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ManagingYourself 175

tor. Even though some firms have formal mentoring programs, you
would still do well to take the initiative to find someone to steer
you through the twists and turns of corporate life.
Hit singles. This isn’t a call to commit battery on the unwed,
it’s a metaphor from baseball. You can’t do everything, so don’t try.
Just do what you’re supposed to do, and get it right. It’s impossible
to do everything yourself all the time. If you do manage that feat
once, you raise unrealistic expectations from those around you.
Then, when you fail to meet those expectations, you’ll have diffi-
culty regaining your credibility. Getting on base consistently is
much better than trying to hit a home run and striking out nine
times out of ten.
Make your boss look good. If you make your boss look good,
your boss will make you look good. You do that by doing your
job to the best of your ability and letting your boss know every-
thing you know when she needs to know it. Make sure she knows
where you are, what you are doing, and what problems you may
be having. However, don’t overload her with information. In
return for your efforts, she should praise your contributions to the
organization.
An aggressive strategy for managing hierarchy. Sometimes, to
get things done, you have to assert yourself. If you face a vacuum
in power or responsibility, fill it before someone else does. This
strategy can be risky; the more so, the more hierarchical your orga-
nization. Be sensitive to the limits of others’ authority, and be ready
to retreat quickly if necessary.
A good assistant is a lifeline. Having someone to perform the
myriad support tasks required by a busy executive—typing, dupli-
cating, messaging, and filing, to name but a few—can be excep-
tionally valuable. Whether the people who perform these tasks are
called secretaries, assistants, interns, or simply junior staff, treat
them well. Be clear about your wants and needs, and give them