EDITION 779
19 AUGUST 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 stop a meeting that just won’t end. We’ve all been in meetings that seem like they go on and on and on. Instead of watching the clock, take matters into your own hands with these useful tips. [MORE]
    
2. A third of millennials want martial law. 64% of Britons aged 25 to 34 think having “strong leaders who do not have to bother with Parliament” would be a good idea, compared with 52% of over-65s. 26% of 25- to 34-year-olds think democracy is a bad way to run the country, and 35% would support having the army in charge. Daily Telegraph
    
3. When pen and paper beats all things digital. Need to focus? Ditch the smartphone and laptop, just for a bit. Old-fashioned pen and paper are especially good at stimulating our reticular activating system, nerve pathways in our brain that help us weed out excess information and zero in on what’s pressing. Paper is thin, light and it doesn’t run out of batteries. And it doesn’t beep and buzz and distract you with notifications. Yes, productivity apps offer benefits, but we shouldn’t discount the power of paper. Effectiveness is a core module on 10/10. [MORE]
    
4. Government document predicts no-deal chaos. Britain would suffer shortages of food, fuel and medicine, months of chaos at ports, a hard border with Ireland and rising costs in social care in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a government document. The leaked paperwork is marked “official-sensitive,” meaning it requires security clearance on a “need to know” basis. The Times
    
5. Dealing with negativity in the workplace. Negative colleagues who constantly gripe are a drain on the whole workplace, but there are ways to deal with them.We recommend looking for a pattern to establish the source of the issue (does it come from a place of inadequacy, loneliness, fatigue?); withdrawing attention so they don’t have an opportunity to vent; setting boundaries for your meetings so the conversation doesn’t stray; letting them know, delicately, how their behaviour is affecting you; and, finally, tactfully escalating the problem to the boss. Editor
    
6. Wages growing at the fastest rate in 11 years. The ONS said wage growth rose to 3.9% in the year to June, helped by pay increases for some NHS staff and the increase in national minimum and living wage rates in April. Around 115,000 people found a job between April and June as the employment rate hit its highest level since 1971. However, separate ONS data showed productivity fell for the fourth consecutive quarter prompting calls for workers to receive more holiday and benefits. BBC
    
7. Put your anger to good use. When we’re livid, many of us opt to calm down first before making any kind of decision. But research on consumer behaviour suggests that anger may help us focus. Anger can push us to act with greater certainty. The resulting decisions are often more clearly based on our goals and we are more likely to feel satisfied with those decisions, the researchers found. When we’re angry, we’re less inclined to make trade-offs. One key thing to keep in mind? Make sure the anger is directed productively. Otherwise, things can get ugly. KelloggInsight
    
8. Move over, ghosting - “breadcrumbing” is the latest dating term to make its way into the work vernacular. If you’re being "breadcrumbed" at the office — meaning strung along - then it’s likely you’re not receiving regular feedback, your ideas aren’t getting much encouragement, or you’re routinely being promised promotions that fail to materialise. To overcome the empty promises, ask your manager for honest feedback, and establish a clear timeline on promotions. BBC
    
9. We do need constant praise after all. A major survey of employees has found workers need consistent recognition which means those ad-hoc thank-you emails, a one-off "good job" or your company's annual awards might not be good enough. The Reward Gateway survey found employees are demanding to be praised in more timely and meaningful ways. Also, 45% of employees thought their manager unfairly rewarded certain people over others, and a third of respondents thought they had received inadequate rewards for their service. HRD
    
10. The bottom line. 43 per cent of adults in Britain do not pay any income tax, according to a study from the Institute of Fiscal Studies [IFS]. That compares with 38% in 2010. Conversely, the top 1% of earners pay 27% of the nation’s income tax. Financial Times