Search Results for: management

October 19, 2018

Smart spaces and the other top technology trends for 2019

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace design

Technology researcher Gartner has highlighted the top strategic technology trends it believes organisations should be aware of in 2019. Gartner defines a strategic technology trend as one with ‘substantial disruptive potential that is beginning to break out of an emerging state into broader impact and use, or which are rapidly growing trends with a high degree of volatility reaching tipping points over the next five years’. One of the interesting points to note is the inclusion of the physical workplace yet again, as we highlighted in our recent feature on the trends shaping office design.

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October 19, 2018

Business leaders routinely work through lunch to tackle productivity gap

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

Although the majority of business leaders rate their business as efficient, nearly a third of respondents to a recent survey waste up to 65 working days per year on administrative tasks, with over half wasting the equivalent of a working month. Priority Software’s Business Process Efficiency Index 2018 suggests business leaders are struggling to take charge of company productivity; and while senior decision-makers expressed the desire to spend more time planning for the future of their businesses, they said too much time is currently occupied by administrative tasks.

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October 18, 2018

Menopause is one of the last great workplace taboos

by Kate Usher • Comment, Wellbeing

Today is World Menopause Day, yet the number of companies that incorporate the menopause into their wellbeing programme is disturbingly low. There are a multitude of reasons why this is the case, but put simply I believe there are three key reasons – it isn’t glamorous, they don’t have the knowledge and experience to deal with it, and because socially it has remained a taboo that we have been reluctant to talk about, even amongst women.

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October 16, 2018

Law firms are finally embracing the agile workplace

by Simon Pole • Comment, Workplace design

Strong office space take-up is predicted for this year after activity from law firms was down in 2017 against 10-year averages and compared to other sectors. Many legal companies are anticipating how their approach to workspace might have to change. This includes trialling new ways of working and years of overreliance on private offices. The legal sector is compared to many other services’ professions “closed” – and therefore ripe for change. There is an abundance of technology start-ups looking to introduce disruptive tech that will render many legal roles obsolete. The sector is also haemorrhaging senior talent as experienced professionals leave and the sector has failed thus far to adapt to modern working conventions including the agile workplace. Despite working in the digital age of wireless tech and cloud computing, 64 percent of lawyers found it difficult to work remotely because their technology wasn’t suitable (according to research from Lexis Nexis).

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October 16, 2018

BIFM announces winners of its annual awards

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News

Now in their 18th and final year before the Institute changes its name, the BIFM Awards set out to ‘celebrate the profession’s finest, honouring those whose outstanding work has driven innovation and achieved exceptional results in the organisations where they work, benchmarking excellence and inspiring others’. Thirteen winners were announced from 46 finalists at a ceremony held last night in London. The occasion also celebrated the work of a further nine finalists whose initiatives were highly commended by the judges.

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October 16, 2018

The self-employed live day to day but remain worried about plans for the future, claims study

by Mark Eltringham • News

Self-employed workers are mostly financially secure and happy in the present, but concerned about the future, a new report by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) and Sherpa has found. The report, ‘The Path to Prosperity, claims that although almost three quarters (72 percent) of freelancers are currently enjoying life because of how they are managing their money, 77 per cent are concerned the money they have – or are going to save – will not last. It also found that over half (51 percent) of the self-employed have felt anxious or stressed about their financial situation. This is exacerbated by the lack of tailored money management advice and flexible savings products available for the self-employed.

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October 15, 2018

Wearables and apps to help you stay organised and keep track of your time

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Products, Technology

Technology in the workplace is both a blessing and a curse. Workplace Insight recently published an article about tech multi-tasking and how switching through different platforms takes away ones focus. Employees need to stay updated through digital means all the time but staying connected to the cloud also means being susceptible to various distractions. However, technology usage just takes a little bit of refinement to increase productivity and various wearables, devices and mobile apps are the way to do that.

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October 15, 2018

Review of progress on diversity in boardrooms shows that there is much to do

by Neil Franklin • News

Business leaders have been urged by Sir John Parker to step up their work on ethnic and cultural diversity at the top of business. The call to action comes as the Parker Review Committee, led by Sir John Parker, publishes its first annual update to track the progress made against the recommendations in its Final Report, published in October 2017. The Final Report urged business leaders to improve the ethnic and cultural diversity of UK Boards to better reflect their employee base and the communities they serve. It set out achievable objectives and timescales to encourage greater diversity.

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October 15, 2018

BSRIA publishes list of new and upcoming legislation and guidance for buildings

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Facilities management, News, Property

The Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) has published a list of the most up to date legislation and guidance that affects the design, construction and management of buildings. While a couple are relevant primarily for domestic buildings, the emphasis is very much on commercial property and will be of interest to a range of professionals. BSRIA members also have access to a legislation service on building and building services legislation and relevant guidance. (more…)

October 10, 2018

CIB sets out a roadmap for the creation of intelligent and responsive buildings

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Facilities management, News, Property, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) has published a free roadmap written by members of the W098 Commission and CIBSE Intelligent Buildings Group, which presents collective ideas for the creation of intelligent and responsive buildings for current needs and the future. Intelligent buildings present a number of challenges, according to the authors. They must be responsive to people’s needs including their health and wellbeing; be sustainable in the use of resources as well as incorporating the most useful parts of the evolving technologies.

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October 10, 2018

The Genesis of ideation and the places we go to have our best ideas ⁰

by Giuseppe Boscherini • Facilities management, Features, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design

Because collaboration, creativity and innovation are increasingly perceived as key objectives and differentiators of performance, the genesis and mechanisms behind ideation and creativity are an an integral part of both business and personal development. As a consequence, there is growing interest in the way the physical attributes of work settings may influence or even trigger creative behaviour. The cliché of the shower as one of these favourite places comes to mind and yet experience does show that the idea of seeking a setting, a “zone” if you will, for a specific purpose is intuitively right. This needn’t be a retreat or cocoon, as is often assumed, but can also be a crowded, busy, noisy place, which might explain why so often the most animated work conversations move out of the office shop into the coffee shop. Equally, highlight events or special meetings tend to be held in a “venue’, often dressed for the occasion.

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October 10, 2018

Third of working parents worry about their children’s mental health

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Today is World Mental Health Day and new research from Bupa has found that concerns over mental health is not confined to adults, as a third of employees say they worry about their children’s mental health while at work. The research, conducted among working parents of 4-18 year olds reveals that children’s mental health is among parents’ greatest concerns, on par with physical health and academic performance. The only concern that ranks higher is future financial prospects. (more…)