Richard Branson: How passion can change your life October 12, 2014 Buzzwords can get tiresome, and “passion” is one that’s thrown around liberally. We’re told it pays to be passionate in our jobs, and that passionate leadership is the best kind. But however fed up most might feel with the word, Richard Branson has always been passionate about passion – arguing it got him to where [...]
Negotiations at work: Avoid the common errors October 9, 2014 Don’t get caught out by “fixed pie” thinking, and always stay calm. Contrary to the dozens of high-octane confrontation bibles lining the “business” shelves of most bookshops – with titles like Negotiate your Way to Riches, and Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In – life isn’t one long stream of standoffs leading up to a [...]
How to handle redundancy: Know what you’re entitled to and seek legal advice October 8, 2014 Since 2008, “redundancy season” has become an inherent part of life in the City. The shifting market and regulatory backdrop have led to swathes of job cuts, as companies restructure to fit the new landscape. Even now that economic conditions are more benign, many will wait anxiously as HR departments gear up for the annual [...]
Plato, Machiavelli and Aristotle: The Philosopher Kings of business October 7, 2014 Businesses can learn a lot from the classics – try imitating Socrates in your next meeting. Every few years, typically following moments of crisis or ructions in the global economy, a bevy of articles appears extolling the virtues of a classical or philosophical education for business leaders. Choose Montaigne over macroeconomics, we’re told – [...]
Steven Pinker: What science can teach us about how to write well October 6, 2014 Harriet Green talks to cognitive scientist Steven Pinker about avoiding corporatese. Steven Pinker, the author and intellectual ranked by Time Magazine in 2004 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, has a new book out, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. It [...]
Just starting out in the City? Here’s how to be noticed October 5, 2014 Dress smartly, finish your work, build your network, and you’ll be fine. As graduate schemes open their doors for a new generation of employees, the City is now flooded with fresh-faced grads, all eager to impress. But how to stand out? A few simple steps can go a long way to getting you noticed. [...]
How to write the perfect CV: Avoid common errors that ruin your chances October 2, 2014 Keep it clear – no one knows what you mean by “results-oriented”. Spot the mistake in this list of skills, taken from a real CV and published on Amy Joyce’s Resume Bloopers blog for the Washington Post: “Strong Work Ethic, Attention to Detail, Team Player, Self Motivated, Attention to Detail.” Actually, there are [...]
Chief executives and Twitter: Are they losing out? October 1, 2014 Only a handful of business leaders tweet, which may be a good thing. "I owe you one @BenKaufman! Here’s my #IceBucketChallenge. You’re up Sarah and Steve Immelt and Ken Chenault!” So tweeted General Electric chief executive Jeffrey Immelt on 21 August. It’s difficult to imagine the company’s august co-founder and former president Charles [...]
Why interview brainteasers are on the way out – even at Google September 30, 2014 You don’t have to be a genius to work out why brainteasers are dying. Imagine you have eight balls of equal size. Seven of them weigh exactly the same, but one is slightly heavier. How would you go about finding the heaviest one using some scales and just two weighings? If you’re thinking [...]
Wondering how to quit your job? Don’t follow Charlo Greene’s example September 29, 2014 Prepare a transition plan – overly acrimonious exits don’t serve anybody’s needs. Alaskan TV news presenter Charlo Greene made a splash in the media world last week, after swearing live on air and announcing that she’d be leaving her job: “And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, f *** [...]