A Breakthrough?

Near the end of the spring semester, John went to the campus dining hall for lunch and sat down with some students he had not yet met.  It turns out that one of the students was also enrolled in my International Finance course, so eventually, the student asked, “So John, what do you think about the book that Boz is writing about you?”

For the last several months, whenever anyone asked John that same question, he would reply with such confidence-building statements as “It is stupid”, “I hate it”, and “Boz is a really great guy who has a really bad idea.”

But this time was different.  John simply said, “He’s a pretty good writer.”  Wow.  Maybe, just maybe, John is starting to believe that I can pull off this project.  Or at least, perhaps he feels that I won’t completely blow it.  More on that later…

A bit about the subject of my sabbatical

For those who are new to my blog, this fall I will be taking a sabbatical to write a book about legendary Saint John’s University football coach John Gagliardi.

If you haven’t heard of John, he was won more games (484) in the history of college football than any other coach, regardless of division.  Despite turning 86 this coming fall, John will be pacing the Saint John’s sidelines for the 60^th straight year.  To put his success into perspective, he could lose every football game until he is 120 years old and still retire with a winning record.

John has achieved this success with one of the most innovative coaching styles ever utilized, often referred to as his “Winning With No’s”:  no tackling in practice, no practicing outdoors if it is raining, snowing, or if the gnats are too thick, no wasting time on calisthenics, no using tackling dummies or blocking sleds, no whistles, no trash talking, no calling anyone “Coach,” and more than 100 others.

Why I decided to write the book and what it is going to be about

I played football for John when I attended Saint John’s in the early 90’s, and started at offensive guard my senior year. To my readers who aren’t big football fans, that means that I tried to protect the guys with the ball so that they could score touchdowns and look good for the co-eds.

After graduating in 1995, I went to work in the Big 4 accounting firms for nine years before finding my dream job as a professor at Saint John’s.  Since that time, I have spent dozens of mornings in John’s office discussing every topic under the sun.  Once in awhile, we even talk about football.  I co-taught a day of his Theory of Football course and even became his CPA.  It was through these experiences that I really began to understand how John has experienced such great success.  It has a lot less to do with his knowledge of football and more to do with his communication skills, innovation, humility, and many other traits.  I started to feel a calling to share what I had learned with others, as the keys to his success transcend being a great football coach.  In short, the book will be a conversation between John and me where we discuss the characteristics that have enabled him to create such a powerful legacy. 

As if I wasn’t already feeling called to tell John’s story, I read the wildly popular book “Tuesday’s with Morrie” and was enchanted by Morrie’s story.  I aspired to be Morrie someday, a college professor who endeared himself to the masses.  It quickly dawned on me that John was my Morrie.  And if Morrie’s story could be used to inspire millions of people to better themselves, John’s could as well.

John has had a few books written about him, but I feel his story needs to be told from a different angle, from someone who has known him as a player, colleague, and friend. The other authors hadn’t played football for John, nor had they spent nearly as much time with him, and certainly did not have a connection to John’s 2,200 former players.  I believe you cannot fully understand John by simply interviewing him; rather you need to spend time in his presence and observe his actions.  My belief was validated by one of John's biggest fans, his daughter Gina.  When I shared my plan with her (in much more detail than I am providing here), she simply said, "Wow.  You really get it.  You get him."

Progress thus far

The project has been going exceptionally well.  I spent a great deal of time with him this spring, actually enrolling as a student in his Theory of Football course and then meeting with him for dozens of hours outside of that.  It turns out that I have way more information than I need, and a big challenge will be paring down that information.

I have also been fortunate enough to receive advice on multiple occasions from Austin Murphy, senior writer at Sports Illustrated.  More than a decade ago, Austin took a sabbatical from Sports Illustrated and moved his family to Saint John’s for a football season and wrote a book about his experience, The Sweet Season.  After a long meeting with Austin at his favorite coffee shop in California earlier this month, I have more or less decided how to tell the story.  I can’t give away the plot other than to say it will be a little about football and a lot about life, with plenty of humor thrown in.  I believe that football and non-football fans alike will enjoy it and be inspired by it.

Work still to be done

I am sending out e-mails and letters to all of John’s former football players to get their insights on John’s legacy.  I imagine I will hear a number of stories from them that will guide my remaining conversations with John this summer.

Around August 1^st, I will wrap up research and start writing the book.  At that time, John’s focus will turn to football and I need to finally leave him alone, or as he would put it, “stop bugging the crap” out of him.

I will spend the fall writing when I am on my sabbatical.  A sabbatical means that I still get paid by Saint John’s, but I have a semester off from my regular teaching, advising, and service responsibilities.  After the book is outlined and the first couple chapters written, I will begin to send it to literary agents, and am keeping my fingers crossed that Austin may be able to hook me up with some connections.  Once I sign on with an agent, they will begin shopping the book to publishers.  I envision wrapping up the book before I begin teaching again in January and ideally, the book would be released during the 2013 or 2014 football season.  However, most folks tell me I am being too ambitious with that timeframe, so keep tuned and I’ll let you know when it is coming out!

My dream for the book

As I have delved further into this project, I firmly believe that the book will be very successful, and that is my goal for two main reasons.  First, I believe almost everyone has things to learn from John, and the more copies it sells, the more people will be learning.  People won’t be learning how to become a great football coach (although they could), but they will be learning principles to improve their own lives and make a more significant impact in whatever their role is…a coach, teacher, employee, parent, business owner, or member of community or church.

Second, I’d love the book to generate huge royalties, as I plan to use a portion of those to partner with other alumni in establishing a scholarship (or something similar) in John’s name.  Some (e.g., John himself) may say that is wishful thinking, but I believe completely in this project.

Regardless of how successful the book becomes, I will not waver in that it will be very honoring to John and his family.  As I told John, “Not one word gets published without your permission.  You are going to read this book before it is finalized, even if I have to read it aloud to you!”

Closing Thoughts

As I wrap up this entry, you may have noticed the question mark in the title of this blog (A Breakthrough?) and wondered what that was all about.  Well, after my student told me that John thought I was a pretty good writer, I thought I perhaps had John believing in the potential of this project.  However, I have since talked with another person close to him.  John’s reply when they asked him about the book?  “It is going to bomb.”

I’ll just pretend that person misheard John and that he actually said, “It is going to be the bomb.”  Because I believe it will.

If you are new to my blog, check out this older blog entry that I wrote on the final day of John's Theory of Football class this year.  There are some pretty cool things said about John in this one:
http://professorboz.blogspot.com/2012/04/johns-last-class.html

Thanks, Dad

I didn’t have a chance to get together with my dad yesterday, so I called him to wish him a Happy Father’s Day.  As we were signing off, I started to thank him for being a great dad, and he quickly changed the subject, deflecting the attention as usual.  So, as it would probably make him uncomfortable if he had to hear me rattle off all the things I am thankful for about him, I will write about them instead.

Thanks, Dad, for showing me how a man is supposed to work.  Especially early on, you worked two jobs just to provide for our family.  Even later on, you would pick up boring shifts working security.  You showed up to work every day and almost never took a sick day.

Thanks, Dad, for your involvement in my activities.  You coached my sports teams and attended all my sporting and other events.  Thanks for doing the same for my brother.  I really thought it was cool that you even coached his hockey team even though you couldn’t skate.  Thanks for taking many of your personal vacation days to chaperone trips with our church’s youth group.  Even though I may not have showed it at the time, I always preferred it when you were there.

Thanks, Dad, for telling me how to get out of speeding tickets.  I think I have been pulled over 20 times for speeding and only received four tickets.

Thanks, Dad, for not demanding excellence or perfection, but instead always expecting me to put forth a strong effort and to do so with a good attitude.

Thanks, Dad, for staying married to Mom for the past 43 years. You showed me what it was like to stay committed.  Thanks also for supporting her by packing up your life and moving to Chicago when she got that big promotion.

Thanks, Dad, for getting me that old Suburban to drive as my first car, just so I’d be safe.  And I’m sorry you had to find out at my groom’s dinner that we once packed 17 people in it (but you did ask the question).

Thanks, Dad, for joining me on all those college recruiting trips, and thanks for supporting my decision to go to Saint John’s even though it was more expensive than playing football for Leslie Frazier at Trinity.

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me how to make my teaching exciting.  My students appreciate my energy and excitement more than anything else, so they thank you, too.

Thanks, Dad, (I think), for making me work that awful landscaping job that summer.  You wanted me to experience tough work from a tough boss so that I would better appreciate different opportunities in the future. 

Thanks, Dad, for demanding that I not get too obsessed with girls while in high school and college.  It would have really stunk to have ended up with some of them.

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me the joy of engaging random strangers in conversation and learning about their stories.  It embarrassed me at the time, but I love doing it myself today.

Thanks, Dad, for showing me how to be humble (even though I stink in this area).  You’d knock one out of the park in softball at the age of 55 and I’d have to hear about it weeks later from one of your teammates.

Thanks, Dad, for playing chess with me when I was four years old, even though you were exhausted from having worked the night shift.


Thanks, Dad, for loving me even when I messed up, and even when I crashed three of your cars.

Thanks, Dad, for making me take Spanish when I wanted to take French.  I continue to use it today.  And I went to France once, and didn’t care for it that much.

Thanks, Dad, for being a model of generosity with your time.  You are always looking for opportunities to help family, friends, and strangers.  This thank you would deserve a whole blog entry in itself, so I’ll just stop at that.

Thanks, Dad, for being generous with your money.  You always try to find odd jobs for people who have fallen on hard times; you give me way more gifts than I deserve.

Thanks, Dad, for singing karaoke with me whenever I ask, even though I make us sound really bad.

Thanks, Dad, for being very clear on right vs. wrong, and for living a moral life.

Thanks, Dad, for not letting me live off campus until my senior year of college.  My favorite memories were definitely in the dorms.

Thanks, Dad, for taking us on annual family vacations, even when money was tight.  We built memories that will last forever.  Especially when my brother and I got that tape recording of you imitating the stupid sounds we were making.

Thanks, Dad for always letting me know you loved me, not only by saying it, but also through your actions.

Thanks, Dad, for the way that you always try to make my life easier today and the way that you are always looking for me and trying to help.  Whenever we go somewhere, you want to drive.  Whenever you are at our house, you are fixing something or doing the dishes.  Every time Kacey and I go out of town, you not only watch our kids, but you find time to clean and change the oil in both of our cars and do projects around are house.

Thanks, Dad, for being a very engaged grandparent, not only frequently watching our kids, but keeping them healthy and working on developing their skills as well.

Thanks, Dad, for not only being my friend today, but also continuing to be my Dad.  When I mess up, you still address my behavior with me.  I think I appreciate it.

Thanks, Dad, for being the type of dad that I know will drop everything if I call you in a pinch. 

Thanks, Dad, for bringing our family to church every Sunday when we were growing up.

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me how to change the oil in my car.  I bet not many other CPA’s can do that!

Thanks, Dad, for the time you yelled at me when I was a jerk to my grandparents after a basketball game.  Although it sucked at the time, I can’t imagine going through life as a sore loser.

Thanks, Dad, for not being judgmental when I starting dating a single mom, and thanks for the way that you accepted her and her daughter.

Thanks, Dad, for having emotions.  You have them because you care.  I still remember you getting choked up when dropping me off at camps, moving me into college, and sending me away to Spain.

Thanks, Dad, for showing me what it really means to care for others who are sick, like Grandpa, Pat, and “Uncle” Rich.

Thanks, Dad, for introducing me to Mancini’s Char House, my favorite restaurant on the planet.  You always took me there for special occasions, and it has become my go to place for special occasions – including my first date with my wife.

Thanks, Dad, for introducing me to coffee, car racing, and country music.  I remember when I was younger I said I would never be like you and like those things, and now of course I really look forward to our road trips where we drive together to NASCAR races while listening to country music and drinking coffee.

I know I am missing more things than I have said, so thanks, Dad, for all of those things I can’t remember right now. 

In closing, I’ll just say, thanks, Dad, for showing me what a man and father is supposed to be.  I love you.

I hope that many of my readers also feel strong affection toward their own fathers.  But if you do not, control what you can and vow to become a better parent yourself.

Hot Dogs for Breakfast

This past weekend, I did the unspeakable on a Saturday morning – I set my alarm.  At least it was for a good cause; my wife and I were escaping to Sonoma, California, otherwise known as our favorite place on earth.  A long weekend full of delicious wines, tasty food, coastal drives, and spectacular views was in store, with a little research on my book thrown in for good measure.

The alarm went off and I immediately smacked the snooze button.  What seemed like nine seconds instead of nine minutes later, the alarm went off and I again showed the snooze button who was in charge.  But, when the alarm went off for the third time, I remembered the reason I was waking up even a bit earlier than needed and pulled myself out of my slumber.  I clomped down the stairs to find my son, Wyatt, already awake and heavily engrossed in a video game.  I asked him if he had eaten breakfast yet, to which he replied, “No. Why do you ask?”

I hesitated for a moment.  My affair with the snooze button caused me to sleep in longer than I should have.  I hadn’t showered or even thought about packing, yet had to leave for the airport in 45 minutes.  I thought about simply pouring a bowl of Corn Chex for Wyatt, but quickly decided I couldn’t leave it at that.

“How about we walk to the Quik Stop for breakfast?”

“The Quik Stop?  For breakfast?  What will we eat when we get there?” he asked.

“Whatever we want.”

Before we were even out the door, my ten year old boy had grabbed my hand, and that is how we made the 15 minute walk to the neighborhood convenience store.  Sometimes we chatted, and sometime we walked in silence, but our hands never separated.  I would periodically look over at my son and each time saw the same expression.  His lips had formed into a small smile that couldn’t seem to leave his face.

As Wyatt has allergies to gluten and dairy, choices as far as what to eat at the Quik Stop were somewhat limited.  On our walk there, we decided that hot dogs would be satisfying, but when we ultimately arrived, we found the hot dog machine to be empty.  In fact, the machine wasn’t yet turned on for the day; I guess there is little demand for hot dogs at eight-thirty on a Saturday morning.

We walked around the rest of the store and encountered many tasty things that Wyatt could not eat, like breads, bagels, and donuts.  It was starting to look like a lost trip, when in the back corner of the store’s cooler, we found the stash of pork goodness.

I forked over $1.49 for a package, and heated up two hotdogs in the store’s microwave.  Just 60 seconds later, we were feasting on them, using Gatorade as a chaser.  I expect Wheaties reps will read this blog and become very nervous that my newly discovered combination will supplant their cereal as the Breakfast of Champions.

While I would have been game to see if we could have demolished the whole eight-pack, Wyatt taught me restraint when he indicated that one hot dog was enough.

After we finished dining, we rejoined hands and walked the 15 minutes home, chatting with the many puppies that were out walking their owners. As we neared our house, I asked Wyatt if he thought we should repeat our gourmet experience again some time.  Although I more or less knew what his reply would be, it was still fun to hear ,”Yeah, this was awesome!”

We arrived home at the time I had intended to leave my house.  After a hurried shower, I stuffed some clothes into my bag and we were off to the airport.  My wife and I ended up arriving at our gate just two minutes before the door was closed, and likely only made it on time as a motorized vehicle driver agreed to drive us to our gate. 

The funny thing is that the thought of missing my flight really wasn’t concerning me.  I’d already accomplished the most important part of my day, everything else was just gravy.  Well, maybe ketchup, as that goes better on hotdogs.

My Minneapolis Marathon Experience

No, I did not run the marathon today.  Although I have a quintet under my belt, today was not going to be the day that I notched number six.  But, that did not stop me from participating in the festivities.  Although I really enjoy running in races, I probably get more satisfaction out of being a spectator, and I’d like to tell you why.

In each of the five marathons I have run, my body shut down late in the race, and I had to walk a good part of the last several miles.  Family members and friends who took turns staggering along with me were salient in helping me reach the finish line.  But, I also could not have imagined trying to finish those races without the diversion of the spectators.  The miles drag on when there is but pavement and rear ends to look at, but the experience is much more bearable when there is some other activity to distract you from the pain and monotony.

So, on this gorgeous (for spectators) Sunday morning, I setup camp around mile 25 with my essentials.  Most critical is a loud PA system (runners love music) with an I-pod playlist featuring Rocky music and other pump up songs - I had to ask my wife for help with this one as marathoners generally don’t fully appreciate my country music.  I enhance the experience by also bringing along a microphone to shout encouragement at the runners.  And I can’t forget a bunch of jolly ranchers and tootsie rolls, not for myself (at least not many), but to share with famished runners looking for any injection of sugar to help them take a few more of the 40,000 steps needed to finish the race.

Without further ado, I’m going to turn this blog into a fotonovela showing you why I love watching marathons.  First, I never tire of looking at a sea of people, working hard, and giving it their all.

I asked this guy how many marathons he had run, and he flashed one finger, then five fingers, then two fingers.  Yeah, that is right.  152 marathons, with at least one in each state.

Meet Ralph.  In marathons, people frequently print their names on their shirts so that spectators can cheer for them by name.  I’ve done it, and it is a good pick me up. Plus, spectators enjoy it, as it is much more exciting to yell, “You the man, Ralph!” than simply, “Great job!”

 

What is a guy with a finisher’s medal still doing on the course?  Marthoners help each other, and he came back to help his companion finish her race.

Vicki may not be a spring chicken, but that isn’t stopping her from running her first ever half-marathon.  I’d also like to point out Vicky’s shirt.  Many marathoners raise money for charitable organizations.  By the way, if you do, hit me up.

This family will never forget when these kids came out to inspire their dad for a bit late in the race. 

I am guessing I had the Rocky music going at this time.  At least I hope I did.  It would be a bit unusual for these guys to be flexing to Duffy.

This time I was playing the Chariots of Fire theme song, and the lady on the left did her best re-enactment.

Running 26.2 miles isn’t enough for some people; they have to dress-up.

 

I am not sure if she is running for a cause or just for fun, but regardless, this is crazy

Some marathon runners wear t-shirts that amuse me.  This one took the cake today.

Her shirt says “One more mile.” I very excitedly told her that for the first time today, her t-shirt was correct.

Current Gopher football players honoring their coach Jerry Kill.  I am not sure if it is because of the medical issues he faced or what, but good to see them out there regardless.

Some people don’t need costumes or t-shirts because they have great hair.

It is fun to see all of the different expressions that people will give you.  This guy appears somewhat delirious but is still able to give the double thumbs up.

It’s a great day to be alive.

She looks like she is on mile 1, not mile 25.  I imagine many runners looked at her and hated her.

Shannon’s daughters excitedly greeted her when she arrived at their cheering station.  I know her name because her daughers had previously come over to ask me to yell it in the microphone when she approached.  A pretty cool thing was that Shannon actually stopped for a couple minutes to chat with them before finishing the race.  To her, sharing that moment with her daughters was more important than shaving a couple minutes off her finishing time. 

With marathons come risk, and each time that an ambulance goes by with its lights and sirens on, you just pray that the passenger will be okay.

Note the headband.  He’s not only a marathon runner, but also a Tough Mudder.  I forgot to ask him which he thinks is more difficult; I already know which he would say he enjoys more.

This picture really just embodies the spirit of determination that marathoners’ possess.

I will admit that I felt a bit guilty taking these next couple pictures.  Sometimes marathon runners will collapse in pain, and in this case the lady experienced bad cramps.  But despite the pain, she got up quickly and kept going.  Also note how random strangers are checking on her.

This one really struck me. We have all heard of icing after a workout, but how bad must your knee be feeling to run with an ice pack strapped to it?

So many people volunteer to make a marathon a special event.  The lady on the left holding the sign is a volunteer pacer.  To take pressure off runners trying to maintain a certain pace, pacers hold signs indicating what pace they are running, and runners simply follow along if they want to finish the race in that pace.  There is something extra special about this pacer.  She is holding the 6 hour pace sign.  In many marathons, runners have to finish in 6 hours or less in order to receive a medal and to be acknowledged as finishing the race.  So, this pacer has the responsibility of keeping her group just in front of the trailing sweep truck.

Callyn was supposed to run her first full marathon in Madison the previous weekend but the distance was reduced to a half marathon due to the heat.  Disappointed at having done all the training for a full marathon, she sought out the Minneapolis Marathon in order to complete her quest.  Had she run the Madison Marathon the week before near her home, she would have had the support of many family and friends, but when she traveled to the Minneapolis Marathon, only her brother and his fiancée were able to accompany her.  As the miles wore down, Callyn felt she could not run any further and would not be able to reach the finish line.  Her brother Alex jumped in and ran by her side for awhile to encourage her - they are pictured below.  Eventually, Alex tired and his fiancée Casandra jumped in to help Callyn finish the race.  That's what it is all about.

It was a great way to spend the morning.  And while you may not be strange enough to bring out a PA system and sit for hours watching a race, I encourage you head out to a race sometime and cheer the runners on.  They will love you for it and you will feel great doing it.  And who knows, before long, I may be cheering for you.

For more pictures and some Rocky music, check out the YouTube video I put together on this race...

Keys to Success in the Workplace

I woke up this morning, re-heated a cup of yesterday’s coffee, and sank into my home office chair. As I scanned the new e-mails that surfaced overnight, I immediately noticed a message from a current student.  As the summer months cause student-withdrawal for me, I eagerly opened her e-mail first:

Hey Boz!

I am writing a section in a newsletter for the company where I am interning. The question I am supposed to answer is, "What do your professors claim to be the biggest challenge for you entering public accounting in the next few years?"

Can you please talk briefly about a challenge or two that you see in the next few years? I appreciate it.

Thanks!

Sarah

Before writing any further, I should say a few things.  First, I love the student’s introduction and use of an exclamation point!  She sounds excited to be sending her message to me, causing me to be excited to reply to her.  Second, don’t stop reading because you aren’t an accountant and think this blog will not apply to you, The solutions I will discuss apply to most fields, and the cool thing is that if you can excel at applying them, you will be reading my blog from your Caribbean timeshare before long.  Third, instead of using the word “challenges” as is stated in Sarah’s e-mail, I will generally use the phrase “keys to success” – with the challenge being the need to mastering these keys.  Fourth, these are keys to success in the early years; keys to success evolve as you progress in your career.  Fifth, for the most part, these are not new keys to success, but I feel they are becoming increasingly critical as the world around us changes.

When addressing the keys to success, I’m not going to drone on about the importance of technical knowledge.  Just as CPA’s needs to understand accounting rules, each profession has knowledge that must be gained, if not mastered.  Clearly, if I’m on an ER table coding someday, I could care less about many of the intangible skills my doctor possesses – if he or she doesn’t have the skill to shock me back to life, I’m just hoping that my life insurance premiums are current.  However, I feel that a breakdown occurs in that technical knowledge becomes too much of a focus in college education, and that students who possess deep technical knowledge but lack in the other skills I discuss below will not reach their full potential.

Understanding this topic better has been a passion of mine, so over the past few years, I have asked dozens of successful business professionals about their opinions on the keys to success early in a business career.  One of my contacts did in all seriousness say “we need to find people who like to drink beer,” but most of the answers I received were a bit more useful.  According to the business professionals, the top five keys to success (in addition to possessing strong technical knowledge) are communicating well, effectively using relevant technology, thinking critically, teaming well with others, and working with determination.

Communicating well is an enormous challenge given the impact that technology is having on society as a whole, but especially our students.  Many professors and business professionals lament that the explosion of texting and instant messaging is hurting the written communication skills and inter-personal skills of students.  I believe this is true and that students need to be able to write e-mails and other written documents clearly, concisely, and courteously.  I also believe they need to know when and how to talk to someone face to face vs. over technology (if you ever e-mail a question to someone who is working ten feet from you, you should probably receive five demerits).  At the same time, we need to realize that these texting-monsters are increasingly climbing the ranks of management.  Thus, the challenge is not deciding if new forms of electronic communication should be used in the workplace, but rather learning how, when, and with who to use these new forms of electronic communication.

Effectively using relevant technology means to understand what tools are key in your profession and to do your best to master them.  For accountants, if you can’t effectively use Microsoft Excel, learn now.  And when I say now, I mean now - well, finish reading this blog entry first, but then avoid checking your Facebook account and instead Google something like “how to use Microsoft Excel,” and start practicing.  Figure out the shortcuts, click on things just to see what happens, and learn by observing others.  You may think you can just learn on the job someday, and while that is true to an extent, managers will immediately flock on day one toward new associates who can use technology very efficiently, and run like the wind away from those who cannot.

Thinking critically is certainly one of the most difficult traits to both teach and learn.  However, it is becoming even more crucial, as routine jobs are being increasingly automated or outsourced: China for manual labor and India for services.  If you can’t think critically and if you can only process information, you are in danger of your job pulling a David Copperfield and disappearing.  So, what does it mean to think critically?  Question everything you don’t fully understand, except maybe why your boss brings the newspaper with to the restroom (I had a boss who regularly did that).  Never be satisfied with simply knowing how to do something, know why you are doing it (thanks to my first boss Tom for that wisdom).  And always look to improve upon the project you have been asked to do.

Teaming well with others makes this list as the world we are living in is becoming too complex to handle alone.  We need others to survive in the workplace.  Also, to an extent, students are so strapped to technology that they are not as accustomed to sitting down with others and working face to face.  Just today, I received a call to be a reference for a recent grad.  I gave him a positive reference and cited the fact that he is sharp, respectful, and will likely show up every day and work hard.  An employer can do a lot with those traits and I was happy to stick my neck out for him.  However, when asked for drawbacks, I was honest and said that the student was fairly introverted and I did not regularly see him working with others – and as a result I recommended him more for jobs where working in a team wasn’t a main focus.

Working with determination is the final key repeatedly cited in my interviews of business professionals.  This means whenever you are assigned a task, take ownership of it, attack it right away, and complete it to the best of your ability.  Maybe even work some overtime (shudder) to get it done.  I believe this is even more of a challenge today due to technology.  Back when I started in the “real world” in 1995, I would show up, put my head down and work for 10 straight hours, with only a lunch break thrown in.  It was easy.  Why?  There wasn’t technology to distract me.  There also wasn’t technology to automate the easy stuff, so I could work mindlessly for hours on end and that was considered productive.  To further illustrate this point, I recently brought two successful business professionals into my classroom and somewhat (okay, considerably) embarrassed them by asking them to describe what made their colleague so successful.  One cited the other’s ability to accept any task and to work harder than anyone else.  The other cited their colleague’s desire to seek out the most complex tasks and complete them to the best of her ability.

Well, those are the five keys that were frequently repeated when I interviewed dozens of business professionals.  If you don’t mind, I’d like to quickly add two thoughts of my own.  The first additional key to success is passion.  You must love, or at least like, what you do.  If you don’t, you will be miserable and drag others down.  You won’t feel inspired to work with determination or to think critically.  Your bosses will hope that you have an early-life crisis and quit so they don’t have to fire you and watch their unemployment premiums rise.  So find something you love doing and figure out how to make a career doing it.  That doesn’t mean that you have to love every single part of what you do.  Obviously, I love teaching more than accounting work, evidenced by the fact that I left my CPA career to become a professor.  But, I keep active with CPA work, even though it isn’t my primary passion, because I still enjoy it, and it makes me a more effective professor.

The second additional key to success is to develop global awareness.  The world is becoming more integrated everyday, and those who hide from this realization are doing themselves a huge disservice.  Be open to working with those from other cultures and seek out those opportunities…so you don’t end up like Dave.  I remember walking into Dave’s office one day to ask a question which involved the word “international.”  As soon as I said that word, I think Dave soiled himself.

That’s all I’ve got for today…Uh, oh.  I just re-read the initial e-mail again, and Sarah asked me to briefly talk about a challenge or two.  Whoops!!!  Well, if I had to sum it up in one sentence, here is what I would say: I believe the challenge is finding a job that you will want to work at with determination and a critical mindset, because if you do that, most everything else should fall into place.