My grandfather worked his way up from being an oil field worker to being a vice president of Exxon over the course of many long years. During his tenure as a manager, one of his new hires asked "How can I succeed here at Exxon?"

He thought about the question, and told the employee three things:

• Show up on time
• Don't get sick
• Do "good" things

I currently have this posted above my computer monitor as a form of encouragement, and it has served me well. The moral of my little anecdote: post slightly cheesy sayings that resonate well with management in your workspace, and they'll perceive you as a real go-getter.

(For those who are interested, the anecdote is real, the moral is not. :)