Menopause is a workplace issue. Here’s why

Menopause is a workplace issue. Here’s why

by • Comment, Workplace

 

Menopause is one of those things that until a few years ago, most of the population hadn’t heard of. Even if they had, it certainly wasn’t a workplace issue. Which is interesting as half the population will have one in some form. More specifically more than one in every ten people in our workforce is currently menopausal. More →

What we should learn from the sad story of Denise Prudhomme

What we should learn from the sad story of Denise Prudhomme

by • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Denise Prudhomme died alone at her desk, disconnected from colleagues, but also everybody elseI was chatting to somebody last week about the person in the US who died, alone and ignored at a desk, unnoticed for over four days. Their instinctive and understandable response was to ask whether the story was apocryphal. Sadly, not. Sixty-year-old Denise Prudhomme had clocked into work at the Arizona office of Wells Fargo at 7 am on Friday, August the 16th. Her death some time that day went unnoticed until the following Tuesday afternoon, when a colleague discovered her body slumped over her desk in a cubicle. More →

The shattering of self-image can be a very serious matter

The shattering of self-image can be a very serious matter

by • Comment

And when it’s information that challenges one of their core beliefs, or some notion they hold about themselves such as their self-image, the multiplying factors of cognitive dissonance can really start to stack up.It’s always fascinating to watch somebody deal with information that challenges their view on an issue. Doubly so when it’s somebody really, really smart. And when it’s information that challenges one of their core beliefs, or some notion they hold about themselves such as their self-image, the multiplying factors of cognitive dissonance can really start to stack up. More →

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

by • Comment, Workplace

 

The modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generationsThe modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generations—especially those born after 1997, known as Gen Z. It’s not just in the places we might expect. For example, in Japan, a country with a reputation for long tenures and employee/employer loyalty, resignation agencies such as Momuri offer services that allow individuals to quit their jobs remotely. Even where moving jobs is relatively rare, this “resignation-as-a-service” has sprung up as a result of discontent within the workforce. This phenomenon, particularly pronounced among younger demographics, is challenging traditional notions of loyalty in the face of workplace dissatisfaction. More →

Liar liar… the challenge AI has with the truth  

Liar liar… the challenge AI has with the truth  

by • AI, Comment, SF

 

lets see what experience and qualification AI can bring to the role, before we recruit it into our companiesThe rapid development and integration of AI assistance continues to be mind-blowing. Recently, my phone offered to arrange a birthday get-together for my friend Bruce (a lovely thought, but he’s in Canada and I’m in the UK so it’s unlikely to happen- sorry Bruce!). However, whilst a little geographical confusion doesn’t pose too much of an issue, given it was easy to spot, not all AI mistakes are so transparent. More →

The final word on … self-awareness

The final word on … self-awareness

by • Comment, Wellbeing

 

Both ancient Stoic philosophy and modern therapeutic approaches prize self-awareness. Here's why The story goes that the great Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius hired a servant to follow him around. The man had only one job. Whenever anybody bowed to the emperor, or said something in praise of him, the servant would whisper in his ear: “You’re just a man. You’re just a man.” Whether this achieved anything isn’t clear, but it was a sign that Marcus Aurelius  was at least trying to practice what he preached. In his Meditations, he wrote: “These are the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. It reaps its own harvest. It succeeds in its own purpose.” More →

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

by • AI, Comment

 

The impact of generative AI on creative workflows is challenging, profound and multifaceted, writes Chris Hewish Every significant leap in technology has promised more than it has delivered. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has delivered something different from what was promised. When automation began infiltrating manufacturing in the 19th century, there was widespread fear that it would render human labour obsolete. Instead, it transformed the nature of work, creating new categories of jobs and even eradicating others. The digital revolution of the late 20th century followed a similar trajectory. It shifted the burden of tasks, spawned entirely new industries, and necessitated new skill sets. More →

People can be so obedient in the workplace, they become Stepford Employees

People can be so obedient in the workplace, they become Stepford Employees

by • Comment, Workplace

The ‘Stepford Employee’ is a growing phenomenon in the workplace, where staff become overly agreeable, seldom ask questions, and rarely push boundariesThe ‘Stepford Employee’ is a growing phenomenon in the workplace, where staff become overly agreeable, seldom ask questions, and rarely push boundaries, hindering both their personal growth and their organisation’s success.  The term ‘Stepford Employee’ originates from the popular feminist horror novel, “The Stepford Wives”, which highlighted the dangers of subservience and docility for women. This growing trend in the world of work sees employees getting stuck in the status quo – not challenging leaders or pursuing professional growth. More →

Challenging the concept of work-life balance as we know it

Challenging the concept of work-life balance as we know it

by • Comment, Wellbeing

Rather than encouraging people to aim for the mythical work-life balance, why not support them to experiment with opportunities?The notion of work-life balance has been talked about for decades with the underlying claim that if you achieve it, everything will be perfect. In post-Covid workplaces, hybrid working is becoming the norm and promises of flexibility and yoga on a Thursday lunchtime adorn recruitment adverts. From a distance, it would be easy to think we’ve now nailed the work-life balance challenge. Yet hybrid working hasn’t waved a magic wand and many people struggling feel more like a circus performer, juggling with different-sized objects with sharp corners, whilst riding a unicycle, than they do a calm and collected master balancer. More →

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

by • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

Workspace Made Easy by Kursty Groves and Neil Usher offers a step-by- step-guide through the complexities of creating and implement a workplace strategy from first principles through to occupying a space and changing it over timeThere’s a dog-eared, yellowing paperback on my bookshelf called Understanding Offices. Written by Joanna Eley and Alexi Marmot, it dates from 1995. It is a handbook for everybody who needed to know how to develop a workplace strategy during the infant phase of the digital and cultural revolution of the late 20th Century. I used to refer to it all the time, but now it serves mainly as a reminder of how much has changed over the past thirty years, and also how little. More →

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

by • Comment, Workplace design

For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential.For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential. Design with Impact is a philosophy that can help workplaces prepare to host these meaningful interactions, cultivating a shared sense of purpose among employees. There are many ways that people connect with spaces and within spaces. Physical connection is the most fundamental, and perhaps most obvious type of workplace connection. In-person interaction allows for immediate communication, the ability to read body language, and some would argue, a more meaningful connection than any relationship that can be built over video call. More →

Want a creative workplace? Make life difficult and chaotic for yourself

Want a creative workplace? Make life difficult and chaotic for yourself

by • Comment, Workplace

The best time to launch a magazine about people, technology, work and the creative workplace was not March 2020. We did it anywayWe launched IN Magazine officially on the 4th of March 2020. So, this month marks some sort of anniversary. You could argue that this was the worst day in the history of mankind to launch a new magazine about people, work and workplaces and you’d probably be right. People were already not shaking hands. They had begun deserting public transport and planning for less contact with each other. Lockdown was only a couple of weeks away. More →

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