Posts in "imported"

Link: The problem with being a long-term expat

Karen, a British citizen now in Malaysia, who prefers to be known only by her first name because her husband works for a large multinational, recalls their 22 years on the road became more difficult as their children got older. Both are now at university in the UK. Having never lived in Malaysia, they don’t see it as home, and their actual home in Europe is rented out. “Their home is out of a suitcase,” Karen says.

Link: The problem with being a long-term expat

Karen, a British citizen now in Malaysia, who prefers to be known only by her first name because her husband works for a large multinational, recalls their 22 years on the road became more difficult as their children got older. Both are now at university in the UK. Having never lived in Malaysia, they don’t see it as home, and their actual home in Europe is rented out. “Their home is out of a suitcase,” Karen says.

Programming your organization for loonshots

Here’s an an idea for a formula for figuring out how much innovation an organization will do. I never know how good math is for this kind of thing, but it adds structure to programming an organization to be innovative, rather than career advancement seeking: In organizations, the competing forces can be described as “stake in outcome” versus “perks of rank.” When employees feel they have more to gain from the group’s collective output, that’s where they invest their energy.

Americans smile a lot

Just as it is easy to misinterpret the reason for an icebreaker activity, it’s easy to mistake certain social customs of Americans that might suggest strong personal connections where none are intended. For example, Americans are more likely than those from many cultures to smile at strangers and to engage in personal discussions with people they hardly know. Others may interpret this “friendliness” as an offer of friendship. Later, when the Americans don’t follow through on their unintended offer, those other cultures often accuse them of being “fake” or “hypocritical.

Link: Banking apps over banker handshakes

There is an old-timey model in which the key elements of banking are, like, having a local branch, looking customers in the eye and giving them a hearty handshake, knowing their parents, etc. But in modern banking the importance of having a website and a payments app and, uh, “keeping track of customer deposits” is relatively higher, and the handshaking is relatively less important. For big banks, this means that they are increasingly and self-consciously becoming tech companies, building apps and hiring developers and blathering about blockchain.

Link: Banking apps over banker handshakes

There is an old-timey model in which the key elements of banking are, like, having a local branch, looking customers in the eye and giving them a hearty handshake, knowing their parents, etc. But in modern banking the importance of having a website and a payments app and, uh, “keeping track of customer deposits” is relatively higher, and the handshaking is relatively less important. For big banks, this means that they are increasingly and self-consciously becoming tech companies, building apps and hiring developers and blathering about blockchain.

Link: Dutch now pay more on housing, healthcare and energy than before the crisis: ING

In 2017 basic needs such as housing, healthcare, food and energy accounted for 41 percent of household spending, compared to 36 percent in 2008. Housing and maintenance in particular became a relatively larger cost item, increasing from 19.5 percent in 2008 to 23.7 percent in 2017. Healthcare accounted for 3.8 percent of household spending in 2017, compared to 3.1 percent in 2008. Households also spent a larger portion of their income on food and non-alcoholic beverage, increasing from 10.

Link: Dutch now pay more on housing, healthcare and energy than before the crisis: ING

In 2017 basic needs such as housing, healthcare, food and energy accounted for 41 percent of household spending, compared to 36 percent in 2008. Housing and maintenance in particular became a relatively larger cost item, increasing from 19.5 percent in 2008 to 23.7 percent in 2017. Healthcare accounted for 3.8 percent of household spending in 2017, compared to 3.1 percent in 2008. Households also spent a larger portion of their income on food and non-alcoholic beverage, increasing from 10.