And finally, the sun is shining!  We're struck by that most British of urges - to throw caution and our cardigans to the wind, and turn our faces to the light.   We find ourselves smiling at strangers in the street.  Our hearts swell a little at the crescendo of birdsong, heralding the arrival of spring!  Oh wait.  No.  No, that's not birdsong, actually.  That's the repeated pinging of your work phone.  It heralds not the onset of a new season, but of a new project.  It signals not the turning of the earth, but rather the turning of your planned evening into several hours of answering emails...

I remember it really well: a summer’s day in 2015.  The sunlight was streaming in through my kitchen window.  I was sitting at my kitchen table, cup of tea in hand, pondering if and when I’d be able to return to work…

Volunteering is a huge cultural phenomenon in the UK; in 2021/22, for example, 55% of people in England reported that they'd volunteered in the previous year, and 34% had volunteered at least once a month. That said, volunteering isn't just a one-sided undertaking - it can also be a way of acquiring new skills and experiences that you can carry across into your working life. In the immortal words of Bugsy Malone, "you give a little love, and it all comes back to you..."

Are you one of the ‘quiet quitters’, putting in minimal effort with your heart elsewhere? Are you frustrated that you’re not operating where you’re both passionate and proficient (see Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt)? Are you sick of your boss? Are your values out of kilter with your organisation? Are you returning to work after a career break and wary of stepping back in where you left off? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s probably time to act…

International Women's Day - one of our favourite days of the year!  It's the time when we all pause to look back at where we collectively started, cheer on our sisters who are running alongside us, and set our sights on the changes that still need to be made - here in the UK, and in other societies, where women may be facing different challenges. 

We caught up with Hannah Porteous-Butler, founder of The People Practice Group, to discuss how flexible working can be interpreted differently by employers and employees, what can be done to start closing that gap, and what she sees as the future of flexible working.

If, like us, you've been flip-flapping over whether you can face making pancakes for breakfast this morning, then you're in good company. But the frying pan-based struggle has sparked something of a debate in our office - and it's not about the merits of lemon juice vs maple syrup. A Latvian friend recently told me that when she was growing up, the first child in a family was referred to as "The First Pancake'. A little harsh, you might think, but probably true. The First Pancake is the one that makes you feel that you're learning as you go along. The one on which you practise and improve - a hotbed of trial and error. 

In many ways, your first interview after a career break, or a long stint with the same company, can feel quite similar. It's totally normal to feel a bit nervous. After all, it's a big step.