Search Results for: economic

Furniture industry invited to explore how sustainability can drive commercial success

Furniture industry invited to explore how sustainability can drive commercial success

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is inviting furniture and furnishings professionals to attend ‘Making Commercial Sense of Sustainability’, a one-day industry eventThe Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is inviting furniture and furnishings professionals to attend ‘Making Commercial Sense of Sustainability’, a one-day industry event focused on turning environmental responsibility into commercial opportunity. Taking place on Thursday 19 March (11:00am – 4:00pm) at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London, the event will bring together business leaders, sustainability experts, manufacturers, designers and specifiers to examine how sustainability can be embedded into business strategy in a way that supports growth, resilience and long-term profitability. (more…)

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Workers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for adaptability, according to new global research from the Adecco GroupWorkers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for flexibility, according to new global research from the Adecco Group, which suggests the so called Great Resignation has given way to a more cautious approach to how ambitious people would like to seem. The Workforce Trends 2025 report [registration] is based on responses from 37,500 workers and 2,000 senior executives across 31 countries. It finds that while employees continue to value growth, flexibility and meaningful work, these priorities are increasingly secondary to stable income and employment certainty as economic and social uncertainty persists. (more…)

How healthcare leaders can enhance their business acumen

How healthcare leaders can enhance their business acumen

by • Company news

Healthcare leaders need to enhance their business acumen if they want to run successful practices without losing sight of the people they’re called to care for.No one enters into healthcare looking forward to dealing with budgets, profit margins, or return on investment. They do it because they want to make a difference. Still, the reality is hard to ignore. Great care depends on great decisions. And many of those decisions require more than just clinical expertise. They require business acumen. This means a balanced mix of financial savvy, strategic thinking, and real-world insight.

But can healthcare leaders do without this skill? Probably not. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), problems with finances ranked second in the list of concerns for hospital CEOs in 2023.

The message couldn’t be clearer. Healthcare leaders need to enhance their business acumen if they want to run successful practices without losing sight of the people they’re called to care for.

 

 

Is Business Acumen Essential for Healthcare?

Short answer? Yes. But let’s look at why.

When we talk about business acumen, we’re really talking about the ability to make smart decisions that keep the door open.

For healthcare leaders, this goes way beyond spreadsheets. It’s about seeing the whole picture: patient needs, team dynamics, financial sustainability, and the entire ecosystem of your healthcare organization.

And yes, this matters. A lot. In fact, the World Economic Forum clearly ranks business acumen as the No.1 skill every people leader needs, with almost 90% of chief people officers saying it is their top priority in the coming months and years.

While this data applies across industries, it’s no less relevant in healthcare. In other words, knowing how the business side works is no longer optional. It’s expected.

To put things in their proper perspective, without business acumen, you might provide great care, but would you be around to provide it next year or the year after?

 

How to Enhance Business Acumen as a Healthcare Leader

So, how can you enhance your business acumen as a healthcare leader? And no, you don’t need a four-year MBA. Here are practical tips that can work in your healthcare system.

Listen to Your Patients

Your patients aren’t just the people you provide with healthcare services; they’re also your customers. And you know the good thing about customers, feedback from them is gold for business development. So, listen to them.

Paying close attention to what your customers are saying helps you spot gaps in your services. Do they complain about access to telehealth? Perhaps some mention how hard it was to get a follow-up appointment. Insights like these help you fix processes, reduce complaints, and improve outcomes.

We saw a good example of this in 2024, when employers reported growing interest in expensive obesity medications, including GLP-1s. Tuning into patients’ conversations will tell you whether to expand your services in this area or not. It’s like using patient engagement to drive business strategy.

 

Take Specialized Courses

While listening to patients will give you insights into the direction your practice can take, alone, it’s not enough. You can take things a step further by considering a structured environment where you can learn the skills to do the business of healthcare better.

The good news? You don’t have to do another four-year course for this. There are accelerated online programs for working healthcare professionals that you can do to enhance your business acumen.

Take MSN-MBA dual degree online programs, for example. These programs teach you how to both oversee clinical operations and establish policies and processes for better patient care results.

What’s more? According to Spring Arbor University Online, programs like these give you two Master’s Degrees in just two years and five months. And you don’t have to quit your job, too.

You can also consider short courses or weekend workshops on healthcare finance for non-financial managers. In this case, the goal is not to become an expert but to ‘speak the language’ so that you know what to look out for when running a healthcare practice.

 

Find Mentors

Finding a mentor is a secret advantage that not many people use. These are people who’ve been where you are now and are where you want to be in the future. Of course, they’ve likely experienced some of the challenges you’re currently facing and are in the best position to tell you what to do.

Experiencing high turnover rates in your clinic? A mentor can tell you how to make them stay.

According to a 2024 study published in the Journal of Healthcare Leadership, healthcare professionals who participate in mentorship programs report increased leadership awareness, better coping with stress, and improved confidence as leaders. The benefits are self-explanatory.

 

Follow Industry News

One final way to stay on top of your business acumen skills is to keep abreast of industry news. Why? Because the world of medicine moves fast.

Take 2025, for example. Probably one of the biggest healthcare industry trends was artificial intelligence (AI). PWC even predicted that it will power the future of medicine, with 77% of healthcare executives making it a top priority investment for the near future.

Now imagine you’re not paying attention to industry news and don’t have this information. You’ll be left behind while others leverage AI tools to make data-backed decisions.

 

Bottom line? Stay on top of things. Even if it’s one solid newsletter, subscribe to it.

 

Building Your Business Acumen in Healthcare

Managing a healthcare facility is tough work. You’ve got to make sure that the numbers add up while at the same time, ensuring that patients get the best possible care. Enhancing your business acumen is one of the most effective ways to make this work. Hopefully, the points discussed in this article have shown you how to do just that.

It’s important to point out that this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow and thoughtful process, but one that pays off at the end. The best way to go about it is to pick one strategy and work on it. Once you start seeing results, you move on to the next.

Your patients, your team, and your healthcare operations will thank you for it.

Employers urged to expand flexible working ahead of 2027 legal changes

Employers urged to expand flexible working ahead of 2027 legal changes

by • Flexible working, News

Employers are being urged to widen access to flexible working during 2026, ahead of planned changes to employment law that will make flexibility the default unless it can be shown to be unreasonableEmployers are being urged to widen access to flexible working during 2026, ahead of planned changes to employment law that will make flexibility the default unless it can be shown to be unreasonable. A new report from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University suggests that workers with long term health conditions and those in low paid roles are significantly less likely to have access to flexible working arrangements, despite evidence that such measures can support job retention and participation. (more…)

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

by • Cities, News, Property

The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley.Britain’s ambition to turn the Oxford–Cambridge corridor into a globally competitive technology and life sciences hub is facing renewed scrutiny as business leaders warn that delays to infrastructure risk undermining investor confidence, even as ministers restate their commitment to accelerated delivery. The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley. The plan centres on better connecting Oxford and Cambridge, stimulating housing delivery and encouraging high-value research, technology and manufacturing to scale across the region. (more…)

Global survey points to ongoing yearning for flexible work

Global survey points to ongoing yearning for flexible work

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

flexible work continuing to show a strong association with how positively people experience their jobEmployee engagement levels remained broadly stable in 2025, according to a new global report from workplace analytics firm WorkL, with flexible work continuing to show a strong association with how positively people experience their job. The Global Workplace Report 2025 is based on survey data from more than 500,000 employees across over 100 countries. It records an average global engagement score of 75 percent, suggesting little overall movement compared with recent years, despite ongoing economic and labour market pressures.

(more…)

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

by • Environment, News, Property

A widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goalsA widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goals, according to new research from the British Council for Offices. The report, Viability and Sustainability in the Regions, warns that a large share of office space outside major centres may become economically obsolete if current trends continue. It suggests this could lead to what it describes as “sustainability gentrification”, with organisations unable to find space that meets their ESG commitments in cities such as Exeter, Newcastle and Sheffield. (more…)

Health Secretary orders review into acceleration in mental health diagnoses

Health Secretary orders review into acceleration in mental health diagnoses

by • News, Wellbeing

The UK government has commissioned an independent review into the rise in mental health and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, reflecting growing concern about the number of people leaving the workforce because of conditions such as depression, anxiety, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.The UK government has commissioned an independent review into the rise in mental health and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, reflecting growing concern about the number of people leaving the workforce because of conditions such as depression, anxiety, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The announcement signals a renewed focus on welfare spending and the wider economic impact of long-term sickness, with ministers arguing that too many people are becoming detached from work for reasons that may not always require formal medical intervention. (more…)

Flexible working continues to be the enduring theme of workplace conversations

Flexible working continues to be the enduring theme of workplace conversations

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Economic uncertainty and rapid technological change are reshaping expectations for both employers and employees, with flexible working continuing to be underlying themeEconomic uncertainty and rapid technological change are reshaping expectations for both employers and employees, with flexible working continuing to be underlying theme of most workplace conversations. According to the 2025 Global Workplace Report from WorkL based on feedback from more than half a million employees across over one hundred countries, there are also widening divides between generations, differing attitudes towards career ambition and a continued rise in anxiety linked to automation. (more…)

Time to admit we were wrong about Canary Wharf and other business districts

Time to admit we were wrong about Canary Wharf and other business districts

by • Features, Flexible working, Property

There was a time during and after the pandemic when it looked like time was up for the world’s major business districts. For a start Canary Wharf looked like it would need to completely reinvent itself as firms started to relocate to smaller more central premises. Instead of housing tenants such as HSBC it would focus on becoming a mixed-use space with more homes and leisure facilities. Hell, we even published a feature setting that all out ourselves. But it’s funny how things turn out. The latest news is JP Morgan’s announcement of a vast new headquarters building in the area. The bank, already one of the largest employers in the UK financial sector, has confirmed plans for a three million sq ft tower on the waterfront that will accommodate 12,000 staff and represent an investment estimated at £3 billion. (more…)

AI and robotics could replace as many as 40 percent of US jobs, McKinsey report suggests

AI and robotics could replace as many as 40 percent of US jobs, McKinsey report suggests

by • AI, News

A new analysis from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that about forty percent of jobs in the United States could be carried out by AI and robots if organisations chose to redesign how work is doneA new analysis from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that about forty percent of jobs in the United States could be carried out by artificial intelligence (AI) and robots if organisations chose to redesign how work is done. The report claims that existing technology is already capable of automating more than half of all work hours across a wide range of roles, spanning both manual and cognitive tasks. (more…)

Shift to a low carbon economy could create millions of jobs but risks widening global divides

Shift to a low carbon economy could create millions of jobs but risks widening global divides

by • Environment, News

The shift to a low carbon economy is expected to reshape labour markets across the world over the next five years, with almost 14.4 million jobs set to be affected by 2030The shift to a low carbon economy is expected to reshape labour markets across the world over the next five years, with almost 14.4 million jobs set to be affected by 2030, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. The research suggests that while 2.4 million roles will be phased out, the emergence of new industries and technologies will generate around 12 million new positions, resulting in a net gain of 9.6 million jobs. Yet the report warns that the scale of disruption, combined with persistent economic and geopolitical pressures, could deepen existing inequalities both within and between countries. (more…)

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