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The IT industry has long ceased to be solely about technical work and an analytical approach. The arrival of agile software development[1] introduced a markedly different way of working—one that requires a far broader range of skills than ever before. According to the Agile Manifesto, businesspeople and developers should work together daily throughout the project. Face-to-face conversation is the most effective and efficient way to convey information in agile development. Yet interpersonal relationships are often undervalued in IT…

Stress is an unavoidable part of our lives today. But is that necessarily a bad thing? There are two basic types of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress comes from perceiving a demanding situation positively—it stimulates better performance and helps increase productivity. Distress, by contrast, occurs when we perceive pressure negatively. Its consequences may include insomnia, migraines, a knotted stomach or chronic fatigue. Yet these symptoms are not caused directly by stress, but by the body’s negative response…

The world came to a standstill. No one was prepared for what would unfold over the next few months. Services account for 70% of the Czech economy, and many had to transform their operations substantially or suspend them altogether. We face severe restrictions; medium-sized companies have laid off employees, unemployment is rising and more and more businesses are closing for good. Yet economist Tomáš Sedláček says we can fall a long way and still keep functioning. But what will that look like in practice? Surrounded by media that produce predominantly negative news…

The Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and the legendary Flying Circus might never have existed without effective brainstorming. How did Monty Python’s creative process work? In one talk, John Cleese told the audience that their early brainstorming sessions were more like a contest for the best idea. Everyone arrived with a finished concept and wanted to push it through at all costs. They soon realised, however, that creating together was far more productive—and that was how their…

Very few people have never encountered procrastination. Putting tasks off until the last possible moment causes unnecessary stress and also has a damaging effect on how effectively you work. But what causes procrastination? We tend to procrastinate when faced with a demanding task we do not particularly want to start. Another possible cause is decision paralysis: a state in which we are unable to choose how to carry out a task…