Enhancing and developing your skills as a business professional requires staying on top of business news, advice and relevant topics.
One of the best ways to do this is through books, podcasts and shows. Expanding a world-view and hearing from those in different business sectors can provide insights for your own personal and professional development.
As we enter the first quarter of the financial year, it is a time to reflect on successes and improvements. We round up our favourite things to watch, listen and read to help you prepare for the year ahead.
Watch
If you are a parent, Netflix’s Workin’ Moms is a truth-telling comedy that finds the humour amid the stress of trying to maintain a work-life balance. The series depicts a group of friends coping with the challenges of being working mothers and dealing with difficult situations in fast-paced and competitive workplaces. Pushing the stereotypes of working parents seen in many sitcoms, the show is a genuine portrayal of working parents trying to balance it all.
The full series is available on Netflix
For many of us, procrastination is a common problem and can be difficult to overcome. In an appearance at TedxNewcastle, Dr Fuschia Sirois- a professor in Health and Social Psychology at Durham University- explains why we procrastinate, the toll it can take and what you can do to reduce procrastination. For those in business, procrastination can reduce output and the quality of work. Using psychological tools, Dr Sirois helps to navigate and reduce the effects of procrastination which can in turn help to improve your working life.
Find the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTEPNxx0MsA
Listen
North East businesswoman, Sophie Milliken, hosts the popular Beyond the Bio podcast- a business podcast that helps you to raise your own business profile. As the Founder and CEO of successful social media company, Moja, Sophie is well-versed in PR and social media. In each episode, Sophie and industry expert guests cover topics such as award entries, PR, public speaking and social media. Aimed to support everyone in business from the start-ups to fully-fledged business people, the podcasts helps to get you known in your industry.
Beyond the Bio is available wherever you get your podcasts.
Trying to navigate the news in the current climate can be difficult, with so much fake news to wade through. BBC Radio 4’s podcast, The Today Podcast, helps listeners navigate the latest big news stories and get to the truth of the stories. Hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, the weekly podcast explores a variety of news stories from politics to culture and everything in between. With special guests such as Alistair Campbell, Stephen Fry and Esther Rantzen, the podcast is insightful and gets to the root of the biggest stories each week.
The Today Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts.
Read
The latest non-fiction book to climb the charts is Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.
The New York Times bestselling author’s latest book details a philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment whilst avoiding overload. In a busy modern world, it can be easy to fall into the trap of ‘overworking’, with lengthy task lists and endless meetings. With many in business on the edge of a burnout, Cal’s new book explores how to reduce the risk of burnout using the method of slow productivity, a more sustainable alternative that can boost companies’ workflow by reprioritising just what is important in business and helping to find meaningful accomplishment for directors and staff alike.
Available to buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slow-Productivity-Accomplishment-Without-Burnout/dp/0593544854
Morgan Housel’s bestseller, The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness, is a collection of 19 stories exploring the strange ways people think about money. Personal finance can be complicated but Housel’s accessible guide to managing your money helps readers to navigate their finances. Investments, business decisions and taxes are typically thought of as a maths-based subject, but in the real world, financial decisions aren’t made on spreadsheets but rather at the kitchen table, in boardrooms and in meetings. Multiple external factors such as pride, ego, marketing and emotions can affect how you manage your money and Housel’s guide helps you to better understand why financial management is so vital.
Available to buy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-psychology-of-money/morgan-housel/9780857197689
