Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

April 9th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

Having Your Smartphone Nearby Takes a Toll on Your Thinking"The results were striking: individuals who completed these tasks while their phones were in another room performed the best, followed by those who left their phones in their pockets. In last place were those whose phones were on their desks. We saw similar results when participants’ phones were turned off: people performed worst when their phones were nearby, and best when they were away in a separate room. Thus, merely having their smartphones out on the desk led to a small but statistically significant impairment of individuals’ cognitive capacity — on par with effects of lacking sleep."  www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]The results were striking: individuals who completed these tasks while their phones were in another room performed the best[/tweet_box]

Dial P for Privacy: The Phone Booth Is Back“There has rarely been a premium placed on privacy for American office workers,” Mr. Saval (Nikil Saval, the co-editor of n+1 magazine and the author of “Cubed: A Secret History Of The Workplace) said in a phone interview, noting that while cubicles cut down on visual distractions, “you still have to deal with noise, and noise travels pretty easily. It’s an incredibly common problem in open office plans.”

Added Mr. Saval: “The clearest instance of how much of a problem it is? People put on headphones all the time. Headphones have become the new walls. It’s also a signal: Don’t disturb me. Because you’re constantly surrounded by other people, and you’re cheek to jowl, just crammed in with other people.” www.nytimes.com

Life After Amazon: Why Whole Foods Will Not Become a 'Conventional Grocery Store'"...Whole Foods remains a bridge to mass retailers. The chain's product criteria are so rigorous that buyers from other companies view acceptance there as a badge of quality. The pack also looks to Whole Foods for merchandising trends. "In the eight months since we launched, I have sat in maybe 10 natural-channel chain meetings," says Hirshberg. "And they have all asked what Whole Foods is doing with us." www.inc.comWhat to Do If Calls, Texts, and Coworker Drop-bys Are Stressing You Out"As a time management coach, I’ve found that these reactions happen because one of the main keys to managing your own time is managing expectations with others. In a society where people have the ability to communicate instantly, a quick response can become an expectation. But it’s an expectation that we can’t always meet, especially when we’re trying to get work done. This gap between expectations and what we can actually do can lead to a lot of guilt, especially when it comes to the people closest to us. When left unaddressed, this guilt can manifest in a fight-or-flight response — we snap at people who interrupt or simply ignore attempts at connection.." www.hbr.orgAtlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'Pleased to be quoted in the piece: "“Atlanta's real estate industry is pinching itself to see if this market is real,” Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley said in an email. “Velocity in Atlanta's office market is at a torrid pace. There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!