Blockbuster’s former CEO on competition with Netflix and how to handle criticism

In the minds of many, Blockbuster's demise and eventual bankruptcy in 2010 was an inevitability. The video rental giant's failure to keep pace with digital disruptors such as Netflix sealed its fate.

However, James Keyes , who served as Blockbuster's chairman and CEO from 2007-11, claims this version of events glosses over many of the finer details.

In an exclusive interview with Raconteur, Keyes talks candidly about his failed attempt to turn around Blockbuster, the challenges of leading a business transformation while under the watchful eye of investors and how to deal with external criticism.

Sam Forsdick spoke to him about what he learned from the experience and its relevance for business leaders today. Read the full interview here.

Three-minute explainer on… coffee-badging

Tensions between those who want to work remotely and employers who favour a return to the office are becoming more severe. Some organisations have even resorted to?monitoring employee attendance?and challenging those workers who are not meeting in-office quotas. But, there are still some people who are prepared to push back or find ingenious workarounds.

One such method is coffee-badging, a new trend of people showing up to a physical workspace simply to ‘tap in’ with their identity badge and perhaps grab a cup of coffee in the office kitchen. Then, having aptly demonstrated that they’ve been onsite, they leave to work the rest of the day at home.

A recent study by the video conferencing company Owl Labs found that 58% of people working for businesses that had a hybrid working setup with at least two mandatory office days had coffee-badged at some point in the past year.?

Whatever you think of remote working, it is hard not to see coffee-badging as a gross inefficiency. Rohan Banerjee explores how to avoid it. Read more.

Office cubicles have made a comeback, but are they worth the?cost?

Before the pandemic, open-plan office space was the preference for most businesses. Now, since employees have become accustomed to the quiet and privacy of their homes, companies pushing for a return to HQ need to accommodate this. As a result, a new piece of office furniture has come back into vogue to break up the uninterrupted rows of desks – the cubicle.? Soundproof booths have quickly become a staple as workers request space to shut themselves away from the distractions of the office to take calls or concentrate. Office rental agency Sketch Labs has witnessed this surge in demand first-hand, with 95% of the companies it consulted in January requesting private booths.

But, while these soundproof pods are proving popular with office workers, they come with a hefty price tag. So, are they really an essential amenity for hybrid workers, or is their return as a sign of unimaginative office design? Read more.

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