Skip to main content

Zen and the art of increasing productivity

Aug 15 2005 by Brian Amble
Print This Article

With absenteeism costing Britain £12.2 billion a year, firms are coming up with ever more creative ways to reduce stress, improve morale and increase productivity, writes Nicole Martin in the Daily Telegraph.

Paintballing is passe, white-water rafting is washed out and bonding exercises in the Lake District are now over the hill: the latest technique to motivate staff involves lessons on the meaning of life and unblocking a toilet.

Companies are offering lunch-time courses on "pre-natal preparation" for expectant parents, "man's interaction with the planet" for amateur astronomers and "the universal truths about life" for white-collar existentialists.

Daily Telegraph | Firms offer staff lessons on the meaning of life

Latest book reviews

MORE BOOK REVIEWS

Super Adaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm

Super Adaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm

Max McKeown

Max Mckeown's heavyweight new book draws from neuroscience, psychology and cultural evolution to develop a practical framework for human adaptability.

Why Start-ups Fail: Avoiding the Traps on the Path to Commercial Success

Why Start-ups Fail: Avoiding the Traps on the Path to Commercial Success

Bernie Bulkin

Arouind nine out of 10 startups fail, but as Bernie Bulkin argues in his new book, many of these failures are preventable. Exploring the major reasons why start-ups fail and how to avoid them, this book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.

The Confidence Myth

The Confidence Myth

Ginka Toegel

How can women leaders break free from gendered perceptions? Professor Ginka Toegel’s new book challenges the narrative that female leaders lack confidence or that women need to "fix" themselves, arguing for a fundamental shift in how organisations recognise and reward competence.