school education,but by sheer hard work and diligence he rose to become star electrical designer in a reputed transformer company for many years.His only son was not prepared to go to university, but decided to work as a hair dresser in a small town.My friend was upset initially,but later confided to me that he had no regrets as his son was excelling in his job,rather he was becoming a high flier in his trade!

I could not understand what message ctopher is giving me.Does he mean I am usig words without understanding meaning? May be.But I would have obliged if he pointed out appropriate word to me.English is not my mother tongue,but the third language for me and I dont claim any authority on it.( probably on anything!) But I know that in language, words have different meanings at different areas and in societies.I am a follower of Queen's English and my favourite Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2000) give the following meaning:

Society = people in general,living together in communities( eg today's society)Community of people who share same customs and laws.(modern industrial society)

Cultural = connected with the culture of a particular society or group, its customs or beliefs

Culture= way of life, the customs and beliefs ( working class culture)A country ,group etc with its own belief

Malady= serious problem

I dont think I was far out in conveying my thoughts.

But in the part of India where I live now, a society means a cluster of houses and forms part of our address.Does it mean that is the only meaning of that word?

Words apart, what I want to stress was the compulsions of society in moulding certain behavioural patterns.In my younger days I was working with a Japanese company, I lived there and watched in close quarters their cultural norms.During parties, it was a pattern for even middle level executives to boast that they are seeing their child only on Sundays, because they will start for work too early and reach home very late.I was wondering what they were losing in life.But I found the same people sticking to 8 hour schedule once they were working in a different country.

 

[Jordonlaw]

PRC

In my experience high flyers never "only do slightly more than the average". They usually put themselves up or are picked to do the want of their bosses; some of these can be fun, some are not but all take lots of time and you are constantly are the whim of the boss.

But it is getting all pervasive. I don't want to be contacted at home/on holiday by mobile or Blackberry unless (and its a big 'unless') there is no alternative. I work from home and put in the hours to finish the job and make the decision to work holidays (including Christmas once) if necessary. But I want to be in control.

In the past I've seen more than one person break under the pressure of "how many hours do you do ?" sort of philosophy and its not for me. Whilst this can happen to non high flyers, the high flyer does put themselves at more risk - in my opinion.

My philosophy changed a few years ago. I now treat all people from the junior to the CEO the same. They are all human(hmmm, well maybe not ...) and can be treated as such rather than some higher level being. And I can always walk away knowing that I'm in control of my life balance.

This has been a very interesting thread, thanks for starting it.

 

[moltenmetal]

Hmmm- greatly depends on what you consider to be a "high flyer", doesn't it?

If you mean "rising to increasing positions of leadership", then perhaps demonstrating leadership would help you to get there. YOu therefore need to seek out opportunities to demonstrate that leadership, and sieze them.

If you mean "increasing in earning potential", then probably the most important single thing to know is, to the dollar, how much money you're making (or saving) your employer. Knowing what your colleagues or competitors will pay you is also helpful. You may also learn that it never hurts to ask. Keeping yourself in a financial position such that you're never a wage-slave and are free to find another job when that becomes necessary is important too.

If you mean "increasing in responsibility", then demonstrating a willingness and ability to accept responsibility and deal with it competently, would help. That does NOT mean being willing to work 12 hour days every week year after year- that will buy you nothing but bitterness and an early grave. Or perhaps you're one of those rare people for whom their work is sufficient to be the entirety of their life. They usually croak a year or less after retirement, so that's a short-sighted solution at best. Find yourself a family and something to do outside of work that is not structured around impressing your work colleagues, and chances are you'll be healthier (mentally and physically) and much more interesting as a human being.

If you mean all three, then you need to demonstrate all three. Bosses too have to demonstrate success: if you show ability and the boss isn't the pointy-haired guy in the Dilbert cartoons, you represent less risk of failure in the boss's scope of responsibility, and hence you are more likely to make your boss look good when given the harder tasks.

None of this is possible if you hate what you do for a living. You need to be passionate about your work. Enthusiastic without being saccharine about it.

And you need to be noticed. You need to communicate, both above and below your station. Silent suffering may earn you brownie points with your favourite deity, but your boss won't notice. Any effort and sacrifice and performance you offer to your employer will be accepted, but not necessarily acknowledged, celebrated or rewarded unless it is noticed. This doesn't mean bragging about or exaggerating every minor success- that's @ss-kissing and an indication that you don't really know what's important. A little is OK- too much makes you a pariah.