Search Results for: media

Understanding how to project financials for a startup business

Understanding how to project financials for a startup business

Launching a startup can be an exciting endeavor that requires thorough planning and preparation. One of the most essential and challenging aspects of planning a startup is projecting the financials. To make credible financial forecasts, it is crucial to have a solid understanding of the fundamental aspects of projecting financials. In this article, we delve into the art of projecting financials for a startup business. More →

A bit of alien thinking on coffee and some other BS

A bit of alien thinking on coffee and some other BS

I’ve sometimes highlighted how our perceptions of the workplace are subject to an apex fallacy. The daily consumption of narratives about campuses, tech palaces and ‘cool’ design can obscure the fact that most people don’t experience this stuff in their daily lives. They work in adequate or possibly nice offices. Some in shabby offices or horrible offices. Many travel into work at the same time each day and sit with roughly the same people and do roughly the same things. They may work from home more frequently now, but they have a routine there too. Most will work in a mundane or nice home that mirrors the mundane office that awaits at the other end of the commute. More →

It will take more than government funding for the world to reach net zero

It will take more than government funding for the world to reach net zero

The world needs up to $3.5 trillion of additional investments each year to reach net-zero and restore natureClimate finance was central to discussions at COP28 in Dubai and funding to reach net zero and restore biodiversity is still falling short. A new report from the World Economic Forum highlights the priorities for action and sets out how partnerships between organisations from the philanthropic, private and public sectors can create what it refers to as a positive domino effect, cut emissions at speed. More →

Workplace and property firms must wake up to the new era of networked businesses

Workplace and property firms must wake up to the new era of networked businesses

the networked workplaceWhile millions of words have been dedicated to the expected changes in post-Covid workstyles – how will people work, where will they work, how will they be supported – very little has been said about their employers: companies and corporations. Yet the anticipated changes to work and the workplace raise questions about the role of the company. Is it one just half of a transaction between employer and employee? Or is it something more? Indeed, what is the role of the company in the modern economy? Is the nature of the company likely to change? The answers could have a greater impact on workstyles than the pandemic. More →

Ten years of Insight and a few things I think I know (one of our most read pieces this year)

Ten years of Insight and a few things I think I know (one of our most read pieces this year)

This website started in late 2012 as a way for me to explore both a new media format and a new way of thinking about work and workplaces. I’d already been active in various roles in the workplace, design and facilities sector for twenty odd years, but needed a new challenge. And this was it. I was going for a ride with an idea to see where it went. More →

What ever happened to The Great Resignation?

What ever happened to The Great Resignation?

You may recall that a couple of years ago, The Great Resignation was one of a handful of things with which certain people had become obsessedYou may recall that a couple of years ago, The Great Resignation was one of a handful of things with which certain people had become obsessed. Over a period of about six months at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022, we were told repeatedly that huge numbers of people were about to quit their jobs to move to something better, pursue their dream of self-employment or whatever. But, the proportion of people saying this was more or less the same as it had always been. Ask people at the end of any year about their plans for the next twelve months, and around 30-40 percent of them will tell you they want a new job or to pursue an old dream.   More →

Has digital transformation led to an upsurge in workplace disinformation?

Has digital transformation led to an upsurge in workplace disinformation?

You don’t have to look far to find misinformation. Just a few weeks ago, amid the aftermath of the coup in Niger, online platforms were being inundated with false information, intensifying tensions surrounding the nation’s future. This included erroneous videos on TikTok and Twitter suggesting the presence of Wagner Group (Russian state-funded) fighters, false claims about Algeria’s military involvement, and inaccurate assertions about banning uranium export to France. More →

Work notifications make it harder for people to spend time with friends and family

Work notifications make it harder for people to spend time with friends and family

Out of hours work notifications on devices are having a significant impact on people's work-life boundaries, according to a new reportOut of hours work notifications on devices are having a significant impact on people’s work-life boundaries, according to a new report from Ring Central. According to the poll, work notifications are on the rise with 31 percent stating that notifications outside of work have increased in the past year. As a result, employees are also feeling the pressure to respond to work notifications immediately (14 percent) or within 1 hour (33 percent). The survey also suggests that notifications cause the same amount of anxiety for Brits as spiders (54 percent) and almost as much as going to the dentist (59 percent). More →

New academic research identifies the four emotional stages of your career. Spoiler – it ends in disillusion

New academic research identifies the four emotional stages of your career. Spoiler – it ends in disillusion

The study of UK legal professionals showed they progressed from excitement and anticipation at the start of their career, followed by fear and anxiety as they pursue promotion, to pride and joy at having secured a senior post, and finally experiencing disillusionment and disappointment at the lack of further changeLawyers progress through four distinct emotional stages in their fight to get to the top and secure a coveted partnership role, according to new research from the University of Bath’s School of Management. The study of UK legal professionals showed they progressed from excitement and anticipation at the start of their career, followed by fear and anxiety as they pursue promotion, to pride and joy at having secured a senior post, and finally experiencing disillusionment and disappointment at the lack of further change. More →

People are worried about the impact of new tech, but many feel confident it will benefit them

People are worried about the impact of new tech, but many feel confident it will benefit them

With over a third (36 percent) of workers concerned about the impact of technological changes and what this might mean for them, a new report from Virgin Media O2 Business claims that many people believe new tech will offer them a better work-life balance. According to the report, the pandemic accelerated remote and hybrid work, mostly benefitting desk-based workers. Meanwhile, deskless workers like teachers, nurses and engineers saw limited long-term change despite many organisations comprising both types of workers. More →

From the archive: The role of workplace design in employee engagement

From the archive: The role of workplace design in employee engagement 0

A new report certainly raises the question of what more can be done, including in terms of workplace design, to boost engagement levels amongst these employees

Originally published six years ago, this feature is currently the most read story ever on the website with around 50,000 readers. A global study by my own firm Steelcase has found that one-third of workers across 17 of the world’s most important economies are actually disengaged. The findings make worrying reading for employers around the world, as engagement is so demonstrably linked to business critical outcomes such as employee retention, productivity and even profits. It certainly raises the question of what more can be done, including in terms of workplace design, to boost engagement levels amongst these employees. More →

Oscillate wildly between the death of the office and the death of hybrid working

Oscillate wildly between the death of the office and the death of hybrid working

The media's twisting between the death of the office and the death of hybrid working shows we've reached a point of equilibriumIt’s March 2020, very early days of lockdowns and the first catastrophising headlines appear. Is this the death of the office? Is this the death of handshakes? Is this the death of the open plan? I dismissed them at the time in this piece from March the 19th, citing Betteridge’s Law which states: “any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered with the word no”. More →