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For 25-plus years I’ve had a Post-it note on my bathroom mirror that simply states: “You haven’t hit your peak yet!” I’ve looked at that message every single day. So, when I was wracking my brain trying to think of a title for my new book, it was staring me in the face. I saw
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Doing something that’s good enough never is.I cover business basics in my new book, such as accountability, discipline, persistence, setting goals, ethics and trust. And I share advice I’ve learned over the years from coaches such as Sam Walton, Peter Drucker, John Wooden, Lou Holtz and others. There’s a section on competition, because rivalries and opposition make you better. It’s important that you learn how to beat your competition. Creativity is the first lesson I talk about in all my speeches, because we can all be more creative. And I discuss innovation, one of the hottest themes in business today. Taking care of customers is taking care of business, which is why you need to create a service culture. And when you do screw up – and everyone does – you need to know how to correctly apologize. You cannot be a leader under any circumstances unless you understand one four-letter word: HIRE. The single greatest mistake a manager can make is to hire the wrong person. And when it comes to getting hired, the most important thing to remember is that getting a job is a job. People skills are so important that I made it one of the larger sections in the book. I include my 10 commandments for the office, and touch on the importance of manners, watching your language, friendship and being a class act. There is no substitute for quality. Doing something that’s good enough never is. You need to do it right the first time. Self-improvement is a crucial section. The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. There are many things you can do, such as strengthening your memory and learning from your mistakes. Check out my seven C’s of success: clarity, competence, constraints, concentration, creativity, courage and continuous learning. Success is the difference between working hard and hardly working. I’m a time-management freak, so I show readers how to keep time on their side. If you want to have the time of your life, make the most of your minutes. I couldn’t write a book without valuable information on networking, negotiations and sales. I have more than 50 years of experience on these subjects that I’m happy to pass on. I have several lighter but equally important sections in the book, such as humor and laughter. In the last section, called Final Thoughts, I share life lessons such as volunteerism, making people happy and thoughts on a richer life. Be sure not to let making a living interfere with having a life! Mackay’s Moral: People’s lives change in two ways – the people they meet and the books they read. Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.
