Anthony Caruana

Setting a pay-rate

Aug 31, 2020Anthony Caruana3 CommentsMoney, Workcontracts, pay rates, payment

I know a lot of journalists who work very hard but don’t seem to reap the financial rewards for their effort. The write thousands of words per week but barely manage a subsistence salary, struggling to make rent or mortgage payments. My observation from discussions with journalists is that there are a number of contributing factors to this.

3 tips for ensuring your email is readable

Aug 26, 2020Anthony CaruanaAdvicecommunications, CRM, email

I receive a lot of email through the course of a day – enough that I’ve started to employ some simple automation when responding. Despite now approaching the sixth decade since email was created, there are still some things about the world’s most ubiquitous online communication system that are broken. And the one that most gets on my nerves is formatting. Like many people, I switch between my smartphone, tablet and computer through the day. And the number of emails I receive that aren’t readable on one of the screens is ridiculous. But there are some simple things you can do to ensure your message makes it past the delete key.

Thinking like a customer is critical to COVID business survival

Aug 20, 2020Anthony CaruanaWorkcovid-19, customer service, retail

I’m a frustrated customer. With the COVID pandemic, getting to the shops is becoming harder. So, last week I made three high value purchases. I’m not a retailer but it seems as plain as the nose on my face that many retailers are simply out of touch with their customers.

Rituals are important – let’s choose the ‘right’ ones

Aug 11, 2020Anthony CaruanaCulturecovid-19, pandemic, rituals

I’ve been thinking a lot about rituals. Not in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom sense but in terms of things we do in order to maintain order, celebrate milestones and prepare ourselves for everyday events. Some of this was prompted after reading an article about “The 21 Minute Entrepreneur” by R Conan. But it’s something that’s been festering in my mind since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Does a tidy desk matter?

Jul 27, 2020Anthony CaruanaWorkcovid-19, productivity

Earlier this year, I reset my home office space. Part of it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to reorganise things with my wife working from home and with kids now doing more learning at home. And part of it was a changing family dynamic. But the net result was that I

COVID-19 could restore community

Jul 3, 2020Anthony CaruanaWorkcommunity, covid-19, urbanisation

On my run this morning, I was jogging (some might say shuffling but whatever!) past the local primary/elementary school. It got me thinking about the nature of schools. If a vaccine for COVID-19 is not found, then will schools have to change how they work to enforce greater physical distancing. If the do, will we need to think about shifting to more schools with fewer students? And what of local libraries and community centres? The more I think about it, the more I think we could see a return to a more village-like sense of community.

Hands On with the Upright Go 2

Jul 2, 2020Anthony CaruanaReviewsposture, upright go 2, wearables

Wearable tech has come a long way since the calculator digital watch of the 1970s. Today, you can choose fro hundreds of wearable devices, each designed to measure and alert you to something important to you. The Upright Go 2 is a small wearable device that keeps an eye on your posture and alerts you when you start to slouch in your seat.

Hands On with the Ananta 17.3-inch Touchscreen Portable Monitor

Jul 1, 2020Anthony CaruanaReviewsananta, diosplays, kickstarter, monitors, reviews

There was a time when a second monitor was a huge luxury and a pain to use. But those days are behind us. The Ananta 17.3-inch Touchscreen Portable Monitor delivers plenty of connectivity options and doesn’t even need an external power supply if you’re using it over USB-C. But can it replace a tractional monitor? Or is there a little more than meets the eye here?

What’s the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’?

Jun 26, 2020Anthony CaruanaCultureculture, society

I recently participated in a meeting. But this wasn’t your regular “I wish I was anywhere else” kind of meeting. It was a gathering of over 50 people from across the world convened by author and academic Chris Kutarna. This gathering was around a metaphorical campfire where we looked into the question of “What’s the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’?”.

Working from home is the new cubicle farm

Jun 23, 2020Anthony CaruanaCulture, Workcovid-19, office life, work from home

Working from home is the new cubicle farm. Businesses will embrace it for the same reasons they embraced cubicles. It looks like a way to foster better culture but is really about saving money. Working from home is a lot cheaper than corporate real estate and office fit outs. But there is a way to avoid the mistakes of the past.