2022 plans - back to the drawing board?
ALSO: Research says half of the workforce are thinking of quitting // Emma Gannon talks phone addiction
As so many firms are scratching their heads and putting their 2022 plans on hold - Apple are just one example of firms delaying the office return indefinitely - here’s a whole bunch of great reads for you to take in as you plot your revised return date.
Gallup say that almost half the workforce are thinking of quitting because they are disengaged - there’s never been a better time to rethink your approach to building winning workplace cultures. The podcast down the page might be provocation you need to get started.
Researchers were able to get workers to be a lot more creative - by telling them to sniff something that would make them more creative. Don’t worry it was just smelling cinnamon but the researchers found that this placebo effect was a sign that we’re often more creative than we feel permitted to be.
Workplace review site Glassdoor predicts that hiring will get even harder next year as employers offering remote opportunities will compete for the best workers
“When I see headlines about CEOs trying to lure employees back to the office, I feel like it’s probably a doomed approach” - say Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack. (He also says their 1000 person office has 30 people in it most days). They instruct senior leaders that they “can’t go to the office all the time.”
Stop asking for feedback (it is backward looking), start asking for advice - ‘those who were asked to provide advice were more critical and actionable in their comments’. Good article from Harvard Business Review
Magazine publisher Future (who announced knock out profits last month) tells workers that they can't continue to work from home, despite government orders (then backs down when it gets press attention)
How much will our demand for office space go down? Answer: 37%
Inspiration, boredom and humour: what we can learn about teamwork from The Beatles
The National Forum for Health and Wellbeing (Professor Sir Cary Cooper’s committee that thinks about how to make work better) has made a video of the pitfalls of hybrid meetings to look out for
The great resignation: Gallup says half of the US workforce say they are actively thinking about changing job: Why are so many people resigning? Answer: because they are disengaged with their work
There are two new podcasts for those of you who find yourself with a lot of time to kill over the festive season. Firstly there has been a wonderful response to the conversation with Emma Gannon about renegotiating our relationship with our phones in 2022. Emma’s book might be the new year reset that you’re looking for.
Secondly, if you need evidence that good workplace culture leads to higher profitability then this discussion with Zeynep Ton is essential. A thorough exploration of how the creation of good jobs is good business. This episode is one of the most highly shared interviews I’ve even done - with good reason.
Thanks for such a good reception to this newsletter over the chaos of the last twelve months - I always appreciate your feedback. Have a happy Christmas and a wonderful new year.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash