Newsletter #37: Productivity, Working With A Purpose, Goodbye Windows7

Jason
February 15, 2021
Hello

Welcome to this weeks newsletter and our thoughts on various topics, not least …. “are businesses still using Windows 7?”

BTW … we have lots of new content due for release on the CTO Academy platform during September so, we’re keen to hear about any particular management/softer skills issues you’d like us to cover with future lectures.

In the meantime, enjoy the read and of course, have a wonderful weekend. 

Andrew Weaver
CTO Academy
[email protected]

BlinkList and other Productivity Apps

I am a latecomer to an app called Blinklist, in fact I only downloaded the app this week and have become an immediate convert.

To those unfamiliar with Blinklist it’s a “professional book summary service that allows you to understand the key insights from the world’s best non-fiction books in 15 minutes or less“.

Now I’m a purist when it comes to books. I love the sight and smell of bookcases and nothing gives me greater pleasure than ploughing through 700 pages of a fascinating biography however, time is never your friend in senior management and

I’m finding Blinklist really helpful in nailing the key messages from various management books, it’s useful to go back to ones you’ve read before and have a very quick refresh – from Blinklist themselves, “Why all CEO’s love Blinklist”

At senior management level, productivity is a massive issue because time and tasks can become overwhelming.  
This article looks at 11 productivity apps that can help you manage both more effectively.

Why Would Someone Work For You?

Much has been made about shifts in how and where we work.

Remote working, co-working and the lurking impact of automation are regularly in the news as symbols of a shifting landscape at work but so too, is the emphasis that increasing numbers of companies and employees place on seeking a greater purpose for what they do.

There are lots of “best companies to work for” lists. Forbes in the US and The Sunday Times in the UK being the most obvious to our knowledge. We also spotted a recent “Best Tech Companies” list.

But measurement of purpose has not always been central to their calculations of what makes a good company to work for.

Escape the City is a UK based company we know well and have followed closely over the years.

Last night in London was the launch of their own “100 best companies to escape to” which focused on purpose, an increasingly important factor for you to consider when you’re in the process of trying to attract top talent.


Book of the Week – Mediation for Creativity

Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by filmmaker David Lynch describes his personal methods of capturing and working with ideas and the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation.

We’re all looking for ways to stimulate those creative juices. I haven’t tried meditation myself but this book might just nudge me in that direction.

 

Windows 7 End Of Life … Or Maybe Not?

Less than five months until Microsoft officially stop issuing free patches for Windows 7 and yet, millions of PCs rely on it.

Seems remarkable that so many people and businesses are still using an operating system from 10+ years ago but the fact they are is probably why Microsoft appear set to continue supporting users after the January deadline.  

 

CTO Academy: Future Course Material

We have a batch of new lectures due for release during the next couple of weeks, to include;

– Why customer support matters for tech leaders
– Futurology and the CTO
– Linkedin profiles for you and your company
– An introduction to equity crowdfunding
– Podcast : Why mindset matters

Some of these topics were specifically requested by members of the CTO Academy community so, if there’s a management or softer skills topic you’d like us to cover and drill into more deeply, email any suggestions to [email protected]

Quote of the week

Never pick a solution based on the technology. The parity is so tight. Pick the one your team is excited about and what aligns the most with what you want to do” – Joe Eames

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