I’ve always felt that the real title to every book I’ve written and most of my nationally syndicated columns is Prepare to Win. But I have a fondness for catchier titles, so for my networking book, I went with “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.” Bottom line: Networking is all about preparing to win.

In that book, I wrote a chapter about people who should be in your network: doctors, travel agents, bankers, insurance agents, auto mechanics, ticket brokers, recruiters, community and religious leaders, real estate brokers and on and on.

These are all must-haves -- especially for me -- but one of the areas I later realized that I neglected to cover is connections to cultivate inside the workplace, which are crucial to succeeding in anyone’s career. After all, there’s a reason we call them connections. You must connect.

That’s exactly what I did when I started my career many moons ago at Quality Park Envelope Company. My gut instinct told me that if I could figure out who I could befriend and impress with my business qualities, I would be able to move up in the organization. Sure enough, within a couple months, I moved from the plant to the sales department.

All it took was for me to do the best I could do, make sure the assistant plant manager knew it, and latch on to a guardian angel -- someone who was equally eager to escape the plant and who took me with him when he wrangled his way into sales.

I was beginning to learn the finer points of internal networking. Networking is not a numbers game. The idea is not to see how many people you can meet; the idea is to compile a list of people you can count on.

This was my first exposure to what I later learned was called the sausage theory. When one link moves, the other links follow. I’ve seen this play out many times over the years. When one person gets a different job in an organization or jumps to a key job at another company, they often bring a lot of their co-workers with them.

Here are some of the co-workers to get to know who can help you move up:

-- A best friend (or two or three). Find a few people you can count on for support and assistance. You’ll be more productive knowing you’ve got them to talk to about work. Don’t make it a one-sided relationship, of course -- be available to listen and help your friends as necessary.

-- A human resources rep. Get to know at least one person in your HR department so you have someone to go to with questions and concerns. You’ll be more comfortable discussing issues if you don’t walk in only when you have a problem.

-- A mentor. Seek out a senior worker in your organization to consult for career advice. Let the person know you respect his or her reputation and would value any tips he or she can share. With luck, you’ll gain a sponsor who can help you move upward in your organization. I owe much of my success to my mentors.

-- A rival or challenger. You’re often in competition for top assignments. Instead of treating it like a battle, get to know the people with the same goals and ambitions you have. You may find common ground that will help you all succeed. Competition makes you better.

-- Gatekeepers. The best way to open doors is to know gatekeepers. Get to know the people who have access to executives and senior managers, and make sure they know you. This can be very important for getting through to people who can approve your ideas and help you get ahead.

Bottom line, your career can be linked with the careers of others. As your friends and mentors move up, so can you, especially if you have been a key contributor to their promotion or success.

It doesn’t matter how far down the food chain you are when you start out; networking can pay off big time. It isn’t where you start that counts, it’s where you finish.

Just remember, there are no dead-end jobs. If you build a network, you will have a bridge to wherever you want to go.

Mackay’s Moral: Working your way up is much easier if you’re networking your way up.

There’s a good reason why Debbi Fields of cookie fame is so successful, and she summed it up in an aphorism I’ll never forget: “Good enough never is.”

Debbi told me how she coined that phrase after she visited one of her first stores. She walked in unannounced and saw a large crowd of customers in line. She noticed the most recent batch of cookies was overcooked, and she didn’t want those cookies sold. When she confronted the manager, he said, “They are good enough.” Debbie responded with her now famous line, “Good enough never is.” And she threw the entire batch in the trash and made the staff start over. She went through the line explaining what had happened. After apologizing to everyone, she said their orders would be free, if they came back and gave them another chance to show they were the best cookies in the world.

I can attest to how good they are because Debbi made a batch for my wife and me when we visited her at her Aspen home. What a cookie, and what a lesson!

I also learned another valuable lesson from Debbi. She started cooking at an early age because her mother’s cooking was just “good enough,” and Debbi wanted better. Initially, her mother was not in favor of Debbi starting her cookie business because she thought it would fail.

That made Debbi realize that there are two sides of life. There is the negative side that points out the risks and wants to rain on your parade. Then there is the positive side that cheers you on and roots for your success. It’s up to you to determine the best path.

Fortunately, Debbi Fields chose the positive side, as the company now has over 300 franchised and licensed locations throughout the United States and in 22 other countries since she opened her first store in 1977.

Giving 100 percent in everything you do is so important. According to statistics compiled by the communications division of the Canadian oil company Syncrude, if 99.9 percent were good enough, then:

-- 107 incorrect medical procedures will be performed by the end of the day today.

-- Two million documents will be lost by the IRS this year.

-- 22,000 transactions will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.

-- 1,314 phone calls will be misplaced by telecommunication services every minute.

-- 268,500 defective tires will be shipped this year.

-- 14,208 defective PCs will be shipped this year.

-- 103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year.

-- 5,517,200 cases of soft drinks produced in the next 12 months will be flatter than a bad tire.

-- 3,065 copies of tomorrow's Wall Street Journal will be missing one of the three sections.

-- 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled in the next hour.

-- 291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly this year.

-- 880,000 credit cards in circulation will turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.

-- $9,690 will be spent today, tomorrow, next Thursday, and every day in the future on defective, often unsafe sporting equipment.

-- 55 malfunctioning automatic teller machines will be installed in the next 12 months.

-- 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next 12 months.

-- 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped this year.

-- 315 entries in Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language will turn out to be misspelled.

-- Two plane landings daily at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago will be unsafe.

-- 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents each day.

Given numbers like those, does a pan of overbaked cookies seem like such a big deal? It is if your standards are as high as they should be. And never stop trying to exceed those standards.

Take it from Orison Swett Marden, founder of SUCCESS magazine, “The quality of your work will have a great deal to do with the quality of your life.”

Here’s a work/life example that illustrates his point.

In ancient Rome, when the scaffolding was removed from a completed Roman arch, the law read that the Roman engineer who built the arch had to stand beneath it. The point was that if the arch came crashing down, he would experience the responsibility firsthand. As a result, the Roman engineer knew that the quality of his work was crucial and would have a direct personal impact on his life.

Mackay’s Moral: There is no substitute for quality.

There are many things in life that you can do multiple times. Making a first impression on someone isn't one of them.

First impressions are lasting. Once a first impression is made, if it’s less than great, it takes a long time to change it.

Experts say it takes between five and 15 seconds for someone to form a first impression about a person. According to William Thourlby in his book “You Are What You Wear: The Key to Business Success,” the first time we meet someone, we’re trying to size them up. People look at socioeconomic status, level of education, social position, level of sophistication, economic background, social background, moral character and level of success.

First impressions are influenced by our backgrounds, including our families, friends, education, religion, jobs and other factors. These include body language, dress, appearance and voice. Your body language and appearance speak much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake.

Quite possibly one of the most important and terrifying times to make a spectacular first impression is when you are interviewing for or starting a new job.

The first day of a new job can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Even if you never plan to leave your current job, you’ll probably be promoted or switch to a new position at some point, and the experience will be much the same. There are some guidelines for relieving day-one stress that you should keep in mind.

-- Don’t be late. In fact, it’s best to be a little early. Double-check where you’re supposed to be and what time you’re expected to start. If it’s a new workplace, test your route and give yourself extra time for a prompt arrival.

-- Learn the lay of the land. Your manager will probably show you around, but make an extra effort to remember what you see so you don’t have to repeat the same questions. Yes, you can always ask for directions later, but you’ll impress people more by being a quick study.

-- Master people’s names. Again, you’ll gain a reputation for attention and thoughtfulness by memorizing the names of everyone you meet. There are a variety of memory strategies that will help you match names and faces. There is no bigger compliment than using someone’s name when you speak to them.

-- Bring your lunch. Maybe the boss or co-workers will take you out to lunch on your first day, but don’t count on it. Stay in the workplace and eat in the lunchroom so you get a chance to meet more people. Just don’t waste too much time chowing down on your first day -- demonstrate your eagerness to get back to work.

-- Smile. Put a pleasant expression on your face. Be friendly. Show that you’re glad to be there. People respond to smiles and sincerity. Ask questions and be interested in your new co-workers. They’ll remember and appreciate your effort.

-- Restrain your instincts. Your first day is a time to learn, not to show off what you think you know. So, show you are glad to be there, but don’t let your enthusiasm get the best of you, lest you come across as insincere. Concentrate instead on what you can contribute and how you can fit in to the culture.

On the other side of the equation, when I hire people, I am acutely aware of the first impression they leave on me. Will a customer have the same reaction?

We’ve all had cringeworthy moments hoping we came across as positive as possible. Remember the movie “Pretty Woman”? Julia Roberts’ character goes into a swanky Beverly Hills shop looking for a wardrobe upgrade, wearing a very casual and somewhat provocative outfit. The saleswomen ignore her, thinking she can’t afford their clothing. She gets the message and walks out of the store as quickly as she came in.

But a couple days later, she returns, dressed to the nines. The sales staff is most attentive, anticipating a huge sale from this elegant woman. They obviously don’t recognize her. So, she reminds them that they had snubbed her and so she took her business elsewhere. Nothing could make up for their pathetic first impression.

Mackay’s Moral: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.