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I couldn’t be more excited to announce that I have accepted a position at The Open Sky Project. I am leading the architecture, development and technology.

It’s rare in life that one has the opportunity to do what they love to do and be paid to do it. Even rarer is to do something great with people you love working with. At OpenSky I have found this and more. There is an energy and excitement at OpenSky; come spend 10 minutes in our office and you will feel it. The team is passionate about what they are doing and the passion is growing.

Image by lumaxart via Flickr

There is one trait that if possessed can virtually ensure success, the ability to nurture a culture of engaged workers.

Engaged workers do work harder or longer, but that’s not the core benefit, rather an engaged employee will demonstrate commitment, dedication, initiative and will work for the company (rather than for a paycheck). Engaged workers require no supervision and little management. Only when employees are properly engaged can organization move as one towards a unified goal. When employees are engaged, organizations will succeed because all the participants will ensure it.

While it may not seem intuitive taking time out to selflessly help others will help you more than them. This week I haven’t had much time to blog largely because this week many opportunities arose to help others and I took them. Some at work, some outside of work. Helping others will endear them to you. Not only will you ultimately benefit more than what you’ve invested in helping others, but you will also make a real difference in the lives of those whom you work with.

Here are for keys to helping others and making them feel like a priority while doing so.

1. Be empathetic. Stop thinking of yourself and put yourself in the shoes of those around you.

2. Take time out. Believe it or not, you have the time. Help others and you will find more time to finish the things you need. Importantly make whoever you are helping feel like they are the priority.

3. Be genuinely interested. Don’t only make the people you serve feel like you are interested in them, be interested in them.

4. Listen. Nothing can make a person feel lower than to think
you don’t care about them, the easiest way to do this is to not listen
to them. If you value them (which you should), then show them you care
by listening to them.