Learn the rules that will help you avoid mistakes and keep your career on track, from a veteran corporate manager and University of Texas McCombs School of Business faculty member.

1. Michael Hasler
Lecturer, UT Austin McCombs School of Business
20+ Years in leadership at Applied Materials, General Motors, & Nissan
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

2. YOU HAVE A NEW JOB. CONGRATULATIONS!

3. DON’T BLOW IT.

4. § Our source: Mike Hasler
§ UT Austin McCombs School of Business, operations management
lecturer
§ More than 20 years as an executive at General Motors, Nissan, and
Applied Materials
§ Helped create Applied Materials’ Leadership Development Program
§ Ph.D. in Human Resource Development
§ “I created these rules after making the mistakes myself.”
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/
FOLLOW THESE RULES, KEEP YOUR CAREER ON TRACK

6. § Know your manager’s assistant
by name. He or she is the
gatekeeper.
§ Never think of yourself as
superior.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

8. § Respect personal boundaries.
§ At some point you will work for
someone who was previously a
peer. Don’t overstep your friendship
or put your boss in a position of
having to defend your friendship.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

10. § Business requires confidentiality.
§ Starting a sentence with, “Don’t
tell anyone, but …” should sound
your internal alarm to keep quiet.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

12. § List action items and deadlines
up front or in the subject line, not
buried in a rambling message.
§ Avoid “Reply to All.”
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

14. § You’ll be happier and more
successful in an organization that
fits you best, even if you start at a
lower salary.
§ Don’t be surprised if it takes a few
tries to discover what you like.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

16. § If you’re habitually late, you will
lose credibility.
§ Make punctuality a priority now.
It’s more difficult to break a bad
habit later in your career.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

18. § Applied Materials chairman emeritus Jim Morgan’s
philosophy as a manager:
§ Good news is no news. In other words, it shouldn’t be news that things
are going well.
§ No news is bad news. That means the manager is in the dark.
§ Bad news is good news. The problem has been identified and now we
can fix it.
§ Make sure the boss doesn’t hear your bad news from
someone else first. Never let your boss be blindsided.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

20. § Bad news should be followed by solutions.
§ Unloading your problem on your boss’s
shoulders doesn’t help him or her solve it.
§ Think of multiple options and your
recommended course of action before you
go in.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

22. § Back up your position with data,
not random opinions.
§ If the data goes against your
intuition, don’t ignore it. Gather
additional or different data.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

24. § Try to work for someone who develops and promotes staff.
§ As a manager, be the person people want to work for
because they know they will be developed.
§ Train your own replacement so that your department can
promote you without suffering.
§ Be an expert, the go-to person, at something, especially early
in your career.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

26. § Don’t ever be that person who goes
too far. Know your drink limit, and
never exceed it with business
colleagues.
§ Your reputation is always on the
line.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

28. § A lot of people work hard and get good results.
§ Learn about other departments and companies. Be the person your
boss turns to for information.
§ Participate in company charity events, volunteer for committees. Be
known. But be genuine.
§ “Successful networking is not how many people you know, it’s how
many people know you.” --John Daly, communications and
management professor, University of Texas at Austin
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

30. § Say “Good morning” to everyone.
§ Write hand-written notes of congratulations,
appreciation, and condolences.
§ You will meet thousands of miserable people
in your career. Don’t be one of them.
http://www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu/

31. GOOD LUCK OUT THERE. YOU’LL BE GREAT.

32. Thanks for reading. Get more faculty expertise, career advice, alumni and
student success stories, CEO insights, business school news and more:
McCombs TODAY blog
UT McCombs School of Business
@UTexasMcCombs