Saturday, December 30, 2006

Some Thoughts

Gannett, the newspaper corporation with the largest circulation (USA Today), provides its employees with excellent training. During the time I worked for them, they helped hone my skills as a journalist and manager. The company operates like the military, though. When I encountered the publisher in the hall, I didn't know if I should salute or genuflect.

I came across the following list that was used in some instruction I received from the company. Good stuff.

1. Sometimes the best management is no management at all -- first do no harm!

2. Indifference is as important as passion.

3. In organizational life, you can have influence over others or you can have freedom from others, but you can't have both at the same time.

4. Learning how to say smart things and give smart answers is important. Learning to listen to others and to ask smart questions is more important.

5. You get what you expect from people. This is especially true when it comes to selfish behavior; self-interest is a learned social norm, not an inherent feature of human behavior.

6. Getting a little power can turn you into an insensitive self-centered jerk.

7. Avoid pompous jerks whenever possible. They not only can make you feel bad about yourself, chances are that you will eventually start acting like them.

8. The best test of a person's character is how he or she treats those with less power.

9. Err on the side of optimism and positive energy in all things.

10. Work is an over-rated activity.

3 comments:

De'on Miller said...

Is your brain frozen in the panhandle?

Where's my site?

My WWII stories?

My Iraq stories?

Don't think. Work.

De'on Miller said...

just kidding, of course. i didn't see number 6 until just now :)

Steve Ramos said...

And you were on such a roll!