Welcome to edition #26 of Vivowire, the Workvivo newsletter. This week, weâre talking Christopher Nolan, Eight Legged Freaks, and Shaun of the Dead.
Letâs run for our lives jump in!đ
This Weekâs Top 3 Thumbstoppers
1. A Workday Christopher Nolan Would Be Proud Of
TL/DR: If Non-linear workdays are having a positive impact on productivity. If Chris Nolan was a nine-to-five guy instead of a film-making millionaire, heâd be in his element.
Flexible working is a massive priority for people at the moment, but flexibility is subjective. For some, it might mean getting to choose where they do their work, whether thatâs at home, in the office or from another location altogether. For others, it could manifest as taking an extended lunch to go the gym.
And for Christoper Nolan, director of such movies as Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and Tenet (2020), days that donât follow a specific schedule or pattern are probably his love language.
But Chris isnât alone, according tothis article from the BBC; the non-linear workday is becoming more popular as employees gain more control over their work hours.
âEmployees in this arrangement can do their jobs outside the traditional rigid nine-to-five block, often whenever works best for them,â the article says. âWhile working asynchronously â keeping different hours to colleagues â workers can complete tasks in flexible, focused bursts scattered throughout their day.
âThe idea is employees can craft work schedules around their personal lives, rather than cram life into fixed, contracted hours.â
Maybe Leonard Shelby, the protagonist played by Guy Pearce in Nolanâs 2000 film Memento, would have found this style of work far more feasible. As a man who has lost the ability to form new memories and is piecing his life back together through a jumble of past experiences, the only way he can make sense of the world is through non-linear narratives. (A theme Chris Nolan revisits in many of his movies â particularly in Tenet, which is one of the worst films Iâve ever seen.)
Non-linear workdays might seem like a new concept, but they actually existed before industrialization. Now, the accessibility of asynchronous work and reshuffled employee priorities have led to their resurgence.
Weâre all for it, but maybe take a leaf out of Leonardâs book and keep some polaroids and post-it notes nearby.
2. Four Reasons Giant Spiders Toxic Bosses Stay in Power
TL/DR: Toxicity is bad news whether youâre a small mining town in Arizona or an employee at the mercy of a narcissistic boss.
The enemies in Eight Legged Freaks (2002) are spiders that have grown to gigantic sizes after being exposed to toxic waste. I canât say whether toxic leaders share the same origins, but one thing is certain: when we donât fight back, they grow in number.
Unfortunately, unlike the giant spiders from Mars in Eight Legged Freaks, toxic bosses arenât vulnerable to perfume. But there are warning signs that we can look out for and mistakes we can avoid, says psychologist Ronald Riggio in this CNBC article.
âWell, spiders have a highly developed sense of smell. The perfume might confuse them.â
Donât mistake arrogance and narcissism for strength: A narcissistic boss believes theyâre always right and that can make us view them as competent
Donât fall into âcognitive lazinessâ: Try to remember that your boss isnât above the rules and that you have the right to challenge them
Donât always equate good results with good leadership: Forget the idea that the ends justifies the means and that collateral damage is inevitable in the journey to success
Donât be wooed by the power of association: Distance yourself instead of feeding into your bossâs bad traits to get on their good side
Hide in the town mall and barricade the doors against a giant tarantula
So if youâre getting ready for another workday under a toxic boss, donât waste your Chanel No. 5; try to avoid the four traps employees tend to fall into instead.
And in case it needs to be said: donât let them near any toxic waste. Otherwise they might become huge and try to eat your Aunt Gladys.
3. The Local Pub: A New Place To Work (and Hide From Zombies)
TL/DR: Continuing with our spooky stories this October, weâre turning to the Winchester Tavern, which might just be the perfect place to work from (or shelter during a zombie apocalypse).
Just when you thought youâd escaped the growing list of work-related acronyms, weâre coming to your inbox with the latest addition: WFP.
Our final thumbstopper this week is an article in The Guardian that highlights the ongoing migration of workers from their homes to the pub. (So blame them for the new acronym, not us đ.)
âAcross the UK, watercooler chat is giving way to bar banter as laptop workers migrate into their local boozers,â the article says.
The shift isnât because employees want to sip at a pint while they work â though no judgement from us if thatâs your prerogative!
And thankfully, itâs not because theyâre a Crouch End electronics salesperson seeking refuge inside their local pub, the Winchester, like in Shaun of the Dead (2004).
In reality, itâs a growing trend because of rising energy costs, which are pushing people to find places to work outside of their homes, and pubs to find new ways to pay their own bills.
In fact, pubs in the UK are even offering WFP deals. Brewhouse and Kitchen, for example, has opened up a âworkspace optionâ that costs ÂŁ10 a day. It includes WiFi, quiet spots, power sockets, unlimited hot and cold drinks, and printing.
The deal doesnât mention any further costs around protection during a zombie outbreak, but at least you wonât get kicked out for occupying a table all day and buying the cheapest thing on the menu to appease the owners.
Keep an eye out for WFP deals in your area and you might save some money this winter. For the best value possible, I recommend looking for places that also have reinforced locks on the doors â you never know when a zombie apocalypse might kick off. (Learn from Edâs mistake and leave the fruit machine alone.)
đ 41% of workers want more recognition from immediate peers (Quantum)
đ€ 78% say CDOs more important now than they were in 2020 (Korn Ferry)
đ€Ż 83% of workers have seen or experienced quiet firing (CNBC)
Final Thought
Thatâs all from us at Vivowire this week. If youâre reading this on your laptop in a pub, slĂĄinte!
If youâre reading this on your laptop in a pub while zombies and giant spiders move in from all sides, cut your losses and go find David Arquette and Simon Pegg. Theyâre your only hope now, since weâll be taking the Christoper Nolan approach and jumping backwards in time/through space/into dreams to dodge that mess.
