For this week's tip, we're going to take a look at the broader question of what it takes to be successful in Corporate America. This tip was contributed by Deborah Collins, an employment lawyer who has worked in human resources management at several of the country's largest corporations. Having previously been a college professor, Deborah is now spending her time teaching people how to be successful in the business world as a corporate trainer.

What follows are Debbi's Rules of Survival in Corporate America. This article is copyright 2004 by Deborah Collins and may not be reproduced without her written permission.

Rule #1: Be Able to Socialize with People in Power Positions
- Succeeding in Corporate America requires engaging in the social activities of those in positions of power
- It's still important to socialize with your own support group

For example, you might have never thought of yourself as a golf player. But if your boss and the other higher-ups at your company play golf together, it wouldn't hurt to take a lesson or two so you could be in a position to socialize with your boss if the occasion presented itself. This doesn't mean you can't still go mountain biking with your buddies on the weekend. In fact, it's important to maintain your close friends and to keep in mind that socializing with the higher-ups is part of the game of climbing the corporate ladder.

Rule #2: Be Both Self-Directed and a Team Player
- You must be self-directed without appearing to be a loner
- Take teamwork seriously!

Rule #3: Participate Thoughtfully in Group Discussions
- You should raise a limited number (2-3) of well-thought out questions in a group setting, but save further inquires for off-line discussion.

Here's a real-life example: Shelly (not her real name) was a project manager hired by a firm I was working for at the time. She had many years of experience as a manager of multifaceted projects and was eager to demonstrate her knowledge base. At the second monthly departmental meeting, Shelly felt that she knew the issues well, so she posed several questions during the main speaker's opening remarks. The speaker politely answered a few questions then asked if he and Shelly could take the discussion off-line. After the meeting, several employees complimented Shelly on her insight and apparent familiarity with difficult issues.

However, her manager ask her to go see the manager of HR without telling her why. I had to explain to her that it's not considered proper meeting etiquette in many large corporations to ask several questions during a presentation. Especially if it's at the beginning of a presentation before the speaker has had a chance to cover their material, and especially if the primary purpose of asking your questions is to show off. Nobody likes a know-it-all.

Rule #4: Communicate with Diplomacy
- Never exhibit your temper
- Control your responses through the use of diplomatic language, humor and wit

Rule #5: Model your Style after Successful Individuals
- Avoid extremes in your manner of dress
- Model the behavior/dress of successful individuals
- After you've established a track record as a high performer, you can be as eclectic as you are competent

Rule #6: Administrative Work Isn't "Beneath You"
- Don't consider administrative tasks beneath you
- Take them on voluntarily when in a "crunch"

Rule #7: Network Without Being Pushy!
- Read the signals
- If someone hasn't called you back after three phone calls, back off!

Rule #8: Exceed Expectations
- Always do more than required when working on a project and inquire about deadlines or, "timing needs"
- Ask about "deliverables"

Rule #9: Don't Gossip with Colleagues and Superiors
- Have a social life but don't discuss it in great detail with your colleagues and superiors.
- Not everyone needs to know you spent the weekend hanging out in Oak Bluffs at the Inkwell.

Rule #10: Choose a Mentor Thoughtfully
- "Choose" a mentor based on rapport, personality, influence and impact.

Some of the most successful people had many doors opened for them by finding an influential mentor. Michael Eisner, current CEO of the Walt Disney Company, found a mentor early on in his career in Barry Diller (inventor of the Home Shopping Network). Janet Jackson's career took off after she found mentors in successful performers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The author of this article, Deborah Collins, is currently available for on-site employee training sessions at corporations in the New York City area. To find out more about her, visit this link:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/collins.htm