Rating agency worker: 'I am genuinely frightened' We are meeting in the heart of the City after the banking blog called on rating agency employees to talk about their experiences.
The man I am meeting is British, in his early 40s, a fast talker and very friendly, the sort of person to apologise profusely when arriving four minutes late. He orders an orange juice. "Every time I read about a new financial product, I think: 'Uh-oh.' Every new product is described in those same warm, fuzzy phrases: how great they are and how safe. Well, that's how credit default swaps and asset-backed securities were explained when banks were introducing these. "I still get so angry when I think about it. "The reality was very different. "Moody's and S&P are the two major credit rating agencies in the world. I was there when the great collapse of 2008 happened, giving me a ringside view. "I was on holiday in the runup to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, when the crisis exploded. Www.gartner.com/resources/234000/234062/the_gartner_supply_chain_top_234062.pdf. Micro managers: Learn to trust your people. Steve Jobs was a hugely innovative leader but was often described as a micro manager.
Murnighan: Leaders involved in every aspect of their work come across as micro managersHe says it's a leader's competitive advantage to "facilitate and orchestrate" Leaders must trust their teams to do what they can do well, Murnighan argues Editor's note: J. Keith Murnighan is Harold H. Hines Jr. distinguished professor of risk management at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and author of the recent book, "Do Nothing! How to Stop OverManaging and Become a Great Leader. " (CNN) -- Far too many leaders do too much. Don't get me wrong -- this is not unusual. J. Don't let e-mail run your work life. How to cope with too much work. Overworked?
Stop multitasking and focus on one thing at a time, advises Laura Stack. These days we are all expected to do more work, says Laura StackSplit your to-do lists into a Master list and a High Impact Task list, she saysStack says to stop multitasking and focus on one thing at a time Editor's note: Laura Stack is president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., and president of the National Speakers Association. She is the author of What to Do When There's Too Much to Do and four other books, including Leave the Office Earlier. (CNN) -- These days, it's seems like we are all expected to do more with less.
Yet studies have shown that 60-hour workweeks can result in a 25% decrease in productivity. Switching off from the 24-7 work ethic. "Switching off" is more vital than ever, says entrepreneurship expert Bob Dorf.
Entrepreneur and workaholic Bob Dorf says "Switching off" is vital for your work, and private lifeTry turning your back on your inboxes after 5pm, he advisesDorf saus exercise breaks and gym workouts can help you re-energize Editor's note: Bob Dorf founded seven companies before co-authoring The Startup Owner's Manual with long-time friend Steve Blank. He lectures, consults, and also teaches entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School.
(CNN) -- Just as it's tough to ride 100 miles on my bike without a few good snack or stretch breaks along the way, today's 24-7 "always on" world of work makes "switching off" even more vital than ever to maintain productivity, focus, and energy at work -- and to preserve some form of a life with friends, pets, spouses -- and yourself. The work marathons demanded by this challenging decade need programmatic, regular recharge respites if you're in it for the long haul. Is workplace boredom 'the new stress?' Mark de Rond, from the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, spent six weeks studying military surgeons at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.
When they are busy, the surgeons are "brutally effective," says de Rond. But he adds: "The problem is when people don't have anything to do. " British soldiers play rugby at Camp Bastion in Helmand province. De Rond says boredom had a destabilizing effect and that when bored, surgeons can become "like big bears -- you just don't want to be around them. " Boredom on the front line Modern workplaces becoming more boring, says psychology lecturerResearcher found that military surgeons are disruptive when they are boredSome people are more boredom-prone than others and tend to get angry more readilyOrganizations can tackle boredom by giving employees something to care about beyond themselves (CNN) -- Boredom is an unlikely new frontier in workplace research.
In addition, Mann feels that, as a society, we're becoming less inclined to tolerate boredom. Future - Technology - How algorithms shape our world. Synopsis Kevin Slavin argues that we're living in a world designed for - and increasingly controlled by - algorithms.
In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And he warns that we are writing code we can't understand, with implications we can't control. Talk recorded 13 July 2011. About the Speaker Kevin Slavin navigates in the algoworld, the expanding space in our lives that’s determined and run by algorithms.