About Face

About Face

Politics, the old joke goes, is showbusiness for ugly people. But that joke might be on the way out: if you have a great face for local radio, that might no longer be enough if you aspire to hold public office. Our mothers always told us to sit up straight and smile...
Tough Questions About Remote Workers

Tough Questions About Remote Workers

What motivates employees to do well at work? A Gallup poll, conducted regularly since the 1940s, points to an unequivocal answer – and it’s not the answer that most bosses think. Bosses have been asked to answer what they think motivates their employees, and they tend...
E.T. – Extra Time

E.T. – Extra Time

When the first railway track was laid between London and Bristol (one of her richest satellites), an unexpected problem arose: midday in the capital came several minutes earlier than it did in the west. Before the trains or telegraph – let alone email – this hardly...
Commentators: a commentary

Commentators: a commentary

“That was only a yard away from being an inch-perfect pass.” Murdo MacLeod It’s the World Cup, and at PS Programmes Towers we are very excited by the drama and spectacle of the Beautiful Game. We don’t expect everyone to share our passion, but we had hoped that Phil...
Losing the Script to Find the Audience

Losing the Script to Find the Audience

Speaking to a group of students, we were asked what qualities were necessary to be a writer. The library in which the event was taking place was intimidating: shelf after shelf of books from anthropology to Zoroastrianism, millions of minds contributing from antiquity...