EDITION 998
4 DECEMBER 2023

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to choose connection over conflict. Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. After all, two people can’t be expected to agree on everything, all the time. It also feels good to win an argument. But in every fight there is a loser too, and your counterpart may leave the discussion feeling discouraged and disengaged. READ MORE

2. High interest rates 'into 2025'. Interest rates could stay high into 2025 after the Bank of England governor warned that there would be no cuts "for the foreseeable future". Andrew Bailey said the outlook for the economy is the worst he's ever seen and warned that inflation, which is currently at 4.6%, is still too far above the bank's target of two per cent. There has been "fury" at his "scathing" remarks. "Time for a bank chief who talks Britain up!" it says. Daily Express

3. Record immigration. The Government’s immigration policy was put under intense pressure by the release of revised official figures showing that a record 745,000 more people arrived in Britain in 2022 than left. In 2019, when the Tories pledged to cut net long-term migration, the figure was 226,000. The Office for National Statistics said that immigration had contributed to a 1% rise in the population of England and Wales last year - the fastest such increase since 1962. The provisional figure for 2023 is 672,000. The Times

4. Learn the language of leadership. When you want to learn a new language, you know it will take time and a lot of practise. It's the same with leadership skills. As with learning a new language, one-day courses, certificates and books can be great for learning more about how to lead. To really succeed, however, you need to get feedback, develop strategic thinking, have uncomfortable discussions, and master skills such as active listening, prioritisation, and delegation. The best way to develop your leadership skills is to hone your  communication skills, learn from mistakes, and mix with effective leaders. Editor

5. Remote jobs take a backseat. While jobseekers in Europe are still interested in remote roles, listings for them are declining, but hybrid options are on the rise. Last month, hybrid roles accounted for one-third of all job listings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In some countries this was much higher though, such as in Ireland and the UK, where hybrid jobs made up 43% of all listings in each country, an increase of 20% and 15% respectively. Remote roles across Europe dropped by between 3% and 11%, as a proportion of all job listings. LinkedIn

6. Is the era of qualifications over? The way companies hire is changing, with qualifications becoming less important and hiring managers' focus shifting to skills. LinkedIn data shows that a broader shift towards skills-first hiring has the potential to open up the talent pool available, particularly in sectors experiencing labour shortages. Skills-first hiring could also open up a wider range of roles for women, supporting a path towards more women in senior roles. Do you think skills are more important than qualifications? VOTE HERE

7. Farage support grows. The Tories face a "growing threat" from Reform UK after support for Nigel Farage's party hit a "record high" in a new poll. The latest BMG Research poll for the outlet found that Reform UK is third on 11%, its best ever performance in the BMG polling, an outcome that is seen by some Conservative MPs as evidence that Rishi Sunak is "failing to convince right-wing voters he is handling the issues they care about well". iNews

8. Dogs 'reduce dementia' says study. Owning a dog can reduce the risk of developing dementia in old age, according to a study in Japan. The four-year study monitored the well-being of nearly 12,000 residents of the city over the age of 65 and found that dog-owners were 40% less likely to get dementia than those without a dog. Previous studies have linked having a cat or dog to reduced frailty in old age, slowed cognitive decline, delayed onset of disabilities and death from all causes. Daily Mail

9. Word of the year named. "Rizz", an internet slang term for romantic appeal or charm, has been named the Oxford word of the year. It was one of eight words on a shortlist, all chosen to reflect the "mood, ethos or preoccupations" of 2023. The first recorded use of "rizz" was in 2022, but it went viral in June after the actor Tom Holland, in an interview with Buzzfeed, said: "I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz." That moment "spawned a crush of memes". BBC

10. The bottom line. One in five working-age adults in Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool are neither in work nor seeking work. It’s even worse in Blackpool, where fully a quarter of working-age adults fall into that category. Altogether, 2.4 million people across the country are on sickness benefits. Daily Telegraph