Coronavirus: What Olympians can teach us about working from home (seriously) April 6, 2020 After spending four years laser-focused on a single goal, last week world class athletes woke up to the news that the Olympic Games has been postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletes will now have to keep up the momentum until June 2021 which will no doubt take some readjusting and a fresh [...]
Now that coronavirus has closed our pubs, fancy heading online for a pint? March 27, 2020 Adland is a sociable place. Creative ideas are often sparked by chance conversations and unexpected influences. That’s why our people work closely together and why we’ve just opened our lovely, sunny new space at the Tea Building in Shoreditch. It’s got the latest technology, colourful rugs, comfy chairs and nice big windows. But thanks to [...]
Working from home? You still need to dress to impress March 26, 2020 Chaps, if you’ve very recently begun working from home for some reason, you may be finding it difficult to adjust. The lack of shape to your day, the upsetting of your usual routine, can be disorientating. Sure, your initial idea that you’d be able to lie on the sofa in nothing but your briefs, dipping [...]
Dear Santa… please no more office politics? December 17, 2019 Christmas can be difficult for some, personally as well as professionally, but there is a lot that an organisation can do to ease pressure and show staff that it values their hard work. So how can you sweep away those cobwebs, “deck the halls”, and help mitigate the potential for office politics this festive season? [...]
Why practice doesn’t make perfect: Rote learning has limited uses in the world of business September 9, 2015 From times tables to French verbs, we are told by our teachers that practice is the key to success. This old bromide was given scientific endorsement in 1993, when psychologist Anders Ericsson produced a study claiming that success owes more to toil than talent. But research by Princeton last year put paid to the [...]
Post-holiday blues: How to lift employees out of the funk September 8, 2015 The holoidays are over and the old routine beckons. Getting back to the grindstone and the usual frustrations of office life can be unsettling, especially when people have had the opportunity to reflect on their lot. How can you help your team settle back in and feel more enthused about work? OLD HABITS First, it’s [...]
Scandi offices: What British firms can learn from their Nordic counterparts September 6, 2015 Swedish companies are well-known as excellent places to work. This is partly a result of a unique Scandinavian business culture, characterised by collaboration, respect and personal responsibility. There is much that UK firms can learn from Swedish business customs. Here are a few examples that could help improve team spirit and make for happier employees. [...]
Positive ways to soften negative staff feedback: Give criticism often so that it doesn’t feel like a personal attack September 3, 2015 Giving feedback can be like walking a tightrope. Make a mistake and you risk sounding insincere or, worse, aggressive. Avoid it altogether and you are failing your team. A study of 22,719 leaders found that those ranking in the bottom 10 per cent in their ability to give frank feedback were perceived as significantly [...]
Why your chief executive should wear a hoodie: Those with the technical know-how are increasingly in demand for the top jobs September 2, 2015 In the early days of a startup, once your company achieved scale, the technical founder would step back to be replaced with a “professional chief executive”. This used to be commonplace; everyone from Cisco to eBay went through the management team merry-go-round. But the tide is turning and there is a growing acceptance [...]
It’s time to negotiate an international transfer at work – here’s how you do it August 31, 2015 It can be the best of times, it can be the worst of times. Our attitudes to the first few “back to work” days in September can encompass happiness, stoical acceptance, dread and everything in between. And data shows that it’s prime time for career re-evaluation. Last year, there was a 62 per cent rise [...]