Covering the business of education and training

Jack Welch gives advice on how the new graduate can succeed in American companies. It seems good advice to succeed in any company ...anywhere.

His number one piece of advice -

OVERDELIVER - This is very un-American...and very un-student like.

While in school, students learn to meet certain objectives, answer certain questions within certain time parameters.

In the workforce - it's not that way anymore.

To get an A+ in business, Welch says, a person, 22 years old or 62 years old needs to:

1.  Expand the organizations expectations of what you can do  - tell them you can do more than what they expect

2.  Then exceed those expectations - tell them you can do more and when your bosses begin to expect that, deliver beyond that.

In America, the idea is one of efficiency - get as much as possible for as little effort as possible. This is not bad.

But to succeed, one must give more and produce more than what is called for.

The goals, welch says, is to make:

1.  your bosses smarter

2.  your team more effective

and
 
3.  the whole company more effective because of your energy, creativity and insights.

Be willing to do the extra work to answer the yet asked questions - how you company can meet expectations three years from now...what new products might emerge...what technologies can change the game...and how things could be done better if production went to China.

Abe Lincoln once said, "What kills a skunk is the publicity it brings itself."

So, when you are working your heart out, don't worry about who knows...your bosses will recognize it soon enough. Start blowing your own horn and your co-workers will begin to doubt your motives. 

In short set the standard high...and then work hard and quietly to overdeliver.