Collective intelligence

One of the of soft skills commonly touted as of growing importance for organisational success is the capacity to work successfully with others.  'Teamwork' is the most familiar label for this, but I think this sounds a little simplistic.  Brenda, one of my interviewees in The Paula Principle, put it this way: Women are interested in getting stuff done;  they hate game-playing and internal politicking; the only build networks if they see them as a genuine vehicle for getting things done, and not for personal advancement.  Their language is about 'we', about looking for complementary skills in a team, recognising that they themselves cannot do it all. I've just been reading Superminds by Thomas Malone.…
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Productivity and the PP

Last month, global leaders from governments, private sector companies, trade unions and civil society pledged to take concrete action towards closing the gender pay gap by 2030. The global commitments – to ensure women in every sector of the workforce are paid equally to men for doing work of equal value – were made at the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) Pledging event held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. As part of the rationale for the initiative, Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurría, said, “Gender pay gaps are not only unfair for those who suffer them, but they are also detrimental to our economies. If you do not have…
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How a GPG deters potential recruits

The requirement on organisations with over 250 employees to report on their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is starting to raise some interesting issues.  The latest amongst these is a survey carried out by BMG Research  for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of women agreed that if their organisation had a gender pay gap it would make it more likely they would select an employer without a gap. And more than half (58%) agreed it would make them less likely to recommend their employer as a place to work.  More details in the chart below. It seems that those surveyed (men as well as women) were just…
Read More

Using our skills properly

How many times have you listened to or read dreary rhetoric about the need to up our skills level?  It is perfectly true that we don't give nearly enough respect, or money, to the less prestigious kinds of skills, notably those that are developed in the further rather than higher education sector.  But the important questions are around how well competences are actually used. This is, of course, the exact focus of the Paula Principle.  It's also the topic of a telling new report from the CIPD.  Here is its sweeping overall judgement (my stress):  The focus of skills policy over the last three decades has been almost exclusively on…
Read More

Collective intelligence

One of the of soft skills commonly touted as of growing importance for organisational success is the capacity to work successfully with others.  'Teamwork' is the most familiar label for this, but I think this sounds a little simplistic.  Brenda, one of my interviewees in The Paula Principle, put it this way: Women are interested in getting stuff done;  they hate game-playing and internal politicking; the only build networks if they see them as a genuine vehicle for getting things done, and not for personal advancement.  Their language is about 'we', about looking for complementary skills in a team, recognising that they themselves cannot do it all. I've just been reading Superminds by Thomas Malone.…
Read More

Productivity and the PP

Last month, global leaders from governments, private sector companies, trade unions and civil society pledged to take concrete action towards closing the gender pay gap by 2030. The global commitments – to ensure women in every sector of the workforce are paid equally to men for doing work of equal value – were made at the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) Pledging event held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. As part of the rationale for the initiative, Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurría, said, “Gender pay gaps are not only unfair for those who suffer them, but they are also detrimental to our economies. If you do not have…
Read More

How a GPG deters potential recruits

The requirement on organisations with over 250 employees to report on their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is starting to raise some interesting issues.  The latest amongst these is a survey carried out by BMG Research  for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of women agreed that if their organisation had a gender pay gap it would make it more likely they would select an employer without a gap. And more than half (58%) agreed it would make them less likely to recommend their employer as a place to work.  More details in the chart below. It seems that those surveyed (men as well as women) were just…
Read More

Using our skills properly

How many times have you listened to or read dreary rhetoric about the need to up our skills level?  It is perfectly true that we don't give nearly enough respect, or money, to the less prestigious kinds of skills, notably those that are developed in the further rather than higher education sector.  But the important questions are around how well competences are actually used. This is, of course, the exact focus of the Paula Principle.  It's also the topic of a telling new report from the CIPD.  Here is its sweeping overall judgement (my stress):  The focus of skills policy over the last three decades has been almost exclusively on…
Read More

Collective intelligence

One of the of soft skills commonly touted as of growing importance for organisational success is the capacity to work successfully with others.  'Teamwork' is the most familiar label for this, but I think this sounds a little simplistic.  Brenda, one of my interviewees in The Paula Principle, put it this way: Women are interested in getting stuff done;  they hate game-playing and internal politicking; the only build networks if they see them as a genuine vehicle for getting things done, and not for personal advancement.  Their language is about 'we', about looking for complementary skills in a team, recognising that they themselves cannot do it all. I've just been reading Superminds by Thomas Malone.…
Read More

Productivity and the PP

Last month, global leaders from governments, private sector companies, trade unions and civil society pledged to take concrete action towards closing the gender pay gap by 2030. The global commitments – to ensure women in every sector of the workforce are paid equally to men for doing work of equal value – were made at the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) Pledging event held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. As part of the rationale for the initiative, Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurría, said, “Gender pay gaps are not only unfair for those who suffer them, but they are also detrimental to our economies. If you do not have…
Read More

How a GPG deters potential recruits

The requirement on organisations with over 250 employees to report on their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is starting to raise some interesting issues.  The latest amongst these is a survey carried out by BMG Research  for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of women agreed that if their organisation had a gender pay gap it would make it more likely they would select an employer without a gap. And more than half (58%) agreed it would make them less likely to recommend their employer as a place to work.  More details in the chart below. It seems that those surveyed (men as well as women) were just…
Read More

Using our skills properly

How many times have you listened to or read dreary rhetoric about the need to up our skills level?  It is perfectly true that we don't give nearly enough respect, or money, to the less prestigious kinds of skills, notably those that are developed in the further rather than higher education sector.  But the important questions are around how well competences are actually used. This is, of course, the exact focus of the Paula Principle.  It's also the topic of a telling new report from the CIPD.  Here is its sweeping overall judgement (my stress):  The focus of skills policy over the last three decades has been almost exclusively on…
Read More

Collective intelligence

One of the of soft skills commonly touted as of growing importance for organisational success is the capacity to work successfully with others.  'Teamwork' is the most familiar label for this, but I think this sounds a little simplistic.  Brenda, one of my interviewees in The Paula Principle, put it this way: Women are interested in getting stuff done;  they hate game-playing and internal politicking; the only build networks if they see them as a genuine vehicle for getting things done, and not for personal advancement.  Their language is about 'we', about looking for complementary skills in a team, recognising that they themselves cannot do it all. I've just been reading Superminds by Thomas Malone.…
Read More

Productivity and the PP

Last month, global leaders from governments, private sector companies, trade unions and civil society pledged to take concrete action towards closing the gender pay gap by 2030. The global commitments – to ensure women in every sector of the workforce are paid equally to men for doing work of equal value – were made at the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) Pledging event held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. As part of the rationale for the initiative, Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurría, said, “Gender pay gaps are not only unfair for those who suffer them, but they are also detrimental to our economies. If you do not have…
Read More

How a GPG deters potential recruits

The requirement on organisations with over 250 employees to report on their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is starting to raise some interesting issues.  The latest amongst these is a survey carried out by BMG Research  for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of women agreed that if their organisation had a gender pay gap it would make it more likely they would select an employer without a gap. And more than half (58%) agreed it would make them less likely to recommend their employer as a place to work.  More details in the chart below. It seems that those surveyed (men as well as women) were just…
Read More

Using our skills properly

How many times have you listened to or read dreary rhetoric about the need to up our skills level?  It is perfectly true that we don't give nearly enough respect, or money, to the less prestigious kinds of skills, notably those that are developed in the further rather than higher education sector.  But the important questions are around how well competences are actually used. This is, of course, the exact focus of the Paula Principle.  It's also the topic of a telling new report from the CIPD.  Here is its sweeping overall judgement (my stress):  The focus of skills policy over the last three decades has been almost exclusively on…
Read More