• ‘BACK TO WORK’ REFRESHER ON MANAGING MILLENNIAL EMPLOYEES (up to age 32 or so). For the most part, they: (1) were raised by baby-boomer parents who desired peer-like relationships – constantly coaching, praising & applauding participation more so than accomplishments, and now expect similar reinforcement with immediate & continuous feedback; (2) are group & teamwork oriented, least comfortable on individual assignments without collaboration for consensus decisions; (3) need to feel their work is important, how it fits into a big-picture and why they’re working on it, with clarity in expectations – but not detailed instructions; (4) believe they work ‘smarter,’ viewing inflexible work hours as outdated & unproductive, so expect to be judged on quality of output versus hours at a desk; (5) respect peers as experts & mentors (parent-like figures) but do not accept that ‘leadership’ is dependent on seniority; (6) are accustomed to ‘training’ in the form of technology & peer collaboration, preferably interactive & experiential group format (like video games); (7) prioritize work/ life balance as their major and integral focus, with ‘loyalty’ to friends/families/co-workers/communities before the Company; (8) consider compensation a much lesser priority than Company culture, challenge & opportunities for innovation, access to information & support; (9) have little patience and an expectation of deserving luxury now, versus something earned through working; (10) have an entirely different perspective on ‘performance evaluation’ process & procedure. DCG has decades of experience and expertise in effectively managing this generational discordance. Call us for direction and support.
  • A KID WHO BUILT HIS OWN NUCLEAR REACTOR AT AGE 14 is a self-taught genius who, at age 19, is literally changing the world of nuclear fusion for medical and security purposes. Check out: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/52207962#52207962
  • MOST EMPLOYERS MIS-CLASSIFY SOME WORKERS AS ‘INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS’ to minimize payroll taxes and limit exposure to employee claims, costly benefits & administration (and now, if over 50 employees, insurance obligations or penalties of $3000 per worker). IRS is increasingly enforcing these complex rules through analysis of twenty subjective parameters germane to the actual working relationship – and consistently rejecting positions based solely on contract-clause language or arguments like: “Other businesses in my industry do it… We don’t hire ‘employees’ until after a probationary period… Workers are part-time, temporary or seasonal… Workers have a business name and employer ID#… or they work at home, not on premises.” Also, remember that ‘domestic’ workers are usually considered employees under federal law, unless they’re students below age 19 or earn below $1,800/yr. Misreporting penalties are stiff. [CPA2BIZ.COM – Aug 26, 13]
  • AS TECHNOLOGIES CONTINUE TO DISRUPT ECONOMIES, HALF TODAY’S GLOBAL JOBS MAY DISAPPEAR over the next fifteen years – some two billion positions. According to McKinsey Global Institute, “twelve technologies are at the heart of this disruption: Mobile Internet, Automation of knowledge (with mass transition to online education), the Cloud, Advanced Robotics & Materials, 3-Dimensional Design & Printing (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNqs_S-zEBY ), Autonomous Vehicles (replacing truck/bus/taxi/delivery drivers, along with gas stations, traffic cops & courts, and health care for injuries), Genomics, Energy Exploration & Storage, Renewable Energy, and Internet of Things… These technologies are both the job destroyers & creators in our future.” [THE FUTURIST – Sep/Oct 13]
  • AMERICA’S BEST AND WORST CITIES FOR BUSINESS AND CAREERS were just ranked from 200 metropolitan areas based on twelve measures of “job & income growth, business & living costs, education & projected economic growth” as analyzed by Forbes. The winner: Des Moines, Iowa. The bottom five included four cities in California (Merced, Modesto, Salinas & Stockton), with Atlantic City NJ picking up ‘worst city’ honors. [FORBES – Sep 2, 13]
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: “Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it… Along with strategic focus and prioritization, ‘success’ is achievable – and leads to living your life by design instead of default.”

    Led mindlessly by the media, political and justice systems, “We are losing our collective belief in what is right and wrong. Our shared ethos is giving way to a situational morality more dependent on who commits the infraction rather than the act itself.”