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cybersecurity champions

Cybersecurity champions could be your secret weapon in raising employee cyber-awareness

  • min read
    • Cyber incidents continue to rank as the top risk for Financial Services companies. With 57 percent of banking executives saying their primary cybersecurity concern is phishing attacks targeting employees,  cybersecurity needs to be everyone's business – not just the IT department's problem. A cyber-secure work culture will make businesses more resilient to threats. According to Forbes, business-reported cyberattacks keep rising each quarter. Meanwhile, "The cyber skills gap continues to widen, with 3.4 million vacancies for cyber pros globally this year, up from 2.7 million in 2021." Employee behavior is one of the biggest factors behind cybersecurity incidents. Change how your employees understand cybersecurity with a cyber-aware work culture, and you'll substantially reduce the risk of compromise. One way of raising cybersecurity awareness at work is through a cybersecurity champions program. Forbes reports phishing, malware-spiked emails, social engineering and compromised credentials account for nearly 30 percent of cyberattacks. As all these are linked with lack of employee cyber awareness, everyone getting up-to-speed on today's cyberattacks could prevent many attacks. Why cybersecurity champions change business culture Lena Smart, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for MongoDB, calls cybersecurity champions the "cheerleaders and supporters of security" across an organization. MongoDB is a database platform to build web and mobile applications. It powers everything from popular online game Fortnite to dating site eHarmony's real-time communication system. The company is headquartered in the US and has 2,000 employees globally. "We need to assure customers we're keeping our applications secure and we want to show our internal customers they're working in a secure environment," says Smart. MongoDB's cybersecurity champions program was one of Smart's first initiatives when she joined the company last year. A 20-year industry veteran, she implemented two similar programs in previous CISO roles at international electronic trading platform Tradeweb and another at New York Power Authority. Smart says security experts inside an organization may have a limited perspective because they're looking through a tight lens. Weaving security through software development Security champions schemes are adopted most in software development, particularly with the trend toward DevOps. DevOps means combining software development and IT operations teams and processes to speed up development. As the need grew to scale DevOps projects faster while minimizing software vulnerabilities, organizations looked for ways to embed security into the development process. They called the approach DevSecOps. "Security champions programs aim to build a better security culture and get DevOps to create secure software more reliably," says Dan Cornell, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with US application security company Denim Group. Cornell is a big proponent of cybersecurity champions and has helped many organizations launch programs. He says their aims vary depending on the industry, regulatory environment and company culture. For DevOps, he says, champions make security knowledge more accessible to the development team. Having run successful security champions programs outside of software development, Smart says the rules are transferable. "There's no difference in how you set it up from one company to the next." The champions are colleagues from different roles, teams and departments. Smart particularly wants participants who don't have "security" in their job title or responsibility. "The champions want to learn and understand security and how they can help the company to be more secure," she says. At MongoDB, the program is voluntary and relatively informal. Champions are encouraged to attend monthly meetings with ideas for training and other things they want to do. Building cybersecurity culture from the bottom up While the C-Suite's involvement is crucial in setting the tone and providing resources, the real strength of a cybersecurity culture is in the entire workforce's commitment and enthusiasm. Robust protection against cyber threats means building a cybersecurity culture from the ground up. Within a good security culture, people engage with cybersecurity, leading to growing awareness which reduces business vulnerability to attack. When staff feel invested in the organization's security, they become its first line of defense. When you foster a sense of joint initiative, employees at all levels help build the culture and security becomes ingrained in their daily practices. UCL Department of Security and Crime Science lecturer, Ingolf Becker, says a security champions program works because it's a two-way street. "It promotes security at all levels, but it's also an opportunity for management to get feedback about what's happening on the ground." Smart says sometimes the best ideas for improving security comes from people who "don't live under the scrutiny of the CISO every day. It gives you, as the CISO, a view you wouldn't otherwise have." Champions making cybersecurity communication clearer Smart measures the success of a champions program by how much feedback she gets on initiatives and efforts. For example, a new data-retention policy for a communication app the company was using: "Data-retention policies can be disruptive. We wanted to make sure we were asking the right questions and giving the right information to those affected," she explains. She put the champions to work. They met as a group and reviewed the draft memo. The champions took it apart, discussing what could be improved, what needed more information, and so on. That input, she says, saved her security team a lot of angst. "We finessed what was going to be a disruptive piece of communication," she says. She knew it worked because emails came in thanking them for the clarity of the message. People appreciated the efforts put in by those outside the CISO's core team. How to implement a cybersecurity champion program Becker says security champions must not be security people. "They're employees who are 'one of us,'" he says. "I think most organizations could benefit from having this local expertise about what security means to an organization." He says at organizations he's worked with, the program was often organic – started by people or teams who took it upon themselves to promote security. In those instances, formalizing the program helps to provide training and resources to develop it. To start a program, Smart recommends CISOs get executive support. At MongoDB, she started by pitching the idea to her manager, the company's CTO. "He loved the idea," she says. "Support from the top is fundamental, or it won't be a success." You must also work out what kind of commitment participants need, based on how often the champions meet and other tasks they do. The next phase is to promote the program and recruit volunteers – an online survey is a good way. After pitching her idea to the CTO, Smart enrolled the company's communication experts to raise awareness, including the benefits of the program to the organization. When employees stepped forward, their supervisors had to sign off. Smart had conversations with the managers who were uncertain and explained how volunteering could fit around the employee's day-to-day role. "Because it's voluntary, some months you may have five people in the room and some months 20," Smart says. "Don't be disheartened if the numbers go down. They'll come up again." To grow the program, look for ways to promote the champions' work and impact. MongoDB includes "day in the life" stories about the champions in the company's security newsletter. Championing security helps develop careers Gartner says cybersecurity champions programs are a zero- or low-cost way to accelerate your security message. Some organizations may offer incentives, and in DevOps scenarios, being a champion may become a full-time role. At MongoDB, the champions aren't there for perks, but there are benefits. They learn things and serve as leaders to their peers. Smart, too, found an unexpected benefit: Two of the champions later joined her team. "They're now a bridge between the old and new ways of security," she says. Becker believes just about any organization could implement a cybersecurity champions program. But there's one caveat. "You must be willing to listen and change based on the input of champions," he says. Smart notes the champions share a common goal. "We're all trying to solve the same problem: Keeping the data safe and the bad actors out," she says. The program lets her talk to people she rarely speaks to about ways to improve security. "It's a linking of the groups and a linking of the minds," she says. If you want to improve your security culture – and are willing to listen to employees with diverse perspectives – a security champions program is a great way to bring about long-lasting change.

How high achievers can overcome imposter syndrome

  • min read
    • "When I received your email, my impostor syndrome went through the roof," Lisa Ventura, multi-award-winning cybersecurity professional and founder of the UK Cyber Security Association, wrote on LinkedIn. "I thought it must have been meant for someone else and not me!" My email was about her inclusion in SC Magazine's 2021 Women of Influence list. To an outsider, her response seemed absurd. Ventura had written two books on security in 2020 alone, all while caring for her father, who has an autoimmune disease. First recognized in 1978, John Kolligian Jr. and Robert J. Sternberg described imposter syndrome as affecting "high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor." Imposter syndrome is more common than you'd think A 2020 systematic review of 62 studies covering some 14,000 participants found 9 to 82 percent of people experience imposter syndrome. For historically marginalized people, like women, Black, indigenous and other people of color, prevalence seems to be at the higher end of the scale. Kim-adele Platts, a coach who works with C-suite (senior) executives across industries, says, "What's surprised me is not only how many people suffer from it, but who those people are." She was amazed to find the number of people she knew who had these feelings. "These were people I aspired to be like who appeared to have great confidence. It made me realize I wasn't alone – we don't know what inner demons others face," she says. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg discussed her imposter syndrome in her bestselling book, Lean In. Every time she excelled at work, she thought she had "fooled everyone yet again" and that "one day soon, the jig would be up." This year, Ventura, Platts and entrepreneurship advisor Nat Schooler launched Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day to highlight the problem and provide help and resources to those who suffer it. Here's some of their advice. Challenge your critical inner voice "Your subconscious will find those examples too – then you can use them to give yourself the kind of advice you'd give others. "I am not enough" is just one of the lies we tell ourselves." "Negative self-talk is a bad habit, and it can heavily influence our stress and anxiety levels," says Ventura. The trick is to be kind to yourself, always challenge negative thoughts and add positive thoughts for balance. "Psychologists have found that repeating affirmations, like "I always work hard," can reduce stress and anxiety. Perhaps it's because these positive statements build a bridge into your subconscious mind," she says. Start a success log Ventura recommends starting a physical journal, document or spreadsheet to log all your successes, achievements and goals. Hers includes photos and inspiring quotes. "When my impostor syndrome creeps in, I look through my success log and focus on what I've achieved," she says. Ventura also thinks rewarding yourself for success helps. "It doesn't have to be with high-cost items," she says. "I reward myself with little things like watching a film I like, listening to my favorite music or eating favorite foods – anything salted caramel-related goes down well." Avoid comparing yourself to others "There are always people with more skills than you, who are higher up the career ladder or just better than you," says Ventura. "I honestly don't care, and neither should you." And remember, things don't always happen in a neat, straight line: "Life is full of twists, turns and curveballs." Ask for help and have friends around Nat Schooler stresses there's no need to do it all on your own. "If you get stuck, ask for help." He reminds us not to let others contribute to the problem: "Surround yourself with people who encourage you and actively build your confidence," he says. Although a common experience, imposter syndrome is finally being discussed and understood. Sheryl Sandburg speaks to the power of sunlight on this problem: "If you know you suffer from imposter syndrome, tell someone. Once you say the words out loud, you start to realize how ridiculous it sounds."
successful collaborative working

What 20 years of remote collaborating has taught me

  • min read
    • The future of work is partly or fully remote, especially for tech-led professions. According to McKinsey and Company, more than half of employees want more flexibility from their employers and want to work remotely more than from the office. The pace of attitude change has been fast, even if your usual way of working stayed the same. Effective collaboration is an ongoing challenge for many remote teams. Businesses of all sizes have been known to reach for the next new collaborative tool on the shelf, expecting it to bring minds together for a lightbulb moment continually. Thinking back over my career in cybersecurity, I believe it's not the tools that make or break collaboration. But I have a few ideas on what the critical cruxes of collaboration might be. Let your empathy drive how you work I first worked with others remotely at the beginning of the 2000s. The tech was basic back then: A mobile phone, laptop and dial-up internet. I was giving on-call technical support for an internet service provider's security team. Waking up in the middle of the night to giving out-of-hours support was an abrupt introduction to working with others online. Most people would wake me and launch into a description of an incident ticket, immediately asking questions while I juggled my mobile phone, laptop and coffee cup. But there was one person who'd thought about the person on the other end of the phone. They would call to wake me up, say they'd ring back in five minutes and hang up. It meant I was set up and awake when we started working on the problem together. It made a big difference to my ability to think about an issue in the right frame of mind and not make it worse by being half asleep. Shift the barriers to deep focus For over a decade, I worked as a penetration tester in different teams and companies, either onsite or remotely. I would mimic a cybercriminal and try to compromise a software implementation or do general technical audits, aiming to find as many issues as possible. Often this would be as part of a team. Some organizations I worked for insisted everyone work from the same location, while for others, everyone worked remotely. Penetration testing benefits from seeing someone else's screen and easily sharing ideas around a group. A chance comment by a colleague might give you a clue on your target. But it also benefits from long periods of concentration, learning on the fly and going down rabbit holes without being asked what you're doing. I usually preferred the work-from-home teams. It was easier to talk to a colleague over the phone and email screenshots remotely than to focus intently in a busy office. But for others, having team members close at hand and the feelings of camaraderie were most important. Wherever your team is and what type of people make it up, management must play a crucial role in making sure everyone has a chance for deep focus. University of California's Professor Gloria Mark is one academic asking the price of an interruption. Her paper, The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress, concludes that distracting someone from their work doesn't slow them down, but means they produce poorer quality work and feel more frustration and stress. Use face-to-face time for what it's best for My last full-time job showed me how the remote work approach is more important than tools or factors like how often staff meet. I was giving technical expertise for cybersecurity product sales. Our collaboration tools weren't great. There was the usual nightmare of email and calendar software, partly integrated with more software for phone calls and text chat. Collaboration was mainly over conference call rather than video. I usually worked remotely, but some of the team used offices shared with colleagues or the wider company full- or part-time (known as hybrid working.) Management also drove the team feeling by continually staying in touch and freely giving both praise and suggested improvements. Physical meetings were infrequent but scheduled. They were both practical and social, giving a chance to get to know colleagues outside text or phone interactions. Colleagues and associated teams made the most of face-to-face meetings. The sales team always made sure they spent time together before and after visits to customers and potential customers. Consider team skill mix and have a driving purpose Recently, I worked with a small team to organize the first game-based cybersecurity conference, Play Secure. It was hard establishing a new conference around a novel theme. And with the conference being entirely online, we needed to ensure it didn't feel like just another set of webinars. For fully remote working with a new team, it went especially well. I think the team's success secret was the right combination of interpersonal skills and a shared sense of mission. We didn't get so burnt out through increased online interaction and were motivated enough by purpose to overcome the limitations of the tools. Use your tools on a strong foundation Lockdowns led to my becoming a fully remote worker, which fits the needs of my customers spread across different time zones. My work is usually intensive with short periods of decision support for customers, then intervals for research and consideration. Projects can have different delivery speeds. You need to adapt to others' work demands and availability and establish rapport over a simple video call. In this case, I think tools make a difference. It's hard to find a positive aspect to the pandemic, but the mass adoption of video conferencing has helped my work. It lets me give timely advice to customers without being limited by travel time and cost. When deciding to go remote-first If you or your team want to go remote-first, think through what has worked for you and what hasn't. Take staff preferences into account. Meeting in person once a week, once a month, or once a quarter can greatly affect team wellbeing and cohesion. It's easier for a distributed team to come together than for an in-office team to work apart and avoid interruptions successfully. With the savings on the costs of office space and time spent commuting, opportunities abound for thoughtful organizations to enjoy the benefits of remote work by forging their own 'new normal.'
10 skills for IT success

Nine new skills to supercharge your IT leadership career

  • min read
    • IT and network security education has always emphasized the technical and academic. But in a world increasingly defined by change, the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2020 found soft skills are suddenly in high demand. Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education says employers want a host of new abilities in their IT leaders, like creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. "The skills an IT leader needed in the past are different from what's needed to manage an organization running in the Cloud," Clyde Seepersad, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Training and Certification at the Linux Foundation, told me. "Things move faster today than they did a few years ago. People who have high flexibility, adaptability and resilience will be best positioned to help their organizations succeed." Let's look at the 9 new skills insiders believe are critical for IT success in today's world and how to develop them. 1.  Adaptability: Broadening your skillset IT and computer security move so fast that global management consultancy McKinsey says the business world recently leaped forward technologically by 10 years in just 90 days in response to COVID-19 challenges. Technology leaders' adaptability, or in other words, the capacity to get familiar with and adjust to new scenarios and technologies, will only become more important. A recent Deloitte survey of 2860 executives at leading organizations found having digital transformation as a central pillar of its business strategy is key to enterprise success. Executives must regularly and routinely transform their skills, and even their way of thinking, to match that mission-critical shift. "Tomorrow's leaders will need to apply more business acumen across a wider variety of disciplines," Bhushan Sethi, Joint Global Lead for People and Organization at consulting firm PwC told me. He names the ability to analyze new business models, design more compelling experiences and read and visualize data more effectively when making decisions as just some of those disciplines. 2.  Agility: Switching strategies, embracing change Senior executives at technology leader Oracle say, "Businesses that fall behind trends can quickly lose market position and competitive advantage." This means IT leaders must become more willing to take action, switch strategies and get their workforce embracing regular and pronounced change. University of Chicago Booth School of Business reports customer trends and habits are shifting faster. So, technology executives must find ways to become more agile as individuals and support their organizations to increase agility. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation tools are now critical to staying ahead. 3.  Collaboration: Learning from others Linux Foundation's Seepersad points to the need to master communications, teamwork and people skills. "The stereotype of the programmer in a basement has never been accurate, but even less so now," he says. "There are tasks that should be handled by one person alone, but generally, it's helpful to collaborate with others, if only to get outside perspectives on what you're building." 4.  Courage: Speaking up and acting In my book Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate and Succeed Despite Uncertainty, I define professional courage as the willingness to speak up, act and take smart chances. Courage has become more important because, as PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel once famously told Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, "In a world changing so quickly, the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk." It also helps to get in the habit of having strong but weakly-held opinions. Do your homework and make firm decisions, but be able to change tack as new (even contradictory) business intelligence comes along. 5.  Emotional intelligence: Empathy, listening and understanding Defined as the ability to empathize, see others' points of view and be more self-aware, emotional intelligence lets us successfully interact with and influence others. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin studied top performers in their organization and found science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills weren't the skills most needed for success. Rather, the top performers could stay ahead because of empathy for colleagues and appreciating coworkers' values and points of view. We can cultivate emotional intelligence by working on our active listening, empathy and situational awareness. PwC's Sethi thinks emotional intelligence has many facets. "Increasing your emotional intelligence also means getting better at understanding mental health, recognizing the toll of burnout on workers and knowing when teams need a break. We should also think about how we can redesign and automate workflows to get things done most effectively." 6.  Futurism: Seeing what's coming next In my 2020 book Think Like a Futurist: How to Plan Around Uncertainty and Future-proof Your Business, I define futurism as your ability to anticipate and plan for future events and happenings. It's an exercise in critical thinking and forethought. Get in the habit of asking questions like, Which new technologies and consumer trends will most impact our business, when, and how much? To practice futurism, use role-playing exercises where IT teams work through sample scenarios based on real-world events such as cyberattacks. You can also boost your ability to see what's coming next by practicing four things: Focus on trends rather than fads, stay alert to signals in the market, tie signals together to spot larger patterns and build communities of expert advisers with different perspectives. 7.  Ingenuity: Finding the answers Ingenuity is your capacity to use talents like creativity and innovation and to learn and intuit answers from scenarios quickly. While incremental innovation and experimentation are powerful for business growth, flashes of insight make game-changing leaps forward. Senior Research Scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle published research showing ingenuity is something we can teach and learn, although perhaps not in the ways we think. IT leaders can spark more "A-ha!" moments among their team by, for example, asking workers to devise new solutions, collaborate with customers on new concepts or imagining unforeseen future events that might impact business and how they'd handle them. Organizations can boost overall ingenuity with outside-in innovation: Seeking input from external sources like the academic or start-up community, or inside-out innovation: Letting others use your tools and technologies in new ways. 8.  Problem-solving: Breaking it down IT leaders need to think more like computer programmers and approach challenges like solving puzzles. In Forbes magazine, tech skills writer Laurence Bradford proposes computer scientists have a lens on the world that's great for leadership. They're often more open to tinkering with variables and better at spotting options for changing or improving things that others see as fixed. "One of the most relevant skills for IT leaders of tomorrow is the ability to diagnose and discern the root cause of issues and separate these from the symptoms they produce," notes Sethi. "If you can tell whether it's user-facing challenges, system design or unclear business rules causing problems, you've got an important skill." 9.  Resilience: Bouncing back (again) Resilience is your capacity to bounce back from adversity. By studying many groups – from grade school students to military cadets – University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth worked out resilience better predicts success than IQ or talent. Being smart helps technology leaders with technical competence, but your ability to work through setbacks has more influence on getting ahead. Next time you have a bad day at work or a project starts going sideways, remember you can overcome these challenges and be better for it. Soft and hard skills are must-haves for IT leaders. "It's a great time to be a learner," says Seepersad. "There are many options to explore, such as online services that provide thousands of courses in hard and soft skills, many at no cost. It's important to remember improving soft skills will always help you in the workplace, but it's important to stay up to speed on evolutions in technology as well."
right fit job

Are you in the wrong career? How to know and what to do.

  • min read
    • A funny thing happened in the UK earlier this year. A government minister suggested people who'd lost their job thanks to COVID-19 should retrain, leading many to try the government's 'ideal job' quiz. They posted their often strangely niche results (think boxer, microbrewer or fairground worker) on social media, to much bewildered laughter. This amusing diversion no doubt raised serious questions for some. Or perhaps the questions have arisen because you've been made redundant or told your job is at risk from the pandemic. Am I in the right career? And what's the best way to change career? I was always told, "find a career you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." But it turns out even the job you're best suited to will have you hiding under the bed covers some mornings. We only live once though, so any old career won't do. When discussing the people shortages and the lack of women in cybersecurity, one fact that often comes through is that people don't end up in their career purely because of a free choice based on personal strengths. We're influenced by many things. If we get a chance to see and hear from people like us in the career, we're more likely to pursue it. If we get to try out that career's skills and activities, we're more likely to be interested in it. Should you look for an enjoyable career? In his 2012 book, So good they can't ignore you, Computer Science Professor Cal Newport argues seeking a career based on what you enjoy, or are passionate about, puts the cart before the horse, ironically leading to a lack of career passion. Instead, he demonstrates that enthusiasm flows from working out what you're good at and deliberately practicing a rare skill. (For examples of rare skills, take a look at Labor market analysts Burning Glass recent reported on the most in-demand skills in cybersecurity.) Daniel Coyle describes what it means to 'deliberately' (and successfully) practice a skill in his book, The Talent Code. In it, he takes on a concept so widely accepted that we rarely consider it: The idea some people are 'naturally talented.' He runs through research that shows those we call talented, in fact, practice skills differently – breaking up their task into small sections and repeating these until they are perfect. He also argues seeking to 'enjoy' practicing is the wrong goal: Enjoyment comes from mastery. Is it me, or the career? If you're finding your job less satisfying than you'd like, your first instinct might be to ask whether there's something about yourself you can change to make your work more fulfilling. Coyle's assertion 'natural talent' doesn't exist, and Newport's that enjoyment comes from perfecting skills, open potential for finding more meaning in any career. There may be no perfect person for your role, but perhaps you could become that ideal. Consider whether your learning and development at work has addressed all the skills you might need, especially in 'soft skills' like communication, empathy and negotiation. Soft skills are vital at all levels but are rarely directly taught or assessed in formal education, so many arrive in a career having had little chance to develop or practice them. If you tend to have troubled workplace relationships, transactional analysis may help. This form of psychoanalysis is built around the idea that without realizing, we slot ourselves into one of three roles when we interact with others, and our role choice can lead to dysfunction in the relationship. Transactional analysis teaches you to recognize these roles and practice using more effective roles for each situation. On the other hand, there's every chance if you're dissatisfied at work, it's the career, not you. Signs you should change your career 1.    You want to feel more positive and confident at work I asked author of Career grease: How to get unstuck and pivot your career and career coach Alison Cardy how to tell if the problem is how you're going about your work, or your career. Her advice: "When your work is a fit for you, you likely feel positive about going to work, even when you have areas to improve. When it isn't a fit, emotions can range from dread to boredom to loss of confidence." Cardy suggests the solution is more likely to lie outside yourself: 2.    When friends talk of their careers, you want to be them Cardy also points to feeling envy when you hear about others' career wins as a sign you may not be getting what you need from yours. Considering why you feel envious will help you with a direction to head in. What is it about the achievement you want? If your friend is a game designer, envying their career may not necessarily mean you'd be more fulfilled doing it. It may be the creativity or strategic thinking that appeals to you, which can be found in many careers. 3.    Your ethics or values don't align with the career Author of Find your sweet spot, Karen Elizaga, recommends paying attention if you "strongly disagree with the moral or political values of [your] career." If you're new to your career and your company, it may be challenging to identify whether the values mismatch is with the company or the career. Employment Advisor Kat Boogaard suggests a path to follow when you're not fitting with how the company does things. If your moral objection is to bad behavior by your company rather than the career itself, consider whether blowing the whistle may be a better option than quitting. It might even benefit the business – research suggests companies with whistleblowers are more effective. So you're in the wrong career. What next? Alison Cardy – who, full disclosure, is a career coach – makes a good case for consulting a career coach. "When you're clarifying your career, it's easy to get stalled. You're more likely to get swayed by others' opinions and advice. Because you're trying to solve this problem on top of your job, it's easy to set it on the backburner and get stuck in an unproductive loop of not liking what you're doing and not doing anything about it. A coach can help you prioritize your career change and clarify your goals and strengths. They'll keep you moving when you're unsure what to do next." Cardy notes some things to avoid on your path to changing your career too. "Three common trip-ups are going back to study without a clear career goal, only exploring in your industry instead of broadening your search and following career advice that goes against your gut." The perceived difficulty of changing career can loom unduly large, notes Katie Douthwaite Wolf, who changed from a career in management to content marketing. Wolf emphasizes it's something of a myth that you'll have to start from the bottom, and changing careers is far from unusual. A recent survey in Australia suggested a young person starting their first job today can expect to have five different careers, and 17 jobs, during their working life. Having had previous careers is an asset when you enter a new one, giving you experiences and insight your colleagues won't likely have. Many companies are aware of the value of a 'polymath:' Someone with a deep knowledge of several fields – a common quality among many ground-breaking innovators. Many were told to look for a career they love but ironically ended up dissatisfied. There are other ways to choose a career that might hold more promise, such as developing rare skills in an area you're already good at. Bear in mind that if your career feels unsatisfying, it may be because of something you can fix. If you see signs you're in the wrong career, consider why you feel as you do and focus on the work experiences and values you want. Use professional expertise to explore your skills, what opportunities might fit them and seek advice to help you stay on track when the going gets tough. But don't sweat it – people successfully change careers all the time, and so can you.
Managing international team

To succeed in leading an international team, use these specific skills

  • min read
    • Managing one person can be hard enough, but as your team grows, so do the complexities. Managing a large international team across multiple time zones, with different social and business norms, presents new challenges. And with unforeseen pressures like COVID-19, it's easy to see why many say managing people is an art, not a science. How do you unite and motivate a diverse, international team at times like these? There is no 'one size fits all' answer, but I believe these insights will put you on the path to success. 1.   Use shared values to unite your team There can be many obstacles and barriers that divide people. One of the best ways to overcome differences is to promote fundamental principles that can unite everyone. A great place to start is sharing and defining the core values of your company – its vision, mission and promise. At Kaspersky, for example, we "bring on the future." Each of our employees is empowered to embrace this forward-looking approach and know their work is building a safer world. While building a team around a common purpose, a successful manager must also demonstrate strong ethics and zero tolerance for any kind of insensitivity. Motivate your people to acknowledge, accept and respect differences. 2.   Communicate informally to build trust Building trust can be difficult and time-consuming. But once earned, it is priceless. Informal communication is common in an office environment but becomes more challenging with a geographically separated team. Think about opportunities to initiate such conversations – for example, casual chats before video conferences start, where all participants can discuss recent news or life events. This lets your team get to know and understand their distant workmates. 3.   Be clear and precise when you share information Strong and timely communication brings colleagues up-to-speed and lets them share experiences. It also helps you see opportunities and issues early. Clarity is especially important when your team members have different first languages or are in different time zones. Promoting precision in communication means fewer misunderstandings to slow your team's progress. Achieving clarity and precision is easier said than done. For some pointers, try MindTools' guide to writing effective emails and Workzone's 15 simple ways to improve team communications. 4.   Engage those on the ground in decision-making Those who do the everyday work of your company know the ins and outs, especially what works in their region or country. They may also have a detached view of decisions coming from above. Head office and senior management should always involve people on the frontline in their decision-making. Hearing multiple viewpoints can significantly improve business results. It also motivates team members to share ideas that benefit all and share responsibility for the outcome. They take processes to heart, which means more understanding, acceptance and better implementation of the decisions that have been made. 5.   Set goals, track performance and give help when needed Planning is important. Interim targets help an international team understand and synchronize to achieve company-wide goals. Let people on the ground know you have their back. It's a powerful way to unleash their potential and talent. 6.   Lead by example Team members tend to align with their leaders. Setting an example is one of the best ways to implement good habits and unite people around them. If you want to encourage your staff to use a digital sales tool, you must use it. If you want everyone to respond promptly to emails, act in a timely way and be honest – show the way. Successfully managing an international team means developing and using soft skills: Communication, listening and empathy. It's getting your points across, but also listening, being flexible and showing your appreciation. Using these skills, you can turn the daily work routine into a day that employees are eager to engage in, and where they feel respected and valued. And in doing so, you and your business are also destined to succeed.
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