expert panel

Here are 16 tips to consider before your staff members dive into training for the latest software tools. Technology exists to make our professional lives a little easier. However, when department managers and their teams get too comfortable with the old way of doing business in a familiar pattern or process, it’s never easy to convince them to adapt to the latest infrastructure all at once. If your company is currently pursuing a new digital platform or service, an expert panel of Fast Company Executive Board members share 16 ideas to support each employee’s tech level and learning style.

expert panel

Every professional story includes some mistakes and missteps—including the stories of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Mistakes are an unavoidable reality of everyday life, including in the business world. The key to success is not perfection but bouncing back from mistakes and learning from them for the future. Some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs faced significant stumbles and setbacks before striking gold. The members of Fast Company Executive Board have also overcome their share of obstacles during their professional journeys. Below, 13 of them reveal their biggest missteps on the road to success. The lessons they learned from them are among the many reasons they’ve gotten where they are today.

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Feeling like you don’t belong in the position you’ve achieved in your professional life can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being, but there are ways to boost your confidence in your intrinsic abilities and qualifications. In recent years, the term “impostor syndrome” has become an increasingly common topic of discussion. People with impostor syndrome may believe that they are not truly qualified for the role they hold or may attribute the success they’ve achieved to mere luck. This can lead to unfounded feelings of being “unworthy” or fears of being “found out.” And no one is immune; imposter syndrome is an issue that affects everyone from entrepreneurs and CEOs to entry-level professionals. Left unchecked, this all-too-common phenomenon can be detrimental to both work performance and mental health. Fortunately, it’s possible to combat these negative perceptions and feel more confident in your achievements, worth, and potential. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their best advice to help those struggling with impostor syndrome.

expert panel

To achieve lasting success, company owners and leaders must learn how to establish long-term relationships with customers. As a business owner, you want every interaction customers or clients have with your business to be a positive one. While most successful businesses develop policies and procedures to try to ensure stellar service, building outstanding customer relations doesn’t stop there. Leaders can’t simply assume that the services and support they’ve developed are exceeding customer expectations. To know for sure, you have to go straight to the horse’s mouth—you have to not only listen to what your customers say to and about you but also track to see if they continue to choose your business in the future. While you may not be able to ask each of your customers personally for their opinion of your company, there are metrics you can monitor to ensure you’re on the right track when it comes to offering outstanding customer service. Below, 12 leaders from Fast Company Executive Board share the metrics their organizations track to help them develop long-lasting relationships and a strong community of fans around their brand.