Defeating a toxic work culture, the benefits of doing nothing at all, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

Why you should try doing… absolutely nothing: Busyness has become an unhealthy status symbol, argues The New York Times’ Olga Mecking, leading to burnout, anxiety and other stress-driven ailments. What can we do? Follow what the Dutch call 'niksen.' Essentially, niksen is the art of doing nothing: not meditating, not eating healthy, nor being mindful but simply being idle. The upside of conscious boredom? It can lead to daydreaming, which in turn drives creativity and increases focus. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Countering your company’s toxic culture: Toxic work cultures — the kind that discourage people from showing their true identity or encourage hyper-competitive behavior — can severely damage employee health and hurt a company’s performance. But you don’t need to accept such an environment lying down, writes University of Pennsylvania’s Annie McKee. Instead, build your own microculture, one that embraces values you prize. Start by shifting your own behavior and relationships with others, then recruit others to your cause. ? Here’s what people are saying.

You Asked: “I’ve been told by a couple of close friends to apply for quite a senior job to start after I graduate in July, but I cannot see the point when I have almost no real world experience and have applied for an internship at the same company. Would you suggest applying for it anyway?” — Jess Cooling, Senior Orchestral Librarian at Royal Holloway, University of London

• “Let's be real frank, in most cases when you apply directly to a job a real person won't look at your profile until it's been filtered by the criteria listed in the job posting. I suggest that candidates who think they can do the job but have a different mix of skills and experiences to use the backdoor to get noticed. In this case, it's an InMail to some person in the company, like the department head, describing why you'd like to be considered for the role. This is how people with a non-traditional background can use a non-traditional means of getting noticed. For a job that's clearly above your level of expertise, use the job posting as a lead since the company is likely also hiring people to work in the same department at a lower level. Then get noticed using a similar backdoor approach. Being different and more assertive is how people get ahead in the real world and you might as well start when you first apply for the job.” — Lou Adler, CEO and founder of The Adler Group

• Valerie Sutton, director of career services at Harvard Graduate School of Education: “My answer is if you have 70% of what they are seeking, yes, you should definitely apply. Make a list of the knowledge that you've gained from experience or studies. Things you want to consider include technology you've used, areas of study, or cultural experiences. Having this knowledge will help you to determine the roles that you're ready to apply to and those that you will need more preparation for as you enter the field.”

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

Creative genius is not only for whippersnappers: There are two kinds of peak creativity, and they reach full bloom at different times in a person’s life, according to research from the University of Chicago and Ohio State. There are the conceptual innovators among us, typically younger (under 30) upstarts who set their sights on challenging conventions with fresh ideas. And then there are experimental innovators, who use their deep experience to test out new ideas and form unexpected connections over time. These types reach the apex of their creativity in their fifties. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The best teamwork includes alone time: When it comes to solving complicated challenges — the kind with many moving parts — teams perform best when they mix group discussion with breaks so individuals can think on their own, according to research from Boston University’s Jesse Shore. Group work helps participants learn from each other, but too much of it can lead to groupthink. Making time for individual pondering gives people space to take what they have learned from others to develop fresh ideas. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea: It’s all too easy to become trapped in professional prisons of our own making, especially when we think we must act or speak or think in a specific, prescribed way to succeed. But Melinda Gates recently told LinkedIn’s Jessi Hempel that it’s often when we release ourselves from such burdens that we truly begin to thrive.

“Once I was willing to say to myself, ‘You know, I don't need this job, I could go somewhere else, I could move somewhere else, doesn't matter,’ then I was able to say, ‘Well what would it take for me to stay in this job?’ And that's how I figured out, ‘Well, just try being yourself.’”

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

— Scott Olster