EDITION 884
30 AUGUST 2021

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 get yourself motivated. Olympians this year had to compete without a crucial source of motivation: live audience. While some athletes felt more focused, others would have found the games flat and lacking energy with the absence of live cheers. Finding motivation on your own can be difficult, especially in a pandemic world where a lot of social interactions are muted. Struggling to get things done? Here are some tips to get yourself to do what you need to do. READ MORE >> 

2. Where is the world's safest city? It's now in Europe, as Tokyo dropped from the top spot. Copenhagen made it to the top of the list, with the inclusion of environmental security as a pillar of the methodology giving the Danish capital a boost. London was the only British city that made the top 60, ranked at number 15. Amsterdam and Stockholm made it into the top 10, while several other European capitals fell just outside the top 20, including Madrid (21) and Paris (23). The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) also measured digital, health, infrastructure and personal safety across 60 cities - all of which have been impacted by the pandemic. CNBC

3. Covid 26 times higher than last August. Covid infections in England are now 26 times higher than this time last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Experts say the reopening of schools, universities and colleges is likely to trigger a further rise in cases and that a fresh wave of infections could lead to new social restrictions being imposed as winter approaches. There have been more than 6.7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and over 132,000 people have died; more than 88% of people aged 16 and over in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 78% have had their second. Research suggests that nine in ten adults in the UK are still wearing face masks at least some of the time. BBC

4. Are we teaching the right skills? Almost half of the youth surveyed by the World Economic Forum said they’re either “not confident at all” or just “somewhat confident” that the skills they currently have would guarantee them a job in the next five to 10 years. The participants - aged between 20 and 30 and coming from 187 countries - suggested universities adopt curricula more in line with today’s labour market, ending “exorbitant” tuition fees, and providing tax credits for companies and investors when they invest in reskilling employees. Word Economic Forum

5. How to find joy in your work. People spend a lot of time at their jobs. Some may love what they do, but many others are less than thrilled by their day-to-day work. There are some basic steps people can take to find a job they enjoy; including: [1] Get to know themselves and what they value. [2] Align those values and needs to prospective employers and roles. [3] Be realistic about your capabilities. [4] Keep your momentum going. Editor

6. Fifth of couples have a pre-nup. They were once the preserve of the rich and famous, but nowadays one in five couples sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying. New research suggests around 20 per cent of those who have tied the knot since 2000 have put arrangements about their finances in place before walking down the aisle - up from 1.5 percent 40 years ago. Around 44 per cent of those in managerial, administrative or professional jobs said they had a pre-nup, compared to just 18 per cent of mid-level managers, skilled and semi-skilled workers. The Mail on Sunday

7. Coffee can reduce risk of stroke. Drinking a cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of a stroke by a fifth, according to a new study. Researchers at Semmelweis University in Budapest said data from almost half a million Britons showed people who drank a moderate amount of coffee - anything from half a cup to three cups a day - were 21% less likely to have a stroke than people who eschewed coffee completely. The Daily Telegraph

8. Breaking ranks in performance reviews. Usually, performance reviews are a place for feedback, learning and improvement, but so-called stack ranking adds a direct element of competition to the workplace. Managers are required to rank employees into high, medium and low performers, with the latter usually facing improvement plans or even exit. Such systems are disastrous for company morale. In strong teams, they can punish people who aren’t underperforming and mean high achievers avoid working with each other. However, proponents say they offer clarity, and give people an indication of how close they are to being promoted. What do you think of ranking as a means of performance review? What makes an effective performance review? CONTACT US >>

9. Power and compassion can exist hand in hand with leadership. Here’s how to exercise authority while cultivating humility: Making "I don't know" acceptable as an answer; encouraging participation from more team members; asking colleagues for an honest assessment; embedding interdependence in the workflow. Editor

10. The bottom line. Used by brands to showcase their green credentials as well as score some free marketing, slogan-printed cotton tote bags are now under scrutiny for being, well, not so green. A single tote needs to be used 20,000 times - or daily for 54 years - in order to offset the overall environmental impact of its production. The New York Times