Book

The Mid-Career Tune-up

10 New Habits for Keeping Your Edge in Today's Fast-Paced Workplace

William A. Salmon and Rosemary Salmon

AMACOM, 2000

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If you’re looking for someone to tell you to quit that hum-drum job and go find your true self, look elsewhere. William and Rosemary Salmon have written a book for the moderately alienated masses who have lost their enthusiasm for a job that once sparked their imaginations. Like a tune-up for your car, routine career maintenance can improve your performance. The tools the authors use are communication, relationships and continuous self-improvement. While these habits certainly are worthy, they are not particularly groundbreaking. Readers hoping for a complete career-engine overhaul won’t find it here. But if what you need is some routine servicing to get the cylinders firing again, getAbstract recommends this book to you.

Summary

Do What You're Paid To Do

Employers today expect their employees to use their time wisely. You must have the self-discipline to step back and make sure you understand your work priorities. Realize how you fit into your company’s big picture. Focus on the bottom line and decide which of your activities are critical, urgent and cost-effective. Figure out what your company is paying you to do and how you can best accomplish those goals.

When you understand what your company wants from you, you can begin setting some SMART goals for yourself. SMART goals are:

Specific - State your goal with an action verb to make your language specific and clear.
Measurable - Make sure your progress and results are measurable, so you can tell when you have reached your objectives.
Achievable - Your goals should be challenging. But even more important, they should not be impossible.
Relevant - Your goals should support the mission, purpose and strategy of the organization.
Time-bound - Your goals should have a deadline date. The dimension of time helps you determine a goal’s priority. Once you have...

About the Authors

William A. Salmon is the author of The New Supervisor’s Survival Manual and and Office Politics for the Utterly Confused. He was formerly an executive at Girard Bank and W.K. Gray & Associates. Rosemary T. Salmon is the co-author of Office Politics for the Utterly Confused. She is a founding partner in Salmon & Salmon Associates, providing management consulting, training and writing services.

The Mid-Career Tune-up

10 New Habits for Keeping Your Edge in Today's Fast-Paced Workplace

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Do What You're Paid To Do

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