Ranks of "to be helpful, accommodating and polite" and "a tendency to jump in and fix problems, even when they aren't theirs" on the list of the top-five reasons people attribute for their overgrown personal and professional to-do lists, according to a study from researchers at VitalSmarts: 1, 2
Ranks of "ambiguous limits and unclear rules about which tasks to accept or reject," "working with those in authority who make non-negotiable demands" and "inability to say 'no' or renegotiate commitments" on the list: 3, 4, 5
Source: VitalSmarts.
Percentage of employees at the United Nations who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace (approximately 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men reported harassment), according to an online survey conducted by auditing and consulting firm Deloitte: 33
Percentage who claimed they were subjected to sexual stories or offensive jokes: 14
Percentage who say they have been touched in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable: 10
Source: Deloitte.
Percentage of individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 in 27 countries who are part of the gig and sharing economies, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's 2018/2019 Global Report, sponsored by Babson College, Universidad Del Desarrollo and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation: 6
Ranks of South Korea (21.5 percent), Israel (12.3 percent), Chile (11.2 percent), Ireland (10.9 percent) and the United States (10.8 percent) on the list of nations with populations most actively involved in gig/sharing economic activities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
Percentage of CEOs who feel it is important to lead with gratitude, according to a survey by professional relationship-building management system THNKS: 90
Percentage who believe their employees would give them high marks for doing so: 88
Percentage of the employees who indicated they are satisfied with the level of gratitude expressed in their workplace: 37
Source: Thnks.
Percentage of people who would break up with their significant other if he or she spent money irresponsibly, according to a WalletHub survey: 46
Percentage of people who say irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath: 40
Percentage who would not marry someone with bad credit: 53
Source: WalletHub.
Percentage of U.S. farm products that are exported each year, according to America's Diverse Family Farms: 25
Percentage of U.S. farms that market foods locally through direct-to-consumer or intermediate sales: 8
Source: American Farm Bureau Federation.
Percentage of professional investors who said that they expect a recession within the next 24 months, according to a new Boston Consulting Group article based on a survey of portfolio managers and buy- and sell-side analysts: 73
Percentage of investors who said that they are bullish about the market's potential over the next 12 months, down from nearly a half a year ago: 33
Percentage who are calling for companies to focus on long-term value creation: 82
Source: Boston Consulting Group.
Percentage of millennials (ages 18 to 37) who foresee an improved personal financial state in 2019, compared to just 35 percent of those who are older, according to research by Quest Diagnostics: 59
Percentage of those who think their finances will improve this year who believe it will be because they will make more money at work, compared to those who anticipate having less debt (38 percent) or making more money from savings and investments (17 percent): 52
Source: Bankrate.com.
Percentage of millennials who have engaged in "bleisure" (combined business and leisure) travel in the past, according to a survey by National Car Rental: 90
Percentage of millennials who say they've extended business travel into a leisure trip or scheduled a vacation around business travel to save on vacation costs: 49
Across generations, percentage of those who engage in bleisure travel who say they are satisfied with their quality of life, compared to 75 percent of non-bleisure travelers: 93
Source: National Car Rental.
Percentage of small business owners who spend roughly one day a week or more on administrative human resources issues, according to a study conducted by Oasis: 45
Percentage of owners and managers of businesses that have been in operation for 10 or fewer years who spend six to 10 hours a week: 35
When asked what they most disliked about managing people, percentage of respondents who said "employees having personal issues that can conflict with work": 41
Source: Oasis.
Idle Thought
"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -- E. M. Forster, novelist (1879-1970)
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)