The short winter days are having a profound effect upon the motivation and energy levels of the UK’s workforce, but employers are sticking their heads in the sand when they could be doing more to help. In a new survey of 1,000 office workers commissioned by flexible workspace provider Avanta Serviced Office Group, 84% of […]

Organising ground transportation is often considered a straightforward decision, but to ensure you get a superior experience there are a number of pointers you should follow, as Patricia Gardiner explains. Define a supplier selection strategy: Before choosing a provider, carefully consider what services you require. This should include everything from whether you need a short-notice […]

Face to Face in the Workplace – Julie Cooper (Spring Publishing, £20) This is a great reference guide for understanding behaviour during one-to-one conversations in the workplace. Perhaps it’s not the first book a PA would pick up and use, but the topics it covers gives great advice for all sorts of outcomes and would […]

Showing Up: how to make a greater impact at work – Tim Robson (Capstone, £14.99) Although this book is written in an easy-to-read style, at first I found it hard to engage with the subject. I’m not sure I would have continued to read it under ordinary circumstances, but I’m glad I persevered. The idea […]

The UnAmericans – Molly Antopol (HarperCollins, £12.99) People have strong feelings towards short stories: they’re enjoyable because you can read them in one sitting, but frustrating because they leave you wanting more. I have always been in the latter camp, but reading this collection has convinced me that fully developed plots are not solely the […]

Boy, Snow, Bird – Helen Oyeyemi (Picador, £12.99) This is an intriguing tale of a mother, her stepdaughter and her daughter, their relationships with each other and their past. It is 1950s America and Boy Novak runs away from home and her abusive father. She ends up in Flax Hill, Massachusetts.   It is here […]