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Famously, Brits will dance around a sensitive subject to the point of absurdity rather than have a direct conversation about it. It’s one of the national traits that define us, like a stiff upper lip and Wetherspoons.   I’ve noticed it’s also a habit that becomes more pronounced the further south you go. In the north, where I’m from, people will generally tell...

It couldn’t have been any clearer. "I’m out of the office until August 13th and will not be replying to emails."   I even left specific instructions: if it’s urgent, please contact one of the two team members whose email addresses were linked in the message.  Simple, right? So why did some people think it was appropriate to ignore my OoO and...

Who cares about poop in The Seine, naked Smurfs at the Last Supper or whether break dancing is an Olympic sport or not? The 2024 Paris Games were a joyous spectacle of international sport, providing us with arguably the coolest contestant in Olympic history, South Korean sharpshooter Kim Yeji and her ice-cold, bad-ass energy.  There were many highlights, but one Olympian,...

According to Forbes Magazine, ‘few personal brands shine as brightly as Taylor Swift’s’. And as someone with a special interest in personal brand, I’ve been determined to follow her example while she’s been in the UK. The pop singer has been Time Magazine's Person of the Year and CNN’s Businessperson of the Year, after all, and I was The Liverpool Echo’s New Comedian of...

Earlier this month, it was reported that, after years of worrying about oestrogen setting off their fire alarm, the Garrick Club, that bastion of entitled male privilege, has finally voted to allow women members. It has been hailed as a victory for equal opportunities. But is it?   Are we missing the bigger picture here? After all, the whole concept of...

Pulling a sickie is part of workplace culture. Who hasn’t psyched themself up for the 9am phone call to the boss and explained in your best deathbed croak that you won’t be in today because you’ve suddenly come down with a ‘nasty bug’, which miraculously clears up the following day? Currently, sick notes, or fit notes, to give them their official...

In today’s high-velocity corporate world, the silent spectre of imposter syndrome looms large, particularly over women who ascend the precarious rungs of the corporate ladder only to find themselves shadowed by self-doubt. This pervasive issue, where capable individuals teeter on the brink of feeling like frauds despite towering achievements, demands more than a cursory nod from leaders. It calls for a...

A new idea from Laughology! Laughology has developed a new AI-powered app that uses facial recognition and data from your emails and texts to determine how happy you are and provide a personally curated joke to cheer you up if you’re sad. H-app-y links to other apps and utilities on your mobile phone and uses an algorithm to determine your mood....

Are leather-style trousers appropriate workwear? I ask because the other week I was at an event delivering a keynote and chatting to the client before I went on stage. I was wearing a pair of leather-style leggings. As I was chatting, the head of HR interrupted to ask a question and looked me up and down in that trying-not-to-be-obvious but blatantly...