Lessons Learned in 20 Years at Oracle

I've known Mark, a technical pre-sales consultant at Oracle, for a number of years.  I was bcc'd on the farewell email message that he sent out today, his last working day at Oracle.  As he said, he's learned a few things over his past 20 years at Oracle and thought he would share them.  They were quite simple and powerful reminders - and important enough that I shared them with our entire development and QA teams.

OWN IT —  Things sometimes go off track.   Whether it was something on your team that went sideways or it was another team's responsibility, step up, own the problem and deliver a resolution.  

LEARN IT —  There are always new technologies, solutions, processes, and procedures.   Set aside time to learn and master what is new so that you are prepared when the time comes.   

TEACH IT — When you master something new, find someone else with whom you can share it.  

GROW IT — Your team is incredibly valuable.   Take the time to invest in your teammates and equip them with new capabilities. 

OVERLOOK IT — People can make poor decisions.   Fight the urge to gossip about them.   Look for the best and ignore the rest.