Rural communities

More hybrid and remote work has increased our written communication, via email, IMs, DMs, and texting. The problem with these types of correspondence is that nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and inflection, are missing, and the underlying tone of the message has to be inferred by the recipient. Unfortunately, the human brain naturally skews toward the negative . Your message may come across as aggressive, condescending, or just plain rude, when that was never your intent. It can be tricky to gauge someone’s tone through an email or Slack message. The team at WordFinder by Your Dictionary studied emails and found some commonly used workplace jargon and terms come across as passive-aggressive in writing. Whether it’s intentional or not, using them can make others uncomfortable, create tension, or even jeopardize your job. These 10 phrases were rated as seeming the most passive-aggressive: Please advise Noted Friendly Reminder Will do Thanks in … [Read more...] about These are the top 10 most passive-aggressive phrases you’re probably using in email

The Southern Poverty Law Center bankrupted the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups through the power of the legal system—and so it might have come as a surprise when the organization recently unveiled its new logo, it was conspicuously lacking the scales of justice icon that had defined the organization for years. It was a change that no one on the project team took lightly—but the organization was committed to bold moves, and for good reason. “Historically, it’s been a law firm, it’s been a legal service for voting rights and civil rights and advocacy groups, but over time, it’s expanded into something that’s much more than that,” says Chris Mihal, SPLC’s director of creative. In 2022, the organization completed a new strategic framework focused on its four key offerings: law, education, policy, and programming, centered around the critical subjects of hate and extremism, children’s rights, economic justice, immigrant justice, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reform, … [Read more...] about Why the SPLC’s new logo ditched its famous icon

The world watched in shock as Credit Suisse, one of the most established global banking and financial services institutions, collapsed and was eventually acquired by UBS. I believe a significant factor in Credit Suisse’s downfall was its rigid stance on forcing staff to return to the office. This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce’s needs and preferences. The Iron Fist: Credit Suisse’s return to office policy In stark contrast to the growing trend of many companies embracing a flexible hybrid work approach, Credit Suisse took a more traditional approach, mandating that staff return to the office three days a week. According to one banker there, “they’re removing our flexibility, and it doesn’t feel great.” In May 2022, the bank’s leadership originally supported flexibility and hybrid work as evidenced by then-CEO Thomas Gottstein professing that a return to office was “not … [Read more...] about POV: How work arrangements played a part in the collapse of Credit Suisse and SVB

As children, most of us were raised to not talk to strangers. The rule is meant to keep us safe, but carrying the idea into adulthood can cause us to miss out on enriching conversations. A new study published in the Psychological and Cognitive Sciences journal reveals that people actually enjoy talking to strangers more than they expect and the exchange can provide benefits. “We already know from previous research that people think they’ll enjoy spending their commute in silence, but it turns out that talking to a fellow passenger is more pleasant,” says Stav Atir, assistant professor of management at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead author of the study. “People underestimate the informational value of conversations. Yet, it’s an asset we are underutilizing.” Atir teamed up with University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business colleagues Nicholas Epley, who is a professor of behavioral science, and graduate student … [Read more...] about How (and why) you should get better at talking to strangers

There’s a common complaint in the workplace today: Employees’ schedules are often so packed with meetings that they have no time to do their actual jobs. Back in 2017, 71% of senior managers said that meetings were unproductive and inefficient; 65% reported that they got in the way of completing tasks. Since 2020, the problem has gotten worse. Research shows that with the rise of remote work, employees are spending more time in meetings and the workday has been extended by more than 45 minutes. This is unnecessary, and the good news is, it doesn’t have to be your team’s reality. I know this from experience. Running a $4-billion company with employees all around the world has forced me to rethink my approach to communication, and I encourage our leaders to do the same. By ensuring that every team has a deliberate, pared-down approach to meetings, we’ve increased productivity and boosted morale. Here are five strategies to help your team make the most of their … [Read more...] about 5 ways to cut down on meetings and make them more productive

Most of us are looking for ways to simplify and streamline our workday. I’ve written countless articles on habits and hacks that can help you become more productive when you’re on the clock. But what about your off time? Turns out, what you do in the evening can have an impact on how your day runs. “Throughout the workday, people expend high levels of cognitive resources to complete their work,” says Russell E. Johnson, a professor of management at Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business. “These cognitive resources are needed to focus attention, block out distractions, work through problems, and regulate emotions and stress.” But the resources aren’t endless. They deplete as the day progresses, depending on how mentally challenging the work and environment is. Cognitive resources can be replenished through mental respites. While taking short breaks during the day helps, the most important time of day to recharge is in the evening after the workday had … [Read more...] about These 5-to-9 habits could be hurting your 9-to-5 productivity

A monk, a composer, and an industrial designer walk into a bar. No, I’m not making a joke. I’m simply imagining a hypothetical scenario where the cofounders of Headspace, Pandora, and Airbnb decide to meet up for drinks. You may think these figures represent a lonely cohort within tech entrepreneurship. We’re often confronted with the tired (and, as the data shows, largely inaccurate) stereotype of the algorithm-crunching, code-wrangling, Patagonia-wearing startup founder. These characters —who undeniably exist, but are more marginal than perhaps realized—effortlessly straddle the worlds of engineering and business. They’re the full package. Admittedly, these characters also tend to be the most visible. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Mark Andreessen all have storied engineering careers—and often complex personal and professional lives that inevitably work their way into popular culture. But when we examine the data, we see a different picture. Rather than … [Read more...] about POV: Tomorrow’s founders can’t code—and that’s OK

When the pandemic hit and we all experienced a wave of uncertainty about how companies and jobs would fare in the fallout, workers buckled down and got things done. For many, that meant working longer hours. Remote employees worked an average of 2.5 hours longer per day in the U.S. and UK during the pandemic, according to a survey by cybersecurity platform NordLayer. And a 2021 study published in Nature Human Behavior found that remote workers are staying connected to work 10% longer than pre-pandemic. And the fallout can be serious. Research from Eagle Hill Consulting, LLC found that nearly half of employees are burned out from their work. A 2021 World Health Organization and International Labor Organization study found that long work hours (55 hours per week or more) contributed to more than three-quarters of a million deaths in 2016. Overwork is taking a toll mentally, physically, and creatively, says Sarah Deane, cofounder and CEO of MEvolution, a business … [Read more...] about How to talk to your boss about working too much

File photo: MANILA, Philippines — Information obtained from suspected violators of Anti-Terror Law will now fall under exceptions to the right to access information, according to a memorandum released by Malacañang on Thursday. The new exception was contained in Memorandum Circular No. 15, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last March 17, updating Executive Order No. 2  issued during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The memorandum states that “the records of surveillance of suspects and interception and recording of communications acquired by law enforcement agents or military personnel” in relation to Anti Terrorism Law (ATL) of 2020 are now exempted to the right of access to information. READ: SC asked to ‘take an even closer look’ at Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 Duterte signed Executive Order No. 2 on July 23, 2016, to promote accountability, and set the guidelines for requesting and releasing information from offices under the executive branch. … [Read more...] about Anti-terrorism law violators’ records exempt from info access – Malacañang memo

The Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol) reported on Thursday, March 23, 2023, to the Calapan Fishery Management Office (FMO) sighting of oil slick in the Harka Piloto sanctuary in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Photo courtesy of Bantay Dagat thru FMO CITY OF CALAPAN — The oil slick from the sunken MT Princess Empress reached on Thursday afternoon the Harka Piloto fish sanctuary in Barangay Lazareto in this city, according to reports received by the Calapan Fishery and Management Office (FMO). Photos of the oil slick taken by Bantay Dagat (sea patrol) were given to FMO when it was seen around 1 p.m. Harka Piloto is along the Verde Island Passage, where the world’s most critical marine biodiversity center is found, said Marius Panahon, aquaculturist at Calapan FMO, in an interview. As a marine-protected area, the Harka Piloto Fish Sanctuary is being protected actively by the community and the local government. A cleanup was immediately launched to remove the oil from its waters and … [Read more...] about Oil slick from sunken vessel reaches fish sanctuary in Calapan City