Career Skills for the New Economy

3.   Take Action and Keep Moving Forward

Nothing gets done unless somebody does it. In this case, that somebody is you. If you have one hundred phone calls to make, you start with the first one, move on to the second, then the third, and so forth. Each call is a concrete action. But it’s important to realize that each call also involves a series of concrete actions:

•   Identify recipient and phone number.

•   Clarify your purpose—why are you calling?

•   Decide what you’re going to say.

•   Lift the receiver and hold in place.

•   Dial the number.

•   Wait and listen.

•   Say hello and state who is calling.

•   Conduct the conversation.

•   Return the receiver to its cradle.

Every concrete action can be broken down into minute components, and ...