The year was 2005. The first-ever YouTube video was uploaded, Hurricane Katrina made landfall, causing an estimated $108 billion in damage and Carrie Underwood won Season 4 of American Idol, which was the most popular television show of the year.

A lot has changed in 20 years. When I first started at D.L. Howell and Associates, Inc. (now Howell Engineering) back in 2005, the company was small, but the pace was fast. Things clicked from the start, and I knew I had landed in the right spot. What I didn’t know was what I didn’t know.

Here are 20 quick lessons learned throughout 20 years:

1. Communication is paramount. Being able to communicate direction, thoughts and ideas effectively saves time… and money.
2. Have a plan. Have a plan for the day and be prepared for it to change… multiple times.
3. Show up. Consistency leads to reliability.
4. Lead from the front. Don’t ask someone to do something you haven’t already done yourself.
5. Build relationships. Sometimes, who you know really is more important than what you know.
6. Knowledge is power. Your value lies in your knowledge, not your time.
7. Smile. It’s a great ice breaker.
8. Tomorrow is a new day. One bad day doesn’t equate to a bad week, month, year or life.
9. If you’re on time, you’re late. Some of the most productive things happen in the discussions 10 minutes prior.
10. Make the call. A 10-minute phone conversation can save hours in email correspondence.
11. Everyone is replaceable. It’s a hard truth, but the company managed before your arrival, and they’ll manage after your departure.
12. “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it,” is a fast track to failure.
13. Be productive, not busy. Working 55 hours a week isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a sign of poor time management.
14. Reputation matters. It enters the room long before you do.
15. Accountability goes a long way, both in the eyes of leadership and colleagues.
16. Bad news is better than no news. Communicate, even if it’s not what clients want to hear.
17. Having boundaries is ok. If you value your time, others will as well.
18. Success is on the other side of doing something difficult. Do the hard work.
19. To quote Bruce Lee, “Be water.” Courses change. Regulations change. Scopes change. Be adaptable and change with them.
20. Shortcuts never work. There are two ways to do something- the right way or again.

With around 20 more years to go before retirement becomes a reality, I look forward to seeing how this list evolves. Comment your thoughts, ideas or additional lessons learned. I’m sure there are many more everyone can benefit from.