Glass half full: Optimists outlive pessimists, study finds August 27, 2019 Viewing the glass as half full may be the secret to a longer life, according to a US study that found a positive correlation between levels of optimism and longevity. Conducted by Boston University School of Medicine, the study found that optimists not only live longer in general but have a better chance than pessimists [...]
DEBATE: Should we learn from the ‘Scandinavia summer’ model and take the month of August off? August 27, 2019 Should we learn from the ‘Scandinavia summer’ model and take the month of August off? Mathias Mikkelsen, chief executive of productivity startup Memory, says YES. For anyone visiting Oslo at this time of year, they might find it strangely quiet. Despite the sunshine bringing our maritime city to life, the streets are empty. The reason? [...]
Management lessons in kindness from TV icon Mister Rogers August 27, 2019 Say the name Mister Rogers to a certain generation of Americans, and they will likely go misty-eyed and start humming the same tune. Fred Rogers hosted a US children’s television programme called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran from 1968 all the way to 2001. The show was revered for its host’s gentle nature and the [...]
Preparing for ambush: Why media training is critical August 23, 2019 Chief executives are in the spotlight like never before, with all the press attention of a Kardashian but none of the media savviness. What many don’t realise is that we’ve entered a new age of media, particularly when it comes to on-screen exposure. Where a chief executive would once have had hours if not days [...]
Learn stand-up comedy to stand out in the office August 22, 2019 For years, I have been phobic of public speaking. To be honest, the speaking didn’t even have to be that public – giving an update at a meeting could start a leg tremor that would take minutes to abate. It was a shameful secret, because as an otherwise confident PR I knew it would be [...]
Going to party like it’s 1919: Time to celebrate the centenary of some of the UK’s most important companies August 21, 2019 This coming Sunday marks the centenary of an important anniversary. On 25 August 1919, the world’s first daily international scheduled flight took place. There was only one passenger on board the flight between London and Paris, along with cargo which included newspapers, Devonshire cream, jam, and grouse. The carrier was Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, [...]
How to spot a superstar founder: Self-awareness trumps bravado August 21, 2019 We all know the scene. The sneaker-wearing tech founder stands there, in front of positive looking charts and graphs. Before them: five suited, scowling investors with money to spend and razor-sharp questions up their sleeves. The investment pitch has iconic status, popularised by TV shows like Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank. The reality, however, is [...]
Why we should be worried that many women are reliant on their partners’ pensions August 20, 2019 We may have come a long way since the days when women were the property of men, but we still face some huge challenges when it comes to addressing financial gender inequality. According to a new report from Fidelity, 12 per cent of married women plan to rely on their partner’s pension in retirement, while [...]
What to do about staff skipping work for the beach August 20, 2019 We’ve heard it all before: “my cat is having kittens”, “I’ve hurt my back”, “I’ve got food poisoning”, “my bathtub fell through my ceiling”, or “my car broke down”. When the sun is out, employees might feel inclined to use one of these excuses in order to skip work and do something a little more [...]
The founder of Yulife on avoiding the grey-suit mentality of the insurance industry August 19, 2019 Dressed in a tie-dye T-shirt and jeans, Sammy Rubin looks more like a climate change activist than the chief executive of an insurance company. But then, there’s a lesson on why you shouldn’t judge people on how they look. Indeed, there are many things we can learn from Rubin – his hippyish dress-sense feeds right [...]