Welcome to The New Normal
Welcome to The New Normal
Powell Software
In this series, we’ll be discussing the stories, the thinking, and the research... around the emerging megatrends that are shaping the way we live... and the way we work, as the economy recovers, and we emerge into the New Normal.
Should we all be working weekends?
Episode 20 - Would you like to be able to work seven days a week? Is time off at weekends non-negotiable, or should all jobs be flexible enough to get some of your hours done at weekends? One company is trying it out, and it seems to be working. But research shows that our free time is increasingly limited, and we’re a long way off economist John Meynard Keynes’ 1930s prediction that by now we’d all be working 15-hour weeks.
Nov 10, 2021
9 min
The ‘Big Quit’ goes global
Episode 19 - The number of people quitting their jobs has hit record numbers in the US. The soc-called “Big Resignation”, or the “Big Quit”, is impacting all industries is going global. In this episode we discuss the causes, why it’s affecting jobs across the economy, and what it means for the future as wages climb competitively, and may well push inflation higher.
Nov 3, 2021
10 min
Phone calls go the way of the dodo
Episode 18 - Employers need to accept that young people don’t like phone calls. News that ringtone downloads are in terminal decline highlights just how much the way we use their phones is changing, and what might have been acceptable 10 years.
Oct 20, 2021
8 min
Is there a future for TikTok’s video resumes?
Episode 17 - Will TikTok resumés become the norm? Probably not, given warnings about diversity and inclusion, and the advantages of text based applications. But how do Gen-Zers feel about this new trend for applying for jobs, and what does it say about
Oct 13, 2021
9 min
The paradox of big tech’s call for a return to the office
Episode 16 - Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest players want employees back at their desks. But what does this say about the very companies that have made millions giving us the tools to work remotely?
Sep 29, 2021
12 min
Facebook experiments with virtual reality meetings
Episode 15 - How would you like to join a meeting in virtual reality, where your boss has chosen his looks and dress frem a 3D gallery, and where colleagues and clients make artificial gestures and smiles? Could this be any less stressful than back-to-back video conferences, with an added touch of nausea?
Sep 22, 2021
9 min
Why remote work is the new signing bonus
Episode 14 - Research shows that companies wooing future talent are more likely to get the people they want if they offer the possibility to work from home, even if it’s partial, and it’s even more important than the salary level on offer. But succeeding in the new paradigm requires a whole new set of foundational skills that leaders must foster and develop to make it work.
Sep 8, 2021
7 min
Leadership and imagination needed to fight Burnout and “Boreout” at work
Episode 13 - Burnout is a growing problem for companies, that’s being exacerbated by remote working. Just as serious is “Boreout”, a phenomenon where employees are climbing the walls for want of something interesting to do. Why are these two phenomena so damaging to companies, and what can be done to fight them? What’s needed is better leadership, communication and imagination from bosses.
Sep 1, 2021
8 min
Working holidays – “workcations” – are not recommended
Episode 12 - What is a “workcation”? And why is it a terrible idea? A workcation is a holiday where you take your work with you, and apparently it’s less rare than you’d imagine. Research shows, unsurprisingly, that real vacations, where the stresses of the office are left well behind you, are food for the soul and essential for wellbeing.
Aug 18, 2021
7 min
Horizons broaden for digital nomads
Episode 11 - Digital nomadism is increasingly popular, with workers, some earning very nicely, taking to the open road, or the high seas, in camper vans, sailing yachts, or simply cruising from city to city to get a taste of a different culture while making sure the pay cheques continue to get paid.
Aug 11, 2021
7 min
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