The restaurant business is notoriously competitive and often propelled by passing fads. But, first at the helm of Au Bon Pain, and then as the founder of Panera Bread, Ron Shaich managed to create an entirely new category of dining between fast food and table service and then dominate that market in the United States. He says the strategies that brought him success can be applied in any type of organization:  listen to and observe customers so you know what they want, create a truly differentiated offering, execute with excellence, and find the right opportunities to grow. He’s employed this playbook as an investor in newer ventures like Cava and Tatte, as well. Shaich wrote the book Know What Matters: Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations.

The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor and Jin Paik say these structural changes call for a reimagining of your talent strategy — one that is open to flexible, project-based work for talent inside or outside your organization — and they explain how to go about it. Winsor is the founder and chair of Open Assembly and an executive-in-residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. Paik is a cofounder and managing partner at the AI consultancy Altruistic and a visiting research scientist at Harvard Business School. Together, they wrote the book Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges and the HBR article "Do You Need an External Talent Cloud?"

It's been nearly two decades since the term "glass cliff" was coined; it refers to the tendency for women to break through the glass ceiling to top management roles only when there is a big crisis to overcome, which makes it more difficult for them to succeed. In short, senior female leaders are often set up to fail — and this continues to happen today, as recent examples from business, politics, and academia show. Sophie Williams, a former C-suite advertising executive and global leader at Netflix, has researched why the glass cliff remains a problem and offers advice for women facing them — as well as lessons for the broader corporate world. She's the author of the book "The Glass Cliff: Why Women in Power Are Undermined - and How to Fight Back."

The amount of work we need to get done seems to grow daily. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, we have to become more productive than ever. Laura Mae Martin has advice on what has worked well at one of the biggest organizations in the world. She's the Executive Productivity Advisor at Google and shares the practical ways she helps her colleagues and company executives manage their time, calendars, email inboxes, and more. Martin is the author of the new book Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing.

Managing technology has never been more challenging. HBR IdeaCast’s new special series, Tech at Work, offers research, stories, and advice to make technology work for you and your team. This week: how your team can get the most out of digital collaboration tools.

While most good bosses try to be fair and balanced with their direct reports, it's only human to prefer the company and work styles of some team members over others, and employees are keenly aware of those preferences. They see favorites and non-favorites, ingroups and outgroups -- and when those divisions fester, they can destroy team culture and performance. Ginka Toegel, professor at IMD Business School, explains why even well-intentioned managers succumb to favoritism, how workers on both sides are affected, and what we can do to both avoid and rectify the problem. Toegel is the coauthor of the HBR article "Stop Playing Favorites."

It's hard to imagine a more challenging work environment than the International Space Station. During her 24 years as a NASA astronaut, including a six-month stint on the ISS, Cady Coleman learned pivotal lessons about everything from managing stress and assessing risk to cross-cultural communication and navigating bias. She shares how the skills she picked up can be applied in all kinds of careers. Coleman is the author of the book Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission Wonder and Making Change.

We live in a world that seems more divisive and polarized than ever, and it’s common to describe this phenomenon as tribalism. But Michael Morris, professor at Columbia Business School, says that term is often misunderstood and that tribal instincts can in fact be very positive influences in society and at work. He uses the lens of cultural psychology to explain the deep-seated instincts behind the human need to join and identify as a group. And he breaks down how team managers and organizational leaders can leverage tribal instincts in positive ways strengthen workplace culture. Morris is the author of the new book Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together.

There was a time when business leaders and managers didn't worry so much about psychology or other social science research. Malcolm Gladwell's writing played a big role in changing that. His popular exploration of tipping points — the phenomenon where small, incremental actions can suddenly fuse into a full-blown social behavior — brought research insights to life and made them mainstream. Now he's revisiting tipping points, this time looking at how they can be used for damaging results. In this episode, HBR editor in chief Adi Ignatius speaks to Gladwell about how the author’s ideas have changed, the importance of social science and journalism in today's world of virality, and the unexpected ways leaders should consider human behavior. Gladwell is the author of the new book Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering.

Universal Consulting Opportunities (UCO), a subsidiary of Stellar MLS, has announced an agreement with Arab MLS to enhance its real estate practices across the Arab region and beyond. UCO will advise Arab MLS to further drive efficiency, transparency, user experience and the way people connect with properties, starting with Egypt, Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and…

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Staged listing photos have been an effective—and expensive—tool meant to pique the interest of inquiring home seekers. But given the ever-growing landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in real estate, that hurdle could soon be a thing of the past.  At least, that is where things are headed for Palazzo, an AI-driven interior design platform that…

The post Startup Palazzo Seeing Success Expanding Its Virtual Staging Offering to Brokers appeared first on RISMedia.

CRS Data—a provider of property tax data in the U.S. and Canada—has announced the launch of its data compliance solution: ListingIntegrity. ListingIntegrity ensures superior data quality in today’s real estate landscape, creating a source of partnership and dependability for MLSs, brokerages and agents.  “Our goal is to create steadfast and trusted ways to serve the…

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The Functional Fabric Fair Fall 2024, on Nov 19-21 at Portland’s Oregon Convention Center, showcases sustainable innovations for 2025/2026 with 300+ suppliers. Highlights include the Bodywear Collective, Trend Forum, Design Lab, and expert panels on colorisation. Networking events, a Sustainability Lounge, and the TurboDry Bash enhance opportunities for collaboration and industry insights.

Buffini & Company is launching a new training program for real estate professionals to win business as they face the new rules of real estate. The company stated the new Certified Full-Service Professional (CFSP) designation training program is aimed at helping real estate professionals attract and keep customers, communicate their unique selling proposition and stand…

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Real estate and technology industry veterans Danielle Wilkie and Heather Frick have announced the launch of The Helm—a coaching platform powered by trusted female minds in real estate.  The Helm addresses a need for a more distinct coaching platform tailored to fit the occupational needs of seasoned female professionals within the real estate industry, as…

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Suominen Corporation has reported Q3 2024 net sales of €111.6 million (~$120.53 million), up from €106.4 million YoY. The company suffered a net loss of €3.2 million (~$3.4 million) due to operational challenges. YTD sales reached €343.8 million (~$370.9 million), and the company expects a full-year EBITDA increase. Sustainability efforts earned Suominen a Gold Medal from EcoVadis.

Burberry has introduced its first virtual scarf try-on experience in its ‘Wrapped in Burberry’ holiday campaign. Partnering with AR provider WANNA, the immersive experience lets customers view iconic Burberry scarves in real-time, with over 50 styles and two classic options. Available online and in select stores, customers can share images and directly access product pages for purchases.

Maria kicks off a series on how to choose a planner to get you organized in the new year!

The A5 planner world has a new player for 2016 with the introduction of the completely customizable Simple Stories Carpe Diem planner.

Bangladesh’s export earnings in October this year grew by 20.6 per cent YoY, fetching $4.13 billion. From July to October this year, exports grew by 10.8 per cent YoY to reach $15.79 billion. The readymade garments (RMG) sector contributed $12.81 billion to export earnings during the four-month period. In October, the RMG sector generated $3.30 billion in export revenues—a 22.8 per cent YoY increase.

The 2024 Laureus Sport for Good Index honours brands advancing the 17 SDGs through sport, highlighting impactful initiatives that address key social and ecological issues. Head of Partnerships Astin Ewington emphasises the Index’s role in showcasing sport's power to drive positive change, inspiring more brands to use sport as a platform for meaningful, sustainable impact.

Seventy-four per cent of online products in the UK feature green claims, averaging 2.9 claims per product, according to BRC and Provenance research. Nature-related claims were most prevalent, while carbon-related claims were few. To support compliance, BRC and Provenance are launching Retailer Green Claims Forum, promoting transparency in green marketing.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released its annual inflation adjustments for tax year 2025. Detailed information about the adjustments and changes to the over 60 tax provisions impacting taxpayers can be found in Revenue Procedure 2024-40. The adjustments described below generally apply to income tax returns that will be filed in 2026 for tax...

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To me, the gaming market is a lot like the EDC market: It's fascinating to see what developmental lengths people will go to, to push the UX of some object with highly specific functions. A case in point is this Elitech Protean Space Quick Control Swap Gaming System.

The idea behind it, is that gamers have multiple task-dependent UI's on their desks: A keyboard for typing, a joystick and throttle for playing flight simulators, a steering wheel and a shifter for driving games. For gaming accuracy these need to be mounted, and juggling the mounts is apparently a hassle. So what this design does is, provide a modular platform on which to securely attach different controllers.

The heart of the system is this keyboard base, with two wings.

The keyboard base slides rearwards, revealing aluminum channels.

The wing pieces can be slid towards each other along these channels, adjusted to your preferred width.

The "X" in the top of the wings is stainless steel. This allows you to attach magnetic controllers.

Furthermore, there are clamping attachments that allow you to attach a steering wheel and shifter.

Thus the gamer can quickly achieve the set-up that they want:

This isn't yet in production; the developer is planning a crowdfunding campaign.

Here's a strange pairing of objects, from Chinese manufacturer Olight. Their Baton 4 Premium Edition is a tiny LED flashlight—less than 2.5" long--that comes with its own charging case.

Despite its tiny size, the Baton 4 has a 1,300-lumen output, and the company claims it can throw its beam 170 meters (558'). Though the press image isn't so aspirational.

The charging case, which can double as a powerbank, has a built-in 5000mAh battery; the company says it can fully charge the Baton 4 up to five times, providing 190 days of runtime.

The fanatical EDC crowd loves flashlights, stashing stuff inside other stuff, and charging longevity. This object seems tailor-made to scratch all three of those itches.

These run $95.

The message from Autodesk and the many companies that presented and exhibited at Autodesk University (AU) last month in San Diego was clear: for the product design and manufacturing (D&M), architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AECO), and media and entertainment (M&E) industries, AI is a driving force behind productivity.

Autodesk University Mainstage

Data, data, data

AI-driven productivity is customized to the specific needs of each industry, with various generative and multimodal AI models providing solutions for tasks like workflow optimization, manufacturing quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and design visualization. However, the value of AI across these sectors—and beyond—is determined by the quantity and quality of data used.

Quantity matters because more data enables AI systems to learn and improve. Quality, however, is more complex. It requires obtaining relevant data, ensuring data accuracy, and verifying that data usage complies with ethical standards.

Dell demonstrated how their workstations can run generative AI 3D content with NVIDIA Edify trained on Shutterstock ethically sourced content.

Customers are key

The importance of AI and data was evident throughout AU, with presentations and product demonstrations highlighting customer-centric solutions. Hardware providers showcased high-performance workstations equipped with powerful processors, optimized to support AI workloads. Meanwhile, data and asset management providers emphasized AI’s capabilities in extracting valuable information, managing metadata, and monitoring workflows in real time.

Lenovo displayed next generation workstations designed with a customer-centric focus. Partnering with Intel®, NVIDIA and Aston Martin, they offer high-end graphics, memory and processing power.

Autodesk’s Design & Manufacturing team showcased how they are addressing their customers' needs by delivering AI-powered efficiencies through Fusion, a cloud-based, unified platform for design and manufacturing. They also introduced Project Bernini, a research initiative focused on a new approach to generative AI. Unlike many generative models that prioritize the appearance of 3D objects, Bernini emphasizes generating structural 3D data from the inside out, which aligns closely with real-world production needs.

Experimental research project Bernini model generates shape and texture separately and does not confuse or meld those variables.

AI provides a wide range of possibilities based on industry-specific needs. For entertainment and gaming, AI can generate lifelike product and character models, while in manufacturing and design, it lays the foundation for real-world production. With tools like Fusion and research projects like Bernini, Autodesk aims to empower creators and makers to leverage AI for both efficiency and innovation.

The Formlabs User Summit, the company's annual 3D printing user conference, starts tomorrow at 9am ET. The company's SLS and SLA printers will be on-show, along with industry folks discussing the impact of 3D printing across a variety of industries.

The event will feature a keynote presentation with Formlabs CEO Maxim Lobovsky and aerospace engineer and renowned YouTube influencer Tom Stanton. Other key speakers will include:

- Nihat Isitman, Senior Materials Engineer at Apple

- Matthais Shulz, Technologist for AM Polymer Series Manufacturing at Brose

- Patrick Marr, Senior Director of Prototype Development at Hasbro

The free event will be livestreamed on YouTube. You can register to watch it here.

This Mambapod was invented by Taiwanese photography accessory company Silence Corner.

It's a mini tripod that can also be used on non-flat surfaces, thanks to an innovative feature in one of the legs. Two small jaws can be unfolded from the leg, and dialed towards each other by rotating a handle at the bottom of the leg, essentially becoming an F-style clamp.

Alternately, just one of the jaws can be flipped out and used as a hook.

The clamping arrangement provides a lot more security than bendy legs, allowing you to hang your expensive SLR or smartphone in precarious places.

The Mambapod is a hit on Kickstarter, with over $200K in pledges at press time and 25 days left to pledge. Pricing starts at $129.

There have now been four or five years of huge ocean freight rate volatility, according to Drewry, which has cautioned its customers to expect little change in 2025, likely the fifth year in a row of high volatility. Shippers need to be aware that the shipping industry will continue to be disrupted and there are risks and a need for contingency plans and active vendor management, cautions Drewry.

TESTEX has launched the TESTEX MICROPLASTIC label, setting a new standard for reducing textile microplastic emissions. Using advanced LDIR technology, the label certifies textiles tested for particle emissions per ISO standards. As a member of The Microfibre Consortium, TESTEX collaborates on reducing fibre fragmentation, sharing data to support sustainability goals by 2030.

China’s latest fiscal announcements seem aimed at addressing medium-term structural impediments to economic growth from strained local government finances, but are unlikely to immediately boost or offset deflationary risk, Fitch Ratings said. It expects a budget deficit of 7.1 per cent of GDP this year. It believes fiscal stimulus will remain incremental and responsive to downside risks.

Anders was recognized on Missouri Lawyers Media’s 2021 Reader Rankings list for Forensic Accounting Providers. As one of the top three firms honored on the list, Anders was nominated and selected by the readers of Missouri Lawyers Media in an annual ranking of top businesses and firms in the legal profession. The Anders Forensic and...

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We all know that the past year has driven innovation throughout the economy. As business conditions shifted in early 2020, innovators across the globe were forced to use any means to keep their organization open. The digital transformation we have seen in our society over the past year is not going away anytime soon, so it’s important for leaders and visionaries...

The post 10 Ways to Automate Business Processes Using a Tool You Already Have: Microsoft Power Platform appeared first on Anders CPA.

Report on the latest statistical data regarding risky behavior among youth.

Report on the latest smoke-free laws that are affecting public places.

Data regarding the disparities with tobacco-related cancer incidences and death from 2004 until 2013.

Amanda Manley got a job at Tesla for $19 an hour and quickly became a die-hard employee, but she now says working there is not for the faint of heart.

Google's new Learn About tool offers an interactive approach to learning about topics, including heady questions like whether money buys happiness.

What if you could work on your computer, but your computer was on your face? I'm not convinced this is Apple Vision Pro's killer app.

Younger Americans are moving to rural areas, with large increases in Colorado, Texas, Montana, and the Southeast.

A Spirit Airlines flight diverted after being shot on approach to Haiti. JetBlue and American flights were also found to have been struck by bullets.

The Japanese conglomerate was part of an investment round unveiled by OpenAI last month that valued the ChatGPT maker at $157 billion.

These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. Mortgage rates remain elevated thanks to uncertainty around how inflation will trend in the coming years.

NFSA brings restored classic Proof back to the big screen at MIFF

Peter FitzSimons to discuss race relations in Australia at the NFSA

Vietnam War classic The Odd Angry Shot digitally restored for Canberra premiere

It has been estimated that by 2024, consumer retail spend via chatbots worldwide will reach $142 billion?up from $2.8 billion in 2019

Obtaining contextual knowledge about how users create and interact with unstructured data is an essential business practice to plan for data storms effectively. Enterprises need to understand that it's not enough to know these user activities but also must take remediation action when necessary.

Multinational companies are generally aware of data transfer laws, but smaller ones just embarking on looking beyond country borders may not be.

Ahead of the KMWorld 2024 conference in Washington DC, Ville Somppi, senior vice president, industry solutions, M-Files, and Gabriel Karawani, co-founder, Atlas by ClearPeople, joined KMWorld's special TechTalk: Top Trends to Catch at KMWorld 2024