Happy Black History Month! To kick it off, we will be sharing a book by Carla A. Harris, an accomplished business woman and entrepreneur. She was listed on Black Enterprise’s “75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street” and Fortune’s “The Most Influential List” in 2006 and 2005, respectfully. Currently, she is Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley.
In her book, Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace, Harris shares the lessons she has learned along her path up the corporate ladder. Coining them ‘Carla’s Pearls,’ her lessons include tips on being authentic, establishing a flexible strategy, mentorship and more. Below are some highlights from a few of her ‘Pearls!’
Authenticity: The Power is You
“One of the keys to your long-term success in any organization is to own the person who you really are. If you bring that original, best you to work every day, the one that interviewed for and got the job, then you can maintain your competitive advantage in the organization…”
You Are the Captain of Your Career: The Ninety Day Rule
“In your first ninety days in any new job … there are three things that you must accomplish to establish the foundation for what you can do, will do, and where you will fit into the organization: 1) you must learn the basic skill that is necessary to perform the job; 2) you must learn the unspoken rules of the game … 3) you must get to know who the pertinent players are in the organization and understand the key relationships that you have to develop.”
Leverage Your Voice: Articulate Your Views and Your Expectations
“Exercising your voice in any organization does three things for you. First, it creates a perception about who you are and your role within the organization. Second, it creates a level of expectation within the organization regarding your contribution … Third, it creates a mechanism by which you can define your expectations of the organization.”
Harris gives us tangible steps to maximize our individualism, establish our role in the organization and use our voice to make ourselves known in the workplace. Check out the rest of Carla’s Pearls and learn more about winning in the workplace by stopping by the CEC (1203 MVR)!
