Where life and work collide
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Not over the hill, but far away: 50+ w/Eleanor Mills
By popular demand, Eleanor is back to explain why the pandemic ended with nearly 400,000 more economically inactive over 50s than it started with. The government is desperate to encourage them back to work and new research suggests that one in three either has been tempted or could be...
How much power is too much?
Watching Elon bully his way around Twitter is a spine-chilling refresher for anyone who’s ever had a boss with an ego bigger than their brain.
Trending: OOO while you're IN the office?
Overheard on his train journey this week, was the “Out Of Office” autoreply taking over as an “In the Office” norm. With thanks to Matthew O’Halloran (Smart Spaces) for the great little story.
Always crashing in the same car
This week, Rachel Schofield was inspired by the Bowie song Always Crashing In the Same Car. She’s a Personal Development and Careers Coach and shares her wisdom on changing the car, the route, your driving style…
No, they’re not coming back for the heating.
Triumphant Daily Mail and Telegraph headlines have been boasting that the cost of heating, if you work from home, will increase your monthly bills by as much as £150-£190. They predict this will kill the ‘work from home dream’—you can picture the crocodile tears.
LATEST RESEARCH: singles, predators & more gorillas
This week we published the findings of 100 interviews with knowledge workers we began on 1st September. (Some of them we interviewed twice as events unravelled in the UK—thanks Kwasi).
Data scoop: what CEOs are thinking right now
KPMG has released its annual CEO Outlook from 1,325 global CEOs across 11 markets.
While Armstrong & Partners has trawled through the minds of 100 knowledge leaders and workers in the UK over the last few weeks, both before and since the major “fiscal events” began.
Is BT trying to clear out "the stale old guard"?
Ignore what I say at the end of the video - I am a liar - next week we’re going to deal with the impact of the wild ride of this week. It’ll take that long to synthesise the news from all the emergency board meetings currently sitting.
Where are the grown ups? (not in the office)
Greetings from stunning Venice!
A year ago I was hearing a lot of “our team are grown ups, we let them choose when they come into the office based on what needs to be done”…
The 6 models of work: choose very carefully!
The team is eyebrow-deep in research interviews about what is going on in the world of work now: inflation, hardship funds, big office decisions, title escalation, budget cuts. There is so much for us to get into this autumn.
But let’s start with a picture of where things are now and the six working options.
Reflections
You don’t have to a big royalist to know that it’s a historic and sobering day. I wasn’t sure whether to post something in place of the usual vlog, but here are my three thoughts from the middle of the night:
Revelations from our year of all-change
This time last year we were living in an ‘80s townhouse in Zone 2 Tower Hamlets. We bloody loved it. But the familiar crunch of nos canisters underfoot and taking our football-crazy daughter to training in a multi-storey car park lined with AstroTurf suggested a change was needed.
Hotelification—the future of the office?
This week I spoke with Craig Murray, Strategy Design Director @TSK—he’s been designing offices for life after Covid. And they’re amazing! I’ve spoken in some, including SAGA’s Folkestone HQ, complete with sweeping coastal views and an onsite nursery.
Why your panel is sh*t
This week, I am on location in Manchester, at TSK (workplace design & build company)—and I'm raging… about panels.
Not all of them (and definitely not TSK’s)! But quite a few.
Corporate retreats (and death)
This week, a short one, because I’m in Monaco (speaking at a corporate retreat and escaping the mortifying venality of British politics).
What your board doesn’t know
10 years ago, my research revealed what boards don’t know about their employees’ living standards…
Recession: quick and dirty—pt 1of2
As we emerge blinking from lockdowns, everyone is asking for recession insights… in June, when it’s not technically been confirmed that we’re in a recession (yet). I’d hoped this could wait until the autumn. But it can’t.
What I wish someone had told me about leading a team
We are now on our 100th episode—🎉—and hitting numbers that we hadn’t dreamt of two years ago…
The hard truth behind the Queens' success.
Stephen Fry made the best speech at the Jubilee concert asking:
‘How many local sewage works has Her Majesty opened with a bright smile? How many plaques unveiled? How many trees planted? How many ribbons cut, ships launched? How many prime ministers tolerated, for that alone no admiration is high enough.’
Travel & lunch is now discretionary spend
Things are starting to get back to normal, but the office is still feeling just a bit empty. Last week I was asked by two business leaders: “Where are the missing 20%?”
Many are just not engaging with the incoming messages telling them their teams are hoping, wanting, needing to see them…