Arthur Brooks, author and public speaker, explains how metacognition helps us reflect on our emotional life, allowing our prefrontal cortex to evaluate signals from the limbic system. Watch this video for a deep dive.
Tap⊠and go! Â
The ability to tap-to-pay has been around since 1995, where it was first introduced as a way to pay for public transportation. Over the years, many other adaptations have been born and in recent years, consumers have had the ability to keep their bank cards right at their fingertips. Contactless payment has become the most prevalent method across all consumer industries in recent years- largely due to its convenience factor. Whether it be on our smartphones or smart watches, consumers no longer even have to go into their wallets to make their purchases. But what does that mean for the security of our sensitive information? In this article, we take a look at what measures are in place to protect your personal data and what you can be doing to help yourself. Â
The PCI SSC (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council) is the governing body over which standards in payment account data security are continuously created, implemented, monitored, and adjusted in an effort to protect consumers who use bank cards. Any type of business that handles payment card data needs to be PCI compliant. Â
The four main ways that the PCI SSC help to keep your payments secure are by:Â
Over time, the PCI SSC has deployed many different standards in keeping with the ever-changing technological landscape. One of their most recent standards deals with mobile payments specifically. With the introduction of the ability to use our phones and watches to make contactless payments, there was a need to adjust the standard. This new standard ensures that merchants who accept cardholder PINs or contactless payments using a smartphone, or other commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices, are maintaining compliancy requirements.Â
Not only is it comforting to know that there is a governing body enforcing compliance when it comes to our financial privacy, but you may be surprised to know that experts have said that using âtapâ is physically the safest payment method currently available to us, as well. This goes for âtapâ using a credit or debit card and right from your smart device.Â
Card theft and fraud in the past has typically happened physically, wherein, a card would be stolen and then used for fraud, card cloning, or other counterfeit tampering methods. Now, with the innovation of tap-to-pay, you can feel safer. Each time you make a purchase using âtapâ, Near Field Communication (NFC) creates a unique, one-time code in order to transmit the customerâs account data to the merchantâs terminal, safely. That code ensures a secure communication between the two parties which significantly reduces the amount of risk you assume when making purchases this way. These same parameters go for tap-to-pay on your smart devices, but the level of security is even greater.Â
Letâs talk about why.Â
Of course, there is always an exception to every rule, so it is important to do your part in protecting your information. Â
While there are some dangers associated with using contactless payment methods, the overall consensus is that they are here to stay. Consumers enjoy the ease, convenience, and safety of tap-to-pay and even more so of mobile tap-to-pay. In the fast-moving pace of the world today, convenience is highly sought-after and using âtapâ is just one of the modern day conveniences we all enjoy.Â
It happens to all of us in the workforce, a certain fatigue overcomes you; you check the time and low and behold, itâs 3:00 p.m.! It always happens around 3:00 p.m.- the dreaded afternoon slump. You wonder to yourself, âDid I have a bad sleep?â, âDid I forget to eat breakfast today?â, âWhy am I so tired?â. Youâll be happy to know itâs not something you brought on yourself, its your circadian rhythm– your bodyâs internal clock.
All of us have a pretty similar clock; it runs on a 24-hour time period and dictates our sleep-wake cycle. Generally, we flip-flop between low and high energy cycles based on the time of day. Weâre low when we wake up and are still feeling groggy, high when it hits mid-morning and after weâve fuelled our bodies with breakfast, then our infamous mid-afternoon slump, followed by an early-evening high and then a final low before bed. Sound familiar? Certain factors can affect your circadian rhythm, like being a night-shift worker, daylight savings time, or having a baby keeping you up through the night, but for the most part, people typically experience their afternoon slump between 1:00-4:00 p.m.
The internet is certainly not short of tips and tricks for getting yourself through the afternoon, but here is a list of those backed by science:
While all of these are helpful tips, it is also important not to expect ourselves to be running at 100% capacity all day long. Author, Carson Tate says, âJust as you wouldnât expect yourself to walk at a brisk pace for eight solid hours, you shouldnât expect yourself to be focused or think strategically for that amount of time.â Understanding the way your body works and then adapting your productivity style to it, can be effective in preventing burnout. The afternoon slump is the perfect time to take on some of your simpler tasks and give your brain a second to relax and regroup.
In closing, remember to get up from your desk and get in some physical activity, listen to music that will pump you up, drink proper fluids and ensure youâve nourished your body. Donât work on important or highly intellectual tasks during the afternoon lull and donât depend on caffeine to push you through the day. Keeping these in mind will give you the best shot at overcoming that mid-afternoon slump every day.
Operating your business in a way that supports size inclusivity can be a crucial factor in achieving a positive team culture, attracting prospective employees, and in displaying one of your core values to customers and community members. Not to mention the plus-size industry is set to become a billion-dollar industry in the coming years. Seemingly small details like towels or staff uniforms can be small but effective ways to implement inclusive options into your business. Â
It is common practice for businesses to experiment with ways to attract new clientele. When it comes to hotel chains for example, this often means more extravagant options, leaving things like the simple bath towel falling to the wayside. Towels have been a sore spot for some time when it comes to size inclusivity. How often have you been back in your accommodations after a long day, enjoying a nice warm shower, only to be met with what feels like a scratchy dishcloth to dry off with? If youâve experienced this, youâre not alone. That scenario has become such a common occurrence that we have even seen a number of small businesses sprout up in recent years to provide solutions to this very problem. Let this be an example of how taking note of and implementing small changes for your customers can make a large impact in your business.Â
Your customers are not the only demographic crucial to the success of your business; an inclusive workplace for your staff can be a determining factor as well. Â
According to a survey done by McKinsey & Company in 2020, â39% of respondents said that they have turned down or decided not to pursue a job because of a perceived lack of inclusion at an organization.â While size-inclusive workwear has been improving in recent years, there is still much work to be done! Knowing you work for an inclusive company can make all the difference in personal confidence and in overall team culture.Â
As with any shift in the standard, there are factors and complications to consider. Alternate sizing can require more fabric, multiple patterns needed, and more time spent perfecting each garment. All of those barriers will come into play as you reach out to your vendor to obtain a wider range in sizes as not all vendors will have implemented them. A âstandardâ sizing chart typically goes up to 2X, however, we are starting to see uniform brands like Dickies extend into the plus size ranges too. Working with your vendor to obtain a full size range for your staff could be a barrier youâll need to face. Â
Remaining openminded and vigilant when it comes to knowing the market and ever-changing needs of both your clientele and your staff is the first step. Next, review your core values and adjust your budget, make adequate room to properly accommodate them. Also, communicate with your team to ensure that their needs are being heard and met. Finally, work with your vendors to explore the sizing possibilities that are right for your businessâ specific needs.Â
A recent survey from Gartner of over 400 CEOs found that most of these executives rank âworkforce as their third most important business priority for 2024 to 2025, behind growth and technology.â What does this mean and how does it reflect changing business trends? Â
In this issue of the Pulse, we take a look. Â
The results of Gartnerâs recently published survey indicated that:Â
However, these numbers are slightly down from a similar survey taken in 2022, about the year ahead. The 2023 numbers suggested that:Â Â
What does this mean? Companies are investing more in AI and other technology to foster growth, meaning the post-pandemic trend of focusing on talent acquisition and retention is cooling down somewhat. However, its place as third most important priority says that finding and maintaining talent is still a concern. Â
Investing in technology and growth is only doable if you have the workforce to sustain it. While new innovations and developments change the way we work, and change our reliance on technology, itâs important to never let investing in people fall by the wayside. Â
This is especially important, as according to a new McKinsey report, â87% of executives have or expect skill gaps within their workforce over the next few years.âÂ
Luckily, there are ways companies can invest in their workforce to align with their other priorities. These include:Â
The worst thing leaders can do is neglect their workforce at this critical juncture, when integrating new tech with workers is so crucial to achieve that desired growth. Â
While the workforce overall might not be CEOsâ number one priority in the coming year, itâs still a big one. And there are strategies companies can take to integrate investment in all their priorities for success. Â
For fleets across several industries, nitrogen is a critical resource used in their daily operations. Cylinders of nitrogen are used for temperature control in trucks, ensuring safe transport of sensitive products, such as food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, and more.
How does this process work and why do fleets use nitrogen compared to alternatives? In this article, we take a look.
The process through which nitrogen is used to cool trucks is called cryogenic cooling. During this process, nitrogen is stored at extremely low temperatures â think -320°F â and transported in insulated tanks, where it can be released into the cooling system of the truckâs cargo area. As the nitrogen evaporates, it absorbs a significant amount of heat from the environment, keeping the cargo area at the correct temperature for transporting those sensitive goods.
There are a lot of advantages to cryogenic cooling with nitrogen that make it attractive to companies. These include:
Another huge benefit of nitrogen cooling for fleets is the sustainability and reduced emissions. These days, companies must factor sustainability into their operations. Being able to pair sustainability with cost reduction is, therefore, a huge advantage for a fleet.
Unlike using a diesel counterpart, nitrogen cooling systems produce no direct emissions. In some cases, switching a refrigerated truck from diesel to nitrogen can reduce the vehicles overall emissions by 93%.
With so many advantages, nitrogen cooling systems may sound too good to be true. There are considerations in the âconâ column, too. These include:
While switching to nitrogen can offer huge benefits, itâs not a switch to make without consideration of these factors.
Nitrogen cooling systems are quickly becoming a go-to solution for fleets that need to transport perishable goods. They have advantages and disadvantages, but their potential to reduce fuel costs and fuel emissions is a huge pull for fleet management.
When faced with challenges, do you often seek someone else to blame? Leadership expert Michael Timms shows why this instinct is counterproductive, highlighting three effective habits of self-accountability that will empower you and others to make positive change â whether at home or at work.
Businesses relying on shipping vendors may be faced with inconsistent or creeping rates, slow turnaround times, and dissatisfaction from customers regarding deliveries. These challenges can have implications for your businessâ revenue and reputation.
With approximately 58 million parcels shipping to homes every day in the United States alone, your business is just one part of a larger ecosystem when it comes to shipping and fulfillment. Your shipping provider, likely one of the big players in the game, is also facing a lot of variables when it comes to transporting goods to your customers. Knowing what challenges they face, and how that might impact your business, is important when developing your shipping and fulfillment strategy.
In this article, we take a look at some pressures facing shipping providers that have the potential to effect on your businessâ profitability.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid growth of e-commerce has increased consumer shipping demands, creating a new challenge for shippers to keep up with. With the average consumer ordering 64 parcels a year, Â meeting this demand with accuracy and efficiency is a significant challenge. Not to mention that failure to do so, leaves room for an unsatisfied customer and decreased loyalty further down the road.
Growing demand means a rising need for skilled labor. Especially workers who can commit to irregular or undesirable hours. Drivers, warehouse staff, and more are all critical parts of the supply chain, helping to get products and services into consumer hands. To increase efficiency and minimize downtime, providers are turning to automation to meet some of these needs, but not everything can be handled this way. Likewise, implementing and maintaining automation and other technological innovations require substantial investment.
Labor shortages are a challenge for all shippers. Paying attention to which shipping providers are struggling with labor shortages, can give you predictive insight into how your customersâ orders will be fulfilled.
With standards set by giants like Amazon, many customers expect next-day delivery, or at the very least, faster deliveries than they did a few years ago. This makes the entire process harder for the provider to fulfill, from logistics to the real work done by drivers and warehouse staff.
If a carrier is having significant difficulty fulfilling delivery speed expectations â or you operate in an industry where that turnaround time is key â this could be detrimental for your business.
Often, the part of the shipping process that puts the most strain on carriers is the last mile. It is the most expensive and time-consuming step in the journey, with more margin for error than during other steps. This is complicated further by the location of the delivery. Optimizing routes across sparse rural areas, spending time in thick urban congestion, or a driver struggling to find an address and safely deliver it, can be a big cash drain on the provider. Which may translate down the line to your invoice amount.
Increasingly, businesses and carriers alike are expected to provide reasonably transparent sustainability metrics, informing consumers of the goals and actions taken on a corporate level. This means itâs become increasing important to balance your budget to ensure maximum reduction of environmental impact.
As a business, if you choose a carrier that isnât taking this concern seriously, it may have an adverse effect on your brand.
Whether its labor, fuel, supplies, technology, or anything else, prices are on the rise; for you and your shipping provider. If youâre not diligent, the extra costs incurred by your provider could end up resulting in rate creep for you.
Knowing what obstacles your shipping provider faces is important for your own businessâ success. After all, the services they offer might make or break your customer satisfaction and reputation, among other things.
While power dynamics in the workplace are naturally going to result in tension now and again, the truth is, the majority of bosses are perceived as being fair by their employees. According to a recent study published by Pew Research Center, 55% of American workers âsaid their manager or supervisor is excellent or very good for which to work.âÂ
In this issue of the Pulse, weâre looking at the findings of this study.Â
How do workers see their bosses?Â
Pewâs study collected responses from 2,657 employed U.S. adults who have a manager or supervisor at work. The results shined a positive light on how this subset of the population feels about their superiors. As it turns out, most respondents would describe their bosses as:Â
Most workers also praised their bosses for:Â
Fewer than 20% would label their bosses as dismissive, unpredictable, aggressive, or arrogant.Â
Why is this important?Â
A bad boss can do a lot to increase employee turnover rates. Qualified talent is in demand, and many workers wonât tolerate operating under a boss who doesnât meet the criteria above. Moreover, turnover can cost companies an average of $15,000 USD per employee. Employees quitting over bad management is something every business should strive to avoid.  Â
In conclusionâŠÂ
Bad bosses arenât in the majority. At least most American workers donât seem to think so. Which goes to say, if you are experiencing working under a bad boss, that doesnât have to be the way things are. Â
A significant part of municipalitiesâ budgets goes towards local  waste disposal. Some municipalities have found a way to alleviate this expense; clear garbage bags.
Municipal enforcement of clear garbage bags, while controversial, have proven to be very effective in reducing waste sent to landfills, and therefore the cost to the municipality. One Ontario municipality found a reduction of 38% to its municipal solid waste curbside collection in the first year after the programâs launch. This number is consistent with or below the average found across several North American communities that have adopted this practice.
Is this practice realistic? Why does it work? In this article, we take a look.
While in every community where theyâve been implemented, clear garbage bag mandates have been a success, they lack widespread implementation due to public resistance. In some cases, so much so, that the mandates donât pass at all.
Residents tend to see clear bags as a privacy concern; with some municipal polls finding the split about 50-50 with those opposed versus those supporting the change. While garbage cans and bins are a potential solution for this, other municipalities have âopted to allow small opaque privacy bags within clear bags for private items.â
Some studies have found that clear bag policies can reduce a municipalityâs weekly waste by as much as nine tonnes. This isnât because the opacity of a bag suddenly changes how much waste a household produces. What the opacity changes is how much attention people pay to sorting their garbage, recycling, and compost.
Part of the concept behind clear bag policies is that if a certain percentage of the waste in the bag â as determined by the governing body behind the decision â is recyclable material, the bag will be rejected for pickup. This creates both tangible consequences to not sorting trash, as well as social pressure to adhere to best practices.
The Decision Lab describes this as a âgreen nudgeâ relying on âmoral pressure.â
âWhile you were free to try to dispose of your recycling by mixing it in with your garbage, you would both incur the inconvenience of the collectors not picking it up and the disapproval of your eco-conscious neighbors,â it explains.
For municipalities that are considering this waste and cost reduction strategy, knowing they may face public pushback, itâs important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
The two big no-brainer advantages are the environmental and fiscal benefits. Not only does the diversion of plastics from landfills to recycling facilities create fewer pollutants, itâs also extremely cost-effective, too. One city that implemented a clear-bag policy, St. Johnâs, found huge savings due to the reduced tonnage of municipal solid waste.
âThe city pays $82 for each tonne of garbage it brings to [the local landfill], while recyclables cost only $22 per tonne.â
On top of these factors, other advantages include:
However, some disadvantages to keep in mind are:
Clear garbage bag mandates can represent huge cost savings for municipalities. If they can get public support behind the initiative, this is a fantastic, sustainable option that cushions an otherwise potentially tight budget.
