Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

Whether you

Many don't realize that talking about your accomplishments in a confident way is the best way to get ahead in your career. Promoting yourself at work doesn't need to be shameless and you don't have to brag.

Instead, you need to develop a savvy approach to self-promotion so you can get ahead in your career. Being able to effectively toot your horn without blowing the wrong tune can only happen if you avoid these four common mistakes.

1. Don't piggy-back off a tragic event to launch your self-promotion campaign

   The recent hurricane that hit the American states of Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama left millions homeless and cities in ruin. Hurricane Katrina is turning out to be one of the most expensive natural disasters ever in the continental United States. The tsunami that decimated 11 countries in South Asia in December 2004 is yet another extremely devastating natural event. Many people were displaced and to date, over $2-billion has been donated world wide to help the victims of the tsunami.

   However, it’s getting to a point where the publicity surrounding who's giving gets more attention than the people who lost their homes, belongings and family members. Celebrities, companies and even countries are taking this opportunity to boast about the amount of money they have donated. Some companies are even buying full page ads in newspapers just to show what they're doing to help.

   While Hollywood and Fortune 500 choose this time to brag about their contributions, this approach lacks dignity, tact and modesty. Don't make this mistake with your career. If your company just lost a major customer and is now facing a lawsuit for breach of contract, it's not the time to brag about a new process you developed while working with that customer. That shows poor timing on your part and you will look bad in front of your boss and colleagues.

2. Don't brag by putting down the competition

   On Season 2 of the hit show The Apprentice, one contestant, Ivana, was the project manager of a losing team. As she was making her case in front of Donald Trump as to why she should not be fired, instead of focusing on her strengths, she started to bad mouth another contestant. What made Ivana's comments so bizarre is that she focused on someone who wasn't even on the same team as she was. Incidentally, Donald Trump didn't look too highly on Ivana's comments and he fired her with little hesitation.

   Saying negative things about a co-worker may make you feel good, but this approach does little to raise your profile at work. When you do this, you appear to be uncomfortable with your own accomplishments. Instead, develop a 30-second commercial about what you do well. That way, you focus on your triumphs and resist the temptation of making your co-worker look bad.

3. Never include cheating in your self-promotion campaign

   Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

   The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

   Whether you

   Starbucks Team Partner Legendary Service Robot
   Starbucks employees are not just regular employees behind the average counter, they are Team Partners in charge of providing “Legendary Service” the millions of regular customers worldwide. In fact there are secret shoppers at Starbucks; did you know that? They do the ever feared “Snap Shot” where they judge the Team Partners to see if they are really “pouring their hearts into it.” Every Starbucks Team Partner knows that the next customer could be someone doing a surprise visit to check on the temperature of the coffee, the greeting to make sure it was in 30-seconds and even the cleanliness of the bathrooms. These Team Partners are judged on their abilities to keep up the ultra-hi
   t piggy-back off a tragic event to launch your self-promotion campaign

   The recent hurricane that hit the American states of Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama left millions homeless and cities in ruin. Hurricane Katrina is turning out to be one of the most expensive natural disasters ever in the continental United States. The tsunami that decimated 11 countries in South Asia in December 2004 is yet another extremely devastating natural event. Many people were displaced and to date, over $2-billion has been donated world wide to help the victims of the tsunami.

   However, it’s getting to a point where the publicity surrounding who's giving gets more attention than the people who lost their homes, belongings and family members. Celebrities, companies and even countries are taking this opportunity to boast about the amount of money they have donated. Some companies are even buying full page ads in newspapers just to show what they're doing to help.

   While Hollywood and Fortune 500 choose this time to brag about their contributions, this approach lacks dignity, tact and modesty. Don't make this mistake with your career. If your company just lost a major customer and is now facing a lawsuit for breach of contract, it's not the time to brag about a new process you developed while working with that customer. That shows poor timing on your part and you will look bad in front of your boss and colleagues.

4. Don't brag by putting down the competition

   On Season 2 of the hit show The Apprentice, one contestant, Ivana, was the project manager of a losing team. As she was making her case in front of Donald Trump as to why she should not be fired, instead of focusing on her strengths, she started to bad mouth another contestant. What made Ivana's comments so bizarre is that she focused on someone who wasn't even on the same team as she was. Incidentally, Donald Trump didn't look too highly on Ivana's comments and he fired her with little hesitation.

   Saying negative things about a co-worker may make you feel good, but this approach does little to raise your profile at work. When you do this, you appear to be uncomfortable with your own accomplishments. Instead, develop a 30-second commercial about what you do well. That way, you focus on your triumphs and resist the temptation of making your co-worker look bad.

5. Never include cheating in your self-promotion campaign

   Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

   The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

   Whether you

   Franchisee Training - Development or Interference
   The world of franchising faces a unique challenge when it comes to developing motivating and ultimately increasing the success of its brand and the individuals that create it.The continuous battle is between providing the support that franchise's need, allowing the individuals the space to express themselves and having the consistency in approach and delivery that protects and enhances the franchises brand and market position.So with a difficult challenge facing each relationship within a franchise how do you make the most of the huge resource and potential that is just waiting to be released?The answer lies in playing to the strengths of the people involved in
   nies and even countries are taking this opportunity to boast about the amount of money they have donated. Some companies are even buying full page ads in newspapers just to show what they're doing to help.

   While Hollywood and Fortune 500 choose this time to brag about their contributions, this approach lacks dignity, tact and modesty. Don't make this mistake with your career. If your company just lost a major customer and is now facing a lawsuit for breach of contract, it's not the time to brag about a new process you developed while working with that customer. That shows poor timing on your part and you will look bad in front of your boss and colleagues.

6. Don't brag by putting down the competition

   On Season 2 of the hit show The Apprentice, one contestant, Ivana, was the project manager of a losing team. As she was making her case in front of Donald Trump as to why she should not be fired, instead of focusing on her strengths, she started to bad mouth another contestant. What made Ivana's comments so bizarre is that she focused on someone who wasn't even on the same team as she was. Incidentally, Donald Trump didn't look too highly on Ivana's comments and he fired her with little hesitation.

   Saying negative things about a co-worker may make you feel good, but this approach does little to raise your profile at work. When you do this, you appear to be uncomfortable with your own accomplishments. Instead, develop a 30-second commercial about what you do well. That way, you focus on your triumphs and resist the temptation of making your co-worker look bad.

7. Never include cheating in your self-promotion campaign

   Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

   The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

   Whether you

   Discontentment in the Workplace
   While more people are finding employment, more employed workers are discontent and experiencing frustration. In most cases it can be boiled down to four factors: feeling undervalued, unappreciated and powerless, and world events.You can possess a tremendous amount of creativity and skill, but if you aren’t given opportunities to utilize and express these qualities to their fullest, frustration can quickly set in. For most employees, there is a huge differential between what they can bring to the table and the responsibilities they have been given.It’s rare that you hear of someone working a forty-hour week. These days, fifty and sixty-hour weeks have become commonp
   Apprentice, one contestant, Ivana, was the project manager of a losing team. As she was making her case in front of Donald Trump as to why she should not be fired, instead of focusing on her strengths, she started to bad mouth another contestant. What made Ivana's comments so bizarre is that she focused on someone who wasn't even on the same team as she was. Incidentally, Donald Trump didn't look too highly on Ivana's comments and he fired her with little hesitation.

   Saying negative things about a co-worker may make you feel good, but this approach does little to raise your profile at work. When you do this, you appear to be uncomfortable with your own accomplishments. Instead, develop a 30-second commercial about what you do well. That way, you focus on your triumphs and resist the temptation of making your co-worker look bad.

8. Never include cheating in your self-promotion campaign

   Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

   The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

   Whether you

   Strategies for Planning and Conducting Effective Meetings
   Did you know that business executives spend about half their time sitting in meetings? In fact, 40 to 50 percent of their working hours are consumed by meetings, according to a study by the Annenberg School of Communications at UCLA and the University of Minnesota's Training & Development Research Center.Meetings are inevitable - whether you’re a business executive or member of a volunteer, social, or civic organization. But meetings can be a very effective and efficient way to communicate, if properly planned and conducted. To help you pull off successful meetings, below are some key strategies to follow. You may only need to address a few of them, if you’re cond
   s on your triumphs and resist the temptation of making your co-worker look bad.

9. Never include cheating in your self-promotion campaign

   Remember Enron, WorldCom and the adventures of media tycoon, Conrad Black? The executives of these companies cheated in order to gain success. Despite the fact that he was being investigated for diverting company money to his own pocket, Black was outraged and claimed that people should be thanking him for creating so many jobs, not spending their energy accusing him of stealing.

   The things you do at work may not include being investigated by the Securities & Exchange Commission, but there are some activities you may be doing right now that undermines your company's bottom line.

   Whether you take office supplies home from your company's stock room, take a two-hour lunch or overcharge your company for gas on your expense report, these actions are all dishonest. You'll make enemies at work very fast if you gloat about your dishonest deeds in the lunch room. Plus, this is a sure fire way to bring your career to a grinding halt as no one wants to work with a cheater.

10. Don't over-brag

    There's a business woman I met recently. I had read her book and I attended a few of her teleclasses. When I heard she'd be in my city on business, I sent her an email requesting we meet for coffee.

    We met and I immediately regretted it. You see, this business woman spoke endlessly about herself for the entire 30-minutes. Here I was, one of her biggest fans and most loyal customers, and my idol boasted about her product line and how much money she was making. This business women didn't take any time to find out who I am nor to learn why I'm her biggest fan. I walked away from that meeting and never bought anything from her website again.

    It's important to let others know about your achievements, but don't do this at the expense of bad manners. Find the balance. Know when it's appropriate to talk about your accomplishments and when you should hold your tongue. A good self-promoter knows the value of listening to others. This skill can work wonders for your career.

The way for you to advance in your career rests in your ability to self-promote. If you won't talk about your achievements, don't expect anyone else to do so, but remember that your goal is to be savvy in your approach and leave the brainless techniques to someone else.