EDITION 781
2 SEPTEMBER 2019

As another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. This newsletter is sent to 50,000+ subscribers each Monday. Please share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can subscribe, learn and engage. I'd be very grateful if you did.

1. How to discover your inner softie. There’s a popular myth that a tough boss is a good boss. This is not necessarily so, as numerous scientific studies have found no evidence that tough bosses got better results. A softer, more balanced approach may be better for morale and hence help grow the business. Here are three tips. [MORE]
    
2. Optimistic people live longer, study finds. A study by a team in Boston suggests that optimistic people live longer - and have a better chance of reaching the age of 85 than pessimists. Researchers said: “Our findings raise an exciting possibility that we may be able to promote healthy and resilient ageing by cultivating psychosocial assets such as optimism. The Independent
    
3. Belonging in the workplace. An organisation that focuses on employees’ sense of belonging helps cultivate more diversity and inclusivity. Rather than hiring people who best fit with the team, experts say recruiters shouldn’t shy away from candidates who bring in new ideas. An accepting workplace fuels more creativity and boosts productivity, as team members who embrace each other’s differences become more resilient as a whole. For strategies to build an inclusive culture, askten.
    
4. Work hard but play harder. Organisations are dealing with a problem they never thought they’d have - employees are obsessed with work. Organisations are prioritising leisure time and exploring ways for people to disconnect, and research shows that putting employee well-being first can boost success. Better holiday policies, stricter email hours and staff-organised social functions are some company initiatives to prevent job burnout and employee stress, according to TED ideas. The Times
    
5. The ‘minterns’ taking internships in their 30s. A BBC report shines a light on so-called minternships (middle-career internships), wherein employees leave their jobs to take internships, often in other industries, in order to reskill. The report notes that many workers in the millennial generation (some now in their mid-to-late 30s) are unsatisfied (see here and here) with their jobs and are looking for a change, and these internships may provide an opportunity to relaunch their careers in a new field. BBC
    
6. Take note of your lunching habits. Taking lunch breaks - instead of eating at your desk - has more benefits than you might expect. Some employees report wanting to clock out right at 5 p.m., while others say they simply have too much on their plates for breaks. Studies suggest leaving your desks for lunch can improve work performance and allow your body and mind to recharge, whether it’s a five minute or 30-minute break. The Washington Post
    
7. Bank of mum and dad one of UK's biggest mortgage lenders. The average parental contribution for homebuyers this year is £24,100 or £6.3bn collectively - putting BoMaD on par with the UK's 10th largest mortgage lender which lent £5bn. But the trend is somewhat worrying. 15% said they had already accepted a lower standard of living due to helping out their children, while a quarter voiced concerns around retirement savings. Financial Times
    
8. Michel Barnier rejects Boris's demand to scrap backstop. Michel Barnier has rejected Boris Johnson's demands for the backstop to be scrapped. The EU's lead Brexit negotiator said the backstop was the “maximum flexibility” the EU could offer. The prime minister has repeatedly stated that the EU the arrangement - intended to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland - must be ditched if a no-deal Brexit was to be avoided. BBC
    
9. Britons remain split on Brexit, obviously. 34% of Britons back Boris Johnson’s plan to carry out a no-deal Brexit on 31 October if necessary. 49% think he should either delay Brexit, cancel it altogether, or call a fresh referendum. 19% believe that Johnson will negotiate a new deal with the EU. The Independent
    
10. The bottom line. How much the fictional crime boss of the 1920s Peaky Blinders gang, Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy in the BBC series, would be worth £450m if he were alive today, according to “superfan” PeakyBroker, who posted a detailed break-down online. That includes £120m from his property empire of terraced houses, £40m from factories he owns and £8m from his portfolio of docking licences. Reddit