blue-sky thinking, n. Fig.: Creative ideation not limited by dominant beliefs or paradigms. The term has its origins in the attributive “blue-sky” referring from the end of the nineteenth century to having a pleasant appearance but with difficulties ignored, unrealistic. Example: “We need to synergise our people and technology with some blue-sky thinking.” * * […]
Workers who go out of their way to help others out with projects or who make sacrifices for the wider group are likely to be disliked by co-workers, according to four separate social psychology studies. This is because cooperative and community-minded acts are perceived to set behavioural standards too high and make others look bad. […]
According to a Pew Research Center poll, 18 percent of Americans think their president, Barack Obama, is a Muslim. This figure is significantly up from 11 percent last year. The figure is higher among opponents such as conservative Republicans (34 percent). But even among his supporters, belief that he is a Christian is falling, suggesting […]
to sing from the same (also song) hymn sheet, v. to be in agreement, to express the same view, to present a united front; cf. to be on the same page, to read from the same page. to have the same information and think similarly. Example: “The Fujigawa consortium will be singularly unimpressed if […]
According to research by PayPoint.net, half of British workers said they would leave their job and start their own business – were it not for prohibitive start-up costs and administrative demands. Sixty-four percent believed that running their own business would be more fulfilling than their present job. Online small businesses were the most attractive, with […]
Clockwise from top left: Eileen by R. Angelo Le, Think Again (unknown), Inspiration (unknown) and Mama and Babe by Sarah Irani. The Boston-area Museum of Bad Art is a community-based, private institution “dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms and in all its glory.” As well as […]
Talkative co-workers are the biggest distraction at work, according to a global survey commissioned by recruitment specialists Robert Walters. Worldwide, 48 percent of respondents reported “talkative colleagues” as the most time-consuming distraction at work, followed by personal email and internet browsing (34%), social networking sites (8%), smoking breaks (6%) and personal calls / text […]
The picture above shows what is known as a hole-punch cloud, this one photographed over Alabama. These clouds have been baffling cloud scientists for years but it has been recently discovered the holes can be caused by airplanes passing nearby which change local atmospheric conditions. Clouds susceptible to hole-punching occur at specific altitudes and […]
Factory workers are the friskiest when it comes to having sex at the workplace, according to a poll of 1,434 people commissioned by Bristol-based human resources firm Reabur. Nineteen percent of factory workers admitted to having had a sexual encounter at the workplace, compared to 16 percent of office workers and 15 percent of bar […]
Cogniscenti at Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel were treated last Wednesday evening to a wise and considered display of the latest threads that cats aren’t wearing. The Cat Fashion Show was held in honour of Matilda, the Algonquin’s resident cat, who turned 15 years of age this week. Highlights included pastiche get-ups of Elvis and Twilight Saga’s […]
How to plan the office Christmas party Whether you count down the days, or desperately scrabble around for an excuse not to go, the office Christmas party is an event on almost every company’s calendar. So, how do you plan a party that everyone will enjoy? It’s a tricky balance to get Bob from Accounts […]
Top tips to improve your time management skills Despite what people say, time is not a commodity. It cannot be traded, expanded or reduced. It is fixed. Our perception of time, however, is another concept. How often do you think at 4pm “Where has the day gone?” and go into panic mode to try to […]
Planning in business is essential Everything from the monthly sales drive to a new product launch or project needs planning. It promotes joined-up thinking and good decision-making throughout the whole organisation. “A goal without a plan is just a wish”, observed the famous writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, summing up a key business principle. Each business […]
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