Mariana Bechtel isn’t exactly someone who avoids stress. Throughout her, she has pursued high-pressure management jobs: “I’m hard core,” says the 44-yearold wife and mother of two. “I wanted to be on top at work, and I wanted to be a great mom” –one who could attend baseball games, drive and help with homework even after an hour-long commute （通勤）on workdays, more often than not, with a5 a.m. marathon-training run.

However, after months of losing sleep, dropping weight and feeling pushed to lose her mind, Mariana Bechtel decided she had to address her stress-and turn it to her advantage. The new job she recently switched to still has its share of pressure, but with more support from her boss and more flexibility in her schedule, she says she feels great.

Contrary to popular belief, stress doesn’t have to be a soul-sucking, health-damaging force. But few people know how to transform their stress into the positive kind that helps them reach their goals.

A recent research confirms that gaining control over job demands, doing work with meaning and purpose and enjoying support and encouragement from co-workers are all linked to beneficial stress. Simply changing attitudes and expectations about stress-through coaching, training or peer-support groups-can also develop the constructive kind of stress.

“Stress is paradoxical,” says Alia Crum, a research scholar. “On one hand, it can be the thing that hurts us most. On the other, it’s fundamental to psychological and physical growth. The attitude that we view and approach stress will shift the outcome.”

A role shift—whether a promotion, a move to a new organization, or a fresh challenge in your existing job—can be a huge boost to your career and a chance for you to succeed. You know the drill heading in: Apply your experience and talents to the position, make sure you are accepted by the hierarchy (高层), and get a few big wins in the first couple of months to demonstrate what you can do.

But in today’s hyper-collaborative and dynamic workplaces, successful moves aren’t as easy as they once were, even for the most qualified and hard-working people. Too often, transitional managers and employees don’t live up to their organizations’ expectations. Gartner surveys indicate that a full 49% of people promoted within their own companies are underperforming up to 18 months after those moves, and McKinsey reports that 27% to 46% of transitional executives are regarded as failures or disappointments two years later. They have the right skills and experience. They understand the company’s goals. So why didn’t they quickly excel in their new roles?

We analyzed employee relationships and communication patterns across more than 100 diverse companies and interviewed 160 executives in 20 of them. Our research points to one overlooked prerequisite (先决条件) for transition success: the effective use of internal networks. The people who are the most productive, innovative, and engaged in new roles — the “fast movers” — are those who establish extremely broad, mutually beneficial, uplifting connections from the start. Specifically, they surge rapidly into a broad network; identify how they add value, where they fall short, and who can fill the gaps; create scale; and shape their networks for maximum thriving.

In most cases, individual managers must do these things on their own. Only 43% of people surveyed said their organizations ensured that transitional employees were offered guidance and support. Only about a quarter said their employers encouraged them to build connections early or create networks to address skill gaps. But that should not be the case.

If you've started thinking about your career(职业), you'll probably have noticed that there are certain jobs you're just not supposed to do if you're a girl. However, a lot is happening today to get women into male—dominated(男性主导的)areas of work. This International Women's Day, we look at three areas of work where things are tough for women right now-but where change is happening.

Science and research

The situation today

Have you heard of STEM? STEM means science, technology, engineering and maths. It covers a whole range of jobs, from scientists who research cures for diseases, to engineers who design things like buildings, roads and bridges. These jobs are highly skilled. But of every eight people in a STEM job, only one is a woman.

Why we need more women in science

The lack of women in STEM jobs is becoming a national problem. The government is worried there simply won't be enough scientists and engineers in the future. This could affect the whole economy because, as a country, we can sell our technology and skills to other countries. STEM jobs also create more work further down the line, such as for construction workers who build roads and bridge.

The police

The situation today

In March 2015, the percentage of female police officers stood at 28%. This compares with 22% nine years earlier in 2006. And the percentage has not always risen over this period. In fact, it peaked(顶峰)in 2010 before falling, before flatlining over the next three years.

Why we need more women in the police force

The police are there for the whole community and that includes women! Because crime is often to do with sex, or violence by men against women, a woman police officer might be more understanding or more approachable. Studies also suggest that women tend to trust other women more than men. Women can also be more understanding. Often, when a person comes forward to report an incident, such as a problem at home or with neighbours, women are often better at listening and at understanding other people's problems, while men are more likely to be dismissive.