Communication is key for leading change management Executive leadership is crucial for guiding organizations through change, according to Paul Frankenberg of Focus Search Partners, who highlights the importance of transparent and open communication. "A common mistake leaders make is focusing solely on what the plan is and how to achieve it without adequately communicating to the broader organization," Frankenberg says. Full Story: Hunt Scanlon Media (10/10)
Why it can be bad to love your job The modern expectation to love one's job can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, according to Tessa West, a psychology professor at New York University. West suggests that having multiple sources of self-worth can buffer against stress and dissatisfaction. "Relish parts of your job, but don't expect to feel passionate about the whole thing," West writes. "And, above all, drop the expectation that to be really good at something, you've got to be head over heels." Full Story: The Guardian (London) (10/14)
No job offers? You might need to aim higher Applying for roles beneath one's experience level, which can lead to constant rejections and burnout, can be identified through low salary offers and feedback that highlights overqualification. Career coach Adunola Adeshola suggests that aiming for positions that match one's seniority level can improve job search outcomes. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (10/14)
Employers often misunderstand workplace connections, focusing solely on interpersonal relationships and overlooking connections with leaders, employers and roles, according to research by the NeuroLeadership Institute and Akamai. This oversight can lead to ineffective return-to-office policies that fail to address the root causes of employee disengagement, the research suggests. Full Story: Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (10/14)
The Landscape
Employees waste 30% of workweek on unnecessary tasks According to Wrike's 2024 Impactful Work Report, employees spend 30% of their workweek -- approximately 11.24 hours -- on unnecessary tasks. These tasks include finding and sending information and chasing status updates, which significantly impact productivity. The report suggests that businesses should focus on eliminating unnecessary work and prioritizing high-impact initiatives to enhance efficiency. Full Story: Human Resources Director (10/11)
2024 business travel spending expected to break records Business travel spending in 2024 is estimated hit $1.5 trillion, a record-breaking figure, with the US leading the spending with $472 billion, followed by China with $211 billion, according to a World Travel & Tourism Council report. Among the factors that have revitalized business trips are the increasing popularity of "blended travel," economic recovery from the pandemic and a renewed emphasis on in-person meetings and events. Full Story: TravelPulse (10/10)
Free eBooks and Resources
Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors
CEO credits improv comedy for quick thinking Applying improv comedy's concept of "Yes, and …" to a career in biotechnology has helped Theresa Tribble become CEO of Droplet Biosciences, a Cambridge, Mass., company working to accelerate cancer diagnostics using lymphatic fluid, says Tribble. "I wouldn't have guessed it would have been one of the more useful skills, but you're kind of always having to react to new things and incorporate them into your thinking, which is what improv is all about," says Tribble, who learned improv when she was an undergraduate studying political science and English. Full Story: The Business Journals (tiered subscription model) (10/11)
Just in case breakdancing didn't make enough lamentable headlines at the Paris Olympics, doctors have documented a rare case of a "headspin hole," a scalp lesion from repeated headspins in breakdancing. The patient, a long-time breakdancer, experienced hair loss and a painful lump, which is also referred to as ... ahem ... "breakdance bulge." Full Story: Live Science (10/10)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Only one playwright has won a Pulitzer Prize for drama four times. Which one?
In this life, everything has a beginning and end, and I think it's the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
Rafael Nadal, professional tennis player Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15
SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - Browse our portfolio
