EDITION 771
24 JUNE 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 give feedback to someone who doesn’t want it. It’s important to give feedback to team members. But what should you do when an employee gets defensive? Leaders in these situations may want to take a break from giving performance-related feedback and try giving feedback based more closely on how the employee receives it. [MORE]
    
2. Should we be working one day a week? To gain the emotional benefits from holding down a job, you just need to work eight hours a week, according to research published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. Unemployment has previously been tied to mental health problems, with researchers suggesting that the social contact and structure of work can aid emotional wellness. This study, which surveyed 71,000 people, found that those benefits don’t increase beyond eight hours of work. The findings could prove useful as automation threatens to reduce working hours and displace some workers entirely. The Guardian
    
3. What's the ideal length of a workday? What is the right size of meetings to get things done? Why are employees so unhappy? The answers to these questions could become more-clear through the use of "people analytics," according to a new report which examined metadata from calendars and employee emails to solve similar problems. One tip: Crowded meetings don't help. The answer: Four hours. The New York Times
    
4. The number of working poor Britons surges to a new high. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said 58% of those below the official poverty live in a household where at least one person is working, up from 37% in 1994. The shift also reflects a fall in the number of those who are out of work, including lone-parent households or those on low incomes. The Guardian
    
5. Want honesty from employees? If so, you should watch your words.For managers looking to encourage employees to express their views, watching how you respond to suggestions and ideas can go a very long way. Rejecting an employee’s idea doesn’t have to be discouraging. It’s all about the delivery. When managers take the time to offer sensitive explanations for the rejection, employees are more likely to come back with future ideas. Learn more on our next complimentary webinar. [MORE]
    
6. UK firms not ready for no-deal. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has warned that 150,000 UK businesses still do not have the paperwork they will need to export goods to the EU if there is a no-deal Brexit. He said some firms had built up contingency stocks but these would only last for “weeks”. On a positive note, Carney added that the financial system was prepared for no-deal. In other news, the governor was handed an “incredibly generous” payment of £149,545 towards his pension, The sum took
his total pay last year to £883,911. BBC
    
7. To make decisions, consider the 80% rule. Should you take that job offer or remain where you are? Attend that work event or stay home? Some yes or no decisions can feel insurmountable. In those cases, give the ‘80% rule’ a shot. If you’re 75% sure you want to go out on Saturday, allow yourself to stay home. Only a 50% on taking on a new freelance assignment? Skip it. Such a rule can help you assess what you truly desire, and it keeps you from suffering over choices for too long. Interested in more leadership ideas? [MORE]
    
8. India poised to become most populated country on Earth. India is forecast to overtake China as the most populated country in the world within a decade, according to the UN. China and India currently have populations of 1.43bn and 1.37bn respectively. However, India is forecast to overtake China by 2027, according to the UN’s 2019 World Population Prospects report. Combined, the two countries currently account for 38% of the world’s population. The Independent
    
9. Woman hit by bike while on phone wins compensation. A yoga teacher who was hit by a bike while looking at her phone as she crossed a road in London is to receive compensation despite a judge ruling that she and the cyclist were equally to blame. Both Gemma Brushett and Robert Hazeldean were knocked unconscious in the accident. However, a judge at Central London County Court said Hazeldean is liable to pay out because “cyclists must be prepared at all times for people to behave in unexpected ways. If, like me, you are a keen leisure cyclist, I’d highly recommend being a member of British Cycling, as membership comes with third-party liability insurance. Editor
    
10. The bottom line. 59% of Briton's wouldn't buy a used car from Boris Johnson. 13% say they would. Nonetheless, 47% think Johnson could win a general election. The Times