May 6, 2020
Climate action is often about sacrifice: eat less meat, don’t fly, and buy less stuff. These things are essential. But climate action can also be about gain. Many causes of climate change make our lives worse. So transforming our societies to stop climate change offers us the chance to make our lives better. More →
April 29, 2020
As we anticipate a return to relative normality post lockdown (whenever that may be), workplace strategy is a hot topic. In considering how we respond to new challenges let’s make sure we keep sight of the big picture. We need to address immediate issues whilst exploiting new opportunities to reinforce and expedite our established strategic direction. Choice and flexibility are central to the wider business reform agenda and should remain our touchstones. More →
April 24, 2020
Job board, CWjobs has released new research which claims parents are struggling with anxiety and stress as a result of having to home-school their children whilst they are working from home during lockdown. While previous research from the firm claimed that 80 percent of IT decision makers believe remote working would increase productivity in their business, productivity gains right now are unlikely for parents as they face an additional challenge: the balance of working from home and educating their children in light of continued school closures. More →
April 7, 2020
Mergers & acquisitions should always lead to a cultural identity shift. This can range from a complete reinvention of identity and purpose to just a slight shift that includes the new partner: its history, narrative and critical traits. More →
April 3, 2020
Nearly two thirds (62 percent) of UK small business owners remain confident about their business prospects despite the coronavirus crisis, according to a study from Bionic. The government’s response to the pandemic has forced many SMEs, particularly in the retail, hospitality and leisure space, to close their doors to customers. Responding to the lockdown, 78 percent of small businesses have pivoted the way their business operates to continue trading through the crisis.
March 13, 2020
In the third in our series of wellbeing podcasts published in partnership with Wellworking, I am in conversation with Derek Clements-Croome, one of the world’s leading experts on wellbeing and sustainability in the workplace. We look at the increasingly powerful links between personal wellbeing and green sustainable building design and consider some of the most important yet last talked about wellbeing and productivity issues such as temperature and air quality. More →
March 2, 2020
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, workers around the globe could be forgiven for remaining sceptical at the news that the corporate world now regards them as stakeholders, and as important to their organisations as shareholders and customers. The traditional employee/employer relationship is slowly changing. Where the relationship was once exclusively hierarchical, it is now evolving into more of a partnership. Employees want to be more involved in processes and decisions. Subsequently, teams need to be more collaborative and communicative to drive innovation and creativity. To encourage optimum performance, leaders must learn to coach and encourage, rather than simply direct. More →
February 27, 2020
The negative impact that poor interpersonal skills can have on growing companies has been highlighted by a new survey of 500 small business owners. The research by Tempo suggests the main effects of bad people skills in the workplace are losing a client or customer, receiving complaints from co-workers and a decrease in productivity, each of which was cited by about a third of respondents.
February 26, 2020
Following the recent announcement that the CIFF office design exhibition in Guangzhou was to be postponed because of the spread of the coronavirus, the latest event to be put on hold is the Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan. The organisers now think it will be possible to hold the event in June. The news comes following the outbreak of a number of cases of the disease in Italy. In a statement, the organisers said: “confirmation of the change of date for the trade fair—strongly supported by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala—means that the manufacturers, in a major show of responsibility, will be able to present their finalized work to an international public that sees the annual appointment with the Salone del Mobile.Milano as a benchmark for creativity and design,” the fair said in a statement.
The decision has not been taken lightly. In 2019 the fair hosted over 380,000 visitors from around the world and provided a platform for more than 800 international exhibitors. But Italy has seen nearly 300 positive cases of COVID-19 so far, more than any other European country and large gatherings of people are now subject to restrictions and cancellation.
Other important events in Milan have made similar decisions in response to the outbreak. MIDO, the world’s biggest annual eyewear event, decided to push back the 50th installment of its annual fair from its original dates of February 29–March 2. Milan Fashion Week took place as scheduled last week, though Giorgio Armani hosted his runway show to an audience of zero after advising guests to watch a livestream of the event instead.
February 21, 2020
When a leader with charisma becomes so strong and confident that they dominate their teams to the extent that others simply never question their decisions, you’d better hope that that leader is always right and is leading you in the right direction. Sadly, the opposite is usually true. Leaders who cut themselves off from bad news or challenge, quickly lose sight of the real drivers of success, or the drivers of failure, and a slow and tortured decline usually ensues. They even become blind to the dangers facing them, person-ally, because of excessive confidence. More →
February 18, 2020
Hands up. How many of you spend much/most of your time peddling data, charts and other fact-based information? And how much time do you spend challenging yourself, learning new ideas, indulging your curiosity and feeling a sense of surprise and fulfilment? And finally how much of the inquisitive, itchy child do you feel your job appeals to rather than the “only- 30-more-years-of-wage-slavery-if-I’m-lucky” mindset?
April 30, 2020
The lockdown gives us a chance to reconsider business ethics
by Mark Strassman • Comment