The hour-long lunch break: Is it worth taking? December 15, 2014 Even well-known executives aren’t afraid to take some “me time”. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have been known to take them together. The French often take twice as long as the rest of us (and the Italians longer still), while 20 per cent of Brits claim not to take one at all, according to [...]
Why smart people make bad decisions December 14, 2014 A company’s corporate culture can sometimes encourage dangerous herd behaviour. When asked recently to deliver a keynote speech at the ACORD Forum in Fort Lauderdale, I instantly knew my topic – it’s something that has been puzzling me for years – “Why do smart people make bad decisions?” I’m not referring to just hiring [...]
How to get a bigger Christmas bonus December 11, 2014 Some subtle boasting may be in order – even if you work at a relatively small company. It's that time of year when work calms down and Secret Santa gifts are exchanged. But while Christmas is generally a time for giving and altruism, thoughts in the City also turn to the reward you’ve grafted [...]
Career boost? Make use of Secret Santa December 10, 2014 You don’t have to splash too much cash to impress your superiors this Christmas. With the Christmas party season reaching its climax this week, Brits are set to spend over £38m on Secret Santa gifts for their colleagues. And according to our recent poll of workers in the capital, Londoners are among the most [...]
Should you check emails in meetings? December 9, 2014 Meeting etiquette needs a revamp for the digital age – but many of the old rules still apply. What are your pet hates when sitting in meetings? Is it the colleague who stares out of the window or yawns when you are speaking? Or maybe it’s the boss who talks non-stop and doesn’t listen? [...]
The secret to job satisfaction? A good boss December 8, 2014 Having a competent manager is the single biggest determinant of job satisfaction. Bosses are everywhere. None of us can avoid them. Yet the person looking over your shoulder matters far more than is generally realised. Our study of 35,000 employees in the UK and US shows that the competence of your boss is the single [...]
Maximising the digital workplace December 7, 2014 Understand how your employees co-operate and dismiss your conception of the office. The way we work has changed dramatically, and today’s workplace looks and feels very different to how it did just a decade ago. There are physical changes – open-plan offices, tablets and hot-desking – but the structure of work is changing as [...]
A winning team: Measuring ability might not cut it December 4, 2014 Behavioural profiling is gaining traction among recruiters. How do you build the perfect team? If you’re faced with the tough choice between two applicants for a job, surely appraising their skill-sets or asking the right questions at interview is enough to find the right fit? It’s not quite so simple. And to show you [...]
Business ethics: Does your firm cut it? December 3, 2014 The right incentives and senior management taking the lead will make all the difference. In recent months, six of the world’s biggest banks have been accused of rigging foreign exchange rates, while the UK’s dominant retailer has admitted misstating profits by a quarter of a billion pounds. It’s easy to be cynical about [...]
Are you making the most of the boredom effect? December 2, 2014 Studies suggest that more yawning can help boost your creativity. It's never been harder to be bored. Through personal music devices, podcasts or brief forays into the non-work-related web, the modern office dweller has a near endless supply of diversions ready for moments of tedium. Even the meeting – that epitome of workplace monotony [...]