7 Unwritten Rules of Management

Have you ever heard of Bill Swanson’s “33 Unwritten Rules of Management”?

In 2000, Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon, unleashed his 33 Unwritten Rules of Management. And it caught on – there was something that touched the nerve of many. The simplicity of the rules, the lack of jargon involved. Raytheon ended up distributing over 300,000 copies of the guide before a little controversy (some of rules came from a 1944 Engineering book without reference)

I was turned onto these 33 rules last week and they really stood out to me as useful and practical.

Here’s my 7 favorite of the bunch:

(1) Cultivate the habit of “boiling matters done” to the simplest terms. An elevator speech is the best way

(2) Confirm your instructions and the commitments of others in writing. Don’t assume it will get done!

(3) Strive for brevity and clarity in oral and written reports.

(4)Promises, schedules, and estimates are important instruments in a well-ordered business

(5 )A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter-or to others – is not a nice person

(6) You remember 1/3 of what you read, ½ of what you read but 100% of what you feel

(7) When faced with decisions, try to look at them as if you were one level up in the organization. Your perspective will change quickly

Check out the full 33 Unwritten Rules of Management.

What’s your favorite unwritten management rule?

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