Know what you believe in and stick to it. Nothing loses you respect quicker than inconsistency.
Keep your distance. Be friendly but not over familiar. Don't confide intimate details.
Keep your own counsel. Don't share all your dilemmas. Even if you resolve them you'll have left the impression that you're 14)indecisive or unable to cope with pressure.
Don't ask anyone to do anything you wouldn't do yourself.
Communicate—simply and often.
Keep your eye on the objective.
Don't get drawn into colleagues' personal lives.
Keep cool. Don't respond instantly or say yes to everything.
Keep your head. A calm presence is an invaluable asset.
Be good at your job. Know that you're good. Self-respect is the key. It'll show up in the way people deal with you.
Accept that you can't please all the people all the time—or even some of the people all of the time.
GENTLE PERSUASION
The woman who builds her professional edge in this way isn't condemned to loneliness and isolation. You can be firm without being unpleasant, and being tough doesn't mean being rude or confrontational. Persuasive and assertive are the watch words.
"To make the right decisions and push them through, you will need the kid glove more often than the boxing glove," Lumley suggests. And a sense of humor is vital.
If you're doing your job properly you'll seldom be everyone's favorite person. But the payoff comes in the form of a deeper liking and admiration. Respect is like money in the bank: You have to put it in before you can draw it out. Don't worry about popularity, work on respect. That will take you a lot further in the long run.
