We know that many of our clients would like to stay on top of recent thought-leadership but struggle to discover new content because they simply don’t have enough time or the opportunity in their activity-driven organisations. This inevitably leads to people continuing to work “In the way we have always done” despite personal aspirations to the contrary.

One of our driving ambitions at Openside is to provide fresh, open thinking to organisations who too often prefer the status quo and this is where we believe our new monthly update – ‘The Pelorus’ – can help you and your firm.

We are always looking for new content to add value to our clients and to keep our development programmes as relevant and current as possible and we have decided to share a handpicked selection of recent content we have discovered – which you may not have seen – in a new monthly digest: The Pelorus*.

Find out here why we called this update ‘The Pelorus’.

Here are this month’s selected articles…

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Making learning a part of everyday work – Harvard Business Review

On average, workers carve out just five minutes for formal learning each day. We’re all just too caught up in the inexorable flow of work. This article by Josh Bersin and Marc Zao-Sanders in the Harvard Business Review examines ways in which you can make learning part of your daily workflow.

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Our obsession with metrics is hurting us, and even endangering our lives – Guardian Opinion

Writing in The Guardian, columnist Jerry Muller argues that in a rush to quantify success, businesses, schools and hospitals forget that not all success can be measured. He argues that we need to escape the ‘tyranny of metrics’ and while the answer is not to stop measuring things, we must recognise that often, the things that aren’t measurable are the things that are essential to the enterprise. This article has particular implications for professional services firms who are still driven by the ‘billable hour’ and other ‘activity’ metrics.

Scoring under pressure – strategy+business

This article by Ben Lyttleton – author of “Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick” and “Edge: Leadership Secrets from Football’s Top Thinkers” – outlines five tips from the world of sports to help those preparing for a job interview, key presentation or a client pitch who need to be able to perform under pressure in make-or-break situations.

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Another nail in the coffin for learning styles – British Psychological Society

The idea that we learn better when taught via our preferred modality or “learning style” – such as visually, orally, or by doing – is not supported by evidence. Still, as we often find in our work, the concept remains hugely popular because learning via our preferred style can lead us to feel like we’ve learned more, even though we haven’t. This article from the British Psychological Society explores more and provides useful further reading for anyone still perpetuating this myth.

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Everyone hates open offices, here’s why they still exist – Fast Company

Employees hate open offices. They’re distracting, they’re loud and there’s often little privacy. Research has found that people in open offices take more sick leave and report greater unhappiness, more stress, and less productivity. They reduce face-to-face interaction and increase email and messaging. And yet, as many of our clients will recognise, they are still the preferred office design for many organisations! This article by Katharine Schwab investigates why open offices are still so popular and the other options firms might consider.

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*Why ‘The Pelorus’?

In marine navigation, a pelorus is a reference tool for maintaining bearing of a vessel at sea. It doesn’t have a directive element but has vanes or a telescope to measure the relative bearings of observed points.

The function of a pelorus provides a neat analogy for this update. Our aim is not to be ‘directive’ in telling you how to operate but instead to provide you with a reference tool to help you navigate towards undiscovered content that may expand your horizons, provide you with fresh insight and challenge the way you think, act and work. We hope you find it of value.

Subscribe to ‘The Pelorus’

Sign up here to get The Openside ‘Pelorus’ email update as soon as it’s published – before anyone else – and start putting our ideas into action in your firm.