The Yes-But Man

— The Wearable Tips

The mix of science and new gadgets for wellness takes up from a simple consideration: reducing stress is essential to improving productivity. Well-being and technology intertwine in the workplace and our homes through wearable devices, used both as an aid to anyone’s work, such as exoskeletons, and to monitor workers and their well-being.

“The reason why companies use wearables for their employees is to improve the working environment and performance” states the BI Norwegian business school.

“A wearable device offers important incentives and aids: smart glasses can drastically reduce risks at work, while health monitoring tells employees and their managers when it’s time to take a break and how to improve their lifestyle.” There’s only one problem, and it is always the same. What’s the boundary between the pursuit of well-being and your privacy? Wearables have lowered the threshold that separates what is personal and what is professional. Sleeping hours or the amount of physical activity have always been a personal issue, while now the professional domain is taking over even these aspects of our lives.

— Office Sweet Office

If working in open spaces had become an increasingly popular and tested choice, everything changes at home. 

Lofts, open-plan rooms, and those beautiful American style kitchens that looked so contemporary, in the era of smart working have become an outdated trend. According to research carried out among US architects, there is a growing demand to redesign domestic spaces with a new separation between home and office, possibly with a nice thick wall and a door to knock on before entering.

So the good old boss office is back, except now the boss works from home and is very often a woman.

The interior design brands are riding this new trend. First of all, there is Lago, offering us its new Home Office collection. The project was born from the curiosity to respond to the latest needs of contemporary living and from listening to the LAGO community, made up of architects, interior designers, and customers.

— The Ethic Boss

What makes a good leader: being assertive and decisive, or empathetic and ethical? Several studies show that more ethical leadership encourages innovation, and that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence are more effective leaders. According to a survey conducted by the research firm Universum, 88% of the American generation Y looks for work-life integration as the first parameter. Millennials today want to truly understand the purpose of a company, in order to be able to align and work with others towards a common goal, capable of blending business results with an ethical and social vision of work.

“New workers are demanding, determined, and passionate about their job. But they are no longer willing to do anything for a career,” says Josh Bersin, founder of Deloitte. Big companies know this and are gearing up with programs designed to create more empathetic and knowledgeable managers, like Google’s “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute,”  or like L’Oréal recruiting campaign, asking employees to share advice and participate in the search for new talents. The era of arrogant bosses and condescending yes-men seems to be over.