As a tech entrepreneur who built my business before, during and since the pandemic, I’ve seen the shift that every business owner and organisation has seen.

The shift from office working, to remote working, to hybrid working, and now to somewhere in between. So, while organisations still grapple with how best to approach remote working and every organisation takes a different approach to it, there are some common themes that consistently crop up in conversations.

The flexibility around remote working undoubtedly has its advantages, and yet at the same time it has also introduced significant challenges – many of which are quietly eroding productivity, work-life balance, and employee well-being. And it’s these challenges which have led me to starting my new venture, namely, uRoutine. A venture focused on supporting people and organisations and giving them more structure, support, routine and accountability in an increasingly chaotic world.

Remote Working and Its Impact

The pandemic accelerated a move towards remote working that nobody was quite prepared for. While the freedom to work from anywhere was initially celebrated, it soon became clear that the lack of routine was taking its toll. Without the natural structure of the office – think commutes, coffee breaks, and set working hours – many people found themselves working longer hours with fewer boundaries. In fact, while it may not seem like a lot, research from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the average workday increased by 48.5 minutes post-pandemic. Many would argue, I believe rightly so, that this is leading to higher stress levels and burnout.

The lack of separation between work and home has caused serious issues for employees, even the ones who celebrate remote working. A study by the Royal Society for Public Health revealed that 67% of remote workers felt less connected to their colleagues, while 56% reported increased levels of anxiety and stress. Additionally, many are struggling to prioritise their health and well-being, as work bleeds into personal time. Ultimately, these problems result in a decline in productivity rather than an improvement, despite employees spending more time at their desks.

Where Routine Can Help

So, what’s the answer? Well, let’s take a look at the power of routines. The truth is that human beings thrive on structure. Some may argue that they like flexibility (and perhaps they do when it comes to certain things like weekends and downtime), but structure in the form of a routine is ingrained in most of us from a very young age. Set bedtimes, mealtimes, school timetables, etc. Without clear start and end times, scheduled breaks, and set goals, it’s all too easy to drift into an unhealthy cycle of overwork and inefficiency. Establishing routines is key to reversing this trend.

A structured workday reduces decision fatigue, can foster discipline, and keeps people on track. Research from Gallup shows that employees with a well-defined routine are 25% more productive and report lower stress levels than those working without structure. Routines also create a sense of accountability – regular check-ins, clear deliverables, and scheduled focus time ensure that work gets done efficiently, while at the same time allowing employees to step away and recharge when needed.

So, How Can Businesses Engage with Employee Routines?

Well, while uRoutine’s platform is still in development, there are a few other key things that can already be explored. To make a real impact, businesses should be setting clear expectations around working hours, meeting schedules, and communication norms. These should all be done to ensure that employees don’t fall into an “always-on” culture. Encouraging time management techniques and training can help employees focus while avoiding burnout. Leveraging technology can also help. Technologies that are both advanced and simple and ones that already exist in most workplaces, such as shared calendars, project management tools, and structured workflows, can keep teams aligned and accountable. Most importantly, organisations have got to prioritise employee well-being by encouraging boundaries, designated break times, and mental health support, ensuring that people perform at their best without sacrificing personal time.

Final Thoughts

The future of work is evolving, and businesses that embrace structure will thrive in this new landscape. The reality is, without routine, we risk losing clarity, accountability, and ultimately, efficiency. By integrating well-designed routines into our workdays, we can reclaim control, boost productivity, and ensure that employees feel supported rather than overwhelmed.

That’s exactly why we created uRoutine – to help individuals and businesses navigate this new reality. If we want to build a sustainable future of work, we need to start by bringing structure back into our daily lives.

Read more:
The Ever-Increasing Need for Employee Routines

Whilst the job title may be the same, startup CEOs face very different challenges to CEOs of multinational businesses, pushing them to make use of skills that many other positions may overlook.

The skillset needed for a successful CEO is both broad and diverse. Yet, in my experience of taking PushFar from a vision to a leading global platform, there were certain skills that I utilised, that if I had jumped into CEO of a fully-fledged and thriving company, I may not have understood the importance of.

Resilience

It goes without saying, starting a business can often feel as though there are more knock backs than steps forward, with ‘20% of startups failing within the first year, and nearly 90% not making it past the five-year mark.’ Resilience is a primary skill needed for success. Each time you get back up, the chances of success are more likely: ‘Serial entrepreneurs who have failed before, still have a 20% chance of success in their next startup.’

When starting out with PushFar, I learnt that one of the biggest strengths that startups and small businesses had, over larger competitors, was agility to pivot, evolve and scale features, functionality and even the product as a whole. This is vital for entrepreneurs’ looking to succeed and when competitors crop up, the resilience required to keep going, can be further supported by the knowledge that you will, in almost every case, be able to move faster and more efficiently than a large company.

Vision Focus

One of the most vital skills for startup CEOs is creating and focusing on a vision. As simple as this sounds, when creating a company, implementing a brands identity is crucial, especially when building the primary foundations. For multinational CEOS, the company already has structure and a solid identity, so following a vison is often clearer. However, channelling the founding concepts at the heart of all decisions is still of great importance for keeping consistency to a brands messaging.

Whilst it seems a slight paradox, adaptability goes hand in hand with being vision focused. Being able to adapt and think strategically is crucial in this ever developing and uncertain world; whether it is technology or the political landscape. However, the need to adapt increases the importance of keeping focused on the non-negotiables that make the brand what it is, especially in the early stages.

When creating PushFar, our initial concept was to create a platform that made mentoring easily accessible, and we kept this purpose at the forefront of all decision making.

Leadership

Although leadership should be a skill that is a priority to all senior positions in a business, it is especially important for those in startups. In the early days of a business, there is not a set way of working, and finding the best approach takes time and experience. Therefore, whilst everyone is finding their feet, having a strong sense of leadership is necessary. As the CEO, everyone will be gauging the way forward from you.

Choosing a management style for the business depends on a variety of factors, from the industry to the workforce. Integrating a leadership style is not a one size fits all approach, from hands off to Autocratic or vertical approaches; it is usually more of a spectrum, developing over time, being adapted specifically for those being managed. Emotional intelligence and learning how to understand your employees’ needs is key to ensuring you implement any leadership style effectively.

Ability to be multi rolled

All CEOs should have a proficient level of awareness of each role that goes in to keeping the cogs to the business turning. However, the ability to carry out multiple roles at once is a different question. In the early days of starting a company, there is not a large team to lead on the various department and can often lack of budget.

A CEO of a startup will have to utilise their skills for areas such as marketing, sales and finance management. The ability to network and negotiate and are just a couple of the crucial skills that will need to be applied to cover all mandatory areas of running a business and getting it off the ground.

How mentoring can help

Being the CEO of a startup is both exciting and daunting. Using a mentor is a great way in which you can identify the most important skills required and how to utilise such skills most effectively. Using a mentor who has prior experience in startups and the wider industry itself can be of great use for navigating the path to success.

Read more:
Vital Skills that Startup CEOs Need, Which Multinational CEOs Overlook

In a world that is becoming progressively digitalised, it is important to have a clear understanding on how industries can work collaboratively with the likes of AI to ensure they are not left behind.

Gaining this understanding early will help avoid scaremongering and allow businesses to use the development of technology in their favour as opposed to it being a threat.

Although I appreciate digitalisation is inevitable, I have learnt it is a fine line between using technology to enhance roles and allowing it to destroy important human needs. I have previously discussed my uptake of a ‘dumbphone’, after gaining awareness on how the reliance of digitalisation can be blinding of many crucial elements such as empathy and acknowledgement, only to be replaced with the urge to compare and brag. Now I have boundaries in place for where and when I allow life to be digitalised, I have a clearer understanding of how it is appropriate to use technology in the industry and when it can even be harmful.

AI can be used productively in mentoring, aiding humans to make the process more efficient. It is incredibly effective at sorting through vast amounts of information at an incomprehensible rate, which can be useful for matching appropriate mentoring partners, distinguishing those with similar interests and compatible ways of working. Additionally, AI can be used to construct tailored learning paths, based on a range of inputs, it can decipher the appropriate steps, learning styles and relevant resources for each mentee. This can be a useful guide that a human mentor can adjust accordingly and help apply, but shouldn’t be relied upon.

Although AI is a helpful tool, that provides many positives when integrated correctly, it is important to be aware of its limits and not use it as a shortcut over human-to-human mentoring. AI can only produce an output using pre-existing information. Unlike the human mind, it is unable to form new answers for problems that require unique information. The answers AI currently produce must already exist, which restricts the how tailored the answers provided can be. Whilst many circumstances faced in mentoring aren’t likely to be a singular experience, AI doesn’t consider how individual thoughts and feelings have implications on appropriate methods for different individuals, massively reducing the effect of what mentoring can offer.

Humans aren’t just necessary for implementing the learning path but also for their continued support and monitoring. Having a human mentor overseeing the process ensures for through observation. Whilst AI can only use information provided to generate feedback, humans can read between the lines and interpret results through other senses such as one’s mannerisms and overall demeaner.

The traits that are associated with human interaction remain indispensable to the role of mentoring as their value cannot be replicated with AI. Empathy and other elements of emotional intelligence are a large component of effective mentoring. The relationship that is built between mentor and mentee is of infinite value, establishing the foundation for how successful mentoring can be. A level of mutual respect and trust is necessary, along with mentors often acting as a sort of role model for what the mentee can aspire to be. It isn’t possible to form this bond with a ‘fake’ being – and if it is, it isn’t healthy.

In conclusion AI is to be used for assistance, enhancing the mentoring experience, not as a replacement for human interaction and the traits that are associated with such. AI is solely logical whereas human scenarios often require a combination of logic and empathy.

It is important to acknowledge, that the development of technology is unknown, and it can only be assumed. It is likely that one day the capabilities of AI will imitate human traits much more convincingly. However, the bonds required between mentor and mentee for successful mentorship can only be achieved sufficiently with human-to-human mentoring rather than human to machine.

Read more:
Why AI will never replace the human traits that make for effective mentoring

There is no denying the extraordinary benefits mentoring provides for both businesses and individuals; from increasing personal confidence and motivation, to establishing a positive work culture, and increasing retention rates within organisations; the positive impacts are endless.

Despite this, only 28% of small and medium sized businesses currently make use of mentors, why is this?

Understanding and Industry Specialisms

The first possibility to why mentoring isn’t more widely utilised can be down to the lack of understanding of what it is and who can benefit from it. Many tend to be under the impression that mentoring is only useful for those in certain industries such as technology or finance, yet this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mentoring’s versatile nature provides the ability to adapt each programme to suit even the most niche of needs. From general support and guidance to the teaching of specific skills and identifying knowledge gaps, mentoring can equip the mentee with the appropriate resources that enable both personal and career development specific to their industry or role.

Finding a Mentor

A further reason which could be hindering people diving into the world of mentoring is accessibility or finding a suitable mentor or mentee.  My own experience of finding it hard to get involved with mentoring allowed me to acknowledge a significant gap in the industry that hindered people from finding their mentor, and ultimately led me to set up PushFar. I wanted to create a platform that could be easily accessible to all, so everyone can reap the benefits mentoring has to offer.

Removing the barriers to finding a mentor or mentee, even on a global scale, and driving awareness of the processes of stepping into mentoring, has been a primary goal of mine for many years.

Time commitments

For busy individuals, or those in senior, complex roles, mentoring may be seen as an additional time commitment, however, there are multiple types of mentoring, allowing individuals to find one that suits them and their working commitments.

Virtual mentoring can take place anywhere, making it an accessible option as well as opening the door to a broader list of mentoring topics. For example, a specialty where those interested are geographically spread out, virtual mentoring overcomes this barrier and makes the pairing of mentor and mentee possible. Group mentoring is another brilliant way for a single mentor to impart knowledge and advice to a group of mentees, reducing the time commitments across multiple mentees.

Types of mentoring

A final hurdle for people getting involved in mentoring is the lack of knowledge around the breadth of mentoring options. Historically thought of as an older, senior member of an organisation mentoring a younger, junior team member, there’s actually reverse mentoring which encourages younger team members to impart their experiences, knowledge and skills. In a similar vein, peer mentoring encourages those of similar age and experience levels take turns in acting as a mentor to each other. This can be hugely helpful for creating supportive and learning systems.

I believe the reason for why mentoring isn’t utilised more widely is due to insufficient understanding of who can use it and how to get involved. Therefore, it should be a priority for organisations across the industries to introduce mentoring as a part of its learning and development programme, helping generate awareness of its benefits for all involved.

Read more:
Mentoring is both incredibly effective and versatile, so why is it not utilised more?

Innovation plays a vital role in ensuring a strong and successful economy, and therefore, is hugely beneficial to the government.

Actively assisting startups and entrepreneurs should be a high priority in party manifestos, with confirmed pledges which drive forward positive change and secure economic growth.

Yet, with Labour recently taking government, there has been much discussion on tax increases which may propose a threat to the future of supportive schemes such as The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). The scheme which may on the surface appear as tax relief, for entrepreneurs is so much more. It is an effective and mutually beneficial investment whereby entrepreneurs get the investments they require and those who invest minimise the risk by claiming a significant percentage of their contribution back in tax relief.

Supporting startups to generate funds and act as a significant reassurance to investors, provides not only huge psychological relief to founders and entrepreneurs, but actively promotes innovation and encourages entrepreneurial mindset.

Although PushFar is now a world leading mentoring platform, it was a very different story back in 2018. At this time, PushFar was barely a product, with perhaps two clients and a total revenue of £7,000 a year, the business was only just evolving. From there, our vision was able to carry on developing and grow into the successful platform it is today due to the SEIS. We were able to raise £400,000 across two seed investments which without the scheme may not have been possible.

Finding a successful startup isn’t easy; there is a huge risk to capital invested from people’s hard-earned money, including family and friends. Striving to achieve and be successful isn’t purely for oneself, but on behalf of all those who invested. The SEIS entices many to invest who otherwise may not, as well as reducing the pressure that entrepreneurs feel towards using the capital raised from people’s savings.

Governments need to be aware that assisting innovation is in their best interest, so they too can reap the benefits long term. As the years pass, we are becoming increasingly connected globally and therefore, the prospect of taking investment from elsewhere is also becoming much more accessible.

However, by entrepreneurs taking investment from other countries, the UK will forego a proportion of the economic benefits, which in the long run could be disastrous. Although there is nothing wrong with accepting investment from overseas, for the government and the country, innovation is a highly valuable industry to invest in. It would be incredibly shortsighted to disregard its importance, especially at a time where opportunities for entrepreneurs are becoming readily available elsewhere.

Read more:
Lack of Government Support Could See a Significant Reduction in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

For the first time, organisations have access to a workforce across five generations, with Baby Boomers working alongside Gen Z.

While this may present some challenges, there is a huge opportunity to utilise intergenerational learning, and embrace different opinions, knowledge and experiences.

Traditionally, mentoring and learning has been seen as a relationship between older generations, sharing their wisdom and experience to those younger than them. Although this way of learning is still hugely valuable, intergenerational learning, and reverse mentoring, sees different generations teaching and learning from one another. Understanding and supporting the idea that each generation can offer different skills, experiences and learnings, is a vital step in creating a strong workforce and filling skill and knowledge gaps. For both my own company and those that we work with, supporting a multi-generational workforce and encouraging learning from within, has become a well-deserved priority.

Fostering a culture of continuous learning can help build and maintain a workforce that feel empowered. It has been found that those who spend time learning at work are 39% more likely to feel productive and successful and 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities. In my experience, I have seen how applying intergenerational learning allows employees to fulfil their curiosities in a diverse and engaged manner. Rather than relying on the likes of search engines to get answers, having the means to learn readily available through peer-to-peer communication, produces a workforce that is more eager to participate, whether they are the ones teaching or learning.

There are plenty of other benefits to encouraging intergenerational learning aside from filling knowledge gaps. Having different generations come together and collaborate is an incredibly effective way to encourage strong relationships across age groups and reduce siloes in the workforce. It can be a highly effective way to create a workforce with a strong sense of belonging and reduce feelings of loneliness in the workplace. Offering opportunities for different generations to contribute their knowledge and lead where they are able, but also be advance in areas they are less familiar with, can also support a strong sense of purpose.

As a true advocate for mentoring, I see huge value in reverse mentoring in particular which reverses the conventional learning and mentoring setup. Younger, often more junior employees, take the role of mentors to more senior team members and share fresh perspectives, technological adeptness, and contemporary insights. It can give those who may typically not have a ‘voice’ an opportunity to interact with, and teach, business leaders, managers and C-Suite members.

Harnessing this mentoring technique can help everyone across an organisation grow and develop, while providing individual empowerment and the opportunity to develop soft skills such as communication. Reverse mentoring can also help promote increased transparency across an organisation, encouraging people at every level to speak up on areas they’re keen to develop.

A recent study highlighted that 93% of organisations are concerned about employee retention and providing learning opportunities is currently the number one-way businesses are working to improve this. Reverse mentoring, and intergenerational learning is a hugely effective way to promote development and growth for all, and one which I hope more organisations globally will implement.

Regardless of how companies choose to build a learning culture, it is vital to pick one that ensures all workers across the different generations are engaged and feel supported, to reap the benefits of building a multi-generational workforce.

Read more:
Intergenerational Learning is Key for Building a Skilled and Engaged Workforce

Authenticity is of great importance yet something that many of us are guilty of straying from at times.

In a world heavily dominated by the media, where we often see the best of people’s lives and similarly want to show the best parts of our own, it’s easy to put up facades for the purpose of seeking validation from others.

Social media is often a major player for dictating people’s belief in what life should look like and even benchmarking where we should be at certain points in our lives. I was guilty of becoming consumed by the chase for likes and views, questioning why some posts didn’t have as much engagement as others.

The professional world is no different. People strive to position themselves in a particular way they feel will be redeeming for others. The question is, should we change ourselves? Easy, in business, people do what they need to get the role, land a promotion or gain investment and just like outside of work, fitting in makes it easier to be a part of a group. At some point in my nearly 30 years of life I learnt it’s okay not to fit in. In fact, it’s better to stand out for being you and if you don’t fit in with the group, then the group is not meant for you.

In the early days of PushFar, I positioned my goals around finances, with ideologies of success around company value. I genuinely thought that was the dream. I then realised, partly because of the pandemic and through taking a step back and examining what I was building, that it was okay not to be the start-up entrepreneur who did what was expected.

It was okay not to fit the mold and to do things differently. I chose to focus on profit, not revenue. As it turns out, when fundraising and start-up investments weren’t as readily available in late 2022 and early 2023, suddenly all the venture capitalists realised what companies like PushFar were doing (keeping things lean and profitable with steady, achievable growth) was closer to what they wanted than what they’d expected of their own investments in the previous decade.

Trying to follow goals that are perceived as being ‘correct’ can be exhausting and quite frankly, unfeasible for many. Authenticity should be encouraged as it embraces diverse insight and increases inclusivity, which is important in all walks of life. When it comes to entrepreneurship, authenticity is important for steering the business in the direction that is right for you. It allows you to make genuine connections that align with your own values and will contribute positively to the future of your career. Being honest to yourself and others will bring much more joy in the long run over striving to achieve what others deem success.

Read more:
Remaining Authentic as an Entrepreneur

The working population is growing as people live longer and choose to retire later, and the current employment workforce is now made up of five generations.

We are seeing baby boomers working alongside Gen Z, both generations apart with differing needs and priorities, and with this generational diversity comes the need for versatile leadership approaches.

I have found it incredibly important to embrace different generations within the workplace, as each bring different perspectives, skills, and experiences, however it cannot be a one size fits all approach to ensuring job satisfaction. It is important to consider how you can attract different generations, but also retain talent and support growth.

In recent years flexible working has been at the forefront of conversations, and this is hugely important for supporting different generational needs. While the younger generations have known nothing else, they may expect a level of hybrid working to support work life balance, and this can be vital for attracting talent to your business.

For other generations, there may be other factors encouraging the need for flexible working; whether it is supporting elderly parents, raising families, or moving home. As a business leader, I have found it hugely important to regularly communicate with employees to understand their needs outside of work, which in turn can lead to talent retention. Having structures in place which support flexibility, whether it is compressed work weeks, temporary, part-time or hybrid working are all important to support employees.

I still see value in face-to-face interactions within the workplace however, and communication is a further factor to consider when working with a multigenerational workforce. How we communicate at work has changed over the years, and through different generations. For Gen Z and Millennials for the most part, they’ve been brought up in a digital world, and may have preferences for quick communication online. This can differ from those who have experienced years of in person meetings and phone calls.

To ensure effective communication across a team, leaders should adapt their approach and understand preferences. For those companies who purely use online messaging platforms, consider the need for additional training across generations both in usage, but also in language used. This can help alleviate confusion and ensure efficient and effective communication methods.

A further factor to consider when leading a multigenerational workforce is how you promote and encourage wellbeing. On an individual basis, wellbeing can look very different, and there should be importance placed on fostering a culture that supports employees. This should be a holistic approach which considers both mental and physical health and these considerations should be personalised to not only the business, but the generations within it, and the perks and benefits which will resonate with them.

I think its hugely important to listen to your team, open channels of communication where they can provide suggestions which will further support their workplace wellbeing. This could be within one-to-ones, but also through anonymous suggestions.

Through my own journey in the working world, I have found mentoring to be personally rewarding, and this could provide a huge support to different generations. Younger employees entering the workforce can speak to someone experienced in their field and gain insights, and advice, which could be hugely valuable to their career and overall wellbeing.

For senior, more experienced employees, ‘Reverse Mentoring,’ whereby junior members of the workforce impart their knowledge, skills and perspectives on senior employees, can help encourage learning and integration between generations. The constructive collaboration of different generations through mentoring can address skills gaps across generations and build a culture of communication and learning.

A final consideration when leading a multigenerational workforce is loyalty. Research for a recent PushFar whitepaper, ‘The State of Mentoring and Coaching’*, has shown 3 in 4 Gen Z employees are likely to switch career paths entirely to find a job which suits their values, and offers upskilling. This is a huge proportion of the next generation of employees who put their needs over loyalty – and why shouldn’t they!

Job retention of 10 years plus for ages 55 and over is 60% which drops to 40% for those aged 45-54 and down to 20% to those aged 35-44. ** This pattern of retention is clear across generations as the way we view work has changed over time.

This should be at the forefront of business leaders’ minds; how are they supporting the next generation in the workplace to encourage their loyalty? Ultimately, job hopping occurs when employees do not feel valued, are not paid fairly, or are not progressing and learning in a role. It is hugely important to consider each generation, along with each individual and how as a leader, you can support their job satisfaction and encourage longevity.

While there are challenges in leading a multigenerational workforce, with the right training, support, and consideration, you will have a thriving and diverse team who offer valuable insights to grow and build your business.

Read more:
Recruiting and retaining multigenerational talent: what i’ve learnt as a business owner

A digital detox may seem impossible in today’s technology driven world; however, there’s huge value in taking a step back and embracing time offline, and in recent years the notion of digital detoxing has become increasingly prevalent.

It’s thought that once you work in a particular sector, you are never a consumer to it again, and for myself, technology has been at the heart of my career for many years, and sometimes it can be difficult to separate work and leisure online.

The constant pinging of emails, Slack messages, LinkedIn notifications, phone calls and texts, all related to work, can sometimes seem all consuming. Which is why I personally made the choice to start a digital detox. Moving from my work-related smartphone to a Nokia 800 Tough at weekends and holidays, which has simple functionality and allows me to truly disconnect.

For working professionals who have no choice but to engage in the digital world daily, they may feel they are unable to switch off out of work, especially when work related apps are front and centre on their smartphones.

Recent research has shown workplace stress could be at an all-time high, as Google searches for burnout have reached their highest level in five years, and as such, taking a step back from constant connection is more crucial than ever.

For many, stepping away from the digital world can look isolating, as it’s something we’ve become incredibly immersed in. Having access to everyone we know and everything we need to know at out fingertips at any time. From online meetings on the go, to using our phones for tickets to events or planning travel, it’s endless connectivity. Yet there is so much to learn from taking a step away from the immediate obtainability.

Whether it is a calmer mind, getting more in touch with reality or becoming more self-aware, the list is endless and not exclusive. For myself, the greatest gain from digital detoxing was the ability to be in the moment. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a month working and living in Umbria back in early 2022, where I was surrounded by incredible scenery and beautiful weather, yet I was hooked on staying connected. Posting to social media constantly, and being unable to separate the digital world, from the real one in front of me.

I decided to delete my Instagram account completely and the experiences I encountered thereafter became for myself rather than for the sake of other people’s opinions.

Whether it is a choice that people choose to make, there is a level of genuine need for working professionals to become less attached to their devices and take a break from the digital world that never sleeps. The need for constant stimulation is a tiresome cycle that can lead to our attention spans becoming shorter and the need for engagement more intense. There will be moments of vulnerability from a lack of constant connection, however, the personal gain from taking a step back is likely to be more valuable.

It is important to note that digital detoxification can be done in small increments and be beneficial regardless of how it is achieved. It doesn’t mean you have to delete your Instagram account completely or throw away your phone. I opted for a ‘dumbphone’, one that can do the tasks of basic communication; texting, calling, WhatsApp and a camera. Due to work I have not transitioned to my dumbphone full time but on weekends it is a welcome substitution.

Smart phones are often involved in all we do, and this reliance is only going to get more intense, both in and out of work. It is important to accept that the world around us is not going to make digital detoxification easy; too much relies on technology to encourage ‘retrogression.’ However, this does not mean it cannot be done and the effort is not worthwhile. Make small adjustments to suit your lifestyle, whether it’s reducing time on social media, taking a camera with you instead of getting your phone out of your pocket, or even making the switch to a dumbphone on the weekends, you’ll start to feel the benefits.

To find out more about my switch to a dumbphone and the benefits along with some limitations, read more here:  https://www.edjohnson.co.uk/article-digital-detox-dumbphone-5-considerations/

Read more:
The Importance of digital detoxing for busy working professionals

Taking accountability can seem daunting but is widely considered the moral thing to do, and the same is true within workplaces. To be able to create a workplace where people feel comfortable and willing to take accountability, both good and bad, it is important that businesses foster a healthy and safe environment.

There needs to be a culture where people don’t fear taking accountability, and instead view it as a positive thing to do. In turn, you create a stronger team spirit which powers the businesses forwards and to success.

When I look back at my own career, there have been many occasions where I’ve seen people step up and take accountability, and almost every time, there has been a positive outcome. Whether that was the individual having the confidence to own their responsibilities and demonstrating great leadership, or perhaps sharing important information that is needed to turn a potentially negative situation into a positive one. Once that leap had been made by that individual to take accountability the situation became much easier for all parties involved.

Whenever I have made the decision to take accountability, any stress or tensions associated with the situation usually disappear, as most of the time the fear of what might or could happen is far bigger than the reality.

There’s no doubt that there are many people that have a mental block or hurdle to overcome when it comes to taking accountability, and that’s understandable, it’s human nature. What we need to do as leaders, is look at how we can make people feel as comfortable as possible when it comes to taking this leap.

As an employer it is my responsibility to ensure my staff feel at ease when it comes to being accountable and knowing that they’re not going to receive any toxic feedback for being honest. Ultimately, the best way to demonstrate this to employees is by allowing them to see this with their own eyes much like I did myself. Once a culture of positive accountability has been created, the entire culture of an organisation becomes much more enjoyable leading to much happier employees and a much more successful business which communicates effectively.

Mentoring is an incredibly important tool when it comes to self-growth and development, two skills that are essential when taking accountability. Having somebody there to speak to and fall back on when things feel as though they’re building up or you’re unsure on what the next steps are, allows you to take the pressure off yourself and in turn feel more at ease to do the take the next steps, without overthinking them. Most of the time it’s our minds that amplify a situation into being worse than it is, and so the more comfortable we become at seeing the end goal for ourselves, the more often we’re willing to take that leap.

The benefits of taking accountability are massive for companies, having staff that feel confident in doing so must be a matter of priority for any organisation. This is why mentoring should be considered a crucial part of every onboarding in any business, to provide the extra sounding board and a comfortable place for employees to open up.

Sometimes we can underestimate just how daunting it can be going into a new environment with new people, whether it’s your first job or you’ve already had an experienced career. The most important thing is the culture that they’re going to enter; from that very first day they need to feel that their wellbeing is going to be looked after and considered throughout their time as an employee at your organisation.

Reflecting on my own career journey, and my own journey with accountability, I feel that the strongest piece of inspiration I received was witnessing the positive impacts of taking accountability first hand. Ultimately, businesses need people to accountable, otherwise the culture collapses along with productivity. Important information can be missed, and this can impact on all aspects of the company. Prioritising an open culture of accountability is in turn prioritising the business.

Read more:
Accountability is an essential part of running a business, not something to be feared

When we’re in school, we see it as the only route forward, the only way to thrive. Whilst education is of course important, it is not the only piece of the puzzle to unlocking success.

We look at people such as Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and more who all ended their education early, but went on to have incredible careers. What did all of these people have in common? They all had a mentor.

As I reflect on my journey from a school dropout at 17, to the CEO and Co-Founder of a successful business, I am struck by the invaluable lessons that mentoring has taught me. While traditional education undoubtedly provides a solid foundation, it was through mentorship that I truly learned the detailed ins and outs of business – lessons that school simply couldn’t impart.

At 17, I made the unconventional decision to drop out of school. It was a risky move, but one that I felt was necessary to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions. Looking back, it was a pivotal moment that set the stage for my future growth and eventual Forbes listing. School taught me many things, but it couldn’t provide the real-world experience and hands-on learning that I needed to succeed in business. Whilst I was able to find a job post schooling, I struggled to find a mentor who could truly guide me in my career. So, with the goal of making mentoring more accessible to everyone, I founded PushFar, an online mentoring platform, in 2018.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned through mentoring is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you. In the business world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have all the answers, and naturally, it can feel nice to be the brightest person in the room. But the truth is, no individual has all the answers. By surrounding myself with mentors who had diverse backgrounds and experiences, I was able to gain invaluable insights and perspectives that I could never have gained on my own.

Embracing failure is another crucial lesson that mentoring has taught me. In school, failure is often seen as something to be avoided at all costs. If you fail a test, you can find yourself in detention. If you can’t complete a project, you get a letter sent home. But in business, failure is inevitable – it’s how you respond to failure that truly matters, that truly shapes you into becoming the best version of yourself. My mentors taught me to view failure not as the end of the road, but as an opportunity for growth and learning. Each setback taught me something new and ultimately made me stronger and more resilient because of this.

Mentoring has also taught me the importance of learning quickly and independently. In the fast-paced world of business, there’s no time to wait for someone else to teach you what you need to know. If you wait to be taught, someone else will beat you to opportunities and you’ll find yourself filled with regrets. You must be proactive and seek out knowledge on your own. My mentors encouraged me to take ownership of my own learning and to never stop seeking out new opportunities for growth.

There’s a confidence crisis within schools and the world as a whole currently. Our latest research showed that 57.3% of Brits experience imposter syndrome, which in turn, leads them to doubt themselves. Trusting myself and my instincts was a valuable lesson that mentoring instilled in me. In business, there are countless decisions to be made every day, and there’s often no clear-cut answer. My mentors taught me to trust my gut and to have confidence in my own abilities. They showed me that sometimes you have to take risks and trust that things will work out in the end.

But the most important thing to learn, is that sometimes it doesn’t work out. Sometimes you’re going to fail and you need to be prepared to do so. The crucial part is, how are you going to react to that failure? My mentors taught me that it’s okay to fail – as long as you learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. They showed me that failure is not the end of the road, but rather a stepping stone on the path to success. It’s not about the failure in the end, it’s about how you come back from it and grow not only in business but as a person too.

Mentoring has taught me invaluable lessons about business that school simply couldn’t provide. From that dropout moment at 17, to surrounding myself with smarter people, embracing failure, learning quickly and independently, trusting my instincts, and being prepared to fail – these are the lessons that have shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today. And for that, I am eternally grateful to my mentors who have guided me along the way.

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What mentoring taught me about business that school couldn’t