Outer space talks are a welcome addition to the US-Africa Leaders Summit - what's on the table
The focus will be on eight areas: economic engagement; peace, security and good governance; democracy and human rights; regional and global health security (including recovery from COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness); food security; climate change; diaspora ties; and education and youth leadership. Of the 55 African heads of governments, 49 have been invited to the summit. Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Sudan are currently on suspension from the Africa Union due to coups d’etats, hence they were not invited. Continued here |
The forgotten war: what Russia could win from the reignited conflict in Syria
Largely overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, Syria remains a deeply divided and violent country, where military conflict has recently reignited. This new period of conflict in Syria, with Russia, Turkey and Israel all launching attacks, also reflects some of the battle lines of the Ukrainian war – and threatens to have ramifications for both battlegrounds. Continued here |
�
Want To Reduce Cognitive Decline? Consider Looking To Flavonols Found in Kale, Dark Chocolate and Yes, Even WineÂ
New research shows a link between consuming foods rich in flavonols and a slowdown of cognitive decline. Continued here |
5 Steps To Change Your Company’s Business Model
Have a clear vision, map out the transition from old to new, build new systems to support decisions. Continued here |
�
Is Labour’s vision of a New Britain any different to the Tories' levelling up?
Jack Newman works on the Review of the UK Constitution, a collaboration between the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and the Institute for Government. Former prime minister Gordon Brown’s review of the UK constitution could be a hugely significant moment for the UK. A radical agenda for political change is being offered by the party tipped to win the next election. Continued here |
After 51 Years, Southwest Airlines Is Testing a Major Change that Is Making Some People Upset. Why It's a Brilliant Idea
A small test could be the sign of a big change to come. Continued here |
�
Your newest corporate nightmare: Bleisure - The Hustle
Ever found yourself thinking, “I wish I could leave the comfort of my home to stand in a wine cave with my co-workers?” Neither have we! But too bad — companies are pouring cash previously allotted for office rent into destination corporate conferences that offer remote employees a bevy of in-person social and experiential programming, per Vox. Continued here |
From Pitch Deck to Data Room: Here's All the Data Startups Need To Track For Investors
Take the mystery out of your investor pitch deck and data room. Continued here |
�
Why Retail Brands Are Setting Up Shop in the Palm Beach Area--and Finding Eager Customers
Florida's Palm Beach county is home to a burgeoning retail boom--that's only likely to get bigger. Continued here |
Sport NZ’s transgender guidelines are a good start – but can they filter up from grassroots to elite competition?
The release this week of Sport NZ’s new Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport caused a minor and predictable controversy. One former parliamentarian called the guidelines “woke ideology”. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson responded that such opposition was “petty and small-minded”. In reality, the guidelines are the result of extensive consultation over two years. They’re a response to national sports organisations calling for help in navigating the uncharted waters of imagining sport beyond the gender binary. Continued here |
�
The Value of Keeping the Right Customers
Depending on which study you believe, and what industry you’re in, acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. It makes sense: you don’t have to spend time and resources going out and finding a new client — you just have to keep the one you have happy. If you’re not convinced that retaining customers is so valuable, consider research done by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company (the inventor of the net promoter score) that shows increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%. Continued here |
Today's Automation Anxiety Was Alive and Well in 1960
Electronic data processing, or EDP, rose to prominence in 1950s American business as a way to automate simple and regular tasks that involved large amounts of data. It was fast (comparatively), accurate, and transformative. And, like any new technology making its entrance into office life, it was met with profoundly mixed feelings. Continued here |
�
Inside Japan's most minimalist homes
"The home – before it is a place of beauty – is a place for safety, and assessed according to its alignment with its natural surroundings," says Mihoko Iida, whose new book Japanese Interiors takes a look inside some of Japan's most interesting private homes. From urban apartments to mountain and seaside escapes, the spaces featured in the book all share this idea of what home interiors mean in Japan, and how they are informed by a sense of harmony and balance with their surrounding environment. Alongside the homes' proximity to nature is the pared-back simplicity for which Japanese design has become known. "Minimalism has a long history in Japan," explains author Iida, "rooted in the teachings of Zen Buddhism that came to our country via China, and found a foothold beginning around the 12th Century." Continued here |
How to Write Concisely
It’s not the end of the world if you use an unnecessary word now and then, write the occasional overlapping sentence, or tell us what you’re doing in a sentence before you do it. But the extra words add up. In this article, the author offers advice for how to make your writing shorter and sharper. Continued here |
�
The Five Stages of DEI Maturity
Many organizations take big actions in the realm of DEI because of something they see another company do—such as publicly declaring themselves champions of people of color or setting an ambitious top-down DEI strategy across the firm. However, these grand stances usually fizzle out, leaving leaders frustrated and saying, “DEI work is too hard. It takes too long to see results.” Continued here |
The British island stuck in time
The map of the British Isles is a cornucopia of islands, many of which are so transporting and preposterous they almost seem like make-believe. Cradled by the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Scotland, Eilean Shona inspired Peter Pan author JM Barrie to dream up Neverland – tidal Loch Moidart on which it sits is almost a magic mirror. Another Scottish island, Inchconnachan, has an almost unbelievable population of wallabies, a marsupial predominantly native to Australia and New Guinea. Adrift off Anglesey in Wales, meanwhile, is Llanddwyn Island – the so-named "Island of Love", where the Welsh celebrate Saint Dwynwen, the country's patron saint of lovers. Continued here |
Hegel is considered the hardest philosopher, but his views aren’t actually that outlandish
There has been much excitement at the discovery of a treasure trove of notes from the lectures of the great German idealist philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. The several thousand pages date from Hegel’s time at the University of Heidelberg (1816-18), when he returned to academic life after a nine-year absence. Continued here |
What Makes a Great Executive Retreat
After a two-year hiatus, the annual executive retreat is making a comeback. In theory, the CEO gathers company executives off-site to focus on strategy, and the team returns with clear goals and a sense of camaraderie. In reality, wall-to-wall PowerPoint presentations are often the order of the day. Information flows in one direction, followed by improvised, open-mic Q&As. Executives fight for their individual fiefdoms. Teamwork is often notable by its absence. The ultimate output is a list of ambiguous messages that are scarcely actionable and rarely followed up. In short, retreats are often an expensive waste of time. The author presents a more creative approach CEOs can take to make the most of this annual opportunity with their executive teams. Continued here |
To resolve youth violence, Canada must move beyond policing and prison
The most recent shooting involving a Toronto high school student this October highlighted a rising problem with gun violence in North American schools. In Canada’s largest city, it raised alarms about how the crisis is getting worse and skewing younger. The recent tragedy is reminiscent of other high-profile shootings within Toronto high schools. In 2007, 15-year-old high school student Jordan Manners was fatally shot at school. In the years since Manners’s death, numerous recommendations on gun violence came out of reports and committees. However, little has been done to improve the danger of gun violence for Toronto teens. Continued here |
As homelessness grows, its stark impact on health is becoming clearer across Europe
Trabajadora Social. Investigadora en la FIIBAP. Profesora de Grado y Máster en la Facultad de Trabajo Social, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Médico de familia investigador en Fundación para la Investigación e Innovación Biosanitaria en Atención Primaria (FIIBAP). Director del Máster en Salud Escolar y docente en Facultad de Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela Continued here |
The fur trade shows us that Canada has a long history of unethical business practices
With rising prices caused by inflation, Canadians are struggling to afford the basic costs of living. According to a recent Angus Reid Institute study, nearly 60 per cent of Canadians are struggling to provide food for their families. Meanwhile, profits are surging for grocery retailers, raising concerns about monopolies. In today’s market economy, competition means standing out by offering customers more while working faster for less cost. Among top grocery retailers in Canada like Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro, it also means protecting and growing their dominant market position. The pandemic and other global crises has been especially profitable for the food business sector. Continued here |
How to Tactfully Interject in a Virtual Meeting
Interjecting during virtual meetings can be challenging when working on a distributed team, but it’s a skill worth cultivating. The author offers strategies to help you interject with tact: 1) signal your interest. 2) try the “pass the baton” strategy, 3) look for natural transition points, 4) keep it brief, and 5) be assertive when necessary. Continued here |
Stop Ghosting and Start Saying No
Ghosting is a common phenomenon in both personal and professional relationships. While it’s easy to lament being ghosted, it’s harder to admit that many of us have ghosted someone else. You promise to make a business introduction, offer to review a resume, commit to being a reference, volunteer to speak on a panel, or say you’ll provide feedback to a colleague — and you don’t follow through. Ghosting can have consequences that you may not immediately recognize — for example, you could miss out on great talent, partnership opportunities, revenue, or even your own next leadership role. Ghosting can also erode bridges in your networks, leaving others with the impression that you’re unreliable. Repeated ghosting can have a devastating impact on your leadership brand. The author presents five ways to strike a balance between managing your time and energy while at the same time following through on the commitments you’ve made. Continued here |
Internet search results could be increasing your carbon emissions
Almost everyone thinks they know how to use Google, and they usually get the answer they want. Many will intuitively know that the query “milk good for you” leads to different results than “milk bad for you”. The same goes for queries for “climate change” versus “climate hoax”, or for “2020 US Elections valid” versus “stop the steal”. Since search engines are more a “wish list” than an authoritative source, they can help spread mis- and disinformation which can be harmful for democracy or society. They are not neutral information brokers. Continued here |
Serial Entrepreneur Marc Lore Wins Often--Here's His Secret
This visionary, tactician, operator, disrupter, competitor, and former track star has won many ways--and always with speed. Continued here |
Writing a Rejection Letter (with Samples)
I have a friend who appraises antiques — assigning a dollar value to the old Chinese vase your grandmother used for storing pencils, telling you how much those silver knickknacks from Aunt Fern are worth. He says the hardest part of his job, the part he dreads the most, is telling people that their treasure is worthless. Continued here |
Build-to-rent is seen as affordable, but it's unlikely to help those most in need
Australians desperately need more affordable homes, particularly homes for rent. The prospect of home ownership is rapidly receding for many people, especially younger generations (as the chart below shows). More people than ever are being forced into a tight rental market. Making things worse, many traditional providers of residential rentals, the “mum and dad” investors, are selling their investments to take the capital gains. Continued here |
The next big thing for influencers is less influencing - The Hustle
Coming this season to your TikTok feed: fewer Gen-Z digital stars posing with Louis Vuitton bags. According to Wired, influencers and the brands who pay them are reconsidering their roles as inflation dents wallets, energy prices soar in Europe, and the world flirts with a global recession. Continued here |
Ukraine war: Poland welcomed refugees with open arms at first, but survey shows relations are becoming more strained
Around 1.5 million Ukrainians have settled in Poland in the aftermath of the full-scale Russian incursion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest group comprises mainly women and children, in contrast to those already there who were predominantly male and economically active and who had migrated from Ukraine after the political upheavals of 2014 mainly for economic reasons. Ukrainians now make up 3% of Poland’s population, whereas Poland was until recently practically mono-ethnic, with only a small number of minorities or refugees. Today Russian and Ukrainian can be heard on every major Polish street and the two languages have become part of the public landscape. Continued here |
10 Unconventional Rules for Captivating Public Speaking From Jazz Expert and Best-Selling Author Ted Gioia
Who should you look to for public speaking advice? Author Ted Gioia suggests thinking more like a jazz musician. Continued here |
Invisible skin mites called Demodex almost certainly live on your face – but what about your mascara?
Demodex are a family of eight-legged mites that live in the hair follicles and associated sebaceous or oil glands of many mammals. Two species are known in humans – Demodex folliculorum, which lives mainly in hair follicles on our faces (especially eyelashes and eyebrows), and Demodex brevis, which sets up home in the oil glands on the face and elsewhere. Continued here |
Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person
Reader in Education with Psychology and Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath But there are complexities. Some groups of people are more likely to develop intimate bonds with their pets. This includes isolated older people, people who have lost trust in humans, and people who rely on assistance animals. Continued here |
Here's Why Alexa--and Siri and the Google Assistant--Don't Understand You as Well as They Should
A former Amazon Echo engineer explains. Continued here |
For an Out of This World Shower Experience, This Founder Turned to Rocket Engines
Nebia's showerheads have saved consumers nearly half a billion gallons of water. But its simple solution took years to develop. Continued here |
Using art and song to help bring the world's largest mangrove swamp back from the brink
Located in the low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans straddle the border between India and Bangladesh and cover more than 1 million hectares, making them the world’s largest single contiguous mangrove swamp. A Ramsar site and a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1987, they are home to a wide range of critically endangered fauna, including the Bengal tiger, the Ganges dolphin, river terrapin, the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python, along with approximately 428 species of birds, 120 fish, 42 mammal, 35 reptile and 8 amphibian species. More than 60 plant species can be found there, able to tolerate the saline estuarine conditions. Unfortunately, mangrove swamps have suffered significant degradation due to human encroachment, illegal logging, and seawater levels, which lead to increasing salinity of the surrounding areas. Approximately 40% of the mangrove cover in the Sundarbans has disappeared over the last 20 years. Continued here |
How To Run a Meeting
Why is it that any single meeting may be a waste of time, an irritant, or barrier to the achievement of an organization’s objectives? The answer lies in the fact, as the author says, that “all sorts of human crosscurrents can sweep the discussion off course, and errors of psychology and technique on the chairman’s part can defeat its purposes.” This article offers guidelines on how to right things that go wrong in meetings. The discussion covers the functions of a meeting, the distinctions in size and type of meetings, ways to define the objectives, making preparations, the chairman’s role, and ways to conduct a meeting that will achieve its objectives. Continued here |
Using Emojis to Connect with Your Team
Employees don’t check their emotions at the office door — or Zoom room. But it can be harder to read how your team is feeling when you’re working remotely or in a hybrid office. Managers can use emojis as a fun and easy way to connect with their team. They can offer deeper insight on how your team is feeling, help you build your own cognitive empathy, help you model appropriate emotions, and help reinforce your company culture. Emoji usage can be an intergenerational and cultural minefield, however, so if you are new to the practice, the authors suggest starting with simple emojis (for example, a thumbs up) rather than those that represent complex emotions. Continued here |
7 Rules for Persuasive Dissent
Decisions formed from a diversity of opinions usually lead to better long-term outcomes. So, when you believe that your team or organization is missing something important, moving in the wrong direction, or taking too much risk, you need to speak up. Done effectively, dissent challenges groupthink, reminds those in the majority that there are alternatives paths, and prompts everyone to get creative about solutions. Six decades of scientific research point to strategies those without formal power can use to make sure their dissenting ideas are heard. First, pass the in-group test by showing how you fit in. Then pass the group threat test by showing how you have your team’s best interest at heart. Make sure your message is consistent but creative tailored for different people, lean on objective information, address obstacles and risks, and encourage collaboration. Finally, make sure to get support. Dissent isn’t easy but it can be extremely worthwhile. Continued here |
Indonesia's new criminal code isn't just about sex outside marriage. It endangers press and religious freedom
Indonesia’s controversial new criminal code was passed into law on Tuesday, replacing a clunky old code dating back to at least 1918. Lawmakers have tried for decades to replace it. In fact, the last time legislators tried in 2019, it triggered the largest public protests in Indonesia since the 1998 fall of former president Soeharto. This time, politicians rushed it through at short notice, despite widespread criticism and limited opportunities for public consultation. In the end, the code passed with the support of all but two small parties. Continued here |
Why Walking Away From Disney Was the Right Move for This Robotics Company
Paul Berberian learned the hard way that bigger isn't always better, and Sphero is thriving thanks to the pivot it made Continued here |
How to Respond to a Rude Comment at Work
Most people have experienced incivility at work — anything from a rude customer or snippy boss to ambiguously curt emails from otherwise friendly colleagues. To handle these situations, address your own emotions first and ask yourself why you’re feeling offended. Then weigh the pros and cons of calling the person on their rudeness. Finally, use language that deflects the blame from the other person and focuses on the behavior’s effect on you and that helps to establish shared norms. Continued here |
For Better Negotiations, Cut "But" from Your Vocabulary
It’s hard to think of a word that triggers more reactivity and drains more trust from conversation than “but.” Notice how often you hear it (and say it) when you’re negotiating or arguing. Notice how this one word changes the temperature and tone in the moment. To prevent the damage that “but” inflicts, the author offers three hacks: 1) Focus on what’s said before “but,” 2) Replace “but” with curiosity, and 3) Stop before the “but.” Each of these moves requires courage, patience, and practice — and the return on investment is impressive. Continued here |
To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself
Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous. Continued here |
How to Write a Winning Business Plan
You’ve got a great idea for a new product or service—how can you persuade investors to support it? Flashy PowerPoint slides aren’t enough; you need a winning business plan. A compelling plan accurately reflects the viewpoints of your three key constituencies: the market, potential investors, and the producer (the entrepreneur or inventor of the new offering). Continued here
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
|
No comments:
Post a Comment