[eBook Code] Stuff I Wish I'd Known When I Started Working (eBook Code, 1st)

So Why Did You Write the Book, Fergus? vii

OK, So What’s the Plan? ix

Stuff I Wish I’d Known About. . .

Aiming High – The only limits are the ones you set yourself 1

Appreciating Life – It’s about how you see things 9

Being More Productive – Why the answer is not 16-hour days 15

Bosses – What they’re like and what they like 25

Commitment and Perseverance – One gets you started, the other keeps you going 33

Common Sense – It’s not all that common but it’s a skill you can learn 41

Communication – You gotta keep ’em in the loop 49

Creativity – It’s not just for artists 57

Decision Making – Figure out the real issue and stop faffi ng 63

Email – Step away from the computer! 69

Failure – It’s good to fail 75

Having a Purpose – Find something you like to do and you’ll never work a day in your life 83

Keeping Your Business Going – Don’t run out of money 91

Making the Sale – People don’t like to be sold to – but they love to buy 97

Managing People – How our natural tendency to manage is often the opposite of what we ought to do 103

Meetings – Just because everyone else goes doesn’t mean you have to 109

Moving Up – Show you can do what you’re aiming for 115

Negotiation – There must be something in the deal for everyone 123

Networking – Why you should never throw away a business card 129

Organizations – Why they’re not actually run by senior management 135

Presentations – You don’t need to be led by PowerPoint 143

Projects and Getting Stuff Done – Why you’re probably being mistaken for Santa Claus 149

Reports and Reporting – Why this is your chance to save some rainforest 155

Starting Your Own Thing – Just get out there and see if people will buy it 159

Epilogue 167

References 169

Acknowledgements 173

About the Author 175