Posted 6:50 PM by Blah blah

How to Move to the Next Level

From The Core Basics:
_________________
Recently, I was asked 'What are the core basics that someone who wants to move beyond 'beginner' needs?"...

What is the most important thing I've learned? Perhaps it sounds corny, but it's the ability to look and to see what's actually there. To examine a problem and see the problem, with no bias or assumptions. To look at a project plan and pick out all of the assumptions (which can then be tested for accuracy), or to look at a program and see the bugs or flaws....

The second most important lesson is that people are important. People are not machines, they are not commodities and they are not objects to be manipulated. People have feelings and they are to be allowed to be themselves, to have rights and freedoms. That does not mean you let them do whatever they want (you have to manage things if you are a manager) but you have to understand, communicate and respect them.

Why is this important? If you treat people badly or don't communicate with them you will find them uncooperative and even belligerent at times.

I've solved so many problems that simply resulted from treating people like trash that it's mind numbing....

The third most important thing is "be completely and totally ethical at all times". Never, ever violate your integrity....

The next thing to do is to do the best possible job that you can do. So do whatever you need to do to understand your job. Read books, attend seminars, network with peers, go to classes and continue to learn every single day. That's right, set aside some time every single day to get better at your job.

If you want to be a webmaster, then BE a webmaster. Learn what it means, learn how to do it, and learn what you need to learn. Then put your learning to work and be the best webmaster you can possibly be. Create excellent web sites and deliver excellent products to your company, your users and your customers.

The final advice, perhaps the most important thing of all, is to be happy with what you do. Be happy with your job. After all, you spend a fair portion of your life, perhaps the majority of your life, working. If you don't enjoy what you do, then are you truly happy?...

So learn and continue to learn. Be happy and stay ethical. Treat others with respect and communicate freely and opening with everyone. And be the best that you can possibly be. That's the advice that I will give anyone who asks.

Richard Lowe