Think Like a Manager

The key to business success, whether you are employee, contractor, or independent consultant, is simple: think like an owner.

Michael Chikeleze, Associate Dean of Business at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, gave the assembled SWO members a business basics primer: What You Need to Know to Work for a Company or with a Company. His talk was designed to help equip us to deal with and succeed in the business world, especially in difficult times-when the going gets tough, and all you want to do is hunker down in your cube.

According to Dean Chikeleze, not being strategic and failing to create value for the enterprise are among the biggest mistakes you can make in the business world. He gave us four principles for success:

• Think like a business owner by framing every situation in terms of its impact on the company’s profitabilitgy and long-term welfare.
• Know the company and how you fit in; then adjust the fit to be comfortable and usefuo to the company.
• Know your craft. Remember SWOT: Evaluate your Strengths, work on your Weaknesses, be alert for Opportunity, and prepared to deal with Threat.
• Lead your profession by being on the cutting edge. Research and develop skills in the latest technology and tools.

Mr. Chikeleze was a corporate attorney for Procter & Gamble and also taught at the University of Cincinnati before joining CSTCC. His MBA and JD degrees are from Washington University in St. Louis.