Would you work for Peanuts?

British Airways is asking thousands of its staff to work for free for up to four weeks, according to its spokeswoman, Kirsten Millard. In an e-mail to all its staff, the airline offered workers between one and four weeks of unpaid leave -- but with the option to work during this period. British Airways employs just more than 40,000 people in the United Kingdom. Last month, the company posted a record annual loss of £400 million.

"I'm 30 years in this business and I've never seen anything like this. This is by far the biggest crisis the industry has ever faced," said Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive. Demand for the airline's passenger seats and cargo holds fell during the last financial year, while its fuel bill rocketed to almost £3 billion. Walsh said British Airways' woes were inextricably linked to the downturn in the global economy and that there had been absolutely no sign of any "green shoots" of recovery.

The airline's premium passenger numbers fell 13 percent in the second half of last year, in line with the industry average. Total traffic fell 3.4 percent and while the airline carried 33.1 million passengers last year, it was a drop of 4.3 percent from the previous year. The dip in demand for British Airways' flights has forced a switch in strategy at the airline. From the end of last year, it has been trying to tempt passengers with lower fares, sacrificing profit per seat for "bums on seats."

APA supports BA as it fights the economic pressures of the moment but feels it is a giant leap of faith to ask its workforce (especially its heavily unionised workforce) to consider making this investment in the company's future. We recognise this is the first step towards redundancy as the only realistic alternative, but feel it might be a difficult strategy to pull off.

Gareth

Free Ironing

Times Online June 10, 2009 Mark Frary

Free ironing the latest perk in the business hotel war
North American chain adds tempting freebies for its loyal guests in a bid to win custom

I have often ranted here about the cost of wi-fi and praised those enlightened hotel chains that have decided to offer it free of charge. Of course, free of charge is just a relative thing in the world of room rates and some argue that hotels just increase them to cover the cost of providing the extra service.

Moaning about the cost of wi-fi is yesterday’s news though. Word has reached me that Omni Hotels, which has a clutch of top-notch business hotels in cities across North America including the Berkshire Place in New York and the Shoreham in Washington, has started to offer free ironing and shoe-shining to members of its loyalty programme Select Guest. This is in addition to the free wi-fi the company already offers members. Best of all, membership of Select Guest is free of charge too.

I think it’s a very savvy move from the company since ironing is almost universally detested except by masochists. With business hotels desperate to attract guests, rates are unlikely to increase to cover the costs either.

So will Omni’s move start a free extras war among the hotel chains? We now have free wi-fi, ironing and shoe shining. Whatever next? Free minibar perhaps?

I suspect that even now as I write, some forward-thinking hotelier out there is toying with the idea of giving rooms away free and having expensive adverts playing on vast flat screens covering all of your room’s walls.

Is this something when booking any accommodation for your boss he or she may be interested in? let me know

Shelley, APA

Work remotely this summer

Small businesses could save money by offering employees the option of home working, a new study suggests. Research by Citrix Online has studied the effects the recent Tube strikes had on businesses in the capital and found that over 1.3 million hours were lost by firms as a result. It found that 54 per cent of London workers had to travel into the office due to employers 'banning them' from remote working.

This is despite 47 per cent claiming to have been able to be just as productive working from home.The survey of 1,000 Londoners found that 33 per cent of them were disrupted by the strike by Underground staff. Some were found to have abandoned their journey, with only five per cent working from home, two per cent taking the day off and one per cent admitting to a sickie.

Gareth Osborne of APA said, “There is still a reluctance to trust staff working from home and until Managers tackle this head-on they will never take advantage of this inevitable trend in working practice. I personally believe the Head Office of the future will be entirely virtual and most people will operate from home or smaller remote locations.”

Bernardo de Albergaria, general manager at Citrix Online, said, "The survey clearly demonstrates that workers could be as or more productive working from home, but unfortunately many businesses are not being as quick to recognise the benefits of adopting a flexible working approach in their business continuity plans."

APA would encourage all forward thinking employers to form a Home Working Policy Group to start developing a strategy for inclusion in the staff handbook. It is worth starting by looking at those jobs that can be operated more flexibly. Gareth concluded, "I regularly work from home and can do three super productive hours before I break for breakfast at 9am."

APA

Some brightness on the horizon

Business confidence is increasing in the UK, according to the latest Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets Business Barometer.

It shows that after a third consecutive monthly rise, business confidence levels were at their highest in a year during May.Some 44 per cent predicted a rise in business activity when questioned last month, compared to 35 per cent out of April's sample. The number expecting activity to worsen fell from 21 per cent in April to 16 per cent last month as the barometer balance increased by 14 per cent.

Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, said: "While it would be premature to talk of an end to the recession, we should be careful not to overlook the significance of the growing confidence we are witnessing amongst businesses." He stated that confidence is "always the foundation" on which any recovery is built. Mr Williams added that three consecutive months of growing optimism amongst UK businesses had been seen, meaning an economic recovery should not be too far behind if this persists over the coming months.

Earlier this month, Defaqto economist Michael Baxter claimed low interest rates and quantitative easing are leading to an improvement in economic conditions.

APA believes there is some relaxation in the market and that will tend to fuel a little more calculated risk taking and some spending but recommends that businesses should exercise caution over the summer months and look again in September before doing anything radical.

Gareth

National Boss Day

Date 16th October 2009

Also known as "National Bosses Day". Boss's Day is a United States secular holiday celebrated on October 16. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their superiors for being kind and fair throughout the year. The holiday has been the source of some controversy and criticism in the United States, where it is often mocked as a Hallmark Holiday.

Is this something that the UK should adopt, we seem to adopt most things from America or is this a step too far? Shelley..

Small business costs are falling

The cost of running a small business dropped in the first quarter of the year, according to reports.

According to the More Than's quarterly business inflation guide, which measures a basket of the 20 most important items bought by small firms, running costs for small firms have dipped by 1.4 per cent over the first quarter of 2009. In particular labour, advertising, materials and vehicle costs all contributed to the fall.

Overall, costs in the first three months of this year were 0.6 per cent lower than the same period in 2008, with the recent falls offsetting rises seen in the last half of the year.Commenting on the findings, head of More Than Business Mike Bowman told the Press Association: "The fact that we're experiencing such sustained deflationary conditions demonstrates just how deep the recession has become in the UK. The volatility has made it very difficult to plan and invest, placing tremendous pressure on cash flows and managing stock and staffing levels."

Service orientated businesses are particularly likely to benefit from the drop in costs, as one of their main outgoings is labour.

APA believes every little helps and as a service business itself it is grateful for any savings although I believe that other peripheral costs (perhaps not embraced in More Than's survey) are negating the benefits. One of the greatest downsides is that debtors are talking longer to pay and the cost of the money to sustain these debtor days is rising. I would certainly like to hear from Members or readers who think their financial departments are jumping up and down at the news of savings.

Gareth

Balancing the baby and a business!

Some women find that the only way they could juggle work and children is to establish their own business, it has been claimed.

According to the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE), childcare can put a "huge burden" on employment and starting their own firm can help some women achieve balance. However, the body's president Tatjana Hine stated that setting up shop on their own is not an "easy" option for working mums as they still have to work around and pay for nannies etc."

It isn't an easy option, it's as simple as that, there is no easy way to be looking after children and to be a company holder where you are employing people and you have them to worry about as well," she added.

Earlier this year a study by Prowess highlighted that female entrepreneurs could be key to helping the UK out of the recession.The research stated that positive evidence points to women business owners driving a new enterprise model based on diligent risk taking and collaboration which take account of wider social values alongside profits.

So what do APA Members think, would they consider going it alone and what help do they think they may need. Our own Doctor Gareth is a renowned entrepreneur, he might have some views on this? Please let me know.

Aimee Lewis FAPA

"Olderpreneurs"

People are increasingly setting up their own businesses at an older age, according to new research.Recent research by Standard Life and YouGov highlighted that the trend for 'olderpreneurs' is set to become more prominent, with eight per cent of UK adults hoping to start their own firms in retirement.

The research also found that 85 per cent of the population do not envisage themselves giving up work completely post-retirement, with almost a third saying they want to continue work in the same sector, but on their own terms.It was also noted that people feel totally confident with their skills levels at the age of 37, while workers reach peak fulfilment at 50.

Commenting on the findings, John Lawson from Standard Life said: "Quite simply, people do not get old like they used to. The Baby Boomers started a trend for redefining what is effectively their 'third age' and these findings point to a continued trend for re-writing the rule book for younger generations."

A recent survey conducted by The Bright Idea Handbook, which is published by leading consumer interest group Which?, highlighted that that 15 per cent of people have credible business ideas, but just one in ten follow them through.

Gareth

Bosses cutting the number of meetings

Business bosses are rethinking the amount of time their teams spend in meetings, according to new research. A study commissioned by IT firm Parity highlighted that UK staff spend the equivalent of eight weeks a year in face-to-face meetings.

It revealed that as a result of the recession, businesses are instructing staff to reduce the number of face-to-face meetings they hold in a bid to cut down on costs and maximise productivity by keeping staff in the office.

Simon Wayne, managing director at Parity Solutions, said: "While people may think they prefer the traditional meeting format, face-to-face meetings often end up wasting vast sums of money in travel costs and unproductive 'dead time', and could just as well be hosted from employees' desks."However, the study suggested that this could be an unpopular move, with 89 per cent of respondents stating they prefer meeting with someone in person. The firm suggested that technology could be used to hold virtual meetings such a teleconferences and webinars instead.

Gareth Osborne, Director General of APA agrees that Technology can be used to reduce some of the burden meetings place on senior managers but would encourage PAs not to drop meetings all together, he says, “Meetings are an essential part of relationship building and lasting partnership need people to look into each others eyes when they are making a commitment – I hope there never comes a day when you can do every thing via the ether!”

APA

Experts extol effectiveness of exporting

Small businesses should be looking to make sales abroad as well as to the home market, according to experts. A new joint drive by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) aims to make firms think about exporting, after research by the bodies highlighted that 58 per cent of companies only export because they were approached by their customers and 19 per cent by an agent or distributor.

Commenting on these efforts, Stephen Alambritis, head of public affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said that there is "nothing to beat selling abroad as well as to the home market". He added that the benefits of embracing the export market include having a fall back if the home market dries up, adding to business turnover and boosting a firm's reputation.

The BCC and UKTI research also highlighted that half of firms export to specific markets as they already have contacts there, which the BCC states shows companies are not being as proactive as they could be.

APA reminds Members that we do have a small but growing International membership and PAs aboard may have contacts that could be useful when companies are looking to establish a foothold in overseas markets.

APA

PA to an Apprentice

By now we all know that Lord Grumpy (Oops sorry, no offence intended your [potentially] Ennobled One!) has taken his new Apprentice and the battle is over for another year but will the talented Yasmina Siadatan be more successful than some of the recent winners? I believe her entrepreneurial flair has appealed to Sir Alan for some time and she stands a good chance of retaining his interest.

He obviously had a hard decision to make at the end between the three final competitors - Yasmina, the creatively talented Katie Walsh and the fiesty Debra Barr, who went out last in the penultimate show. All three would have been worthy winners and will make great busines leaders in the future.

I would like to know how you voted, who did you think would win and of the last three, which would you most like to work for [and not work for] and why?

Gareth

Bo Selecta

It’s always great to hear of good conquering evil or the little guy winning through against all odds. That’s why new of success for Natalie Ellis, 41, inventor of the travel dog bowl which reduces splashes and slobber by 90 per cent is such a joy.

The businesswoman was inspired to create the travel bowl by her pet miniature pinscher, Shizza, after a brush with the law for trying to give her thirsty dog a drink while driving.
She designed and patented the non-spill water bowl which has floating tray to cut splashes and spills.

But her dreams of cracking the American market were left in tatters when she was turned down for £120,000 of investment by the Dragons and told she did not have a chance of being successful in the US. Not to be deterred the mother-of-one from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex has made more than £1 million from selling her invention in America and has now been asked to supply one for the White House's first dog, Bo Obama. "They contacted me and said can we have one for President Obama and I was taken aback," said Mrs Ellis, "It's absolutely amazing to think my invention is going to be used in The White House. She said: "This could be the start of something really big for me, it's such an amazing opportunity.

"When I go back to Dragons' Den I will be sitting in one of the chairs."

Gareth Osborne of APA, himself a Doctor of Business Innovation, said, “This is a wonderful example of invention based-on life experience, backed by courage and dogged determination. PAs have to demonstrate that same power of innovation to find solutions to unforeseen problems thrown at them on a daily basis. It is the same problem solving talent that leads entrepreneurs to take risks, realise dreams and create their financial independence.”

Do we have any PAs with exciting ideas out there?

Carly Beales FAPA

Stress in the Workplace

Workers who are under a lot of stress for long periods of time are likely to experience low job satisfaction, it has been claimed. It is reported that stressed workers are experiencing panic attacks and insomnia as a result of the economic downturn.

Business Link adviser Alexandra Shoobert reminds business owners that staff who are not happy in their job are less likely to work as productively. Her comments come after a Norwich Union Healthcare study found that one in five workers is suffering from depression. Ms Shoobert claims that such occurrences can be symptoms of stress, which may have been brought about through worries about personal financial or job security, or even that of other loved ones. It doesn't necessarily follow that just because people are worried about their job security that they are going to work more effectively. They might work longer hours.”

Some 46 per cent of those interviewed by Norwich Union claimed to be suffering from insomnia while 33 per cent cited migraines and 21 per cent said they suffered from anxiety attacks and palpitations.

APA suggests PAs should be aware of the increasing incidence of stress in the workplace and watch out for signs of depression, especially in their Boss, who carries the greatest burden. A classic reaction when someone is overstressed or under extreme pressure in the work place, is the continuous rejection of assistance when they need it most.

APA

Rock en Espana

Strict European labour laws designed to protect employees has produced an unexpected offer to the employees of one Spanish Bank. Even in bizarre financial times this is an opportunity to seriously consider.

Spanish bank BBVA is offering to pay long-term employees almost a third of their salary to go away for up to five years. This is one of a number of options offered to its near 30,000 workforce in an attempt to contain costs. BBVA is also offering the opportunity of a shorter working week on reduced pay or extra unpaid time off for staff. For those who take a break, the bank is undertaking to preserve the post for the employee's return.

Laying off permanent staff in Spain is expensive -- employees are entitled to up to 45 days salary for every year they have worked for a company -- and many of BBVA's employees have been there long enough to qualify for up to three years pay if they were made redundant. The BBVA approach not only saves the bank money but keeps people out of Spain's increasingly long queues of jobless.

Unemployment reached 4 million in the first quarter, with the unemployment rate hitting 18.1 percent in April and a rate of well above 20 percent is widely predicted.

What the offer also shows is that even those Spanish banks which have so far escaped the worst of the economic downturn such as BBVA and larger rival Santander are vulnerable and need to cut costs to rebuild their balance sheets.

Gareth

Reported by Reuters

To retain staff be flexiblle

Flexible working and the availability of paternity leave can help firms retain talent and combat staff attrition, it has been claimed.

According to David Bartlett, deputy chief executive of The Fatherhood Institute, allowing workers some leeway to tailor their own employment conditions can make it easier to hold on to better quality staff. He comments that fathers in particular need access to greater workplace flexibility, claiming that there is a "good business case" for such moves.

Mr Bartlett says: "This recession is not going to go on forever, and you could argue 'when is there ever going to be a good time for this' as people are always under pressure. The businesses that are going to survive best are those who can see their long term future, and actually operate strategically and not just tactically."

He claims that flexible working is good for both businesses and for families – two things which he claims are often opposed to each other.

Mr Bartlett adds: "If you have people in work where things aren't going well for them from a family point of view, they are ultimately not going to function very well for you either."

APA strongly supports the principle of flexible workings but reminds readers that flexibility is a two-way street and as employers are encouraged to better understand the needs, wants and external pressures facing staff, then so should employees recognise the changing needs of business. Flexible employment works well where a clear agreement of expectations is reached in advance.

Gareth

News of the Day - please welcome Lily Minto

We have just received news that our own Technology Director, Colin Minto, has become a father to a beautiful baby girl - Lily Grace Minto, born today at 7:45am and weighing in at 6lb 9ozs. Lily is sister to Thomas, aged 3.

APA, and I am sure all of its Members, send Colin and family our love and best wishes.

Shelley

ER - have I really done that?

I was talking to one of our Members this morning and we touched on our TV favourites. We agreed on ER; having watched the final episode last week. It got me thinking …

So, having surfed the Net it appears that there have been around 325 one hour episodes and a few specials of ER and I think I have watched them all. If it is true, then I have invested 330 hours in ER. If we assume we sleep for 8 hours, leaving 16 hours when we could potentially watch TV. That means I have committed 3 weeks of my life to this series. Note to self – I must get a life!

Are people going to watch the new series - allegedly about PAs - called Personal Affairs?

Shelley, APA

Too few Women on the Board

Forget the glass ceiling – the real gender problem for Britain’s boardrooms is a lack of women ready to take on the role of director, according to Kathleen O’Donovan, one of the country’s most senior non-executives.

Research by a company co-founded by Ms O’Donovan, who became the FTSE 100’s first female finance director at BTR in 1991, has found that businesses want to appoint women to their boards but cannot find enough experienced female candidates. “Time and again, we were told there are too few women in the pipeline – too few rising up career paths, too few gaining experience in running things, too few in the top executive roles,” says the report by Bird & Co Board and Executive Mentoring.

It interviewed 36 directors of FTSE companies, public sector and not-for-profit organisations, two-thirds of them women. This comes after Helen Alexander, president-nominee of the CBI employers’ group, told the Financial Times last week that boards composed entirely of white males indulged in narrow ‘groupthink’ and were missing out on talent.

Ms O’Donovan is deputy chairwoman of Great Portland Estates and non-executive director at Prudential, Trinity Mirror and ARM Holding and with Isabel Bird, co-founded Bird & Co Executive Board Mentoring 18 months ago. It aims to coach, mentor and train 24 female executives in the coming months – and 100 over four years – to try to make them ‘board-ready’. Typically they will be divisional heads or on executive committees at FTSE 100 groups and would go on to gain their first non-executive directorship at a smaller quoted company. As well as Ms O’Donovan, the mentors will include Alison Carnwath, Land Securities’ new chairman, and Val Gooding, former chief executive of Bupa, who is on the board of J Sainsbury and Standard Chartered Bank.
The training will cover “corporate theatre” or boardroom dynamics, how to get your voice heard on a board, corporate governance and financial matters and how to get a non-executive role.
She said women often progressed faster in professional firms, non-quoted companies and public sector organizations.

Women still occupy less than 12 per cent of directorships in FTSE 100 groups.

APA

Start thinking Graduates

Graduates are being "paralysed by fear" and put off applying for UK jobs because they believe the hype that no-one is hiring, top graduate recruiters have warned.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Deloitte – the top two graduate employers – have called on UK firms to promote the job opportunities that are still available despite the recession, to prevent talented prospective employees 'abandoning ship' and seeking alternative careers or placements abroad.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is advising graduates to seek work abroad or volunteer to avoid unemployment this summer.

But Sarah Shillingford, graduate recruitment partner at Deloitte, told Personnel Today: "Statistically it is more difficult to get a job, but the reduction in vacancies is not as great as people think it is.

Concerns over a lack of UK graduate jobs were further fuelled last week when a KPMG/Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey found just 49% of companies planned to offer jobs to university leavers this year.

Sonja Stockton of PwC said,” We would be concerned if talented graduates felt they needed to leave the UK to get work. We could lose a generation of students, skills and experience on the basis of presumptions graduates are making about the jobs market through reports that are not fully reflecting the opportunities that exist. More than ever, students and employers need to talk the same language about the skills required in business, and how students can develop and demonstrate them."

Emma Pollard, senior research fellow at think-tank the Institute for Employment Studies, agreed employers should better advertise opportunities to work in the UK, including paid placements or work experience. "Graduates don't know what they can do and what the opportunities are," she said.

APA feels this is the perfect time to be recruiting graduates and firms should start now to identify needs and commence discussions with universities. We feel that many business graduates may look for senior PA roles and this could be a good time for established and experienced PAs to recruit and train a graduate assistant and then place them elsewhere in the business.

APA

From an article by Kat Baker, Personnel Today

Got Talent?

Well the programme certainly lived up to its name and brought to the screen, for one night only, an eclectic mix of the performing arts. We were entertained for nearly three hours by acts from ages 10 to 74 on a hot spring night; in my case with a host of lightly-oiled friends around the Barbeque.
Were they the best of British? Probably not! Were they the best of the 100,000 who auditioned? Possibly not! But they did collectively make a good line-up that was capable of being the Royal Variety Show in its own right. I say full marks to ITV, Syco (Mr. Cowell’s production company, as part of SonyBMG), the Judges and Ant & Dec; who must all of profited nicely from the experience.

It made me wonder if we have any particularly talented PAs out there.

Sarah Tiddy FAPA

Dark days in Docklands

I have spent a fair amount of time in Docklands during my business life and have always been invigorated by the buzz the place exudes. During the heady days (pre-Crunch), when commissions were high, midday was always particular wild with the young and upwardly mobile heading out for the chichi boutiques and flamboyant lunches. But those days are long gone and as I met one of my favourite friends for lunch yesterday I couldn’t help noticing how gloomy everyone looked. No more bounce or riotous laughter, just long faces and subdued grunts. Over lunch a guy at the next table said, “Still, I’ve got an interview tonight, so it’s not all bad!”

I doubt that the financial sector will ever be a trusted barometer for the state-of-the-nation again but it seems a long way from recovery in Docklands. It would be good to hear from PAs working there to know if the picture is less gloomy that images suggest.

Gareth

UK Manufacturing falls slowing

According to the CBI’s monthly industrial trends survey for May, UK’s manufacturing firms expect the pace of decline in output to slow markedly in the next quarter, suggesting they believe the toughest phase of the recession may be behind them.

The results showed that 17% of the 575 firms surveyed said they expect the volume of output to increase over the next three months, against 34% who anticipate a fall. The resulting balance of -17% is a marked improvement on the previous month (a balance of – 32%), and takes the measure back to where it was before the collapse of Lehman Brothers last September (a balance of -16%).

Ian McCafferty, the CBI’s Chief Economic Adviser, said, “After scaling back production very sharply at the beginning of the year, manufacturers can see a glimmer at the end of the tunnel. They still expect manufacturing activity to fall, but at a much slower rate over the next few months. However, this was another tough month for firms, with orders at home and abroad still at very weak levels. Demand for UK-made goods remains weak with 10% of firms reporting above normal total order books in May, while 66% said they were below normal. The resulting balance of -56% is broadly unchanged from each of the previous three months."

Despite firms aggressively running down their stocks, levels remain high with a balance of 30% reporting stocks more than adequate to meeting demand, which was not far off March’s twenty eight year high (a balance of 31%).

Gareth

Note for PAs – this is useful data when your Boss asks for any evidence that things are starting to improve or when you need to demonstrate you have your finger on the pulse.

What is your credibility worth?

If I said that for less than £5 per week APA membership could dramatically improve your credibility as a Professional PA would you listen? If I said it would actually cost you little more than £1 per week would you join? And in many cases your business will pay for your membership because it is tax deductible as a professional subscription.

This is the new message we are using to promote APA to these thousands of PAs who are not yet Members and we are developing the messages that support this claim so that PAs can help elevate their status within the business and become seen, as they should be, as Managers; of time and the most valuable asset any business possesses – Its Directors.

APA is already being seen as the professional representative of this uniquely influential body of people and is consulted alongside organisations representing lawyers, accountants, directors and managers. Our ambition is to grow more and we need your help. If you read this blog (or are a Member of the Personal Assistants Community) and are not a member yet then apply to join at www.paprofessional.com or encourage friends and colleagues to join. We will even incentivise you for every new member you recruit.

APA is going places, join us on the journey.

Gareth

The search for the stars

Last week, the much-hyped Wolfram Alpha search engine went live. This week, Microsoft is expected to demonstrate its new 'Kumo' search platform. Both products have attracted much attention from the press and techies alike, but can either really challenge the dominance of Google as a search facility?

For the overwhelming majority of web users, the Google search service has become the de facto tool for searching the web. Former market leaders such as Yahoo have struggled to stay afloat while the word 'Google' is so popular that it has moved from a noun to a verb - a 21st century Hoover.

But do the new pretenders pose a threat?

Wolfram Alpha isn't exactly a 'Championship contender,' either in format or function. The brainchild of scientist Stephen Wolfram, aims to answer questions not in the normal 'keyword' format of traditional search engines, but in natural language. Early reactions have been mixed and the site has not been without its early critics but it does appear to return some interestingly different results,

Even when the early kinks are worked out, one has to question whether Wolfram Alpha will solve a genuine market need. After all, Google is pretty popular with users and while the keyword system has its flaws, it has worked pretty well so far. Rather than replace or compete with Google, it appears that Wolfram Alpha will have to settle for supplementing it instead. The new engine does do certain things better than Google, and it may be able to carve out a niche in the market. Perhaps that will be enough for Wolfram.

The situation is very different for Microsoft. Its long-awaited next-generation search technology, code-named Kumo, will be mount a direct assault on Google. The Company's recent attempt to acquire Yahoo was based almost solely on boosting revenues and when that deal fell through, Microsoft turned its attention in-house to construct a Google killer.

Watch this space for the ensuing battle of the technology giants.

Gareth

Based on an excellent article by Shaun Nichols of vnunet.com

EU Pregnant Worker Directive 2008 – pending amendment

APA is regularly asked by Government to comment on upcoming changes to legislation (UK & European). UK Government is currently seeking views on pending amendments to the European Commission's Pregnant Workers Directive (92/85/EEC).

The Directive sets down minimum levels of maternity rights, including leave and pay, which Member States must provide. The Commission’s aim is to contribute to better work life balance through improving the protections offered to pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. As part of its policies to support working parents, UK Government has built on the minimum standards set out in the existing Directive (2008) and provides a longer period of maternity leave and a higher rate of maternity pay than is currently required.

APA would welcome your views on the Commission’s proposal to change the minimum standards set out in the Directive, including the likely costs and benefits. Your views will inform our response to Government. It is worth looking at the section that compares EC minimums and the UK interpretation. In the case of compulsory maternity leave, currently two weeks in the UK, the EC is proposing an increase to six weeks – is this reasonable?

To view the Consultation Document go to: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file50575.pdf

APA

And then a hero comes along

In her reply to an article yesterday [To boldly go …] one of our most prolific bloggers, Tracy Carter FAPA (aka TC) said the following:

“This blog has touched on a subject that is on my mind at the moment. In my free time I'm a leader for Girlguiding and work with 5-7 yr olds (Rainbows). I showed the girls a photo of the Queen - they didn't know who it was, I played the national anthem, they didn't recognise it etc. In a fun way I am introducing them to Britain and the reasons to be proud of Britain - after reading this blog I will now introduce them to some of our heroes, I know Helen will certainly be on the list.”

I’m with Tracy here, who are our great heroes today and who really knows about them? It seems that hero status has gone from endeavour to celebrity; where we sometime know too much but surely a hero should be so much more.

As a community of PAs I would like to know who you consider a modern day hero and who you would regard as great business leaders (a business hero if you like). Who sets the standards so high that we can’t fail but to admire them? Your thoughts would be interesting. The payback is that I will promise to approach their PAs and attempt to enlist them.

Gareth

To boldly go ...

While I wouldn't want to take anything away from Major Tim Peake, who was announced yeaterday as Britain's first 'official' Astronaut; actually quite the reverse for as a former professional pilot myself he automatically joins the ranks of my aviational heroes, I object to the notion of 'first' when it's aplied to his achievement.

Helen Sharman will always remain the first 'true' British Astronaut to me; and I had the huge pleasure of interviewing her for a radio show I did in 1992.

Helen flew into space in 1991 aboard a Soyuz rocket (mission TM-12) which lasted 8 days and linked with the MIA space station. She was trained as an engineer and chemist and formerly worked for Mars (not the planet, the chocolate company). Can you imagine a better CV including both space travel and chocolate?

Gareth

Improving Brainpower

Vitamin D may play a key role in helping keep the brain working properly later in life, a new study claims.

Research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry looked at over 3,000 European men aged between 40 and 79 and compared their cognitive performance. The study found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better in an internationally-recognised test that assesses an individual’s memory, recognition capabilities and speed of information processing.

Commenting on the findings, lead author Dr David Lee, from Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, said: "The positive effects vitamin D appears to have on the brain need to be explored further but claims the finding's raises questions about its potential benefit for those with or susceptible to dementia.”

Vitamin D is found in a small number of foods such as oily fish, eggs and liver. Other food sources include fortified foods such as margarine, breakfast cereals and powdered milk. But we get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin. This is because the vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. The best source is summer sunlight.

Sarah Tiddy FAPA - off to the beach!

Thanks a Billion

If we are now in the Year 2009 and if we count from Day 1 in Year 0000, then one million days will not have passed until the Year 2739. One (B) billion days won’t pass for an awfully long time! But why do I tell you this?

Some interesting facts about the unimaginable number 1 billion:

The Milky Way is reported to contain more than 200 billion stars,
The human brain has more than 200 billion neurons,
And British Banks consumed more than £200 billion of taxpayer’s money in 2008/9.

That’s food for thought!

Aimee Lewis FAPA

Walk About

In a discussion with a group of PAs recently, it was suggested by an attendee that he was one of the few people in the business who actually spent any ‘quality time’ with the MD. A number of people agreed.

This is perhaps not surprising as we tend to communicate more and more via the magic screen these days and this has drastically cut down the physical (even voice only) interaction to a minimum; reducing personal interchange to ‘How are You?’ or worse ‘hay?’ As a reply, ‘I’m OK’ is even worse [try saying it in six different ways to convey different emotions].

It reminded me of one of the great ‘new’ management techniques introduced over twenty years ago called MBWA or Management by Walking About. It suggested that every senior manager should regularly get out of the office and should go and chat to staff, at all levels, across a range of departments in the business. The notion was that by being seen and more importantly by listening to people you would get the best possible measurement of the company’s health. By asking a series of open but none threatening questions people you could identify the hot spots, the difficulties and even the weaknesses within the structure.

To be able to achieve a state of MBWA the Director, or more correctly his or her PA, has to find time to do it. But, as someone who has practiced the technique, I can promise the return on the investment of 30 minutes first thing every morning or a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon is enormous. I believe physical communication is at an all time low it’s time to break the emergency glass and reach for MBWA.

If you say ‘It’s never going to happen around here!’ then it makes the role of the PA even more important because s/he has an added responsibility to inform their boss of the ever changing temperature of the business. Think about it and let me know your thoughts.

Gareth

APA Members can see a more detailed article on MBWA within the Knowledge Zone of the Members Only area of the website http://www.paprofessional.com/index.php?id=18

The Art of Marketing

We have an excellent strand of debate running on the ‘Decomplexification’ article (below) and it reminded me of one of my very favourite business definitions. It relates to marketing; which few can explain and even fewer really understand, and suggests that:

Marketing is the art of seeing things from the Customer’s point of view.

It works for me because it defines marketing as a creative skill (an Art) not a science, and one that requires insight and an understanding of the most important person in the business cycle; the customer and recommends you putting yourself in their place. It also, in one short sentence, justifies the need for good market (customer) research.

Next time someone comes up with a Marketing concept or message, imagine yourself as the consumer of that product or service and ask yourself, “Does it work for me?”

Gareth

Decomplexification

I met with a friend recently (John Thomas of IFA) and we were chatting about bureaucracy and process and how some people just love to make things difficult and he exposed me to a personal campaign which he has called ‘Decomplexification’. (Which he admits is a word more easily attributed to George W. Bush than himself.)

John feels that there is a growing number of people and organisation that like to perpetuate the notion of complexity [Have you ever read the manual that comes with a mobile or laptop recently] and their mission in life is to confuse and mystify the rest of us mere mortals.

I remember participating in a meeting where a group of Civil Servants and Lawyers were tasked to write a guide titled ‘A Plain English Guide to the New Legislation’, can you imagine a group less qualified to write anything in plain English? They wrote the Guide and it was almost unintelligible!

So I’m with John and would encourage all readers to look around and where process is engineered or copy is written; in promotional material, on websites, in briefing notes or even Board Minutes, commit yourself to the principle of ‘decomplexification’.

Gareth

PS. I'm going to have a look at the APA website again this week to ensure I practice what I preach!

Creme - final reminder

Just to remind Members that the Times Creme Conference 2009, originally scheduled for 12-14 May 2009 (Today + 2), has been postponed until November. If you have paid for seminars in advance you will find a refund form - from its organisers - in earlier blogs.

APA

Politicians, Pay and Pampers

We have been asked the following question by several Members this week: “What is APA’s position on the ‘MP Expenses’ issue.”

Our reply was simple, ‘There is a clear conflict between what MPs claim, what they are allowed to claim and what the voting public find is acceptable for them to claim and therefore APA would encourage the Government to find a transparent, auditable and workable solution and introduce it within an acceptable period of time. APA would encourage those involved to start by revisiting the basic salary paid to Parliamentarians.’

Let me explain one fact that influences this thinking. In 2007 there was a survey of the salaries of the Chiefs Executive of the Top 5,000 businesses in the UK. The average of these was £750,000 per annum – we have heard recently the details of some of the highest ones. Now if you consider that the Prime Minster is Britain’s CEO (MD, UK plc) and he is paid £168,000 pa. then it seems very little for a hugely responsible job. Cabinet Ministers receive around £140K and backbench MPs just £70K.

APA believes that if we paid MPs a realistic salary, and I have met enough good ones to know that the responsibility, if the job is done correctly, is extremely onerous, then we wouldn’t be having this debate about claims for cat food and Kit Kats! If they wanted a flat in London and the lifestyle to go with it, then, if they earned enough, they could pay for it themselves.

We would also request one thing of our Politicians; Please don’t be pressurised (by the Press) to rush into a solution. Quick legislation is hardly ever good legislation. It is clearly a thorny subject and one that could be debated, agreed and enacted in time. The current situation has been in place for 20 years, what are another few months.

This is an issue that I doubt APA will be consulted on but I would welcome your views to inform the organisational opinion.

Gareth

Time to be sociable

APA is pleased to announce that it is taking another step into the world of PA Networking today; this time in a social environment with the PA Community (PAC) developed and launched by Carly Beales.

Colin Minto, Technology Director of APA said, “We recognise that many of our Members already participate in Twitter, Facebook, My Space and other social networks and we have been talking about a PA specific network for some time but have been concerned that the content may not align absolutely with our professional aspirations for the Associations site. We have therefore elected instead to participate (as a member only) in this non-competing and friendly activity. We hope that some of our Bloggers will take a look at PAC and participate if they think it is worthwhile – we do.”

To view and join PAC go to: http://personalassistants.ning.com/

APA

Technology – It can be straightforward!

There are some simple rules to follow when selecting a technology that will enable you to make the right decision and save your organisation an awful lot of pain when trying to implement and utilise it.

I have often been asked “What is the best software?”! I simply pointed them to a directory of software vendors and said it was in there, because one software will be great for one business and poor for another.

Without detailed criteria of what you need a technology to do and whether your colleagues will be able to use it effectively, you might as well stick a pin in the Yellow Pages.

So here are the rules:

1. Brainstorm exactly what you need a technology to do for your business and get input from everyone it will touch, or a representative from each department if this is not practicable - This will give you your specification list.

2. Discuss, agree and score each item on your specification list in order of importance – This will highlight the priorities to discuss with vendors.

3. Create a specification you can distribute to vendors and send it to as many as you like, inviting them to confirm they can provide a solution to satisfy your criteria but more importantly evidence they can satisfy it.

4. Separate responses into those that stick to your criteria and those that try and hoodwink you with all the bells and whistles you didn’t ask for – Invite vendors to present from the pile that stick to the criteria and, in your opinion, provide the most professional response.

5. Make sure all departments in the business are represented at the vendor presentations and instruct those presenting to clearly demonstrate how their solution satisfy’s your criteria and get them to evidence this. Also ensure you grill them on how user friendly their solution is and again provide evidence.

6. Choose two or three to go to the final stage, which is the quotation round – Invite them to submit their best price bearing in mind one or two others vendors are doing this as well and let each vendor know who they are up against.

7. Invite each vendor back in to run through their quotation and if necessary remove elements lower down your priority list to reduce cost even further.

In essence, do the hard work before choosing a technology because it is so much harder trying to make the wrong technology fit your organisation and operational needs.

Colin.

Charity business down

The current recession has seen a decline in charitable donations, new research shows.

Oxfam announced today donations to its shops are down by 12 per cent already this year, and claim a total of 1.2 million fewer donations could be made in 2009. At present, the charity claims more than 80 per cent of its total income from its shops comes from donations from the public of clothes, books, music, household wares and other goods.Oxfam suggests the fall in donations demonstrates wider trends resulting from the credit crunch with families tightening their belts and buying less, meaning they replace less and therefore have less to donate to charity shops. With the housing market in decline also, fewer people are moving house, which has seen a "huge" drop in donations of household items.

Oxfam's director of trading, David McCullough, said: "The £20 million profit made by our shops last year would be enough to fund all of Oxfam's work in DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia for a year. But we can't sell fresh air, and they of course rely on the generosity of the public for their stock. Without continued donations of everything from clothing to cookware, Oxfam shops could not continue to play such a key role in communities across the UK. Whether it's a pair of trousers or a pair of curtains, we can use it to make money and help people all over the world," he said.

APA Note – Why not spend some time this weekend sorting out the cupboards and drawers and taking those unwanted items along to your favourite Charity Shop. Or better still organise a company event and send the proceeds to the APA’s Charity of the Year – Breast Cancer Care.

Aimee Lewis FAPA

Times Creme - refunds

Thanks to TC we have located a refund form for anyone who has already paid to attend Creme seminars for the London 2009 Show, 12-14 May, now postponed until November.

To reclain please use the form below and fax it to the number shown.

http://www.exporeg.co.uk/reg/creme09/refreq_form.pdf

APA

Why giggling is good for you .. and your boss

From an article by Penny Stretton in the Daily Express 05/05/2009.

Having a laugh at work might be frowned upon by some bosses but research shows it can make employees healthier, happier and more productive. Giggling can boost our immune systems, lower blood pressure and help us cope with stress during the recession.

But despite the benefits, more than 30 per cent of workers admit to not having shared a laugh with their colleagues for more than a week.With million of Britons returning to work after the bank holiday weekend, there may seem little to giggle about. Economic gloom, worries about job security and grey skies are unlikely to lift many people’s spirits.

But a survey by Maltesers found that workers who laugh regularly take fewer days off sick, suffer less stress and are likely to be more creative. The power of a good giggle is so strong that 81 per cent of people say it makes them feel happier and 50 per cent feel stress-free afterwards.

It can even make people more attractive to the opposite sex. Six out of 10 people said prospective lovers who know how to get giggly are much more sexy than those who laugh less. Experts recommend a daily dose of at least 30 giggles a day to promote optimum health, performance at work and successful relationships. However, according to the study, adults often forget how to giggle as they grow older.

A Maltesers spokesman said: “Children laugh on average over 400 times a day. However this declines to an average of just 15 times a day for UK adults. To counteract the nation’s giggle gap, Maltesers has launched a campaign to help UK adults reach the recommended 30 giggles a day.”

Experts say there are some simple tricks to kick-start a giggling fit, such as spending more time around friends and family. Smiling more also helps to boost laughter levels, as does looking for humour in everyday situations. And health psychologist David Moxon said: “Spend time with other gigglers – giggling is very contagious, so stop to enjoy light-hearted moments throughout the day".

Gareth has a very wacky sense of humour and he often makes himself laugh, what about your bosses?

Shelley.

Times Creme 2009 - Postponed

The Times Creme Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for 12-14 May 2009 has been postponed until November.

In an announcement today organisers have said "Unfortunately, due to the current economic climate and in the best interests of the show, it has been decided to postpone this year's show until 17th - 19th November 2009. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

APA was aware from Members that many would be unable to attend and this appears to be a sensible decision.

Gareth

Controlling credit in difficult times

Many businesses are struggling with cash flow difficulties in these taxing times. Sound credit management is especially critical in a recession and every employee has a responsibility to keep a tight grip on the collection of debts (and the payment of your own bills).

We have heard from Philip King, Director General of the Institute of Credit Management, whose expertise is regularly called upon in the current economic climate, offering advice to APA Members. He has identified two ICM websites that he feels could really help businesses to manage their cash flow and thought APA Members should be made aware – Philip and his PA, Tracy FAPA, have experienced countless companies where cash flow difficulties have led to enormous stress and worry and they know PAs are very often at the front line; and therefore see and hear the worries of their Managers/Directors.

The ICM provides a comprehensive range of nationally recognised awards and qualifications which range from Level 2 to Level 5 and can really help with credit management education and training. APA’s advice is that PAs be aware of ICM and its expertise it offers in this area should you start to see difficulties arising. Please direct senior staff (especially those with financial responsibility) to the following sites:

http://www.icm.org.uk

http://www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk

Philip has written 10 Managing Cashflow Guides in association with BERR which are incredibly useful and can be downloaded free from:

http://www.creditmanagement.org.uk/berrguides.htm

APA

Dark chocolate is better for you!

Brain changes in chocoholics that occur when they see or eat chocolate are similar to those in addicts when they take drugs, scientists say. British researchers at Oxford University found certain regions of the brain were more active when people who confessed to cravings were fed or shown pictures of chocolate than in non-cravers.

They also discovered the sight of chocolate contributed significantly to the activation of brain areas associated with reward – suggesting that dieters could cut their intake by avoiding the sight of foods they particularly desire.

Prof Edmund Rolls said: "Understanding individual differences in brain responses to very pleasant foods helps in the understanding of the mechanisms that drive the liking for specific foods and thus intake of those foods. Sight and flavour combined give a much bigger response than seeing or tasting the food separately. The sight component is important and complements the flavour. If you want to limit [food] intake, you could limit the extent to which you are exposed to the combination of sight and taste. For example, you could eat in the dark."

Don't you just love research! I assume volunteers to join the project are plentiful [or plenty full].

Gareth

Are you a procrastinator?

Procrastination - putting things off - is said to be 'the thief of time' but in reality is a common, natural, human reaction to tasks that may seem in some way difficult or challenging. However, severe procrastination that leads to feelings of wretchedness or extreme anxiety may need addressing. For PAs it is a negative trait and must be overcome at all costs. Here are the signs to watch for:

Procrastinators tend to:

• Find it difficult to make a start - ‘I’m waiting till I’m in the right mood/inspired’,


• Create diversions – ‘before I start, I’ll just..tidy up/check my emails/have a snack/etc.’,


• Waste time by working ineffectively – ‘I spent time on the task but have nothing to show for it’,


• Rush at the last minute – ‘I work better under pressure’,


• Miss deadlines – then feel guilty, disappointed and reproachful.

Commonly procrastination is mistakenly perceived as laziness. Essentially, however, procrastination is caused by inner conflict where there is a want (or need) to do something, matched with a corresponding resistance to doing it. Energy to prepare to act and then to execute the act does not ‘flow’ so there is inaction and then conflict leading to frustration and failure.

It can be overcome with determination and strong support from those around you - a good tip if you think this is you is to come clean, admit your failing and ask for assistance from your Boss or a colleague.

Carly FAPA

APA Members can visit the Knowledge Zone in the Members area f the website for a more detailed explanation and some tips on what to do to over procrastination.

Entrepreneurs don't fear failure!

One of the things that differentiate an entrepreneur from other mortals is their willingness to take a (calculated) risk. Without risk there is no gain and without gain, no profit. So in entrepreneurial business risk is inevitable.

Strong business planning enables them to define the risks, assess them and develop strategies to defend against them but risks will always be ‘just around the corner’. The risk of business that fuels entrepreneurs is the same adrenalin rush that fuels racing drivers, sky divers and all great adventurers. Sometimes things go wrong and the car (or business) slams head first into a wall at 180 mph.

So a PA (as the front seat passenger) to an entrepreneur has a special responsibility to understand what makes her or his Boss tick; what the risks are, so they can recognise when their Boss is pushing boundaries and when they should keep a special eye on the road ahead to watch for upcoming obstacles.

Great entrepreneurs; like Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Ray Kroc and others, are the Masters of Risk but they temper their own high risk tendencies by packing good business professionals around them. All have a loyal and hard working professional PA alongside them on the journey.

And remember: Most really great entrepreneurs have failed in the past, maybe even more than once, but they have learned from their mistakes and moved on (picked them selves up, dusted them selves off and started all over again). Failure to an entrepreneur is an occupational hazard.

Gareth