As part of my job, I am mostly confronted with what does not work. I spend hours each month writing extensive reports on problems, issues, tensions, dysfunctions and miscommunications so they can be made explicit and resolved. I am called upon when things get stuck.
Even if shining the light on what needs to be improved is an important part of what I do, it should not keep me from also highlighting what is going well in the world of work (I do this with my clients too). This brings a little yin to my yang.
Here are my highlights of the moment:
- In the past 20 years, M&A have gone from an 70% failure rate to an astounding 70% success rate. The main reason for this is that companies are building professional M&A teams and overall better internal integration capabilities. (source: Bain & Company)
- Women negotiate now more than men. A research on recent MBA graduates showed that more women than men had tried to better their job offers by asking for a higher pay - but women, sadly, still end up earning less... (source: HBR may-june issue)
- No-kill caviar exists, and it alledgedly produces a better quality product. A German scientist has found a way to collect the precious eggs without harming the sturgeon (an endangered species) which can positively revolutionize the industry. I might start eating caviar now. (source: AWI)
- Have you heard of Piñatex? It's a new vegetal leather-like textile that is 100% sustainable and made from the usually discarded pineapple plant leaves (source: Inrees)
- There are emotional support llamas at Portland airport to help anxious travellers (source: USA today)
- There is a crunch noise cancellation software available. Developed by Doritos and called 'Doritos Silent', it allows you to chomp while being on a call. Provided you use a headset, it will use AI to cancel out all your crunching noises. Thumbs up for the creative advertising. (source: Doritos UK)
- Our Belgian gem, Pairi Daiza, just opened up a new Japan inspired section. It's not strictly business news yet I often cite this zoological park as an example of what a coherent and sustained vision, held by an inspired leader, looks like - plus they celebrate their 30 years.
I'll revert back to this article in the next few days to add more of these. It's fun to do and knowing I'm keeping a list of such good news keeps me on the lookout for what works well, it's a good mental hygiene to have.