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Archive for the ‘Frown’ Category

How To Avoid The Royal Wedding, If Desired

Posted in Frown, Grin on April 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

We are lucky to be in a place where the royal wedding isn’t the biggest news that people can ever talk about.  The live broadcasts are expected to begin sometime around our Friday afternoon, just when happy hour is about to begin.  In fact, this is going to be yet another highly anticipated long weekend, thanks to the labor day public holiday on Monday, and perhaps some folks are still vacationing somewhere.  When people are downing their beers and wines in pubs and lounges, I wonder whether they will choose to tune in to the wedding channel rather than the usual sports games.

If you don’t have the slightest interest or curiosity over how glamorous and extravagant Kate Middleton’s wedding dress is going to be, here are a few ideas that you can do to “actively” avoid the royal wedding altogether, from mydaily.co.uk.

  • “Rival the royals

Get married yourself and live-stream it internationally.  There’s nothing more healthy than a bit of competition so if you think you’ve got what it takes to outshine the royal couple then what are you waiting for?  Westminster Abbey will be busy but St Paul’s might be free, plus we reckon more than a few dress designers will have mocked up a spare royal gown or two just in case something dreadful happens to Kate’s at the last moment. 

  • Read a biography of Oliver Cromwell

This man knew how to organise an overthrow of the monarchy.  Fine, the whole thing collapsed pretty soon after his death and even a toddler could teach him a thing or two about international diplomacy, but if you’re looking for anti-royalist sentiment, Cromwell’s your chap.

  • Work on that novel

With everyone else heading to the pubs and the street parties you’ll finally have the house to yourself.   Add in the fact that every telly and radio station will be set to “wedding” and you’ll suddenly find the motivation to write your literary masterpiece.  That or you’ll spend eight hours watching old Buffy DVDs  and eating party rings.   Either way, well done you!

  • To infinity and beyond

Head to Florida (or indeed the internet) to follow the launch of space shuttle Endeavour from the Kennedy Space Centre.  The 14 day mission will see Commander Mark Kelly and his crew take Endeavour on its final flight to deliver an Alpha Mass Spectrometer and spare parts to the International Space Station.  Perfect for anyone who dreamed of being an astronaut instead of a princess.

  • Retail therapy

Make the most of the deserted town centre and go shopping for that Issa dress, Whistles blouse or crown you’ve always wanted.  Alternatively you could pop down to Wilkinson’s and see whether they have any guillotines in the DIY section.

  • Hijack a street party

If you’ve ever nursed even a small delusion of grandeur then the idea of your neighbours hosting a party in your honour will probably sound pretty good.  Simply sneak over and staple pictures of your own face over that of those of happy couple.   If you get caught just grab as many sausage rolls as possible and run.”

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A Good Friday Psychic Encounter

Posted in Frown, Grin on April 26, 2011| 1 Comment »

I love the city during this past Easter weekend.  A big part of the population was gone vacationing somewhere and what’s left was an adorable quiet city at a much slower pace everywhere.  Add on the light spring breeze and a hint of sunshine, I am falling in love with Hong Kong all over again.

On Friday I picked a normally bustling Starbucks in Central and found that the place was completely deserted, at 1pm in the afternoon.  I almost cried out for joy.  I picked up my usual venti cappuccino, grabbed all the male fashion magazines I could find, and picked the best sofa to lounge myself away.  Half hour later, an Indian fellow wearing a white shirt, a big gold pendant around his neck, and khaki pants (I believe) walked by where I was sitting with a big smile and saying “Congratulations my friend.”   Normally if I were on the streets, I would have headed off without a doubt.  But I was trapped.  There was nowhere for me to run and I kind of hesitated to get out of my heavenly seat.  Plus, I was in a public place with witnesses.  I took a mental note of where my belongings were and got myself prepared for the worst.

“Pardon me?” I asked.

“My friend, I just want to congratulate you today.  You are a lucky man.” “May I sit down?” He pointed to the seat next to me and invited himself to sit down.

“Errr….I guess.”  I reluctantly replied.  You get the drift of what happened next.  He then went on saying that he was from Singapore, showed me a picture of his “master” from his filofax, and told me 3 great things will be heading my way in May.  My work is going to be much better, my love life is going to be eventful with multiple people loving me (I can’t help giggling even when I’m writing this now), and I’m going to make a lot more money.  He gave me a small crumpled-up yellow paper knot, told me to hold on to it while asking me how many siblings I have in my family, and my favorite color.  After he wrote down what I said, he asked me to unroll the crumpled yellow paper to reveal exactly the same answers I provided to him.  To be honest, I wasn’t really that surprised at all, perhaps due to the all-too-predictable setup.

I wonder how he was going to wrap this up.  He opened his filofax, asked me to return the yellow piece of paper with his predicted answers in it, and said “If you could put in some money for your good luck.”  Alright, the secrets of the trick were finally revealed.   “$100 or $200 would be enough,” he said.  No to hell would I give him $100, but I was prepared to reward him with something for the time and entertainment he had provided.  “You have $30 more?”  He asked seeing the $20 note I was putting in.  I gave him my biggest and brightest smile with a no, and I thanked him for the 10 minute spectacle.

After this self-proclaimed psychic walked out, a tall caucasian man sitting opposite me approached.  I almost thought there was part 2.  “Hey I am just curious to find out what he said,” the man shared.  “I ran into someone similar somewhere before and he could name my dog’s name.  I felt that was spooky then.  And by the way you seem totally calm and in control of the whole thing.”  I replied saying that I just found the whole encounter entertaining.

It was surely unanticipated entertainment of an otherwise quiet Good Friday.  My friends are amazed with how generous I was with a scam artist, but I really had nowhere to run at the time.  Plus I know I am a rational minded person and I made a quick assessment of the worst case scenario right when he started to sit down.  I seriously paid little attention to his predictions at all, but as I told my friends, 3 great things coming my way are way better than him telling me I have only one month to live.

Guess I see a silver lining to everything, huh?

 

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Reporting Live, From Hong Kong

Posted in Frown, Hope, tagged , , on April 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I think it was year 1990 or 1991 when I was in the United World College attending a media summit organized by the school faculty and students.   A few prominent speakers, including some movers and shakers of the media industry, were invited to address the students about the role of the media and its impact in the political world.  I don’t remember who the speaker (some American journalist) was now, but she was talking about her views on news productions around the world.  “You know what’s the worst news reporting production I have seen so far,” she shared in the middle of her speech.  “It was the Hong Kong TV news programs.”  There was laughter and gasps.  My schoolmates immediately turned to me giggling.  Being one of the only two Hong Kong students in the school, suddenly I felt that I was singled out.  Should I say something?  Should I defend something – anything?  The speaker didn’t need to be a genius to realize that a poor Hong Kong ambassador was in the hall, and she reiterated: “I’m serious.  The newscasters were babbling on and on at a piece that needs not much explaining.”

Maybe I didn’t quite get it at the time, since I hardly had much else to reference to, having only been away from my home town for less than a year.  But I get it now, big time.   Some 20 years later, I am still amazed and amused by where we are today with our news productions.

First a disclaimer.  I know nothing much about the industry, and my frame of reference since then has been largely related to that of the States.  But I think I am still entitled to share my views as a TV audience, and one attempting to seek up-to-date information from the local programs.  By the way, there aren’t that many choices to begin with.

I am a complete believer in news reporters’ and the station’s impartiality in any news stories, but do they all have to be so stone-faced and robotic?  Those of us who are also in the “people business” understand that we as the messengers play a huge part in getting our messages across.  How we say it and how we deliver it is an art by itself.  Yet throughout the few decades of TV news programs I have seen, it seems that there is a cardinal rule in their training programs that no news reporters or anchors should ever shed a single hint of emotion and intonation, whatsoever.  Hey, don’t get that mixed up with adding an opinion, as I know they aren’t talk show hosts and they are not supposed to.  I am talking about adding the right pause, phrasing, and emphasis to the key points, conclusions and transitions.  Sometimes subtle body language and hand gestures may be appropriate.  Though no, all I see is complete stiffness from beginning to end.  Maybe this is requested and demanded by the viewers?  I’m not sure, and I’m not one of them.

I like news anchors who have credibility and professionalism, and it takes them years on the field to gain that hard-earned reputation.  I don’t want them to turn into another extreme like some of the TV news programs in Taiwan, where the programs are much closer to entertainment than anything else, just so they could push up ratings in a relatively much more competitive media market than Hong Kong.  Despite the authoritative figure, I like to see some personalities being presented from time to time.  That brings an element of relatability, trust and connection with the audience.  I understand it can be hard to do here because the local presenters are not as high paid, their career prospect not as secure and promising, and hence it will be much tougher for them to build a distinct brand for themselves.

That’s what I would like to see changed, at least progressively.  It starts from the top at the leadership level, and goes down to where news stories are reported.  The news transcripts do not need to repeat everything we are already seeing on TV.  Come on, we are watching news with news feeds.  The news stories can stand to be a bit more original and non-repetitive.  Interviewing parents and school kids every year on September 1 when the new school year starts is not newsworthy material, similar to shooting at the flower market every Valentine’s Day, or dim sum restaurants on Mother’s Day.  Asking passing by citizens on the streets what they think of the recent public bus fare hike can only lead to one uniform answer.  Every time, I feel that 20 to 30 minutes of my life is robbed.  I don’t dislike the events themselves, I am just longing for a few more original questions or angles on them.

We need some pioneers and some daring moves to push everyone out of their comfort zones once in a while, even if they are of the TV viewers.  I want to envision myself jumping out of my auditorium chair some day, defending the next coming critique if I am fortunate enough to get stuck representing Hong Kong again. 

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How To Shine Above the Rest In Office Politics (Part Two)

Posted in Frown, Grin, tagged , on April 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »

My Part One covers two most popular scenarios in office politics, and they are generally centered around individuals who are plain lazy and who just want to get by every single day waiting for the pay cheque to come.  Who doesn’t want that really?  Yet we should have the decency not to cause harm and inconvenience to others in the process, and that is just plain and simple professional courtesy.

Though the other biggest war field of all times is:

  • Power and control

Maybe you are a star employee and you are a high performer at work.  Instead of focusing on your own business you can’t help but notice whispers and gossips from people around you.  No, you seldom hear it directly from the originators.  These rumors have been circling around the office floor for weeks or even months before you get to hear them, perhaps from a trusted colleague.  And you can be sure these whispers are everything but complimentary.  Some include contents that you are the boss’s boy (or girl), that you are just lucky to land the biggest client, that you are playing favorites, or even contains rumors that your team is going to be taken over by them altogether, only as a way for them to eliminate competition altogether. 

Remember what your parents as well as teachers used to tell you when you ran into bullies in primary school?  Don’t take the bait.  It’s tougher when you were young since it’s pretty hard to detach yourself from a physical fight, if that’s the case.  However no matter how tempting it could be, fist fights at the workplace are still frowned upon, so we are mostly restricted to verbal and written fights which are actually nothing less hurtful.  I take my childhood learning seriously.  Don’t take the bait.  Don’t stoop to their level.  Remember what they said, and try to find out more facts and background why they said it and what their grand plans are.  Don’t confront them without gathering all the facts.  Keep your ear to the ground.  Analyze what you have heard, and synergize with your allies if available.  Is there any truth to the rumors?  Personal defamation is utterly wrong, but rumors about your team being absorbed, outsourced or even eliminated may not be a vindictive rumor but truly a managerial decision.  What do they gain from all this?  What will you lose if at all?  Contemplate all the possibilities and be prepared.  It’s no time to be hazy and reckless especially when you are at the receiving end of hateful office politics.  Keep yourself poised and confident.  Losing your ground is the number one cause of future politics.

Evaluate your options.  If you believe you have nothing to fear considering the fire power of both sides, you can take the high road and ignore these rumors, but be on the lookout for the best timing to let people around know that you are well aware of the whispers around town.  Projecting the image that you are well-informed warns others not to underestimate you, and also a subtle way to let people know you are well-connected with people you can trust.  If the rumors turn out to be less than flattering, the number one rule is still to hold yourself together, and then consult with your trusted mentors, colleagues or superiors.  Be humble and discuss what options you can take.  Can you volunteer for some meetings or tasks to showcase what you are good at?  Can you initiate a brown bag lunch session to talk about your line of work so as to invite more open dialogues that are honest and professional?  Can you have your internal and external customers provide recommendations or testimonial for you in times of need?  Remember, what you are proposing does not only apply to yourself, but to your colleagues and most likely to those who fire the bullets in the first place.  They will need to be measured accordingly and they need to be put under the same test as well. 

I am fully aware that the above is not universal to all workplaces based upon variations in cultures, seniority, level of autonomy and experience.  But you get the drift.  Today’s workplace is way more complicated than worrying about cliques, sides, fights and insults.  Much more is at stake now including our own jobs and even the livelihood of people working under us.  Don’t underestimate office politics.  It’s actually part of the work itself, and it will get worse and even more sophisticated.  If the job is so straightforward that we just need to mind our own business from start to finish, chances are we won’t even have that job to begin with.  It can well be outsourced to others half our pay.  Our job is also about getting through hurdles, aligning people, managing friction, influencing tough minds, and coming up with innovative programs to reward everyone better according to individualized motivators. 

“It’s not my job,” many would say.  But honey, that’s why you are hired in the first place.

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How To Shine Above the Rest In Office Politics (Part One)

Posted in Frown, Grin, tagged , on April 18, 2011| 2 Comments »

The term “office politics” sure has a negative tone.  Most people use sentences like “I hate that workplace because there is just too much office politics.”, or “I like working for myself so I don’t need to get involved with all that meaningless office politics.”  Yes we all have a million stories about how we end up being victims of cunning office preys and jealous co-workers.  It is certainly no fun to be involved in unproductive games and exchanges with people we don’t like, especially when we believe that is all they do at work. 

Yet when you think again, there really is no way to escape such dealings no matter where you work.  Even if you have your own business, your relationship with your employees as well as clients and partners constitute much of the same thing. 

My advice to almost every pet peeve is to embrace it with an open heart.  As long as you understand why people do what they do and what their intentions are, you will be able to rise above it and learn to tackle it with the right spirit.   Let me take a few common scenarios as examples.

  • Colleagues taking credit for your work

This is probably by far the biggest complaint anyone could have made, and sometimes it is your boss instead of a colleague who is in the wrong.  Instead of merely bitching about the nerves they have, put a mark on your work by making yourself more prominent but not in a cocky way.  If you still don’t know how to articulate that, you may deserve to be taken advantaged of.  No I’m not trying to be mean, but come on, bragging about something not yours is wrong, but letting people know of what you have come up with is your eternal right.  No one can take that away from you, so fight for your own recognition.  For bosses however, I learn to take a step back most of the time.  If my boss looks good, I look good too.  That’s why I get paid and I don’t mind contributing to the common good.  However, you better make sure you will be rewarded at the end of the day.  Knowing how to “tango” with your boss is an art that needs years of trust and mastering.  For that to happen, you have to be honest with each other.

  • Colleagues are lazy and they keep shredding their responsibilities

Yes most people don’t want to move their butts until they absolutely have to.  “It’s better be someone else’s problem than mine,” most would think.  I don’t care if they want to shred their responsibilities, because more often than not they would be caught sooner than you think.   I am eager to cross my arms and witness how it plays out.  However, why would I become the victim?  If you find yourself being blamed or positioned for something that you are indecently accused of, stand up for yourself.  No, not to your boss since it will look whiny and childish like getting abused in a school fight.  Stand up by following paper traits.  Put exchanges on paper.  Don’t resort to verbal fights as you will end of looking as bad as the other party.  Take a deep breath, write a calm and logical e-mail stating why it is in their own turf rather than yours, and state how sympathetic you are.  “Oh I just want to focus on the issue and have this resolved for the good of the department or the company, but would it work out even better if that comes from my dear colleagues instead?”  If you make it sound like you have risen well above the silly issue and manage to focus on the overall good, you can toast your victory.  Remember, let your boss know that you are a problem solver instead of whiner, even if it’s your arch-rival who has stirred all this up in the first place.  Being silent and passive is not likely to do yourself justice.

Chances are, someone is always going to review the facts if the issue turns bigger and uglier.  There is no way to ignore black and white texts on e-mails, so use that to your advantage, wisely.   Better yet, those who review it (including your boss) will realize that you are not to be underestimated.  Bravo.

 

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World’s Most Underrated Cities?

Posted in Frown, Grin, tagged on April 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Do you agree with this list from Jennifer Chen of Travel + Leisure?  Make your own judgement.

Travel + Leisure’s list of world’s most underrated cities:

  1. Detroit
  2. Taipei (well for Hong Kongers it is not underrated at all!)
  3. Tucson Arizona (well my old school used to be at the neighboring state and you don’t see me returning after XX years…)
  4. Glasgow
  5. Nara, Japan
  6. Bratislava, Slovakia
  7. Providence
  8. Adelaide, Australia
  9. Valparaiso, chile
  10. Kotor, Montenegro
  11. Galway, Ireland
  12. Philadelphia (there is for sure a lot of culture there, but pardon me?)
  13. Antwerp, Belgium
  14. Merida, Mecixo
  15. Denver
  16. Valencia, Spain
  17. Montevideo, Uruguay
  18. Bologna, Italy
  19. Hangzhou, China (again, for Chinese they are not underrated either)
  20. Dusseldorf, Germany
  21. Granada, Nicaragua
  22. Calgary, Canada
  23. Bordeaux, France (hmmm….not for Hong Kong wine drinkers…)
  24. Durban, South Africa

For the full article and slideshow of why each of these cities are underrated, click here. 

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If You See Yourself Working In These 10 Industries, Run!

Posted in Frown, Grin, tagged on April 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Unless you have a clear and straightforward career path, you are likely to run into potential employers of a brand new industry.  I have plenty of experience in this area.  In my career life I have almost never repeated industries in my job moves, and I covered that on my About Me page.  Aside from obvious assessments of a potential new employer’s standing within my particular professional domain, I often need to run some “background checks” of my own.  What is this industry?  How do they rank relative to their competitors in the industry?  Are they performing well?  With help from the internet, while many employers are now Googling their candidates, it is just stupid if I am not doing my share in return.

Regardless of the actual likelihood of staying with any one employer for good, it is still prudent to presume that your next employer is a life-long dependable partner, very much like in the world of relationships.  Hence I also try to validate the long-term viability of the company’s business.  Do they stand a chance in the upcoming one to two decades?  I generally prefer not to take risky odds unless I know full well that my role is going to be consultative and transitional based.

So when IBISWorld identified 10 key industries that will for sure decline even after the economy revives, I was captivated by the title.  According to IBISWorld, “Of these 10 chosen industries, they all generally exhibit one or more of the following detrimental factors…

  • Damaging external competition
  • Advancements in technology
  • Industry stagnation”

For the full March 2011 IBISWorld special report by Toon Van Beeck, click here.

It’s no rocket science really, but I still feel it’s valuable enough to pass it on.  Thanks to Vault.com, who has put together a nice little Top 10 Dying Industries slide show accordingly. 

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The Joke’s On You: 7 April Fool’s Pranks That Ended With a Pink Slip…by Vault.com

Posted in Frown, Grin on April 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today is April Fool’s day.  To be honest I don’t quite get why the day is invented, or I should just admit that I am not that much of a fun-seeker in seeing other people’s miseries.  Likewise, I also hate to be pranked when I feel that I have been pouring my heart out to those I care about. 

Well there are however exceptions to everything.  I would be more than glad to see the following on today’s news:

  • The entire radiation scare in Japan is nothing but an elaborate drill to initiate awareness of nuclear energy safety;
  • The MTR price hike announcement is nothing but an attempt by the bus companies to attract new passengers;
  • The rains in southern Thailand, the volcanos in Japan, and numerous other weather abnormalities are one big-budgeted media promotion for the latest Hollywood blockbuster titled “It’s Not Even 2012.”

Of course, unfortunately none of the above are joking matters, and my heart goes out to all those who are severely affected in this daunting time.

The same goes for pranks in the workplace.  When there are those of us who are taking our jobs way too seriously (actually why shouldn’t we?), anyone who attempts to pull some pranks at the expense of our commitment, time and energy is inexcusable.  In the following examples, the pranksters ended up getting sacked.  So, be warned!

“Pushed to the Limit

Ever work yourself into a frenzy worrying about a deadline? That is exactly what happened when Glenn Howlett’s coworkers sent him a memo saying his big report was due early. The “hint” to Howlett should have been the April 1st date on the memo – unfortunately, Howlett received the news while on vacation and didn’t clue in. He cut his vacation short, gathered up the troops and prepared to get to work. However, as the new deadline approached he worked himself up into a panic and started experiencing heart palpitations. He finally collapsed from stress and had to take a leave of absence. When he finally found out this was all due to an April Fool’s prank, he sued the company, resulting in a company-wide ban on future pranks.

Terror Alert

You can see how this April Fool’s prank started out amusing, especially for two teenage boys. Two 18-year-old coworkers at Westlakes in the U.K. decided to pick up and move another coworker’s car from one parking lot to another. This should have simply ended in some frustration and a few laughs — unfortunately they unintentionally moved the car into a restricted parking lot for a nuclear services industry. This resulted in the nuclear company evacuating its entire staff, fearing a terrorist threat. When the truth came out, the pranksters were arrested for unlawful taking of a vehicle and a bomb hoax, as well as suspended from work.

Fiery Fun

Well, who doesn’t think the potential of lava pouring into your home is funny? This must have been the mindset of Boston’s Channel 7 pranksters when they ended a 1980 news broadcast with a special bulletin: The Great Blue Hill – a 635-foot hill in Milton, MA – had erupted and lava and ashes were raining down from the skies. Supposedly a chain reaction from the then-recent eruption of Mount St. Helen’s, the channel played an audio tape of President Carter and the Governor of Massachusetts declaring the eruption a “serious situation.” Footage was shown of lava pouring down the hill. Once again ill-timed, the reporter ended the segment holding an “April Fool” sign, but not in time to squelch the flood of frantic phone calls from viewers. One man, so convinced, even carried his sick wife to safety. Later that night, embarrassed by the tumult their prank had caused, Channel 7 apologized and the executive producer responsible was fired.”

Get the picture now?  When there is so much stress, tension and suffering in today’s world, we really don’t need another senseless prank in our lives.  Read this on Vault.com for the rest of The Joke’s On You: 7 April Fool’s Pranks That Ended With A Pink Slip.

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The Top 10 Twitter Firings and Fallouts… by Vault.com

Posted in Frown, tagged on March 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Tweeting is hugely popular in the States and somehow the version here in Hong Kong is named “Weibo” (literally translated as microblog) which gains its popularity through Chinese “tweets” by celebrities in the region (for those  who are interested in the difference between Sina Weibo and Twitter, read this).   Whether it is in the form of tweets or Facebook updates, there is no turning back once an update is posted.  Never underestimate the effect of a post especially if you are one of the opinion shakers in the community. 

So when I see the following slideshow on the top 10 Twitter firings and fallouts, I cannot believe how the movers and shakers could have been so careless.  If they have listened to US President Obama’s advice that “…whatever you do [when posting on Facebook] , it will be pulled up later in your life…“, they wouldn’t be at where they are today.

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Bragging Rights? Not Here My Friend…

Posted in Frown, tagged on March 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I cannot resist the temptation to post this up and I don’t think this needs any more elaboration on my part.  Some people just don’t realize how naked they are of their insecurities in front of colleagues, friends and even family members.  Please, don’t live in your own little bubbles.  Allow me to vent a little bit here, but consistent to my belief, I never leave criticisms alone without some recommendations.  This time around, they come from Michael Bucci of AskMen.com.  The last paragraph sums all of this up well.

“Learn How To Brag Discreetly

By Michael Bucci

So here you are, sitting at the bar of a trendy restaurant lounge, enjoying a fine drink with a few of your friends. You are easing into the night and having a merry time doing so. You will soon be meeting some associates and lady friends for an evening out on the town.

It’s A Pleasure To Meet You

I’ve already discussed the importance of making a good first impression, but just as a reminder, know that people will form an impression of you within the first few minutes of contact. More likely than not, the impression they get will be reinforced over the next few hours.

Suppose you are talking to an attractive woman that is to your liking, or perhaps you are talking to a potential friend or business associate, how can you get the point that you are successful (or at least on the ball and soon to be successful) across?

What To Avoid

You are doing well for yourself; you’re a junior partner at a prosperous law firm. You’re on the fast track and you want people to know this, so you buy yourself a big diamond ring and tell anyone who’s willing to listen about how great your new Mercedes SLK-500 is and how much you prefer it over the BMW 740i or the Lexus. You also go out of your way to specify that anyone not driving such an expensive car is a big loser that is worth less than a bag of cheap fertilizer.

So what have you just achieved? Sure, everyone present will know you are making some green and are climbing the corporate ladder, but they will also hate your guts for being such a braggart. You’ll alienate everyone there, not to mention make a few enemies in the process. Not exactly the desired effect.

By following some simple tips, you’ll have a heads up on the competition and still keep your modesty intact.

Don’t Flaunt It

The old expression, “If you got it, flaunt it,” does not apply in this case. In fact, it rarely applies in any case. The last thing you want to do is come off sounding like a constant bragger. You don’t have to make it known that you drive a Ferrari by telling people directly. Instead, you can discuss cars in general with others and wait for them to ask what you drive.

When you tell them you drive a Beemer, say it matter-of-factly. Don’t add more details unless they ask you the questions. The trick is not to sound like you’re bragging, and don’t purposely make the other person feel small because they don’t drive a fancy car.

This way, they’ll know you drive a nice car and they will respect the fact that you don’t attach this to your ego too much (even if they attach a lot of meaning to what you drive).

The same goes for your clothing. You can wear classy tailor-made suits and Brioni shirts, but there’s no need to announce it to the world. People will notice you are well dressed, more so than the average man, and they will make a mental note of it. Just because they don’t comment, that doesn’t mean they don’t notice.

So how do you appear super successful and stay humble?

1. Never say how much you earn

Maybe you are knocking down $500,000 a year, but you should not make a point of telling everyone you meet what your take-home is. If people ask (which is impolite to begin with), just smile and say you do well for yourself and you are very happy with how things have turned out. Don’t offer more detail; to do so is somewhat crass.

2. Compliment others

A good way to brag discreetly is to compliment others on their clothes, car, jobs, etc. By doing so, it makes you seem like a nice guy for noticing other people, and they will in turn be flattered by the attention. Furthermore, they will likely compare themselves with you on the very things you are complimenting them on.

For example, if you tell Bob that’s he’s got a nice car (slick, fast, tears up the road, etc.) he’ll be proud of his car. He will immediately wonder what you drive. If you are driving a similar or better car, he will automatically raise you to his level, if not higher. Objective achieved: you bragged discreetly and so did he.

3. Just the facts ma’am

The worst thing you can do is embellish everything you say. People will catch on that you’re all about hype over substance rather quickly. Instead of telling long stories about how you single-handedly slayed the giant dragon, opt to emphasize the hard work and team effort that went into achieving the goal.

Mention that you are only part of the team and stick to facts. If it is a fact, then no one can argue or hold it against you. If you closed the big deal, then you will be recognized for your accomplishment, even if you give credit to others. The point is to avoid hogging all the glory or you will make enemies — a lot of them.

4. Your crew

Who better to sing your praises than your friends? This one is simple; just have your friends chime in once in a while with some tidbit about you that you can’t mention because it would be bragging. They can praise you and get away with it, so long as you act modestly about the thing in question and don’t talk about it much, if at all.

5. Never sound pretentious

There are geniuses in this world, and they do things with ease that amaze most mortals. However, no one will hold this against them unless they are pretentious about their achievements. Never make your success sound like it was a walk in the park. You don’t have to tell people it was the hardest thing in the world, but never make things sound too easy or people will resent you for thinking you’re better than everyone else.

Make it sound like they could have accomplished the same thing as you; this will reassure them of their abilities and they won’t feel threatened by you. Internally, they’ll probably admit to themselves that they would not have been able to succeed as you did, but as long as only they know this fact, they’ll be saving face.

Remember, you can be better than everyone else. In fact, you can even know that you are better; just never say so out loud and you’ll do great. So go out there and be modest, downplay your achievements and learn to brag discreetly. Once you get good at this, you’ll realize that this is the way the game has been played all along.”

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