Professionals who have not been able to renegotiate their job titles can instead seek to expand their job duties to build qualifications for future positions, writes Gloria Feldt. "Every company's top performers look for 'stretch' projects that might take them outside their formal roles -- and companies value that," Feldt writes.

It's unwise to publicly boast about the large role you had in successful group projects, but that doesn't mean you can't use your contributions to help earn a promotion, writes Emily Moore. Document your specific contributions so you can discuss them in future performance reviews or in conversations with your manager over potential promotions.

Professionals who are considering continuing-education courses to accelerate their career should determine how many hours per week they can put into such courses before they begin, says Rovy Branon, vice provost for Continuum College at the University of Washington. In addition, prospective students should research what specific competencies and formal degrees or certificates are needed for specific career goals before entering a program.

Microsoft has developed a new workplace safety software to help monitor employees using artificial intelligence, but some employers are concerned it could be used by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to increase business liability. Microsoft hopes the software will soon be able to protect workers from hazardous incidents and alert employers when employees are not following proper safety protocol.

For recent college graduates, pursuing your passion is not as important as simply finding work that you're good at, writes John Suh. Ask close friends what your best skills are and try to align your career with those specific abilities, Suh writes.

Happy people avoid getting involved in political struggles in the workplace and instead focus on attaining real achievements, writes Jeff Haden. In addition, happy people don't let fear of criticism keep them from making an effort or trying something new, Haden writes.

Professional basketball is the sport in which championships correlate most to team skill in terms of champions reflecting regular season results. Hockey results reflect skill less than any other US major sport.