I was a 2nd/3rd grade after-school teacher for one year; I consider it my fellowship in education.

Kids crave structure and consistency. Someone else is always telling them what to do and when —they like to know what's coming next.

Confession: I had a lot of trouble being consistent with my group of kids, and the chaos of the job affected me more than most. I'd say we would play "ball tag" (just like it sounds) in 2 days, and I would plan something else and end up disappointing a lot of them. I would ask Alex to be "line leader" and then put another kid in front of him. Inconsistent, and the kids learned to curb their excitement when I announced something fun.

The same can be said for your bosses, colleagues, and audience. Each of us is dealing with a lot of live and digital chaos. If you're not consistent, the general response to your announcements will be "Nice" and "We'll see about that."

How to be more consistent

1. Master the art of saying no, thank you quickly and yes slowly.

2. Make a habit out of inviting eyeballs on your work. If daily, all the better.

3. Say "My name is _. I (what you do), every day. You can count on it."