13 No matter what kind of business situation I'm in, it's always important to know exactly who the individual is I'm communicating with. The worst mistake you can make is to fail to find out what drives them, money, status or whatever. Once you've worked that out, you'll be able to ensure you communicate what's in it for them personally. This should essentially govern the way you respond to people, enabling you to stay in control of the situation and achieve the desired outcome. 14 I've learnt some valuable management lessons over the years, not least in how to avoid the failure of a project. No matter what your position is, you always have to be prepared for opposition. And it's important to anticipate this by getting as many colleagues as possible on your side, so that if, in discussions, someone objects to your plans, you, and a number of others, are able to give an immediate response in order to silence your opponent. 15 When I first started running my own business I made some dreadful mistakes in the way I handled staff. The worst thing you can do is stick to one strategy and apply it to every situation. Sometimes you just need to show 'em who's boss. Other times some gentle persuasion is more effective, in my opinion, anyway. I'm sure I was often criticised for my management style, not that I let it bother me, though. 16 I've found if you want to stay in charge of a situation, the worst mistake you can make is not keeping people up to speed with what you're doing at every single stage of the process. Of course, that doesn't mean you need to be seeking universal agreement or approval for your actions and opinions. Some people will always be critical. But at least adopting this approach will encourage an atmosphere in which everyone feels included. 17 There are always going to be things in a company people don't like, and if you've created an atmosphere in which they're encouraged to contribute ideas freely, you have to learn to deal with complaints. Revealing that you are, for example, upset by their comments is a crucial error. You will have shown a weakness in your character that others may try to exploit, and may lead to a general lack of support for you.

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