Media companies getting a free ride on the internet,  more top tips on delegating, and tackling workplace boredom. Readings from around the world on business, leadership and management.

The digital divide – the gap between those who have access to the internet and the 3.7 billion people on the planet that do not – is now a ‘global crisis,’ according to Digicel founder Denis O’Brien.

In this new video, released by the UN’s International Telecommunication Union, he argues that the companies that benefit most from the expansion of the internet need to pay their fair share of the costs for rolling out that connectivity.

Who are these companies? OTTs, or ‘over-the-top’ content providers like Netflix and Hulu, who make their money streaming content over the web. Arguably, they are getting a free ride currently, benefitting from infrastructure they pay little to access.

‘If we’re really serious about a global and inclusive digital economy … then OTTs need to play, and pay, their part,’ he argues.

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Susanne Madsen.

To become a highly effective and successful manager, you must know what delegation is and focus on the areas that make the greatest difference to the success of your project, says leadership trainer, Susanne Madsen. Her number one tip is to never delegate the 20 percent of tasks that contribute to 80 percent of your results.

‘Delegate tasks that are not sensitive or high risk and that you are not particularly attached to. Choose tasks that someone else could potentially perform better than you can.’

‘In deciding who to delegate to, ask yourself how much the particular task will challenge, stretch, and motivate the person to whom you plan to delegate. What’s in it for them? In which ways will this assignment contribute to their success and help them develop their skills and capabilities?’

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Workplace boredom  Credit: The Office.

There’s no easy answer to the issue of workplace boredom, writes Tony Featherstone in the Fairfax newspapers in Australia.

Australian managers believe their staff are bored for 16 per cent of each week on average, according to a 2018 survey by recruiter Robert Half. And 87 per cent of managers said their staff experience some boredom, usually from dull tasks or roles, or too many meetings. About 43 per cent of United States office workers are bored, international research shows.

Of course, telling a manager you are bored can be career-limiting! The risk is your boss privately questions your commitment or talent, loads you up with too much extra work, or puts a target on your back for the next redundancy round. Younger employees, in particular, might struggle with workplace boredom in ways that older generations never experienced. Youth who have grown up with a device nearby, had parents who organised their activities and were rarely bored, are not used to downtime.

The starting point is understanding staff engagement, Hauf says, and creating a ‘safe space’ where employees can tell their boss they are bored without fear of retribution and want to work collaboratively to find solutions.