Cutting corners isn't always laziness, the robots delivering breakfast, and more top insights

This week, the Daily Rundown is keeping you current on the world of work and the big ideas that will shape 2019 (and beyond). Read on and join the conversation.

Employees cutting corners? It’s not (necessarily) laziness. Teams establish processes for a reason, whether that’s to ensure product quality or meet safety requirements. And if workers aren’t following every step, it’s worth asking why before jumping to conclusions, notes Fast Company. Sometimes they don’t see the reason behind the rules; in other cases, employees may have ideas for improvement. Turn to them as “valuable advisers,” says business process consultant Susan Page. And don’t be afraid to question the status quo.

Breakfast is served, thanks to your robo-butler. Bay Area robotics firm Savioke has installed room service robots at two hotels, Chicago’s Hotel EMC2 and the Aloft near Cupertino, Calif. The machines have to be loaded by humans, but they can deliver food, towels and toiletries — and even press their own elevator buttons. At the Hotel EMC2, guests order items from in-room Alexa units. They aren’t the only food-delivery robots out there: Several startups have launched street-traversing takeout bots.

An instant infection detector: Canada-based engineering experts have developed a prototype device that can detect infections in patients instantaneously, a massive improvement from the two to five days it typically takes labs to deliver results. How does it work? The device sends microwave signals through biological fluid samples and then tracks if, and how, that signal changes. Shifts in the signal’s amplitude and frequency can send off alarm bells that a patient has bacteria in their system. Such instant feedback could help doctors treat infections rapidly.

It’s time to tackle that nebulous “skills” section on your résumé. Having a good memory or a strong command of math may have once rated high on your list of professional skills. But now that devices handle those tasks, the World Economic Forum is urging workers to skill up for the future. Analytical thinking, initiative and ideation will overtake manual dexterity, time management and speaking abilities. And managers may also need to freshen their skills, as personnel management increasingly becomes automated.

Living close to educational institutions leads to higher incomes and greater literacy — even if those institutions closed hundreds of years ago. A study published in the Quarterly Journal of Economicsfound that people living near the ruins of Jesuit missions in Colombia earn 10% more than those who don’t, despite the fact that the Jesuits were expelled from the country in 1797. The findings suggest that education has lasting impact on communities.  

Idea of the day: Connections are powerful, writes Mighty Networks founder and CEO Gina Bianchini.

“When we’re invested, inspired, and most of all, connected to the right people, we can dream bigger, reach higher, and find the confidence and creativity that comes from being surrounded by similar souls.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Capucine Yeomans