Saturday, March 14, 2020

Take This Career Advice from Bill Gates in Order to be Successful

Take This Career Advice from Bill Gates in Order to be SuccessfulBill Gates is an emperor. Hes built one of the most powerful companies in the global economy, donated billions to charity, and revolutionized the way philanthropischs interact with technology. He is the richest man in the world, with a net worth of $79.2 billion, and has focused for the past 16 years since stepping down as CEO of Microsoft on his foundation and philanthropy. He is the most successful college dropout on the planet, and is constantly focused on the future of the human race. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Through his observation of how a successful business runs and his involvement in global humanitarian causes, he has realized that there are a few things that will serve any newcomer to the workforce well in the near and distant future.Be aware of emerging fields.Bone up on your science, engineering, and economics. He calls workers in those fields the future agents of change for all institutions and recommends beefing up knowledge of the sciences, mathematics, and economics to be prepared to enteror at least interact withthese three fields. You dont have to run out and learn how to code, but you should probably be able to understand what coders do.Be optimistic.Gates said in a commencement address to Stanford University that Optimism is often dismissed as false hope. But there is also false hopelessness. So persevere.Be wary of success.According to Gates, it is a lousy teacher who seduces smart people into thinking they cant lose.Be a fighter for the greater good.Gates is an activist and would inspire you to be one too. In a 2011 speech to the National Urban League, he said, Every human being has equal worth. Everyone deserves to live a healthy and productive life. Success shouldnt depend on the race or income of your parents.Think the problems of the world are too daunting? Too bad. In a Harvard University commencement address, he told graduates, Dont let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives.He is a firm believer that if you simply make people aware of a problem, and give them a way to stop it, they will pitch in and be moved to act.Be open-minded.Way back in 1994, Gates told Playboy magazine that this was crucial. Somebody could do it differently and still do it well. You cant have this bias that they need to do things the same way.So go ahead and strike out in the direction of your dreams. But listen to your Uncle Bill. Hes pretty smart.

Monday, March 9, 2020

5 Toxic Things Your Colleagues Should Never Say

5 Toxic Things Your Colleagues Should Never Say If youve had a toxic coworker before, you know how difficult it can be to pinpoint the problem. Sometimes, you wonder Is it me? Or are they the ones acting up? If youre having doubts about whether or not your colleague is toxic, here are five phrases that a colleague should never say. And if they do, its time to tally up the red flags and consider speaking up.1. Yeah, well, thats not my job.If you ask a coworker for help and this is their response, thats a big red flag. While everyone has the right to protect their time, especially at work, a solid coworker is willing to extend a helping hand or at least point you in the direction to get the help you need. This comment is biting and dismissive and thats the telltale sign of a toxic, self-centered colleague.2. Oh, yeah, I did all the work on that.If your colleague is always stealing the thunder on your projects with phrases like this, theres no doubt that theyre displaying toxic behavio r. Nothing done on a team is done entirely alone and anyone whos willing to throw the team under the bus for a little bit of glory is likely displaying other toxic behaviors, too.3. Well, I have more experience than you.While some workplaces may have you otherwise convinced, someone having more experience or years on Earth than you doesnt give them the right to make decisions based on this fact alone. Saying something like this is like saying Im going to make a decision or do something without considering your thoughts or opinions just because I want to, which is both lazy and entitled. A colleague like this sounds manipulative and schwimmbad at making decisions a real double whammy.4. Did you hear what they said or did?Toxic coworkers love to gossip, especially when they can frame it as them dispersing prized information about the happenings of other colleagues. Spreading rumors at work or talking negatively about people who arent in the room isnt just unprofessional, its rude and can be quite mean. A colleague that is always gossiping about others is likely using that information to their advantage in other ways, too whether to convince others into believing in them as a powerful, inside-source or to manipulate others into acting a certain way.5. Ive paid my dues.Unless youre working in a clubhouse, dues arent something that should exist at work. Your coworker saying this is essentially the same as them saying they have the right to coast on the back of your hard work, which isnt acceptable whether theyre your friend or your boss. And if theyre doing this on the presumption that theyre older or more experienced than you and thats why theyve paid in full, dock them another point on the healthy coworker relationship scale. Because hazing is also something thats not OK in the workplace whether its that aforementioned clubhouse or not.