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Shepherd Mead (1914-1994) was one of those men dogged by success. At 22, the quiet Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University left his native St. Louis for New York and joined the mail room of a large corporation - as does J. Pierrepont Finch, the leading character (who is by now a sort of folk hero) in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."
Like Finch, Mead rose to the top. It was, in fact, while he was a Vice President, inhabiting a huge office with four windows, that he wrote "How to Succeed in Business." It remained 12 weeks on the best seller list and was followed by several novels on big business, one of which, "The Admen," sold more than two million copies.
In 1957, Shepherd Mead vacationed with his family in Europe and decided to remain there to live. Meanwhile, back home, Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser were concocting from "How to Succeed in Business" the Broadway musical comedy success that went on to win the Pulitzer, the New York Drama Critics, and almost every other known prize.
Like J. Pierrepont Finch, Mead's caricature of a business man, Mead became a sort of folk hero in his own right - but a folk hero with a message.
To learn more you can follow him on Twitter - //twitter.com/shepherdmead
or find out news at his Facebook fan page: //www.facebook.com/ShepherdMead01
I watched the season finale of "Mad Men" and suddenly remembered Robert Morse's films. I won't give away the "Mad Men" ending if you haven't seen it, but you will thoroughly enjoy it.
I saw the movie "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" many years ago, and have seen the play performed live on stage. It's a perfect parody of big business, still relevant despite the 47 years of corporate re-engineering and "right-sizing."
Window Washer J. Pierpont Finch buys a book called ""How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" which predates the tsunami of business and "success" books we have today and it wasn't called "for Dummies." This simple book guides the aspiring executive to climb the ladder or success from starting at the bottom and using every opportunity to seize the next promotion. Climbing into a window in the World Wide Wickets tower in Manhattan, "Ponty" as he comes to be known, takes advantage of chance encounters through a combination of serendipity and applying the lessons from his book. He accidentally bumps into the Corporate President played by Rudy Vallee, himself a popular singer and actor from the 1920s.
Despite making a bad impression on Mr. Biggley, Ponty makes an instant friend in Rosemary who guides him through the big company. Meeting the Personnel Manager, Mr. Finch starts humbly in the mail room, encountering Bud Frump, the not-so bright aspiring nephew of the Corporate President. Through the selfless act of turning down the promotion to mail room manager in favor of Mr. Frump, Ponty is there at the right time and place to get promoted to Junior Executive. You'll enjoy the bright musical numbers throughout Ponty's ascent to the top.
Only Robert Morse with his infectious gap-tooth grin and wide-eyed excitement could pull off this tremendous musical parody. His incredible voice, quicksilver dance moves, and rubber face will bring a smile to your face. Robert Morse has gone on to a number of other stage and screen roles, most recently as the delightfully gruff advertising Agency President in "Mad Men." Mr. Morse recently turned 83, but he still has it!
If you would like some pure entertainment without the physically impossible special effects, screeching car chases, graphic violence, four-letter dialog, and graphic sex in so many of today's films, this movie is for you. Definitely a 10!!!
Top tips on how to succeed in business without really trying, at any stage in your life.
Success is the dream of every business student, business owner and aspiring entrepreneur. But just how can you succeed in business without really trying? Follow our effortless tips on how to succeed in business and you’ll be well on your way to business success.
Have the Right Mindset
Success in business is all about your mindset. If you believe in yourself, you will go far. You should also believe in your work. Whether you are starting a new company, are currently in business school, or working for someone else, you need to believe in what you are doing.
Always try to remind yourself of the bigger picture. When you are in school, remember that you are studying in order to achieve something greater. If you are working for yourself or someone else, make sure you are working for a cause or a product that really speaks to you. Getting into business for a product or service you are passionate about will help you succeed because it will come naturally to you to want to promote and sell.
Have Goals
Setting goals for yourself is a surefire way to keep you motivated and on track to succeed. Make both short-term and long-term goals for yourself, and create a timeline for yourself in order to check in with yourself at certain points. At your check in you can ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I achieved this goal? If not, when should I adjust my timeline to achieve it?
- What has been stopping me from achieving it, or caused me to take longer than anticipated?
- What motivates me, and how can I use that to further myself for my next goal?
- What are my next goals, and how will I achieve them?
Be specific when making goals. The more specific they are, the less likely you will be to push them aside due to vagueness. Write down your goals as well in a detailed plan, including how you will achieve them. Also consider whether your goals are realistic, and how you will measure them.
Take Risks
Everyone knows that all business involves some level of risk. Taking a leap of faith can give you a big payout, and risk-taking is an inherent part of entrepreneurship. The important distinction between risks taken by those who succeed and those who fail is the idea of ‘calculated risks.’
Calculated risks are risks made after careful consideration. Successful business people will constantly re-evaluate the risks being made, and make smarter risks the following time.
In your life, you can put yourself out there with business partners, teachers and colleagues. Don’t be afraid to share a creative idea, or propose a new way of getting things done. These are easy ways to take risks that will make you stand out within your network. Try out your ideas first on people you trust, and make your pitches count!
Be Flexible
Trying to succeed in business without really trying means that things won’t always go as planned. There might be snags in your plans, hiccups in achieving goals on times, and unexpected issues will always come up in business. The trick to keep yourself on track for success is not to let yourself get down by all the unexpected changes. Be understanding and forgiving with yourself when things don’t go as planned. The most important part is to be flexible with your plans and know when it’s time to move or change a goal. This is different than giving up, it is adapting to new circumstances, which is a paramount part of success.
Use Your Failures
Fail fast — use this tried and true philosophy in business to get ahead without really trying. Getting an iteration out quickly and frequently in the beginning is the best way to test for failures without much effort and lost time. The idea is that if you fail fast, you will succeed faster by way of quickly determining what your next steps are. Failing is a learning experience — with each failed attempt, you learn exactly what to change for the following attempt. Figure out what went wrong with each attempt, and make a specific plan for how to succeed the next time. Finally, don’t get yourself down from your failures. Look for the silver lining in your mistakes — that you can learn, grow and succeed after each failure.
Build A Network
Having a strong network is an easy way to succeed. If you are surrounded by successful people, you will be motivated to succeed yourself. You will have people around you to bounce ideas off of and get advice from. Make sure your network is full of like-minded business people who can help you grow and push you to go far.
Wherever you go, make positive connections, whether you are at a cafe, in class, or at work. You never know who you may meet and you always want to put your best self forward. Strike up a conversation with people and try to make a good impression with those who interest you. Introduce yourself no matter what, and see if you have any common interests or industries that you work in.
Finally, your network includes people from your past. Stay in touch or reconnect with people from all walks of your life. This may include past jobs, distant family members or high school classmates. Don’t be afraid to call on someone from your past if you think they might have some valuable business insights or connections. This is part of taking a risk to expand your network and opportunities and will always pay off. Here are 12 more tips on how to network as a student.
Be Efficient and Save Time
Try outsourcing. Outsourcing tasks will save you time and money, and increase your efficiency. With outsourcing, you won’t have to necessarily hire more employees, but you can find someone with the skill set you need for a task that you may not have time for or know how to do.
Try automating. Another way to increase efficiency is to find ways to automate your work. Try using Gmail Labs to automate your emails. You can create email templates and premade responses so you don’t have to retype common email responses. You can also opt for an ‘undo send’ action that will undo a sent email if you realize quickly that you have forgotten an attachment. One of the best automation tools out there is called Zapier. With this app and others, you can create your own customized automated workflows, specific to tasks you use frequently.
Ever heard of the 4 hour work week? Business guru Tim Ferriss has perfected efficiency of work so much that he claims you only need 4 hours per week of work time! He has books and a podcast with the best strategies for increasing efficiency and saving you time in business.
Be Smart
Let’s talk degrees. Getting a degree is a great way to quickly acquire skills and knowledge to help you succeed in business. Getting an MBA, Bachelor’s Degree in Business (BBA), or Associate Business Degree will require some trying. But it’s not to be ruled out.
With so many flexible and affordable degree programs out there today, you can easily get a degree in business and set yourself apart from the rest of the workforce. Getting an online business degree will give you the skills you need to succeed in business, while you can continue to work in your desired field. To learn more about why you should get a business degree, read our complete guide for Business Administration majors.
University of the People offers three business degree programs: Master’s of Business Administration, Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Associates Degree in Business Administration. All three of these programs are tuition-free and can be earned on your own terms — flexible and online.
Success is not something that can be achieved overnight, but it does not have to be something you constantly push for. It is possible to succeed in business without really trying, just follow the steps we’ve outlined and you are sure to go far!