How to support employee productivity and inclusion in a fast-changing workplace

Many of the changes to the workplace over the last few years were unexpected, requiring strong leadership skills to navigate unknown territory. Based on previous interviews they have done with 100 employees across financial and professional services, Yolanda Blavo and Jasmine Virhia list five actions leaders can take to improve productivity and the inclusion of all employees

Leaders with courage listen, rather than roar

The meaning of courage in leadership has changed from “command and control” to joining the dots of the available perspectives as a way to innovate. Now, the key task for leaders is to listen actively. Yolanda Blavo and Grace Lordan write that, with the acceleration of artificial intelligence, knowledge alone is not much of a competitive advantage and the odds of a single leader having innovative ideas may be diminished

Don't let present bias keep you from getting ready for AI

Despite the quick pace of changes AI is producing in the workplace, many leaders are still not considering how things might soon be done very differently. ‘Present bias’ keeps them from leveraging new technologies to make the workplace more productive and inclusive. Yolanda Blavo, Grace Lordan and Jasmine Virhia suggest key actions for leaders who want to set themselves up for success over the next decade of workplace transitions

How the rising cost of living is widening inequality and affecting the most vulnerable

With consumer prices rising above wage increases, broadening gaps for disadvantaged groups in the UK have become increasingly apparent. Mahnoor Murad Khan and Yolanda Blavo look at the impacts of the crisis on specific groups such as gig workers and domestic abuse victims, and write that understanding the needs of disadvantaged groups requires re-examining systems already in place that sustain inequality

How we can work better to support employee mental health

Companies are increasingly investing in their employees’ mental health. In an environment of labour shortages, the losses caused by workers’ mental problems have made mental health a priority. Employers may not always succeed in addressing the problem, but individual employees have a role to play. Yolanda Blavo, Nikita and Daniel Jolles discuss how we can take charge of our mental well-being at work and help create a supportive environment for others

100 diverse voices: a framework for the future of work in financial and professional services

To understand how to navigate the future of work this study undertook a listening tour of 100 colleagues across financial and professional services, inviting people of all genders and at different stages of their career to participate. UTOPIA allows for workplaces that maximise productivity, while simultaneously embracing diversity, inclusion and the advancement of women

UTOPIA and the City: the future of work in financial and professional services

In the midst of a reorganisation of work caused by the pandemic, there is no one-size-fits-all arrangement and employers are battling to find the right mix between office and home working. To learn more about how to get closer to optimal conditions in the sector, Jasmine Virhia, Yolanda Blavo, and Grace Lordan conducted 100 interviews with employees across financial and professional services and created a framework called UTOPIA

Ingroup privilege can drain workplaces of wellbeing and creativity

Ingroup bias can be a big problem in the workplace, hurting both employees and organisations’ bottom line. Yolanda Blavo discusses some methods that managers can use to monitor the psychological safety of employees and their ability to voice ideas and concerns

5 ways to help workplace perfectionists break their time-sucking traits

These researchers from the London School of Economics argue that perfectionism kills productivity and it’s up to leaders to let their teams know when good is good enough