Big Deals

Here is a simple fact if you wish to have a happy work life: You need to learn what is a big deal to your boss.

Before you object that such advice is obvious, consider how often people shoot past items that are big deals to you. I don't mean the mega-project that everyone acknowledges is a big deal. I mean the little things that may seem minor but which really are not. Some not-so-little things that I've heard bosses cite over the years:

• Lack of punctuality;
• Sarcasm;
• Lack of urgency;
• Lack of initiative;
• Messy desks;
• Clock-watching;
• High tolerance for mistakes;
• Whining;
• Sloppy personal appearance;
• Undue familiarity; and 
• Lack of ambition.

These may not show up in any evaluation and may never even be mentioned, but they can be silent career killers.