Search Results for: culture

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformationThe UK government is committed to modernising and becoming tech-first, but widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformation. While we are seeing steps to digitise, and the £2bn set aside to improve IT across the NHS is a good case in point, capital investment is only one part of the puzzle. As we look to the new year, we can expect the public sector to continue to face challenges in keeping pace with technology innovation, particularly in adopting AI and cloud solutions, combating talent gaps, and modernising workflows. (more…)

Workplace politics: When free speech becomes a faux pas

Workplace politics: When free speech becomes a faux pas

Tt's important for firms to understand how to approach the potentially fractious issue of workplace politicsAfter a politically turbulent year, many employers are finding their workplaces more divided, with political views being brought into the office and the lines between free speech and inappropriate discussion increasingly blurred. So it’s important for firms to understand how to approach the potentially fractious issue of workplace politics. Just recently, a former UKIP councillor claimed that she was subject to bullying and harassment by her charity employer for expressing pro-Brexit views, which she argued was a legally-protected belief. (more…)

Workspace Design Show reveals first names for must-visit talks programme

Workspace Design Show reveals first names for must-visit talks programme

Workspace Design Show is delighted to reveal the first raft of names who will make up its speaker programme for the upcoming edition in February 2025Now a firm fixture on the design event calendar, Workspace Design Show has revealed the first raft of names who will make up its speaker programme for the upcoming edition in February 2025. Once again bringing the commercial interior design industry’s most inspiring and creative leaders together, the Workspace Design Talks programme features senior figures from architecture and design such as Alessandro Ranaldi, Partner, Head of Workplace Consultancy, Foster + Partners; Helen Berresford, Head of ID:SR at Sheppard Robson and Adrienne Lau, Senior Associate, Heatherwick Studio, Cristiano Testi, Principal Director, tp bennett, and Angela Bardino, Senior Associate Director – Interiors, Jacobs. (more…)

The Internet and a pile of turtles that goes all the way down

The Internet and a pile of turtles that goes all the way down

alan_turingIn his 1998 book A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking relates the following anecdote: “A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the centre of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.” The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!” 

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A divine spark of inspiration for office occupiers and designers

A divine spark of inspiration for office occupiers and designers

Organisations are having to rethink the form and function of their offices in ways unprecedented in their relatively short history. And perhaps the biggest challenge is to create places to work that reflect the organisation’s culture and the needs of the people who work there (some of the time). One possible framework for aligning an office design model with the culture of the organisation is presented in a supplement published for IN Magazine called Gods of Work. Published in partnership with Modus, it draws on management and organisational theory and established models of office design to suggest solutions to some of the challenges facing organisations as they rethink the way they work. The office of the future for most organisations will be smaller, but much better and we hope this becomes an invaluable guide for those setting out on that path.

Working life in 2024 is defined by stress, poor management and loneliness

Working life in 2024 is defined by stress, poor management and loneliness

Despite living in an era of progress, people feel that stress, disengagement, and declining mental health are prominent in daily working lifeThe 2024 State of the Global Workplace report by Gallup sets out to provide a comprehensive analysis of employee experiences worldwide, revealing a large number of people who feel they are under increasing strain. Despite living in an era of remarkable technological and economic advancements, workers face significant challenges, with stress, disengagement, and declining mental health prominent in people’s daily working life. The report suggests that 41 percent of employees experience high levels of daily stress, with poor management practices being a major contributing factor. One in five workers report daily loneliness, an issue particularly pronounced among remote employees. (more…)

Do you have leadership paralysis?

Do you have leadership paralysis?

UK firms are bullish about the use of GenAI but their employees are not so certain, according to a new poll. LeadershipThere are so many different theories on how to lead change. Tom Peters says we should not discuss change but organisational revolution (Peters,1991); Chris Argyris talks about change management as flawed advice (Argyris, 1985); Kotter puts forward a top down change transformation process (Kotter, 1995); Beer, Eisnestat and Spectors, discuss a bottom-up process (Eisnestat and Spectors, 1990) and that is just to name a few ways of looking at this aspect of leadership. (more…)

Are men and women heard differently in the workplace? Have your say

Are men and women heard differently in the workplace? Have your say

The organisers of Workplace Trends are conducting research into why some women or men are not always heard in their workplaceThose who attended the last Workplace Trends conference will recall that regular contributor Paige Hodsman (Saint-Gobain Ecophon) and the organisers are conducting research into why some women or men are not always heard in their workplace. They are now reaching out to more people to complete a 10 to 15 minute survey to inform this pertinent research.  You can take part by complete the survey here before the 24th of December. The survey also allows you to receive a copy of the findings or attend a free seminar once the research has been published.
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Turns out people from Gen Z aren’t bone-idle and unambitious after all

Turns out people from Gen Z aren’t bone-idle and unambitious after all

The work ethic of so-called Gen Z is alive and well, according to a new report. And they want to get on at workMore than a third of office employees (37 percent) feel their work ethic has improved over the past 12 months, according to a new study. This is particularly apparent among younger people such as those belonging to so-called Gen Z, as the figure rises to more than half of those aged 18-24 (55 percent) and 25-34 (57 percent). One in five (22 percent) suggest they ‘always go above and beyond’, with the same number saying that they will ‘do whatever needs to be done to deliver’. (more…)

The challenge for the workplace in 2025: transformation when everybody is already tired of change

The challenge for the workplace in 2025: transformation when everybody is already tired of change

HR leaders say they are navigating workplace transformation at a time when most people say they are already worn out by changeIn 2025, human resource leaders say they will be focusing on navigating the complexities of workplace transformation, at a time when most people say they are already worn out by change. This is one of the key findings from the Gartner HR Priorities Survey [registration] of over 1,400 HR leaders from 60 countries and a range of industries. The report highlights five pivotal areas—leader and manager development, organisational culture, strategic workforce planning, change management, and HR technology—as central to driving change in an evolving business landscape. (more…)

How you can help us to understand and shape the future of office design in Europe

How you can help us to understand and shape the future of office design in Europe

The results will help workplace professionals across the continent to better understand how they can optimise their own workplaces, office design and work culturesAfter four years, The Great Workplace Conversation continues apace as we try to understand the threats and opportunities presented by the shift in the way we think about the way we work in the wake of the pandemic. Now you can help us to understand the forces at work in this shift by taking part in a short survey we have developed in partnership with our friends at the Workspace Design Show. The results will help workplace professionals across the continent to better understand how they can optimise their own workplaces, office design and work cultures. (more…)

People in wealthy societies are more motivated by money than those in poorer countries

People in wealthy societies are more motivated by money than those in poorer countries

The effectiveness of money as a motivator varies greatly across cultures, as highlighted in recent research published in the journal Nature Human BehaviourMoney has long been regarded as a key motivator in driving human effort. Yet, its effectiveness as a motivator varies greatly across cultures, as highlighted in recent research published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. This study delves into the comparative influence of monetary and psychological incentives on motivation, specifically contrasting “WEIRD” cultures—Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and democratic—with non-WEIRD cultures, such as those in India, China, and South Africa. (more…)