We are forgetting the vital art of constructive disagreement February 13, 2019 Disagreement is great. I wouldn’t blame you for disagreeing with me about that, especially right now, when politics is dominated by apparently intractable arguments that spill over into every aspect of our lives. But give me a minute to try and convince you. Without disagreement, nothing would ever change. Dissent from the status quo is a [...]
Dads, parenting, and the gender pay gap – equality at home will lead to fixing inequality in the workplace February 12, 2019 We have all seen the uproar caused by gender pay gaps. Transparency has helped bring about change, but discrepancies in pay will never be eliminated and workplace inequality will never end if employers don’t support equality at home. And while women must continue to be supported at work, men are the other half of the [...]
Against the tide of shareholder activism February 12, 2019 You cannot blame boardrooms today for being preoccupied, with everything from Brexit contingency planning to the prospect of a Corbyn government. Yet there is another, more pressing need for every UK listed business to be preparing for: activist investors. Shareholder activism, whereby an investor leverages their stake to put pressure on the management of a [...]
Paintball, Power Point and trust exercises: How to survive your next team away day February 11, 2019 In 1305, having executed William Wallace in London, Edward Longshanks had to plan how he would run Scotland from afar. Rather than do this from the capital, he took his court to Sheen Palace in Surrey to receive the Scottish commissioners, thus in effect instituting the first strategy away day. And it’s that time of [...]
Time to clamp down on the work-life double standard February 8, 2019 Ironically, it’s technology that will solve the very predicament it has created This year marks five years since legislation was broadened out to give all employees the right to request flexible working from their employer. What’s developed since then is a highly mobile workforce that has made the most of flexible working freedoms and the [...]
DEBATE: In light of its limited success so far, should the apprenticeship levy be scrapped? February 8, 2019 In light of its limited success so far, should the apprenticeship levy be scrapped? Charlie Mullins, chief executive and founder of Pimlico Plumbers, says YES. The purpose of the apprenticeship levy was to increase the number of new apprentices, in a genuine effort to combat the UK’s skills gap. However it has proven an unmitigated disaster, [...]
Why are female founders being shortchanged by venture capital investors? February 7, 2019 When the British Business Bank published the first ever report on UK venture capital and female founders on Monday, the insights that surfaced were shocking, but quite frankly unsurprising. To give you an idea of how dire the situation is, of the £5.6bn invested by the UK VC sector in 2017, only £56m (less than [...]
Professional headshots can be a minefield – especially if you take them too seriously February 7, 2019 TAKE a look at that picture of me. No tie or jacket. Not even a shirt for that matter. Hair a little on the louche side. Facing the camera squarely. Chin jutting out a bit, if we’re honest. And pixels. Lots of pixels. It’s not a professional photo, either in standard or purpose. But it’s [...]
If Trump reaches a hand across the aisle, Democrats would be wise to take it February 7, 2019 For a brief moment on Tuesday evening, the customary rancour of US politics was set aside in a most unusual spontaneous display. To everyone’s surprise, President Donald Trump’s delayed 2019 State of the Union speech – which had itself become a political football in the struggle between a Democratic House of Representatives and a Republican [...]
DEBATE: Should schools start later to help teenagers be more productive, as MPs will debate on Monday? February 7, 2019 Should schools start later to help teenagers be more productive, as MPs will debate on Monday? Will Williams, wellbeing adviser to the OECD, says YES. We must take steps to reverse the sharp decline of our children’s mental wellbeing, and starting the school day later would be a brilliant start. Teenagers should be afforded the opportunity [...]