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Here’s what you need to know about the future of work

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June 9, 2020

Here’s what you need to know about the future of work

Rising automation: how seriously should we take it?
New skills will see us through an uncertain future
Can workplaces become more flexible and inclusive?

By now we’ve all heard the statistic: in the next five years more than half of all workplace tasks will be performed by machines. Many jobs, as we know them, will cease to exist. Paper after paper, including this one by the World Economic Forum, warns of the impact of automation on working people.

From the days when Luddites smashed looms in pre-industrial Britain to our current worries concerning artificial intelligence, we’ve long considered machines an existential threat to our livelihoods. And yet economies – especially in the developed world – have survived.

This what the rate of automation looks like

The rate of automation
The robots are coming – and fast.
But if the research is right, and twice as many new jobs are about to emerge than were lost to disruption, then how worried should we really be? And how much can we say we know about the coming age of technological unemployment?

It’s true that technological change is happening faster than before – just look at the graphic above, but while we know technology is a part of our future, we don’t know how large a role it will play.

What the experts say
One thing’s for sure: we’re going to need new skills. “Study after study shows that while technology will alter many roles directly, it’s also set to have indirect effects. As demand for mathematics, computing and data analysis grows, so too will the need for human attributes like creativity, critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation,” writes Bernadette Wightman, Managing Director of BT Group.

But it’s not just workers who need to worry about upgrading their skills. Companies too, are seeking out ways to appeal to a new generation of workers. Millennials and Generation Z will be the majority of the workforce in 2020, writes Judy Oh, Director of Strategy at BrightHouse, a BCG company, and they’re already reshaping the relationship between employer and employee. “Younger workers are looking for more decentralized environments where they can decide how work gets done,” she says.

As we acquire new skills, we’ll also need to un-learn some old ones, says Kathy Bloomgarden, COE of Ruder Finn. “Specifically, everyone must ask themselves … how do we disrupt our outdated ways of doing things? How do we challenge ourselves to deviate from conventional business practice?” Only that way will be prepared for unpredictability in the job market.

Will You Lose Your Job to Automation?
These are some of the issues experts at Davos will attempt to prise apart as they tackle the coming age of workplace disruption. From the jobs of the future and the skills we need to get them, to the impact of inequality and climate change, here are some key sessions on the theme of work.

Social Mobility: Reskilling the Next Billion – Getting to 50-50 Gender
Survival Skill : Digital Workplace

Lessons Learned From Businesses That Thrived During Lockdown

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June 9, 2020

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Lessons Learned From Businesses That Thrived During Lockdown

Turn on any news channel and you’ll be hit with a stream of negative messages: store closures, economic catastrophe, mass unemployment, and more. Coronavirus hasn’t been good from an economic perspective. Most businesses have suffered. Even as governments around the world begin to ease lockdown measures and introduce stimulus packages, a vast number of companies will struggle to re-establish themselves. Despite this unfortunate state of affairs, however, not all sectors were badly hit. Some businesses have actually thrived. Coronavirus has forced consumers to change their shopping habits, thus creating new demand in certain areas. These are five examples of industries that have benefited from coronavirus and explore ways that you can replicate their success.

Ecommerce: Focus on Popular Products

The introduction of lockdown measures and temporary store closures has led to a boom in online retail sales. Consumers start to spend their money online instead of on the high street. Yet it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for online retailers. In fact, the increased demand resulting from coronavirus was something of a double-edged sword. In addition to higher web traffic and sales volume, ecommerce sellers had to contend with reduced employee numbers, disrupted supply chains, and overburdened delivery networks. One way some stores overcame this was by limiting their product lines to the most popular and essential items. This allowed them to leverage increased consumer interest without sacrificing service and speedy delivery.

Remote Working Software: Offer Services for Free if Possible

With employees forced to stay at home, coronavirus has driven the need for remote working software. A range of tools, from project management apps to scheduling software for appointment booking, were suddenly necessities rather than optional extras. Rather than stick to their old pricing models, many app companies started to offer their products for free. To many, this seemed counterintuitive. Why would software providers cut their prices when demand is at an all-time high? When you look at this strategy more closely, however, there are excellent reasons behind it. For one, slashing prices allows SaaS companies to gain a strong competitive edge while making a positive impression on new potential customers. Furthermore, this strategy recognises the fact that many businesses have to be careful about expenditure. Existing customers will appreciate the gesture and show greater loyalty in future; new users will be much more eager to continue with a paid version of an app once they’ve realised its benefits.

Video Conferencing: Redefine Your Branding and Value Proposition

The number of people using video conferencing apps has exploded in previous months, and have also seen significant increases in sales. In order to appeal to new needs which have arisen because of coronavirus, many video conferencing companies have altered their branding and value propositions. It’s common to hear app providers emphasize the ease-of-use and scalability of their products to appeal to businesses that are looking for a fast solution. Equally, marketing materials often highlight the fact that apps are suitable for organizations that rely on (but are unable to organize) in-person meetings and gatherings, like schools and universities.

Delivery Companies: Change Internal Processes Quickly

Delivery services have seen a considerable increase in demand for obvious reasons. Along with logistics companies that specialise in retail items purchased online, takeaway services have also been positively impacted. These companies, likely expecting a glut of orders, responded quickly to implement new safety measures and leverage opportunities and strategic partnerships. Firms often mandated the use of protective equipment for drivers, stipulated social distancing when dropping off parcels, and removed the requirement for recipients to sign for tracked packages. Many companies also teamed up with big brands to offer deliveries.

Entertainment and Streaming: Show Empathy

Streaming services have seen record amounts of new subscribers. This isn’t surprising when you consider the sheer number of people that are unable to work or leave their homes. Many of these entertainment companies have responded by introducing positive initiatives designed to help people that have been badly affected by coronavirus, garnering a large amount of good publicity and creating positive brand perceptions in the process.

Conclusion

Nobody is suggesting that coronavirus has been a good thing. What’s interesting from a business perspective, however, are the ways in which companies have shown resilience in the face of difficult circumstances and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. All types of companies, both large and small, can learn lessons from big brands. What’s more, as governments around the world start to ease lockdowns, and as economies fire up again, these lessons are more valuable than ever. Nobody knows what will happen in the coming months and years. The need for innovative thinking, adaptability, and unconventional leadership can’t be understated.

College Adds New Spin To Studying, Installs Exercise Bikes In Library

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June 4, 2020

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College Adds New Spin To Studying, Installs Exercise Bikes In Library

Reading, writing and aerobics?

Troy University in Alabama is making physical health part of its core curriculum by installing exercise bikes — with a spot for a laptop or book — in the library so students can break a sweat while they study.

“Humans were not meant to sit still all day,” Christopher Shaffer, dean of Library Services told HuffPost. “But because our lives all revolve around computers now, we don’t move enough.”

In an attempt to break the vicious cycle, three exercise bikes were assembled and ready for use, last Thursday. And due to positive response from students, the library has already ordered three more. If they’re used, Shaffer believes the library can squeeze in an additional six bikes, making it an even dozen. The library is also planning to add six elliptical machines that can go under desks or tables as well.

“For now [the machines] are first come first serve,” Shaffer said. “If riots break out, we will develop a reserve system.”

Shaffer heard about exercise bikes that allow students to study two months ago when he stumbled upon FitDesk, the company that makes them. The bikes were reasonably priced, which meant it would be easy to buy a few and see how they were received.

“I also thought that the idea fit nicely into Troy University’s motto ‘Educate the mind to think, the heart to feel and the body to act,’” he said.

Shaffer hopes the bikes help students learn to embrace balance in their lives, noting:

“It is important to study, but while you are developing your mind, you also have to keep your body in shape.”

Spoken like a true educator.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Next Adventure

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June 4, 2020

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On a chilly Los Angeles evening, Chrissy Teigen, 30, throws open the door of her house with a wide smile, calling out, “Come in!” She’s dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with her hair pulled into a messy bun. The mom-to-be is eager to get back to the couch, where she’s snuggled up with her two bulldogs, Puddy and Pippa, and an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. On the brink of giving birth (she’s not revealing exactly when, to throw off the paparazzi), she’s at the point where a night in with reality TV is her idea of happiness. For now, Teigen is embracing the nesting phase and enjoying the brief calm before the storm of motherhood sets in. “I can sleep so hard now, I love it!” she exclaims.

Anyone familiar with Teigen knows that she goes hard and puts 110 percent into pretty much everything she does. Sleep included. At 18, a modeling agent found her working in a surf shop in Huntington Beach, California. Teigen eventually landed numerous magazine covers (including the holy grail: the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition), advertising campaigns (for Nike, Olay, Billabong) and television cohosting gigs for shows like FABLife and Lip Sync Battle with LL Cool J, which is worth tuning in to for her off-the-cuff quips alone. These days, her packed schedule often leaves her exhausted, but it’s a good kind of tired, and Teigen has no complaints. “I’ve always enjoyed things a little more chaotic than most people would prefer,” she says, laughing. “I feel that I run well in chaos.”

Nowhere is her nonstop energy (and total honesty) more on display than on social media. In fact, beyond any magazine cover or television show, Teigen has mostly built her successful empire online, with a wildly popular food blog, Delushious, and her Instagram and Twitter accounts, where she shares her every waking thought with a combined audience of six million. Her ability to tune out the haters and speak the truth to her fans has earned her an army of admirers, who wait for the next laugh-out-loud comment, like: “I am horrifically ballsy in every way except telling a waiter they got my order wrong.” And she’s not shy when it comes to getting real about her relationship with her husband of nearly three years, R&B singer John Legend. In a Tweet, she wrote, “Every time someone asks John for a selfie and says, ‘I never do this,’ I think back to the night we met when I said it but not about selfies.” (She got more than 30,000 likes for admitting that!) Of putting it all out there and sharing her opinions, Teigen simply says, “If I’m passionate about something, I’ll say it and deal with the consequences later.”

4 ways to catch the livestreaming wave

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June 4, 2020

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Interest in livestreaming is booming. More PR pros are embracing the technology as bigger audiences flock to live and unedited video streams posted in brands’ feeds.

Competition among livestreaming providers is also rising. Facebook, for example, expanded its streaming video feature to all U.S. iPhone users last month. Periscope responded with updates, and Meerkat is thinking of creating a video social network.

Which platform is best for you? How do you get started? How do you get more viewers? Here are four tips to help newbies and experts alike get more out of livestreaming:

1. Encourage fans early to tune in. “Get your social media fans aware of your livestream by driving a ‘tune in’ message 24 hours before you stream and again an hour before the event,” says Pamela Naumes, senior director of brand engagement at C-Fresh, a division of Campbell’s Soup.

Here’s an example of a “tune in” tweet she used to promote a Meerkat livestream for Bolthouse Farms, a Campbell’s brand specializing in healthful products like juices and smoothies.

Naumes also recommends putting a small ($200 to $500) budget into a Facebook promoted post to help extend your reach.

Register for PR Daily’s March 17 PR University webinar “Periscope, Meerkat, Facebook Live for PR ” to livestream events, Q&As, product launches, CEO interviews and more.

2. Keep it fresh. Fight the urge to write a script for your livestream, says Naumes. Instead, keep the on-camera conversation fresh and organic.

“If you’re interviewing someone, it’s OK to prepare questions,” she says, “but make sure the interview comes across authentic and unrehearsed. Remember, livestream is live TV.”

3. Provide exclusive access. Make your livestream worth watching by giving viewers exclusive access to prominent online voices and popular events.

For example, “Create a livestream program that’s ‘behind the scenes,’ and encourage conversation between the viewers the influencer,” says Naumes.

She did something similar for Bolthouse Farms, when she launched a summer cocktail series on Periscope and Meerkat that featured some of L.A.’s biggest behind-the-bar stars. First up was Josh Goldman, bartender for the Soigné Group, who made two root-vegetable juice drinks on camera: the Borscht Belt and a mocktail called the Fozzie Bear.

4. Don’t be afraid to test multiple platforms. Some platforms are better for certain brands, but you won’t know which is best for you if you don’t compare them head to head, says Naumes.

“Get three phones and three people—and then test Meerkat, Facebook Live and Periscope,” she says. “It’s not awkward. The viewer doesn’t care, and it’ll help you figure out which platform is the best option for your next livestream based on the viewership and engagement metrics you receive.”

Brian Pittman is a Ragan Communications consultant and webinar manager for PR Daily’s PR University. Pamela Naumes, senior director of brand engagement at Campbell’s C-Fresh, and Andrew Grinaker, content strategy director at Possible, will share more livestreaming best practices in the March 17 PR University webinar, “Periscope, Meerkat, Facebook Live for PR: New Livestreaming Best Practices to Reach Millions .”

Italy’s first all-woman vineyard

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June 4, 2020

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In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Tuscany’s Il Casato Prime Donne winery employs only women. On International Women’s Day, we raise a glass to owner Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her pioneering winery

Nestled between oak casks and clutching glasses of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Tuscany’s finest wines, a group of wine tasters listens attentively to their remarkable host.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is something of a vineyard revolutionary, having opened Italy’s first winery run solely by women. Wrapped in a warm coat smartened with pearls and wearing gold earrings, she speaks passionately to her guests about the philosophy which governs the Casato Prime Donne winery.

From Threats to Progress: Tackling Cyberhate Through Global Cooperation

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June 4, 2020

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From Threats to Progress: Tackling Cyberhate Through Global Cooperation

Women and men contributing to the public debate are being increasingly subjected to cyberhate and threats. As a government official and Member of Parliament for many years, I have personal experience of the problem.

As Norwegian Minister for Health, I was at the forefront of introducing the world’s most stringent legislation on smoking. This triggered a period in which I was subjected to hateful comments and personal threats.

In the decade that has passed since then, cyberhate has become a growing problem in society. Cyberhate often comprises spreading rumors, slander and threats on the basis of sex, gender identity, religious belief, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Polarized political climate
I am convinced that cyberhate has its roots in, and is stimulated by, an increasingly polarized political climate and a more brutal political rhetoric, and it is no coincidence who the most common victims are. All participants in the public debate carry a responsibility to avoid such a development.

According to international research, cyber-violence has a clear and important gender-based dimension. Women are exposed to sexualized hatred and rape threats – simply because they are seen and heard in the debate. They are also victims of revenge pornography and cyber-rape by men who want to humiliate and objectify them, destroy their reputations, and make them feel vulnerable, ashamed and afraid.

Men are very rarely subjected to the same type of sexualized cyber-violence. This has gender-discriminatory effects: cyberhate limits women’s opportunities to write, work, and express their opinions in the Internet environment, giving them far less capacity than men to operate in the digital world.

Gender equality as an instrument
The sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will take place in New York, starts on March 14th. CSW is the largest intergovernmental body dedicated to promotion of gender equality in the world, and every year attracts many thousands of participants.

The theme of this year’s commission is the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development on which countries agreed last year. The priority theme is Women’s Empowerment and Its Link to Sustainable Development.

Six Nordic government ministers for gender equality will be participating in at the CSW. They will be emphasizing that gender equality is not just a sustainability goal in itself, but a necessary instrument for reaching all the other sustainability goals.
Top positions

Many participants will be interested in what the Nordic government ministers have to say, because they represent the region in the world that has come furthest in terms of gender equality. The Nordic countries have been collaborating on gender equality for 40 years, through forums such as the Nordic Council of Ministers. The success of this work is shown in global surveys, such as the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index, where Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland have held top positions since 2006.

However, rather than highlighting its own successes, the Nordic region is seeking to establish international collaboration on tackling threats against gender equality.

International Women’s Day’s #pledgeforparity is holding women back

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June 4, 2020

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International Women’s Day’s #pledgeforparity is holding women back

Rather than just asking to be equal with men, on IWD 2016 couldn’t we instead ask how we can improve the world for both men and women?

Another year, another International Women’s Day (IWD) – and yes, before anyone asks in the comments, there is an International Men’s Day. I’ve written before about how important it is that we have at least one day a year which highlights the disparity in rights, freedoms and economics between men and women, but this year even I am questioning the point of it. Not because I think we’ve finally hit equality, far from it, but because this year’s campaign pledge for parity seems so completely toothless.

Looking at what the official IWD website is asking of its pledgees, it seems to be little more than a vague commitment to treating people like human beings. The IWD website includes a page of “global leaders” such as Sir Richard Branson and, errr, a few CEOs of businesses you might have heard of, possibly. They’re all citing their commitment to the pledge for parity. But when that pledge requires such basics as “helping all women and girls achieve their ambitions” and promising to “value men and women’s contributions equally”, it doesn’t exactly seem like world changing stuff. When did we get so obsessed with parity anyway? The more I look around the world, the less convinced I become that the definition of success we’re trying to shoehorn women into is really that successful at all. Rather than calling for parity, shouldn’t we be calling for progress?