While I was at dinner last week with a Fortune 500 Executive, we were discussing employee expectations for career advancement. We lamented the ambitious but misguided who don’t know what they don’t know and feel entitled to success. We bemoaned the techies who are eager to be done but inevitably break something every time they fix something and leave far too many details unfinished.  And we shared stories of accomplished individuals who are so nasty, annoying, and/or self-centered no one wants to work with them. In the end, we identified three secrets to success that may be of interest to your employees (feel free to pass this on):  

• You’ve got to get things done
• You’ve got to get them done right
• And you can’t do it at the expense of others

Getting things done means taking responsibility, being resourceful and persistent, and finishing on time.

But finishing isn’t good enough. You’ve got to get things done right. Not too well and not half way. You must keep the objectives and constraints in mind, anticipate and prevent problems, and overcome obstacles. Another way to look at this is you have to care. You have to be alert and you have to think things through. You can not ignore the purpose, process, or people and still get things right.

Last but not least, you can’t win at the expense of others and you can’t drive talent away.

If you can get things done right and on time, while also being respectful, helpful, and easy to get along with, you will go far.

Not sure where you stand? Get some feedback from others. Find out how you are perceived. Ask for examples of specific behaviors that exemplify these three characteristics and figure out how you measure up. Not knowing and unrealistic expectations are a bad combination!