FIRST LESSONS IN JOINING THE WORK FORCE

BRYCE ON LIFE

- "Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues, and you know it don't come easy." - Ringo Starr

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My book, "MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD - A Handbook for Entering the Work Force," is designed to help young people make the transition from school, be it high school or college, into the work force.

In my introduction, I indoctrinate the young reader into the first basic truths we must all face as we enter adulthood:

* You are entitled to nothing. If you want something, you are going to have to go out and earn it.

* Nothing is free. Forget what the promotion says, people do not offer something without wanting something in return.

* Life is not fair. In fact it can be downright cruel and dehumanizing. Keep in mind, with rare exception, companies are not democracies; they are dictatorships. As such, they operate at the whims of the person in charge.

* Becoming an adult means assuming responsibility, be it on the personal or professional sides of our lives. Knowing this, put your best face on and act like a professional, someone you want others to respect.

* Becoming an adult also means making decisions. In theory, if you make 51% of your decisions correctly, you will be successful. Also, do not procrastinate; if you do not make a decision, the decision will be made for you (and probably not to your liking).

* If anything in life is constant, it is change. Some you will like, others will have trouble swallowing. Nonetheless learn to accommodate change. Learn and adapt.

* People act on their perceptions, regardless if they are valid or not. As an old systems man, I can tell you authoritatively, if the input is wrong, everything that follows will also be wrong. Don't jump to conclusions; always seek the truth.

* The only good business relationship is when both parties benefit (aka "Win-Win" relationship). Avoid situations where one party benefits at the expense of the other (aka "Win-Lose" relationship).

* Everything begins with a sale. All of our efforts, regardless of how mundane they may seem, should be geared towards producing income for the company. Without sales, everything else will eventually come to a halt.

* There is only one problem with common sense, it is not very common. The obvious is not obvious to a lot of people. You will undoubtedly discover that decisions are based more on emotion as opposed to logic.

* Your personal and professional lives are one and the same. Some people like to separate the two, but the fact remains, there is only one you.

Finally, I'll leave you with a thought from a good friend of mine who survived over thirty years of corporate politics:

"You cannot move to the top of the ladder by breaking rungs and breaking rules....
we all must move through the learnings, the little successes, the disappointments, to develop and grow."
- Michael B. Snyder

Originally published: October 1, 2012

Keep the Faith!

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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

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Copyright © 2019 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

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