Giving up smoking, starting a new diet, or going to the gym have always been popular resolutions to make on New Year’s Eve. This year, however, according to a survey of over 300 people commissioned by language software provider Rosetta Stone, learning a new language is a top priority, with 66% listing it as a resolution they plan to make. Being able to communicate while travelling (38%) and improved job prospects (29%) were the biggest motivating factors cited by those planning to learn a new language in 2007.

French topped the list - with 23% claiming it is the language they would most like to learn, followed by Spanish at 20%. Chinese (Mandarin) came in third at 15%. This is no surprise, with trade between the UK and China on the rise, and the Beijing Olympics on the horizon for 2008.

Having more than one language has been shown to improve one’s career prospects: 75% of bilingual people surveyed by Rosetta Stone at the Language Show in London this November claimed that knowing an additional language had helped further their careers.

Michael Lefante, spokesperson for Rosetta Stone EMEA says: “More people are realising the many benefits that come with being able to speak a second language. In addition to improving communication, learning a language can increase mental agility, develop problem solving skills and enhance cultural understanding. With advances in technology making language learning easier than ever before, it is a resolution worth making.”

Despite good intentions, many people regularly fail to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Certain methods could be employed to improve one’s chance of success.

5 top resolution keeping tips

1. Choose a resolution that’s meaningful. Resolve comes easier when it is focused on something specific. For example, instead of choosing ten goals to work on, select just two that are most meaningful and that you are more likely to complete. This will help you stay on task.

2. Be realistic. Everyone has setbacks, so don’t give up if you break your resolution during the transitional period. Give yourself time to change, and treat yourself fairly. It takes time to incorporate new habits into your lifestyle. If you have a setback, stop and think about what may have caused you to slip, and then plan a way to get back on track. Change doesn’t happen instantly—it’s a process.

3. Make resolutions as a family. Having a common goal allows family members to support one another in keeping the resolution, and gain quality together time in the process. For example, if your family resolves to learn Spanish before a holiday to Spain, carve out some fun time by preparing a Spanish tapas-style meal together while speaking the new language.

4. Have a buddy. Recruit a friend or co-worker, beyond a family member, who can offer additional support when the going gets tough. Having a buddy also means you have another person who is aware of your goal, which can be a motivating factor as well.

5. Focus on what your life will be like when you have met your goal. Motivation comes from envisioning how you will benefit from the change. When the going gets tough, think about how your life will be better. For example, will you be living in France? Will you have an exciting new job? Use this vision to spur yourself on towards your goal.

Lord Dearing’s policy review of language teaching in schools is long overdue says specialist multi lingual recruiter Euro London Appointments – and probably doesn’t go far enough. According to the recruiter, modern European languages are only part of the picture as there is also a real shortage of Asian and emerging market language skills such as those associated with the booming economies of China and India – and without them UK workers are running a real risk of falling behind in the global economy.

“We recruit multi lingual personnel into several sectors including banking & finance, marketing, customer service, IT and office support, and there are nowhere near enough UK nationals with the necessary linguistic abilities to fill the roles available”, says Director Steve Shacklock. British candidates who speak a foreign language ‘fluently’ are rarely as fluent as foreign nationals are in English – mainly because British nationals tend to speak another language only if they have studied it.

If you take a landlocked country like Luxembourg, you will find candidates who will speak three or four languages – including English - as a matter of course – it’s just part of their culture. And that’s important as in some sectors, we are finding an increase in demand for candidates with more than one additional language. The customer service sector is a good example of this. Whereas a year ago a centre may have employed two English/French speakers and two English/German speakers, the need to review costs and efficiency levels has meant that they will now ask for three people with multilingual capabilities so that they can provide cover for each other.

“We are also finding that those UK nationals who can speak more than one language see it as a special skill which should command a premium in salary terms – other European nationals see languages as a natural part of their skill set – and do not expect to get paid extra for it.”

And it’s not just modern European languages that are in demand says Shacklock. “The ever evolving restrictions on listing on US exchanges means that many companies are opting for the European option as an alternative. Consequently some of the major exchanges are now promoting themselves into new markets leading to the need for languages such as Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese. Many of the candidates with those sorts of language skills tend to be nationals with perfect English rather than the other way round.”

“We live in a shrinking world, says Shacklock, “where businesses of all sizes can operate in global markets. The challenge that comes with this opportunity is being able to understand the needs, aims, motivations of a potential cusotmner base that spans the world. And for the business leaders of tomorrow that can only mean that languages will become even more important. The message is clear - learn a language – get a job!”

A whopping 6000 women are missing from the 33,000 top spots in the workplace according to the Equal Opportunities Commission Sex and Power: Who Runs Britain? 2007 report.

A lack of flexibility at the top is blamed; senior women are too often forced to choose between work and family/leisure, resulting in a female exodus in search of an acceptable work/life balance.

So where are the missing female achievers? Statistics suggest that they are going it alone: over one million women in the UK are self-employed, and the figure has risen steadily by 18% in the last five years.

However if we want to maximise the use of our country’s female entrepreneurial talent we need to support them in their quests. A recent report by women’s enterprise group Prowess, identifies female mentoring and financial aid as being crucial to helping women entrepreneurs start-up and succeed in business.

Female led creative businesses have a tendency to try and grow organically from a low capital base. Businesses run in this way don’t tend to flourish; a business needs cash to blossom. Male entrepreneurs are well versed in the ways and means of funding a new business whilst women aren’t exposed to the mechanics of accessing finance. They also face tougher challenges when trying to raise it.

Claire Collins, founder of Violet May, the new beautiful business accessories brand, has first-hand experience of the difficulties facing a female run start-up. As a result the Violet May brand is passionate about fulfilling women’s needs.

“Women everywhere are crying out for inspiration and support to chase a dream and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit within. I believe that it is part of my responsibility as a woman in business to support young female entrepreneurs,” says Claire. “That’s why every time Violet May sell one of their luxury laptop bags or laptop sleeves, a percentage of profits will go into the Violet May Creative Seed Fund. Each year a budding female entrepreneur will be awarded these funds and mentoring support to help build her new creative business.”

By encouraging more companies and organisations to offer support and inspiration to the ‘6000 missing women’, perhaps they will no longer be classed as missing from existing top spots in the workplace but instead found sitting in their own top spots.

21st Century Families and home workers are amongst the happiest, healthiest and wealthiest people in the UK, suggests statistics from a new study.

Getting the work life balance right is a constant struggle for many people in the 21st century. More and more of us struggle with working long hours, high stress and little family time. This is often the result of the rising cost of living, including huge mortgages, high utilities, and credit card bills.

This can seem especially poignant at Epiphany when, as the Christmas decorations come down and the holidays are officially over, many of us find ourselves battling with an overdose of chocolate, alcohol, rich food, maxed-out credit cards and the waddle caused by extreme sofa surfing…. as well as family and relationship meltdowns and general dis-satisfaction following a time of year that is supposed to be all about love and happiness!

No wonder New Year’s resolutions have become a national obsession!

However, it seems that more people than you might realise are quietly enjoying their best lives, and one corner of the British community in particular are generally healthy, wealthy and happy.

Statistics just released by funkyangel.co.uk, the website for the 21st Century Family, from it’s 2006 survey of the lifestyles of its core audience, suggest they are amongst the healthiest, wealthiest and happiest in the UK… and if that’s not you, the results may just inspire you into your own personal epiphany!

So who are the 21st Century Families? They are people balancing work and family, often running their own businesses around or with their families, and usually from home.

As Claire Burdett, the founder of funkyangel.co.uk says, “We are seeing a resurgence of a style of living that I would describe as pre-industrial cottage industries with 21st Century communications and technology added in, and I think it’s the best thing that’s happened to the family in decades!”

The 466 participants were questioned about their lifestyles, including hours worked, their support networks, their internet usage and their overall levels of health, wealth and happiness. There was an 80-20 female-male ratio, and 77 per cent were living with children, either of their own or their partner’s. One per cent were grandparents.

In the health section, a whopping 81 per cent claimed to be in great shape, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) saying they were bright eyed and bushy tailed and over half (57 per cent) confessing to being healthy but knackered!

When it comes to the happiness stakes, the funky 21st century families are way out in front! Half of them (50 per cent) said that they were generally happy or very happy, which puts them firmly above the national average of 36 per cent as reported on The Happiness Formula series on BBC2 back in the summer.

A further 22 per cent said that they were calm and content, and an impressive 4 per cent of them reported being deliriously happy!

In the wealth section, over half (54 per cent) said they were financially comfortable or managing, and although 16 per cent did comment that they could always do with more, an impressive one per cent said they had no money worries at all!

Only eight per cent said they were struggling, and most of these commented that it was because of the feast or famine syndrome, early-stage own businesses or solo parenthood.

The major issues associated with working from home, such as feeling isolated and overloaded were also reflected in the survey, with 16 per cent reporting that they sometimes felt anxious, 13 per cent saying they felt fed up, 17 per cent feeling frustrated and six per cent of the respondents reporting feeling isolated.

Claire Burdett continued, “I’m not a bit surprised at what a happy, healthy and wealthy bunch we are generally.

“Working for yourself from home can be challenging at times, but it does give you control and flexibility, which enables you to spend good amounts of regular time with your children and the rest of your family and friends, which means less stress, better communication and stronger bonds.

“Working at something you are passionate about means you’re going to be good at it as well as put the necessary time and energy in – all of which is a sure fire way to attract wealth.

“And being able to choose your own routine and hours in your own home means you can eat better and more healthily, and be more active as part of your daily routine, if you choose to be. All of which is a recipe for success and happiness!”

A new study released today reveals that UK business is suffering from the poor leadership skills of Britain’s bosses. The survey shows that business leaders fail across the board at setting clear objectives, motivating staff and weeding out poor performers.

The study commissioned by Ros Taylor Ltd, a leading firm of Chartered Psychologists, asked over 1500 people from different sized organisations throughout the UK about leadership in the work place. They found:

• 77 percent of respondents said their boss was not interested in them
• 90 percent said their boss does nothing about poor performers and 79 percent claim their boss does not set clear objectives,
• 89 percent said their boss lacks innovation and was unreceptive to new ideas

“That’s only 15% of people we asked who thought their boss was any good and 8% who thought they were inspirational” said Ros Taylor, Managing Director of RTL.

“I wish I could say I was shocked – but the truth is it’s slightly better than I expected. The fact is that while businesses are quite rightly paying attention to their cost base – squeezing every last ounce of value out of the food chain – they are not so cleverly overlooking a very real business and financial asset. Leadership. Let’s forget the old clichés about “soft skills” – bad leadership costs shareholders and stakeholders real money. While companies are spending millions on automation and the new IT architectures they could be spending thousands and saving millions by sharpening up their leadership assets.”

Taylor went on: “Think about it. Many line managers, heads of department and directors are on a minimum £100K+ pa. These people represent something of the order of a £200K+ investment for the company. As a psychologist I am intrigued that companies who bend over backwards to “think smart” ignore this area. It’s the “one thing” they could do that would deliver tangible results - and yet the vast majority just don’t do it.

“They probably think that, in the old cliché “leaders are born, not made” and yet in our business we disprove that on an almost daily basis. They can’t leave the innovation and blue sky thinking that comes from truly inspirational leadership to chance – or for that matter to a quirk of genetics – it’s odd to think that multi national companies who factor the canteen subsidy into the cost of a sausage roll don’t have a “leadership development plan”.

Ros Taylor is author of a number of books including ‘Work Life: Develop Confidence (Essential Managers)’ (paperback 31 Aug 2006) and ‘The Complete Mind Makeover: Transform Your Life and Achieve Success’ (Paperback 1 Sep 2003).

Joslin Rowe, financial services recruiter, has reported that across the financial services sector, bonus pay outs are expected to rise 12.3% year on year. This is more than double the rate of growth for bonuses in the wider economy, where across the UK bonuses are expected to rise 5.8%.

High-fliers in City jobs are predicted to earn a bonus on average equivalent to 79.5% of their salary. The top 3.2% of financial services workers are expecting at least 100% bonuses.

Tara Ricks, Managing Director of Joslin Rowe said: “It’s the big hitters who expect more than 50% of their salary in bonuses – the private bankers, the corporate financiers. A lucky minority will earn several multiples of their basic salary. The booming stock market and blistering levels of M&A in 2006 have obviously played their part in inflating the numbers paid out in 2007.”

“But there is another factor at play. Bonuses are an increasingly important management tool. Although, employees now expect them as part of their annual compensation and top performers are being increasingly tempted to move company with large guaranteed bonus packages, employers are increasingly sophisticated in allocating the bonus pool to reward their best workers.”

43.3% of those working in banking and finance jobs asked said they expected their bonus pay out to be larger this year than last year. An unlucky minority, 12.7% thought they would take a bonus cut and 44.2% expected no change in their bonus compared to the previous year.

Although not all workers will pocket the mega-money, the financial services employment sector is still a very good place to be this year. Among the 300,000 people working in the City (earning an average of £47,116) bonuses are expected to rise to £13,607 or 28.9% of salary.

However this is still substantially more than the national average. The overall bonus an average UK employee will earn is set to hit £1,874, just 7.5% of the £25,152 average salary, and in cash terms, less than one sixth of what the average financial services worker will see in their pay packets in the early part of 2007.

Employers who are worried about the weight of their workers are within their rights to refuse to take on obese job candidates – providing there is no medical reason for their weight problem, according to law firm DWF.

Unlike discrimination on grounds of race, sex or religion, the law offers no specific protection against ‘fattism’, says DWF. However the firm warns that being overweight is not sufficient grounds to sack an existing employee unless it is affecting their performance.

Stephen Robinson of DWF says: “With the nation’s waistlines getting bigger, weight is increasingly becoming an issue for employers and some have sought our advice. You can choose not to employ an overweight candidate, provided there is no underlying medical reason for it, although you should take the precaution of asking all candidates as part of the application process whether they suffer from a disability and whether they would need support or assistance should they be employed. If you fail to ask these questions, there is a risk that in not employing that candidate, you may be inadvertently discriminating against them.

“However it would also be dangerous to dismiss someone because of their weight unless it clearly had a detrimental impact on the business.

“If an employee is underperforming due to excess weight, provided there is no underlying medical reason, you should take them through your capability procedure sensitively, by highlighting how their excess weight has caused a performance issue, its effects on the business and what both employer and employee should do to resolve the issue.

“It may be that you set a timescale for them to lose weight and provide them with the support they need to achieve the goal. However, if once you have exhausted the procedure and there is no option but dismissal you must be clear that the reasons for dismissal relate to their capability to do the job and not simply because you object to their weight.”

Robinson says a more effective long-term solution is for employers to take a lead in encouraging staff to stay fit and healthy. “Consider offering subsidised gym membership and encourage team building sports, offer weight loss and healthy eating advice and include healthy and low-fat foods in vending machines and on the menu in the staff canteen. Installing bike sheds and showers will encourage employees to walk, run or cycle to work.

Obesity can cause increased absence and reduced productivity and this time of year, when New Year resolutions are uppermost in people’s minds, is an ideal opportunity to take a pro-active approach to combat it.”