Connection

A few months ago, (February 3, 2014 to be exact), I began a new position as a Subject Matter Expert with Cartegraph. Part of our discussion regarding my employment was the fact that I would be working remotely, from my home. It was the first time in my life I had ever been a remote employee, so I was curious as to how it would work and what it would feel like to work from a home office. I was not too concerned with becoming lazy, as I have always been intrinsically motivated. I like getting things done, being productive and helping others achieve success. So, the only real question was, "What will this look like everyday?" I travel about 50% of the time to speak and meet with clients, so I am not always home, but when I am I like to maximize my productivity. Here are a few lessons I have learned to make that happen:

1. Coordinate Your Hours with the Home Office

One of the best decisions I made early on, was to coordinate my work hours with my home office. In my case, that means 8:00 a.m. for them is 6:00 a.m. for me. They are on Central Time and I am in Arizona. Despite the time difference, it has been tremendously helpful to have the same schedule. Though this may not apply to you as far as the time difference, it has been a tremendous help for me (with meetings, calls, WebEx sessions, and emails, etc.) because everyone knows that when they are in their office, so am I. Speaking of being in the office...

2. Dedicate an Office Space

Regardless of its size, be sure to make a space that is uniquely your own. Mine is actually in my son's room (he is in college). I have all my equipment set up and my desk faces an amazing view of the mountains. Though it is small, it is "mine" and I love it. I have written blog posts, consulted with clients, hosted webinars and demonstrated our software all from that little office space. Everything I need is right there, and I treat it like a "regular" office, just as if my boss were in the next room.

3. Get Ready for the Day

I treat my morning the same as if I was travelling to work. I shower, get dressed, and go into my office. The only difference is that my commute is 20 feet instead of 20 miles. For me, I found that getting ready in the morning, as if I was commuting, tells my mind that I am getting ready for work. My mind is focused and that prep time gets me ready for work.

4. Communicate...Often!

My manager and I chat just about every day, whether it is by phone, IM chat, or email. He knows he can speak to me whenever something comes up because we are always communicating. This develops and maintains closer working relationships, as well as trust. I would also encourage remote employees to communicate often with co-workers at the home office throughout the day. A brief email, IM chat or phone call doesn't have to be disruptive or lengthy. Touching base with others and maintaining relationships makes you feel less disconnected, plus it has the added benefit of avoiding the "out of sight, out of mind" issue.

5. Respond Quickly

One effective way to assure people that you are on the job during office hours (there will always be cynics who believe otherwise) is to respond to emails, phone calls and IM chats instantly! My average email response time is less than 5 minutes. Unless I am traveling or in the middle of a phone call or meeting, I respond to everything as quickly as I can. I want everyone in my company to know that I am here and working during office hours. I also open my calendar for anyone to see. I know some will disagree (some vehemently), but it is my personal preference. Everyone can see my schedule and it keeps me disciplined to keep my calendar up to date.

6. Produce Amazing Results

To be perfectly honest, to be seen as an "A" player, those of us who are remote employees will have to overproduce in order to receive recognition. When you are not around the home office where others see you on a daily basis, you need something that will remind people at the company of your value. The best way to do this is to produce superior work. For me, that meant the above-mentioned priorities, as well as taking on extra projects (I write blog posts and client success stories for our company's website, as well as created and administrate a "think-tank" group on our company's internal communications portal). Being willing to go above and beyond your normal duties and serving your company a heaping helping of excellence every day will increase your value. Be positive, be encouraging to others and make it a priority to be the person people want to talk to every day.

7. Be Thankful

As a remote employee, you have been handed a tremendous amount of trust. Your employer is trusting you to be unsupervised all day, every day. Express appreciation for that trust. Show them it was a great decision for you to be a remote employee by the great work you produce. Be thankful you don't have to deal with the traffic, the expense of driving the car, and for the privilege of living where you want to live. Cartegraph is based in the Midwest and I live in the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. While they are sliding around on the snow and ice to get to work in December, I am sitting in my home office, looking out at the desert, while the sun shines brightly and temperatures are in the 70's. I am thankful for that! I have been afforded the opportunity, by the mercy of geography and the technological age in which I live, to work from home. That is never lost on me. I am truly grateful.

In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to each situation. I do miss the daily conversations with my friends. I miss the product and business knowledge that is gained by the daily in-person interaction with my co-workers. I miss the good food people often bring in to the office for birthdays or other celebrations. However, I also enjoy the fact that when I DO make a trip to the Midwest, arriving at the the home office is a happy and celebratory "reunion" with my co-workers that always brings a smile to my face. Finally, I am grateful to be in a position to do what I love, at a company I love, living in a place that I love. Being remote may not be for everyone, but I have found it to be perfect for me.

Since I know my list is neither perfect, nor exhaustive (I have only been a remote employee for 8 months), I would enjoy hearing what other remote employees have found to be helpful to them.

When Eric Urtiaga started his new job as a Product Manager for a nutritional products company in San Diego, he was looking forward to having an impact on a market that he cared a lot about. Eric was passionate about maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit, at work and in the rest of his life. He had been told by co-workers at his previous employer that his attitude and energy were was one of the reasons they looked forward to coming to work each day.

So it came as a shock to Eric when he heard that someone at the new company was talking about him behind his back, and not in a good way.

"He doesn't have the educational or research credentials we need to advance our products," sniffed Marlene, the corporate communications manager. She seemed to take every opportunity to second guess his ideas for new product introductions and current product promotions. And when he went over budget on a trade show booth, she mentioned "our budget problem" at several meetings, just to be sure Eric's boss was aware if it.

At first Eric tried to take the high road. He just kept his head down and focused on doing a good job. But Marlene was a long time employee with many friends and acquaintances in virtually every department. Over time her behind-the-scenes whispering campaign began to take its toll. Eric could tell that he was losing the confidence of some people, so he tried to address the issues directly with Marlene.

"I think somehow we got off on the wrong foot, and I'd like to start over," he said to her in a private conversation.

Marlene looked stunned. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Eric began to give her a few examples but she cut him off. "I thought you wanted open communication? I've been clear with you about my concerns, and when it seems appropriate I've shared those concerns with others. Our culture here is an open give-and-take environment where people are free to express their opinions."

Eric was getting nowhere with her, so he ended the meeting and thought perhaps she might at least think twice before talking about him behind his back again. Instead, Marlene went immediately to the HR Manager and filed a complaint. She totally characterized the nature of the conversation and told HR that she "felt threatened" by Eric's anger at her criticisms.

When Eric was called to the HR Director's office and given an opportunity to respond, he was shocked and (unfortunately) angry. She had so clearly lied, and the surprise of it all caused him to lash out. "I'm telling you! She is a conniving, lying bitch! That is NOT what happened! I don't know what it is, but she has had it in for me since day one!"

It would be great if this story had a happy ending. If somehow Eric had learned the "8 Steps for Dealing with Office Backstabbers" or something like that, and then he and Marlene eventually developed a productive working relationship. That would be nice. But the reality is that this did not end well.

For the next six months Eric's career at the nutritional products company spiraled slowly downward. More controls were put in place over his budget. His boss began to second guess many of his ideas and encouraged him to "Just keep the trains running. No need for new ideas right now." Eric could see the writing on the wall. The only bright spot is that he started interviewing at other companies and was able to land a new position before the old one was taken away from him.

But in the end, Eric didn't really learn anything about how to handle the backstabber. He felt wronged and it is a story he now loves to tell anytime someone mentions the old company. I've heard the story several times over the past two years - each time "Marlene" gets nastier, more clever and more powerful.

So is there anything that Eric COULD have learned? Anything he COULD have done to make things better at the old company? Could he have beaten Marlene at her own game?

(Note: the Product Manager hired after Eric left turned out to be a good friend of Marlene who had interviewed for the position previously when Eric had been selected. Hmm...)

While every situation is different, here are some general guidelines that can help you when you are dealing with someone in the office who is clearly backstabbing you.

"Unless you're willing to switch jobs, you're stuck working with your office enemy. These strategies will help you deal with making the most out of your working relationship.

Get Close

While your instinct might be to avoid this person at all cost, this only gives them more room to maneuver against you. So sit NEAR them at meetings, not at the other side of the table. Give them compliments in an open forum so that others hear you saying NICE things about them. You don't have to lie. You can say things like:

"You've got an experienced perspective on this."
"I appreciate how much you care about this."
"Thanks for helping the team out."
"You're background and knowledge on this has been helpful."
You get the idea. Without going overboard, these compliments are intended to let OTHERS know you have an appreciation for this person. It will make their behind-your-back negative comments seem small and spiteful.

Should this person offer any criticism publicly, be sure to THANK them and let them (others really) know how much you appreciate the candid feedback. But try not to argue the point in public. Instead try something like:

"You've made an interesting point and I really appreciate the candid feedback. I want to think about it, to make sure I give this the level of thought it is due, then we can talk further."

Your goal is to "hug" your backstabber (metaphorically, of course) with public kindness, appreciation and professionalism. Even in private understand that in the mind of a back stabbing type of person, this is all a human chess game. So be careful about every move you make.

Eric's biggest mistake was in assuming that there could be a win/win outcome, because that was his personality type. And inherently positive people often get steamrolled by backstabbers because they don't understand the win/LOSE mindset. But you have to assume that the backstabber will always take every opportunity to defeat you, step by step.

So "hug" them. Get close. Never let them know that you are aware of their behind-the-scenes activity against you.

Recruit Allies - Carefully

It is best to never let anyone at work know your inner frustrations because you can never be sure which side they are REALLY on. Most people want to be on the side of the "winner" so if it appears that the backstabber is getting the upper hand, that is the direction most will gravitate to. Don't let this frustrate or depress you, it is simply human nature. We are drawn to perceived strength.

At the same time, even if you can't express your own frustrations, you can see the signs of frustration in others. Look for a subtle roll of the eyes when the backstabber takes credit for a project she only briefly worked on. Or indications that others are getting impatient with the backstabber. You can get closer to, and align with, these people. And if they begin to openly express their frustration you should listen attentively, but don't join in. This is still a chess game. Don't vent, just bite your tongue and take a deep breath. The same goes for sharing your feelings with your boss; when it comes down to it, to your supervisor (and to companies in general) it only matters that employees are performing. Personality clashes you're having with a colleague are low on their priority list.

Use Your Humor and Good Nature

Bullies feed on the fear and frustration of others, so give them NOTHING to feed on. Never let a backstabber's comments ruin your day. Don't let the bastards get you down. In fact, you should take pride in the fact that they are unable to beat you down. Instead you should focus on elevating others to show the dramatic contrast between your style and that of the backstabber.

If someone comes to you and tells you about a backstabbers comments about you, shrug it off with a laugh and say "I'm going to have to spend more time with her so she gets comfortable sharing these things with me directly. That way we can have a productive conversation."

If they criticize you publicly, at a meeting for example, you can laugh and say with gentle sarcasm "don't hold back, tell us how you REALLY feel."

No Easy Answers

There is no quick or perfect solution because every situation and every Backstabber personality is different. That's why I am interested to hear YOUR ideas...

There is nothing wrong with making a mistake. It's what you say to yourself after you mess up that matters. Your self-talk (the thoughts you have about your feelings) can either magnify the negativity or help you turn that misstep into something productive.

Negative self-talk is unrealistic, unnecessary, and self-defeating. It sends you into a downward emotional spiral that is difficult to pull out of.

All self-talk is driven by important beliefs that you hold about yourself. It plays an understated but powerful role in success because it can both spur you forward to achieve your goals and hold you back.

As Henry Ford said, “He who believes he can and he who believes he cannot are both correct.”

TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence (EQ) of more than a million people and found that 90% of top performers are high in EQ. These successful, high EQ individuals possess an important skill—the ability to recognize and control negative self-talk so that it doesn't prevent them from reaching their full potential.

These successful people earn an average of $28,000 more annually than their low EQ peers, get promoted more often, and receive higher marks on performance evaluations. The link between EQ and earnings is so direct that every point increase in EQ adds $1,300 to an annual salary.

When it comes to self-talk, we've discovered six common, yet toxic, beliefs that hold people back more than any others. Be mindful of your tendencies to succumb to these beliefs, so that they don't derail your career:

Toxic Belief #1: Perfection = Success

Human beings, by our vary nature, are fallible. When perfection is your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure, and end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish, instead of enjoying what you were able to achieve.

Toxic Belief #2: My Destiny is Predetermined

Far too many people succumb to the highly irrational idea that they are destined to succeed or fail. Make no mistake about it, your destiny is in your own hands, and blaming multiple successes or failures on forces beyond your control is nothing more than a cop out. Sometimes life will deal you difficult cards to play, and others times you'll be holding aces. Your willingness to give your all in playing any hand you're holding determines your ultimate success or failure in life.

Toxic Belief #3: I “Always” or “Never” Do That

There isn't anything in life that you always or never do. You may do something a lot or not do something enough, but framing your behavior in terms of “always” or “never” is a form of self-pity. It makes you believe that you have no control of yourself and will never change. Don't succumb to it.

Toxic Belief #4: I Succeed When Others Approve of Me

Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one thing is certain⎯you're never as good or bad as they say you are. It's impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, but you can take people's opinions with a grain of salt. That way, no matter what people think about you, your self-worth comes only from within.

Toxic Belief #5: My Past = My Future

Repeated failures can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to believe you'll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the time, these failures result from taking risks and trying to achieve something that isn't easy. Just remember that success lies in your ability to rise in the face of failure. Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can't allow failure to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed.

Toxic Belief #6: My Emotions = Reality

If you've read Emotional Intelligence 2.0, you know how to take an objective look at your feelings and separate fact from fiction. If not, you might want to read it. Otherwise, your emotions will continue to skew your sense of reality, making you vulnerable to the negative self-talk that can hold you back from achieving your full potential.

I was chatting with our Community Manager this week and she commented on the significant increase in emails and calls she was getting from people in their fifties and sixties who were struggling to find work. Each one starts with, "let me tell you my story..." and ends with, "it never used to be this hard to find a job."

While their stories are intensely personal to them, and heart-breaking for us to hear, the truth is, they all say roughly the same thing.

Every story goes something like this:

1) In the early years, I climbed the career ladder, but didn't truly love what I was doing.

2) When I reached a certain point, I had 'golden handcuffs' and decided to just do the job because it paid decently, I was good at it, and I could focus on other areas of my life that needed attention (i.e. family, etc.).

3) Then suddenly, the market changed, I got laid-off (or fired), and now nobody wants to talk to me. I think I'm being discriminated against because of my age.

Looking back, it's easy to see where they went wrong...

As the saying goes, "hindsight is 20/20" - and for these folks, it's not hard to see where they went off-course in their career journey. The sad part is, they were doing what they were told to do: make peace with your career and take care of the other areas of your life. Sounds like good advice, but in reality, not focusing on the career that gives you financial security and a sense of identity can come back to haunt you. Especially these days, when the average length of a job assignment is two years and changing jobs frequently is the 'new normal' in career development.

Don't want this to be your future? Do these three things:

For those of you brave enough to read this post, here's what you should do:

1) Don't mentally put the career on hold. Life naturally gets busier as we age (i.e. you buy a house, get married, have kids, take care of sick parents, etc.), and that can make us want to put the career on auto-pilot for a bit. We justify it by saying, "I've worked hard to get where I am, I can take the gas off the pedal for a bit." But in reality, you can never, ever stop learning and growing in your career. The moment you chose to slow down, you are putting yourself in a category of people who are seen as on the down-trend in their careers. Employers hire rising stars, not falling ones.

2) Figure out your specialty. As we get seasoned in our careers, employers expect us to bring more value in the form of a specialty. We are the aspirin to their pain. The more we can prove we will alleviate their bigger headaches, the more they'll pay. Job security is about building up an expertise that is in-demand. It's up to us to follow the emerging trends in our field and to build up our skills so they can help employers solve the pressing problems they face. There's nothing worse than waking up one day and realizing your skills aren't valuable to an employer. Your earning potential immediately plummets - as does your job security.

3) Network consistently. As we move along in our careers, it's easy to say, "I have enough professional contacts, I don't need any more." This couldn't be more wrong. Just ask anyone who has tried to get references from retired managers or companies that are out of business. Your network ages out of the marketplace if you don't focus on acquiring new contacts to backfill the ones that fall out. That means reaching out to people your age or YOUNGER, to build partnerships and stay connected in the industry. Not to mention, it helps you to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and can instill you with the youthful energy and excitement for your industry that may have long since left you.

Blaming employers won't help.

I'm sure some of you reading this feel employers should take responsibility for all the older workers they laid-off and are no longer looking to hire. I often get asked, "Where's the loyalty?" However, neither you nor I can change the way business is going right now. The fact is, employers are no longer offering full-time long-term employment to anybody. They rate of change in business today makes it impossible for them to make that of employment promise. In fact, studies show 1 out of 2 professionals in the workforce are expected to be Independent Contractors by 2020. The trend towards "every professional for themselves" is part of the re-defining of the employee-employer relationship. Getting mad won't fix it. Finding a way to leverage it is the only way to get what you want.

NOTE: Disruptive life events are a different story.

For those of you that had a major life event derail their career (i.e. illness, long gap of unemployment), your situation is different and will require a different approach. Employers want to know you are back on track. There's an entire branding process you should go through (which I will discuss in a future post), in order to get hiring managers to consider you. Do that first, and then you can focus on re-building the career trajectory.

If you made these career mistakes, it's not too late.

If you can recognize and accept what's happened, you can make changes and get back in the game. You'll need tools and resources to help you re-brand and market yourself properly, but it can be done. Seek any and all information on the new realities of job search. [You can start here with a video tutorial series called, "8 Ways Job Seekers are Shut Out of the Hiring Process."]

Henry Ford should be our inspiration.

I find myself using this famous phrase by Henry Ford a lot lately, "If you think you can or your can't - you're right!" In this case, you must believe that you can get back on track. It's up to you to make the effort to adjust your perceptions and close your gap in knowledge, but if you want it bad enough, don't give up.

A survey by TalentSmart showed that 90 percent of top performers know how to manage their emotions in times of stress so that they remain cool, calm, and able to do what needs to be done.

That’s an important lesson in and of itself for all of us - because all of us experience stress in our lives. Research has shown that some stress is good for us: it helps us perform at optimal levels. Too much stress, however, can have serious psychological and physiological repercussions.

Since we can’t necessarily avoid most stress - especially in our work environments - it’s to our benefit to learn how to deal with it, and learn from the examples of those who are already successful.

According to surveys and other research, successful people have some strategies in common when it comes to managing stress.

They practice gratitude for what they have.

It may sound a little Oprah to you, but developing a gratitude practice is a psychologically proven way to reduce stress and maintain a more positive outlook on life. When you have a more positive outlook (and less of the stress hormone cortisol) you are happier and more productive, too.

They stay positive.

Easier said than done? Sometimes. But successful people tend to be those who see opportunities for growth masquerading as failure, and who look for the lessons learned when something goes awry, instead of wallowing in what could’ve/should’ve been. Maintaining a positive outlook. It’s a popular and proven stress management tool. If affirmations aren’t exactly your thing, try reframing negative thoughts. If you find yourself dwelling on something negative, try adding, “But what I can learn from this is…” Even just noticing that you’re stuck in a negative thought can help you move away from it.

They focus on progress, not perfection.

No one is perfect. Not even the most successful people on the planet are perfect - and they would almost certainly tell you the same. Richard Branson, for example, has had some well known failures in his time, yet has always been blunt about his belief that you fail quickly, fail big, learn from it, and move on. Many of us worship the cult of perfection, but letting it go may release us from a heavy burden of undue stress.

They practice self-care.

Successful people often have the presence of mind to realize that they must care for their most important asset - themselves - in order to continue to be successful. They prioritize healthy habits like getting enough sleep, limiting caffeine and alcohol, getting proper exercise, and switching off from technology periodically. Being overly tired, hopped up on chemicals (like caffeine and alcohol) and constantly monitoring our digital lives puts our adrenal glands into overdrive, and our stress levels through the roof. A truly successful person will strive to find balance to help moderate his stress.

They rely on routines.

One major cause of stress is the number of decisions we have to make in a day. Every decision from whether to have the sandwich or the salad all the way up to hiring and firing decisions weighs on us and causes us stress. Relying on simple routines like having the same lunch every day, answering emails at the same time, or even simplifying your wardrobe can help save your stress and sanity for the bigger decisions that really matter. President Obama (who undoubtedly knows a great deal about stress) mentioned this in an interview with Vanity Fair:

You need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day… You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make. You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.

They keep the big picture in view.

Finally, successful people are able to keep the bigger picture in view, rather than focusing on minutiae. This is about focusing more on the “why” behind what you do than the “how.” For example, you might feel yourself getting stressed out about the fact that you have to work out every day for an hour (the how), but if you focus on the reason you want to work out - to be healthy and live longer - you may find the actual task less stressful.

CK-12 co-founder Neeru Khosla and Clever’s Tyler Bosmeny are out to save the American public school system.

And they’re doing it with free software and tools.

Khosla, of course, is the head of tech-centric education non-profit CK-12, co-founded and backed by her billionaire husband, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. And Bosmeny is the co-founder of Clever, a San Francisco-based startup that helps schools adapt and deploy new software standards.

Together, the duo are looking to bust through the American public school log jam and give away ed tech software to help kids get a leg up. Indeed, the launch benefactor of their endeavor is the 60,000-student Chesterfield County School District outside Richmond, Virginia.

There, Khosla and Bosmeny have introduced a pilot program by giving away free content and free platforms, all in the name of making the flagging U.S. public school system a contender once again.

“We saw this incredible mismatch between this incredible promise of technology in the classroom and the day-to-day reality that teachers felt when they tried to go and use it,” the youthful Bosmeny told VentureBeat Tuesday. “That’s what we’re focused on. How to make it easy for teachers to use great software in the classroom and to get rid of these barriers.”


Above: Neeru Khosla
Image Credit: Neeru Khosla
To be sure, the cause is a noble one. And one certain to disrupt the existing relationships (and expensive software contracts) thousands of school districts have with players like Pearson, Schoolnet, and Microsoft for example. It is a challenge the straight-talking Khosla relishes. And with an obvious passion, and no-nonsense approach, Khosla and Bosmeny stand the chance of changing the public school paradigm with technology.

“There are many organizations that are free like ours, and we don’t really have the bandwidth to create end-to-end offerings or platforms that will take care of every single need of every single district, school, or teacher,” Khosla said.

“So partnering together really is a sweet spot for both of us. What we’re brining into this partnership is badly needed tools,” she said.

CK-12 has 30 employees, most of them engineers, was launched in 2007, and focuses entirely on STEM content. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. CK-12 has created content for middle and high schools in all 50 states, providing teachers with customized learning tools to fit specific classes or individual student needs. And to be sure, Khosla works directly with teachers in her attempt to improve what it is CK-12 produces — and gives away.

U.S. public schools have gone through a sea change in the kinds of software and apps used in the classroom over the last five years alone, a number that has exploded as new software offerings come on line. What this creates, the duo argue, is an ecosystem with disparate products, overlap, and, ultimately, waste.

“A couple of years ago schools told us we only use two or three applications in our districts,” Bosmeny said. “Now they’re using five or 10, and it’s very clear they live in a world where they want to use 15 or 20. But they don’t have the capacity to deal with all of that.”

The cooperation with CK-12 and Clever is paying big time dividends for the Chesterfield Country public school district, district executive director Adam Seldow told VentureBeat.

“As our students embark upon one of the largest Chromebook digital initiatives in the US, with over 33,000 Chromebooks for all of middle and high school students, we have made student access to a number of web-based applications available in a few clicks with Clever’s instant login feature,” for example, Seldow said.

Seldow pointed out that classes in his district use a single-sign-on dashboard for many of the district’s web-based resources, and using Clever’s platform allows account creation, management ,and data linking between students and teachers with a one-click login process.

“Within a minute, we provided CK-12 access to all of our 59,000 students and 4,200 teachers. Within the first two weeks of school, 60 out of 62 schools were using CK-12 to deliver supplemental resources to students, and to allow them to create and consume custom textbooks or “Flexbooks,” Seldow said.

In fact, when CK-12 was formed, and Khosla began hitting the pavement, her earnestness to change the educational landscape and the toolbox she carried with her, was met with blank stares and wariness by teachers and school administrators used to the status quo.

“So, yes, it’s true, I actually feel people did not think that an entity like us, with only about eight years of experience, could create the kind of learning opportunities that we have. They just didn’t believe it. So they ignored us for a long time. And then suddenly, I started seeing people kind of listening to what I was saying,” Khosla said.

One of the more interesting facets of the partnership between CK-12 and Clever is that the former is purely a non-profit while the later is out to make money. Khosla and Bosmeny insist that the integration of their business models has been smooth because the ultimate objectives, they said, is to introduce change.

“I think its a crime that kids in K-12 don’t have access to good content to learn from. I mean, who wants to learn from a textbook they cannot understand? There’s so much potential with technology, and it’s just a start. In the next three to five years, you’re going to see amazing stuff start coming out,” Khosla said.

Do you lie awake at night worrying you’re not really “good enough” to achieve the kind of success you dream of? Ever find yourself hesitating, holding yourself back or avoiding situations at work for fear of being found out as an impostor?  Are you waiting for the day you feel more confident before you make that change, or take that chance in your career, business or life?

If you find yourself plagued by self-doubt, you’re not alone. In fact, one study of managers by the European Institute for Leadership and Management revealed that 50% of female managers and 31% of male managers admitted to experiencing self-doubt. The problem with self-doubt is that the fear it creates stops us from living the lives we most want and changing the things we don’t.  How?  Fear keeps us living small and stuck in jobs that don’t fulfill us but feel safe.  But is there really anything safe about living a life where you feel disengaged, disillusioned or desperate to be doing something else? of course not. The truth is that who you are is not your doubts. The key to banishing them isn’t to wish them away, but to take action in their presence.

It’s easy to mislead ourselves into thinking that if we just had the success we wanted, then we’d never doubt ourselves again and ooze the confidence we see in others.  But it actually works in reverse. We must first start acting with the confidence we aspire to have if we want to build more of it. So what are five ways you can finally make peace with self-doubt and start showing up, shining and succeeding in your work and beyond?

Know your why – Why would you bother to speak up at work, to go and start a new career, or to take on a great big job where there’s more chance of you failing than the one you’re in right now? Why would you risk the humiliation and the possibility of rejection and failure?  As I wrote in Stop Playing Safe, it’s important to be able to give a clear and compelling answer to the question “For the sake of what?” Doing so will help crystallise for you why you need to exit your comfort zone, make changes and take the chances toward the ambitions that excite you. Indeed, knowing our Why is indispensable for over-riding self-doubt as it moves you through fear into action, fueling confidence as you go.

Choose your company –  Emotions are contagious and we cannot help but pick up and be affected by the emotions of those around us. Self-doubt expert Louisa Jewell cautions that your social network can either increase or reduce your self-doubt.  If you’re embarking on something new, make sure you’ve got really supportive people around you who are uplifting you and encouraging you to move forward. Likewise, avoid or limit your time with naysayers, cynics and  ’emotional vampires’ that pull you down, feed your doubt and suck the life out of you.  Sometimes you have to ‘prune your tree’ of those who you’ve outgrown.

Cultivate small daily habits to sow long-term changes –   How you do the small things that few may see create the big long term results everyone wants .  Accordingly BJ Fogg at Stanford University has found that by scaling back bigger behaviours into really small actions you can create dramatic shifts that last.  His ‘tiny habits’ formula recommends scaling back change to one very small step; sequencing this step by adding to the end of a habit you already have – “After I (insert existing routine), I will (insert new routine)”; and then celebrate your completion of the step with a heartfelt “Awesome!” to create a jolt of positive emotion that helps the habit stick. Try it.

Set clear boundaries– Setting boundaries and saying no can be awkward, if not outright uncomfortable.  But doing so will enable you to focus your time on those activities that nurture self-confidence, fuel courage and keep those doubting gremlins at bay. Author and productivity coach Valorie Burton recommends taking note of the areas where you currently feel the most frustrated, stressed or overwhelmed  and being honest with yourself about the conversations you need to have.  It may be that you need to ask someone to stop asking so much of you. Or it may be you need to say no to some of the offers, invitations and opportunities that you may previously have taken on.  After all, you can’t build confidence by doing things that neither leverage your strengths nor ‘fill your tank.’

THE SECRET TO A BETTER REPUTATION ISN'T BETTER ADJECTIVES—IT'S BETTER STORYTELLING
IN LIGHT OF U.S. AUDIENCES' DIMINISHING ATTENTION SPAN AND BUZZWORD TOLERANCE, JOE BIDEN'S FORMER SPEECHWRITER OFFERS ACTIONABLE ADVICE ON WHAT TYPES OF STORIES TO TELL AND HOW BUSINESS LEADERS CAN FIND THEM.
BY RYAN CLANCY
In the early 20th century, psychologists discovered that your brain, just like your stomach, can get full.

The phenomenon was eventually called semantic satiation--where people got so tired of hearing a repeated word or phrase, that their brain began processing it as gibberish.

TOO MANY COMPANIES--AND THE EXECUTIVES WHO LEAD THEM--ARE TRYING TO TELL SOMEONE ELSE’S STORY.
In the early 21st century, many American businesses and their leaders are unwittingly repeating this experiment on a mass scale--testing the appetites of their audiences with empty buzzwords that threaten to turn their communications into something akin to Charlie Brown’s parents mumbling from the other room.

The rise of business speak isn’t a new phenomenon of course, and it has long been greeted on a spectrum somewhere between annoyance and mild amusement. But beyond the snickering about “synergies” and “value added solutions” lies a real problem.

Too many companies--and the executives who lead them--are trying to tell someone else’s story.

They are relying on words that don’t accurately or authentically characterize what they do, why they are different, or how they provide value to customers, shareholders, employees, and society.

TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE LATEST BUZZWORD DU JOUR: “INNOVATION.”
A 2012 Wall Street Journal report found that U.S. companies used some form of the word “innovation” over 33,000 times in SEC-filed quarterly and annual reports--a 64% increase compared to 2007. In late 2013, the Journal discovered that the number of Standard & Poor's 500 companies mentioning innovation on their quarterly conference calls had doubled to 197, from just 99 companies five years prior.

Do we think there are suddenly twice as many innovative companies in the S&P 500? Perhaps businesses are running shadow campaigns to get themselves on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.

A more likely explanation is that the same companies and executives that undoubtedly understand the perils of “me too” marketing of their products are, for some reason, embracing “me too” marketing of their company to investors, employees, policymakers, and other audiences.

And the more companies that claim to be innovative, the less it really means.

It’s no surprise then that when Capgemini Consulting asked corporate leaders to identify the biggest barriers to achieving their company’s innovation targets, the top reply was “the absence of a well-defined innovation strategy.”

It’s tough to meet a goal when you can’t define what it is.

Of course, the word “innovation” isn’t the real problem. Nor is the desire by companies to be seen as innovative.

The problem is thinking that the secret to better communications and a better reputation is better adjectives.

When one CEO conceded to the Journal that his company had been going to the innovation well too often, he finally pledged to do something different.

He said his company would start describing itself as “inventive” instead.

INSTEAD OF FINDING BETTER ADJECTIVES, COMPANIES NEED TO FIND A BETTER STORY.
The novelist Elmore Leonard--who started his career writing copy for a Detroit ad agency--once said that “when you're reading a novel, you don't want people telling you things, you want to see it, to hear it."

The advice is just as relevant to business leaders and companies as it is to aspiring writers. Don’t tell an audience how innovative you are. Show them with a great story.

Good company stories do more than just engage or entertain. They highlight what really makes you different, and how you actually put your company values into practice. They demonstrate how a complicated technology or business can deliver simple, easy to understand value to the people who buy from you, invest in you, work with you, or depend on you to solve problems.

In searching for these stories, don’t think about what you want to say. Find out what your respective audiences want or need to hear. Do the research to see how you, as well as your industry peers are really perceived; to see if what you say matches what people really think about you, and to gauge what elements of your business or industry are interesting or exciting, boring, or concerning.

DON’T TELL AN AUDIENCE HOW INNOVATIVE YOU ARE. SHOW THEM WITH A GREAT STORY.
These insights will help you develop and deliver a consistent narrative that reinforces good perceptions, rebuts the bad ones, and provides an authentic picture of what you do and where you fit amid broader trends in your industry or the economy.

Tell the right stories with an original voice and your audience just may conclude on their own that you are innovative, or strategic, or whatever else you want to be--without you ever having to actually say those words.

THE POWER OF STORIES ISN’T JUST VALIDATED BY LATE, GREAT NOVELISTS.
A research team led by Princeton psychologist Uri Hasson found that audiences hearing a good story actually had similar brain activity on MRI scans to the person telling the story. The upshot, according to Psychology Today, was that a storyteller could essentially “plant ideas, thoughts, and emotions into the listeners' brains.”

The importance of good storytelling will only continue to grow as companies and their leaders deal with audiences that, according to an array of recent research and polling, have shorter attention spans and diminishing confidence in anything government and business leaders have to say.

Some companies are adjusting accordingly. Witness for example, the rapid increase in content marketing budgets, as companies recognize the need to reach audiences with documentary style videos, speeches, articles, and social media experiences that tell stories and are often similar in tone and style to content one would find from traditional news outlets.

But too many companies are still lagging behind, piling into an overcrowded communications marketplace with more jargon, when they should be separating themselves with better stories.

Almost every company, no matter what they do, has interesting stories to tell that will resonate and be relevant to the audiences they care about.

Now, they just need to tell them.

Millennials speak up! You need an “equal say” in your company’s future leadership. Here is why.
To begin, let’s start with a premise I hear over and over.
The most important job of the CEO and the Board is to pick the next CEO. Succession is critical.
The next CEO, or the next leaders, are about the future. So, why do most companies go about picking their next generation mired in the past?
Think about it. What are the chances that the typical current CEO, most likely a baby boomer, is well positioned to identify all the characteristics of the organizations’ future leaders?
And, should that CEO be joined in picking those CEO characteristics with a board filled with his or her same generation?
The truth is that companies that only choose wise, experienced people for this task of succession are mired in myopia.
Those companies are much less likely to find the best and most comprehensive leadership qualities and candidates, because they are limiting their view of the world.
It is a company looking into the future like a horse with blinders. They see only what is in front of them. They do not envision the periphery of all of what could be in front of them.

The Proof
My proof is based upon work between Accenture Consulting (with the Alliance for Strategic Leadership). We engaged in a multi-country research project aimed at helping global organizations understand the most important characteristics of the leader of the future. As part of our research we asked leading companies to identify future leaders who have the potential to be the CEO of a global organization.

Rather than the usual process of asking today’s leaders (who will not be there) to describe the future of leadership, we decided to ask tomorrow’s leaders.

In comparing the desired characteristics of the leader of the future with the desired characteristics of the leader of the past we found both similarities and differences.

Characteristics like vision, integrity, focus on results, and ensuring customer satisfaction were seen as factors that were critical in the past and will be so in the future.

The 5 “Must Haves” for Future Leadership

Yet, five key factors emerged that were seen as being clearly more important in the future than in the past include:

1) Thinking Globally
Globalization is a trend that will have a major impact on the leaders of the future. In the past, even major companies could focus on their own country or, at most, their own region. Those days are almost over.
Several suggested that future leaders might need to spend time in multiple countries to better understand how multi-country trade could help their organizations achieve a competitive advantage.
Global thinking will take a global perspective.

2) Appreciating Cultural Diversity
Motivational strategies that are effective in one culture may actually be offensive in another culture. The same public recognition that could be a source of pride to a salesperson in the USA could be a source of embarrassment to a scientist in the UK.
Leaders who can effectively understand, appreciate, and motivate colleagues in multiple cultures will become an increasingly valued resource in the future.

3) Demonstrating Technological Savvy
High-potential leaders from around the world were consistent in expressing the view that technological savvy will be a key competency for the global leader of the future.
One trend on this issue was clear—the younger the participant, the greater their emphasis in the importance of technological savvy.

Young future leaders often have been brought up with technology and view it as a part of their life.
Current leaders often still view technological savvy as something that is important for staff people, but not for the line officers that run the “real” business.
What does “technological savvy” mean? It means that leaders will need to do the following:

a) Understand how the intelligent use of new technology can help their organizations;
b) Recruit, develop, and maintain a network of technically competent people;
c) Know how to make and manage investments in new technology; and
d) Be positive role models in leading the use of new technology.

4) Building Partnerships
Building partnerships and alliances of all kinds was viewed as far more important for the future than the past. Many organizations that seldom formed alliances in the past (such as IBM) are regularly forming alliances today. This trend will be even more important in the future.
Reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing are leading to a world where outsourcing of all but core activities may become the norm. The ability to negotiate complex alliances and manage complex networks of relationships is viewed as becoming increasingly important.
The changing role of customers, suppliers, and partners has deep implications for leaders. In the past it was clear who your “friends” were and who your “enemies” were.
It is a world of “co-opitition.” Roles are becoming more blurred. In fields as diverse as energy, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals the same organization may be a customer, supplier, partner, or competitor. On one initiative you are competitors, on another partners.

5) Sharing Leadership
In a world where leading across a fluid network may become more important than leading from above a fixed hierarchy, being able to effectively share leadership is not an option.
In an alliance structure telling partners what to do may quickly lead to having no partners. All parties will have to be able to work together to achieve the common good.
Not only did our participants believe that the leader of the future would be different than the leader of the past, they also believed that the employee of the future would be different. Many of the future leaders saw that the management of knowledge workers was going to be a key factor in their success.
Peter Drucker has noted that knowledge workers are people who know more about what they are doing than their managers do. In dealing with knowledge workers old models of leadership will not work.
Telling people what to do and how to do it becomes ridiculous.

A Final Note to All CEOs

So, in thinking about sharing leadership, if you are a CEO, are you bringing Millennials to the table—or are you stuck in the past? Are you sharing leadership?

If the next generation does not have a say in tomorrow’s leadership, they will leave.

And, by the way, Millennials are a company “must have” — if they exit, there goes the succession plan.

Everyone has the potential to be a leader, regardless of title or position.
But many people give themselves the title of leader, and expect others to think of them as a leader without actually understanding the meaning of leadership.
There are also those who have been positioned as a leader by others. They may be ranked at the top of a hierarchy and hold an important position, but who fail us when we need them.
Whether we are granted the title of leader by others or take it upon ourselves, we must remember that leadership is an honor and a privilege and something that must be earned—because others are counting on us and they are placing their trust in us.
Leadership, regardless of labels, must be earned.
In short, you earn leadership by knowing what matters. Behavior matters. It doesn’t matter what your rank or role may be, where you come from, or if your title sounds impressive, you are not leader if your behaviors don’t demonstrate the integrity of doing the right thing. Trust matters. Leaders must earn trust. You must set the example, know that you are setting the example, and have a deep understanding that trustworthiness takes character. To be trusting requires values, to be trusted requires earning the privilege. Service matters. True leaders understand: Leadership is not about you but about those you serve. It is not about ennobling yourself but bringing others up. The best way to earn your leadership is to lose yourself in the service of elevating others. Influence matters. Leadership is neither a title nor a position, it is a demonstration of character that is worthy of imitation, emulation and inspiration. “Why” matters. When you dig deep into an organization and employees can tell you the deeper purpose and the mission of their organization, you will discover strong leadership there. Leadership means knowing how to manage and empower every level of your organization.  
Listen to learn. Learn to earn.  Earn to lead.
Earning the title of leader does not depend on how many diplomas we have received, or which corner office we have, or how much money we make, or what title we decide to give ourselves.
Leaders in all realms of life and leadership know that the power they have come to hold exists because they have earned the responsibility of serving the many. Leadership is ultimately a position of service, trust, and character

Warren Buffett claims that he tap-dances to work every day. And why not? In 2013 alone, he made $12.7 billion. That’s $1.5 million per hour – even while sleeping. Clearly, Buffett picked the right career – not just for himself, but also for those lucky enough to have picked up a few shares of Berkshire Hathaway.

My father bred new strains of onions, carrots and cucumbers as a professor and research scientist. Having grown up as a farm boy, he was in heaven, developing high-beta-carotene carrots in a quest to keep 500,000 kids per year in developing countries from nutritional blindness. He believed he had the greatest job in the world and would never have traded careers with Warren Buffett.

Cecile Pelous was an executive in the fashion industry nearly 30 years ago, working with the grand couturiers in Paris, when she sent a letter to Mother Theresa. “Can you use me?” she asked. Mother Theresa wrote a one-word response, “Come!”Cecile sold her house to start an orphanage in Nepal. Before long, she had legally adopted 79 kids and was raising and educating a hundred more from the streets to help them lead productive lives. Cecile wouldn’t trade places with Buffett either.

Whatever you’ve picked as a career, I hope it makes you want to tap dance – at least a few times in your work life. When you look back and survey where you’ve been, look ahead to the distant shore, or consider the people who have rowed alongside you, take an occasional pause to click your heels.

Few of us know what career is in store for us when we take our first job. But here are some signs that you've increased the odds for a spontaneous outbreak of tap dancing:

1. You've found something you can be really good at. I recall taking up piano lessons at the same time as another young hopeful would-be musician. It wasn’t long, though, before she was in “John Thompson Book Three,” while I remained stuck in “Book Two.” Had I stayed with piano, I’d have been as miserable as those on the receiving end of my performances. My fellow student, however, went on to delight others with her gift as she became a professional musician. Thankfully, I merged into her audience – to the benefit of all. There’s no sense in fighting Mother Nature on the career front if you ever hope to tap dance.

2. You like the nuts and bolts of the job. Pick something where you don’t have to fake it to make it. When I watch natural extroverts gather energy from social situations, I recognize they have something I don’t. Whereas Bill Clinton comes alive and is energized by others, being on stage for too long drains my energy. I can finally host events without anxiety, even enjoying the occasional party – but I’m always happiest to retreat into a book or a private conversation with a friend. This means that as much as I love policy issues, governance and leadership, a career in elected politics would have undone me.

3. The job lifts you. For those doing what they were meant to do, the normal irritants of the job become a kind of “atmospheric dust” that creates the foundation for beautiful sunsets. Every career has its dust, but you might be in the wrong one if that’s all you see. If you find yourself grousing, fussing and fomenting, give yourself – and the rest of us – a break. In your torrent of objections and cautions, you’ll never build a great career – and you might just keep others from achieving their dreams. No career is perfect, but the right one for you will be filled with many uplifting sunsets.

4. You're in the thick of things. Life in the backseat or on the periphery of the action rarely makes for a great career. Naturally, there are lots of great support roles on the edge of every industry, but if you’re determined to leave a mark, it generally pays off to operate at the center. If you love accounting, work for an accounting firm. If you're fascinated by the law, get into the judicial system. If you’re an engineer, build cool new stuff. If you love finance, work for a bank or an investment house. Build the motor, buy the brake pads.

5. You're in an industry that fits your personality type. Engineers are not like real estate developers, who in turn don’t think like fashion mavens, who are wired differently from lawyers and accountants. We all have psychometric preferences – ones that tend to make us more or less like those in various industries. While this alone shouldn’t determine what you choose (as there are many roles on every winning team), make sure you understand your dominant traits and those of industry leaders. Then get on a field with those playing the same sport as you.

6. You like the other people in your field. My best-ever career (and investment) decisions have come from genuinely liking and admiring people I’m working with. Grappling with the discomfort of interpersonal contretemps is never productive. It saps everyone and it ensures suboptimal performance. Also, it can take down a career faster than anything else. If you can handle snakes, you’ll be OK getting into the viper pit; but if not, pick another industry.

7. You've found an inspiring mentor. Having someone to look up to is a key to finding a meaningful career. Your mentor doesn’t need to be your file leader – or even in your industry. But if you would have a great career, find a mentor… then become one yourself.

8. You look forward to Mondays. Don’t let your week become what Thoreau called a life of “quiet desperation,” awaiting the weekends for rejuvenation. But this also doesn’t mean you should be a workaholic. There is an emotional chasm between being a workaholic and loving work. Workaholics are driven by fear; joyful workers are motivated by passion. They both work hard, but it’s not the same. So find passion. Eschew fear. I can still hear Trammell Crow say, “Work is more fun than fun” – and mean it. And Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This is the essence of having found a great career – one that grows out of passion, that merges work, life, family and friends into a whole with few bright-line boundaries. This sort of “career” is a Friday-less and Monday-less one.

9. You learn, grow, become, test, try. As Oliver Wendall Holmes wrote, “Alas for those that never sing, but die with all their music in them.” Great careers test us, try us, stretch us. We find out if we can hit the high notes and we learn to recover from the low ones. But those who have figured out how to have a great career – and not just a great job – don’t die with their music in them.

10. You're proud of what you do. Once when climbing a mountain with a successful entertainment industry executive, I apologized for what I was doing in my life at that point – particularly as I compared it with his fame and fortune. He carefully chose a moment to pull me out of the earshot of others to say: “Don’t ever be ashamed of what you’re doing with your life. Life is not a competition. Unless you self limit, you can make a greater difference in the lives of the young people you work with than I’ll make in a hundred lifetimes working with the world’s celebrities.” Finding the gold amid the dross of my present situation became the key to an important renewal. And it started by feeling proud of what I was doing.

If you're planning out your future, you're not likely to be satisfied with a series of jobs that merely keeps food on the table. Instead, turn your progression of jobs and assignments into a career that creates relationships, promotes learning, and makes a difference – all of which will send you tap-dancing to the office.

Far too often when we are meeting someone for the first time, we tend to focus more on ourselves than we do the other person.

Unfortunately, and in our effort to make a good first impression, we inadvertently miss an important opportunity to learn about them, and the possible points of interest we both might share.

Taking A Page from Big Brother Winner Derrick

For those of you who watched the Big Brother finale, you know that this year's $500,000 winner, Derrick Levasseur, became the undisputed master of the game. In talking about his win, Derrick revealed that his job as an undercover police officer provided him with the skillsets to get close to people, learn what was important to them and how to connect on both a personal as well as a game level. What was most impressive was the fact that he accomplished this while still maintaining a high degree of integrity. In other words, and by expressing a true interest in what made the other person tick, he positioned himself to win without being insincere or manipulative.

Refocus Your Lens

Whether meeting a new boss for the first time, or trying to connect with your current boss, now that you have refocused your lens on getting to know them, there are a number of important connecting points for building a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

1. Treat Your Boss Like Your Number One Customer

• Use your authenticity and sincerity by seeking out their thoughts on how you can serve them. Seek to understand what keeps them up at night so that you can carve out your value proposition in their eyes.

• Learn what success looks like to them. Being on the same page will cement your relationship and create a harmonious and trusting bond. Pay attention to your boss’ priorities and make them yours.

2. Identify Your Boss' Communication Preferences

1. Giving/Receiving Info

• Face to face
• Email
• Phone/Voicemail
• Text
• Skype
• Bottom line
• Lots of detail/lists
• Pictures/diagrams

What's the most effective way to communicate with you?

What's the least effective way to communicate with you?

2. Timing

• Time of day
• Last minute
• In advance
• Scheduled meetings
• On the fly

When is the best time to communicate with you?

When is the worst time to communicate with you?

3. Carving out your value

What do you need from me to feel 100% supported?

What is the least effective way to support you?

3. Become An Information Broker

In many instances, especially when being appointed to the position from outside of the company, new bosses go through an adjustment period in which they have to orient themselves to the lay of the land in terms of people and politics.

Because of this, you can establish yourself as a valued asset and a key "team" player during the transition period by doing the following:

• Encourage your boss to depend on you by providing access to information and tools in addition to your network.

• Help them to capitalize on opportunities they may not know about as well as challenges that might be brewing.

• Lighten their load by volunteering to attend meetings on their behalf for gathering important information.

4. Position Yourself As A Confidante

We are all familiar with the saying that "it is lonely at the top". Even the most confident boss can experience feelings of isolation and uncertainty. While many employees may assume that because they are the boss they have it all together, the fact is that while different, their pressures and challenges are no less daunting than a frontline worker trying to meet a deadline.

• Use your emotional intelligence and observe your boss' moods to identify the triggers and pressures that impact their behavior.

• Always be aware of their priorities, and if they are shifting direction due to changes in the company.

• Share your wisdom, experience and observations with colleagues, while reinforcing your boss’s vision of the business. This will be a testimonial to your boss that you are an important connecting point with your co-workers and someone who can reinforce their big picture view.

5. Communicate On A Regular Basis

Even if your boss gives you carte blanche to do your job, make it your top priority to always keep them in the loop through regular updates on what you are doing and how it aligns with their stated goals.

• Meet on a regular basis, including getting your boss out to the occasional lunch away from the office.

• Have frequent, unstructured conversations to inquire if they are satisfied with your performance and to confirm that they see the value that you are bringing.

• Last but not least, create a special relationship with their admin, so that you can get priority access.

6. Be Vocal in Meetings

Become a regular contributor in your boss’ meetings. Before each meeting, decide how many times you want to speak so you’ll have a target that motivates you to participate. If you delay speaking up, it becomes harder to break into the discussion.

• Know the agenda and ask your boss how you can be relevant to the discussion topics.

• Speak up within the first ten minutes of a meeting to show that you’re engaged.

• Ask thought provoking questions with genuine curiosity.

7. Be Low Maintenance

Let your self-motivation guide you to accomplishing your targets without having to be managed.

• Sign up for significant assignments that can be accomplished without your boss’ involvement.

• Proactively solve their problems before your boss reaches out to ask you to.

8. Honor your Commitments

At the end of the day, you are there to do a job, so make sure that you do it to the best of your abilities!

This means:

• Building trust and dependability by not only meeting but also exceeding expectations and deadlines.

• Demonstrate your organizational skills by being overly prepared and proactive.

• Stand out by volunteering for roles that showcase your commitment to your boss. Do what no one else wants to do.

By following the above guidelines, your boss will see you as an important asset, include you in key projects and become a sponsor for your next promotion.

As debt-ridden, unemployed college graduates look to retool their skills, investors are betting that online vocational education has a big future. One of the household names in the online education space, Udacity, just picked up $35 million in funding from Drive Capital to expand into America’s recession-racked heartland.

Unlike other popular Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) providers, Udacity is partly funded and designed by leading tech companies. For instance, I’m taking a data science course at Udacity, and my “teacher” is a Facebook statistician. Most of the problem sets come out of issues that Facebook’s team deal with every day.

“We’re really built by industry, we’re really kind of a platform where employers and tech companies get a direct say as to what students should learn,” former Google X founder and Udacity co-founder, Sebastian Thrun, tells VentureBeat.

Udacity is betting on an alternative credentialing program called “nanodegrees,” which are certificates of competence in specific fields, such as data science and mobile computer programming.

“We are really focusing on jobs. The nanodegree program is really a focus on direct employment.”

Udacity may very well have tapped into a surge in demand, but it’s unknown whether any of the MOOC companies can eventually become profitable enough to sustain their vision. Udacity isn’t profitable yet, but Thrun says that the “money-making business has grown about 2 percent day over day.”

All Udacity courses are free. The “money-making” portion refers to a premium subscription service where students get access to live coaches. After testing out the coaching feature for a few months, I’m a fan of the service, and I think it gives Udacity a big competitive advantage in the space. However, the coaches can be frustratingly slow and vague sometimes — so the idea needs some ironing out.

Bugs aside, the live coaching and vocational demand could give Udacity a leg up in their ultimate vision of focusing the education system on directly employable skills.

Thrun concluded our conversation with a quote that I would like to get stitched on a pillow and placed on every couch in San Francisco:

“We are in that sense a typical venture-backed Silicon Valley company; we really strive to change the world in a massive way and put that objective ahead of profitability.”