Have you thought of… your hand shake technique

…or rather, changing it?

Getting it right without creating a bad impression can be a complete minefield, according to a new book on interpersonal business skills published by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. It claims the most unpopular handshakes, which cause people to cast doubt on your credibility as a professional, are the “wet fish”, which  is limp and flaccid, perhaps a little damp, and implies the person lacks substance; the “boss” is palm downwards on top of yours, implying a dominant power player; and the “little me”, which is gentle, lacks grip pressure and can imply submissiveness.

But CM has come across a few manoeuvres not listed in the guide: the “tickle”, which involves staring into the other person’s eyes while caressing their palm with your fingertips; and the “aggressor”, shaking while twisting the other person’s arm around their neck in a headlock. Seriously.

 …stuffing your commute and going for a sail instead?

Grahame Pettit (l) and Tony Jenkins

Then you might be slightly jealous to hear about Fareham-based Amiri Construction MD Grahame Pettit, who is able to do both as his firm works on the £2.4m Chichester Marina in West Sussex. The seafaring boss lives just 15 minutes from the project, which is due to finish in July, and completes the six-mile journey on board his 6.5m-long Cobra Rib, powered by a 225hp outboard motor. It certainly beats the morning crush on Network Rail.

 …starting work on an empty stomach?

It’s a daunting prospect, which workers on several London construction sites managed to avoid last month when tool hire firm HSS Hire turned up in a van to cook their breakfasts for free. In a competition that ran throughout January, the company invited builders working on sites in the capital to log on to www.hssbigbreakfast.com and vote for a visit from its Big Breakfast van.  The 31 sites with the most votes — a different site each day in January — were served up bacon and sausage sandwiches and tea and coffee. Sounds tasty, if ever-so-slightly cliched.

 …specifying composting toilets for a green office?

That’s what you’ll find at the Bullitt Center in Seattle, currently claiming the crown for the world’s most energy efficient commercial office building and home to a sustainability advocacy group. According to a report from US news website Fast Company, the composting toilets come with air compressors, a soap solution, and water. Once a toilet has been used, waste migrates through the building and down into one of its 10 composters located in the basement where it decomposes with help from wood shavings and water. Apparently, there’s no smell — or at least, no more than usual.