EDITION 1014
8 APRIL 2024

Good morning

Recent figures show that median executive pay at FTSE 100 companies is more than 100 times that of the median full-time worker. Last week, we asked our readers was this fair. The overwhelming majority think not. You can see the full results below. This week we ask what your number one career regret is. If you've ever regretted not asking for a pay rise, you’re not alone.

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.

Before you dive in, remember our POTENTIAL workbook [see below] is on offer for only £99. This unique workbook will help guide your organisation to its highest potential. Contact us today to start your transformation.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to create an innovation network. Innovation networks support continuous improvement, the idea management, and the innovation management of a company. Organisations get it wrong when they rely on only a few people to come up with all the new ideas. Instead, they should connect many colleagues who have the right skills and can foster innovation in others. Here are the three essential elements of such a network. READ MORE

2. School bullies get richer. We might like to think that playground bullies pay the price for their mean ways in later life – but it seems the opposite is the case. A five-decade study by the University of Essex has found that children who display aggressive behaviour at school tend, by middle age, to have better jobs and earn more than their more peaceable peers. Predictably, attention problems and signs of emotional instability at aged ten were associated with lower earnings in adulthood; more surprisingly, “conduct problems, driven by aggression and impulsivity”, were associated with higher earnings, and greater job satisfaction. Joe

3. Global market outlook improves. In a recent outlook for the second quarter of 2024, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, sees little disrupting the market's perception that inflation is decreasing, growth is stable and rate cuts are on the horizon. This sentiment is echoed by others in the financial industry. Barclays Investment Bank expects the US economy to outperform and lead the world to a soft landing, while S&P Global reports that consumers' purchasing power is improving due to a resilient labour market and lower energy bills. In Europe, Barclays Investment Bank predicts interest rates will average 2% by year's end, with unemployment rates remaining near historic lows. Financial Times

4. Shrinking populations. Within a few decades, the world’s population is expected to start falling for the first time since the Black Death. An analysis of 204 countries has concluded that owing to declining fertility rates, the global population’s growth is starting to slow - and that in the latter part of this century, it will start falling. A rate of 2.1 births per woman over her lifetime is required to maintain population levels. In 1950, the figure stood at 4.84 globally, but by 2021 it had fallen to 2.23. The UK’s fertility rate is 1.49 now. By 2050, it is projected to be 1.38 and in 2100, just 1.3. The Lancet

5. The top career regrets to avoid. If you've ever regretted not asking for a pay rise, you’re not alone. In fact, it's the number one career regret of two-thirds of workers, a recent survey found. Around 66% of professionals listed not asking for a raise, neglecting work-life balance and staying too long in a job as their biggest career regrets, as well as not negotiating a better salary for a new job. The survey, which polled 1,000 workers across the US, UK, France and Germany, found millennials and Generation X had the most career regrets, at 70% and 69% respectively, while baby boomers tended to have fewer regrets at only 52%. What’s your greatest career regret? You can share your views in our latest poll. VOTE HERE

6. Flex your EQ to get ahead. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. As a professional, it helps you communicate well and build positive working relationships. It's not just a nice-to-have soft skill either; rather, it is one of the most sought-after by employers, according to research. As a leader and manager you can use this skill to get things done more effectively with your team. As a candidate, you can leverage this skill and stand out during job interviews by recognising visual cues and body language. You can also flex your EQ through storytelling and asking the right questions - at the right time. Want to know more…? CONTACT US

7. British keep on giving. The British public donated a record £13.9bn to charity last year, 9% more than in 2022. According to the Charities Aid Foundation report, three-quarters of adults supported charities last year, whether by giving money or goods, sponsoring, volunteering or fundraising. The poorest parts of the country gave the most as a proportion of household income; but the rise in the total sum donated was driven by a million or so "super-givers", who give far more than average. The Guardian

8. People feel older if underslept. People feel older if under slept. Just two nights of broken sleep is enough to make people feel up to four years older, research has found. But when people in a study were allowed to sleep for nine hours, they felt just three months younger. Those who have less sleep are also more inclined to eat unhealthily, exercise less and seek out socialisation and new experiences less, meaning the overall feeling of being older may be intensified. People who prefer to go to bed and get up late typically felt older than their real age, but early risers felt older if their sleep was disrupted. If you want to feel young, the most important thing is to protect your sleep. Understanding what can make us feel younger may help people who want to experience the associated benefits, such as increased social and physical activity. The Royal Society

9. Get tough to win voters back. Of those planning to vote for Reform UK next time, 42% would consider backing Rishi Sunak instead if he took tough action to slash net migration, according to a poll by the Legatum Institute, a pro-Brexit thinktank. But 40% said a pledge to cut net migration to under 100,000 a year would make no difference to their voting intention. The latest YouGov poll put Reform UK on 16%, five points behind the Tories. Labour Party is almost 20 points in the lead with 40%, while the Lib Dems are fourth on 10%. The Times

10. The bottom line. Russell Group universities now receive as much as 57% of their fee income from overseas students, up from 49% in 2016/17. Some, including University College London, and the London School of Economics and Imperial College, get more than 75% of their fee income from such students. The Times