Gartner added 16 new technologies to the Hype Cycle this year, including blockchain, machine learning, general purpose machine intelligence, smart workspace for the first time. Smart machine technologies will be the most disruptive class of innovations over the next 10 years due to their computational power, scalability in analyzing large-scale data sets, and rapid advances in neural networks.

Dear Liz, I love your columns. I’m an HR Manager and I try to lead our company’s HR function in the most human way I can. I have a question about your story Ten Things A Good Manager Won’t Ask Employees to Do. This is a great list, but I wonder: there must be things that strong managers won’t tolerate, correct? People make mistakes, or they do things they shouldn’t do, so even a great manager can’t be nice all the time.

(Photo: Shutterstock) Are you just back from vacation, feeling refreshed and ready to take on more career challenges? Now’s the time to use that energy to propel yourself forward by creating a career development plan! Here’s how. Look in the mirror. Begin by seeing yourself as a competitive product. Take inventory of your strengths, weaknesses and differentiators, and then challenge yourself by facing any weaknesses and making improvements.

If there’s any setting in which you want to cooperate, it’s a job interview. You hope to work together with or for this person, and the interview is your opportunity to show you can do that. But what do you do when the interviewer asks you unlawful questions? If you push back, you are likely giving up your opportunity to put the company name on your resume.

depositphotos.com Unless you’ve had your head in the sand or like to waste time, you know meetings suck up a tremendous amount of valuable time.  You’ve also read lots of advice that is supposed to help. You’ve probably even tried some of that advice. And you are not alone.

(Photo courtesy of Pexels) Do these sound like promises you’ve made to yourself? Once I get the promotion, I’ll feel like my career is on track. After this busy period, I won’t have to work so much and can spend time doing things I enjoy. When I make six-figures, I’ll be financially secure enough to move across the country/start a family/write a book.

Photo: Shutterstock How many times have you been in a meeting when someone says, “That’s a great idea, you should do something with that”? Then what happens? Nothing. Sure, we all recognize that we should act and create strategies for change. Most people just don’t trust themselves enough to take the first steps and define their strategies since this is the basis for accountability. They would rather be held accountable to others’ expectations than their own.

Part of the new series “Ask the Career Coach” Photo Courtesy: iStock Dear Kathy: I’m a 51-year-old account director and I’ve just learned that a guy 15 years my junior has been promoted to my boss. He’s got some raw talent and isn’t a bad guy, but I’ve worked with him directly before and he’s not a great leader, and we’re very different in style and approach.

pexels.com Personal brands are easy to create but hard to develop into breakout marketing resources. The general idea is to create an identity around your own personality, showing off your expertise on your individual social media profiles and building an audience and a reputation.

Photo credit: Shutterstock Here are the highlights from my recent interview with Dave Kerpen, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Likeable Media, and his thoughts on outsourcing social media, being selfless, differentiating, staying top of mind and gratitude. William: Let’s talk about the connection between your new book, The Art of People, and the kind of work that you’re doing in the social media space.