• GENERATION ‘Z’ ARE NOW GRADUATING COLLEGE AND ENTERING THE WORKFORCE with different personality, expectations and demands, based on national surveys. “Unlike Millennials, who were mostly raised during times of relative prosperity, Gen Z were largely raised during a global recession and painfully slow recovery.” Their critical differences are demands for salary more than meaning in employment; over 75% say they expect to start at the bottom and work their way up, versus starting as a decision-maker with work/life balance. Predominant traits include: (1) being ‘Phygital’ – blending physical and digital skills via latest technology expected to exist in their workplace; (2) Over 80% preferring “quick sound-bite communication, face-to-face with a boss”; (3) Used to personalized marketing and writing their own college Programs, over half expect to ‘write their own job descriptions and customize their own career path”; (4) Having been connected 24/7 to instant news & entertainment, they have FOMO – ‘Fear of Missing Out’ – and are looking for “multiple roles at one place of employment, while exploring different experiences”; and (5) “Accustomed to constantly checking social media, they desire frequent feedback on job performance, with over 60% saying ideal length of a session is five minutes or less.” [JRNL OF ACCOUNTANCY – May 22, 17]
  • IN TODAY’S BUSINESS WORLD, MAINTAINING OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE does not happen without leadership based on awareness of macro & micro factors, strategic risk, and adopting reality-based strategies before energies & resources are sapped. Over the years, rote performance almost always adversely impacts a Company’s Productivity, Profitability, Stability and Valuation, along with sufficiency of risk protection for the business, its owners and their families.  And too often that impact also leads to some form of economic or financial crisis.  Each summer, as businesses settle down after year-end closings, tax filings, forecasting & budgeting, and personnel matters, DCG offers Strategic Planning consultation to our clients, other professional Advisors and/or their clients, on a COURTESY, NO-FEE basis to reality-check for significant inconsistencies or weaknesses in business objectives, forecast assumptions, controls, infrastructure and risk management, to provide realistic ‘next step’ strategies for improved efficiency, effectiveness and financial results. Call to calendar
  • SOME 2.3 BILLION ‘ROBOCALLS’ TO CELLPHONES WERE MADE IN ONE RECENT MONTH – more than seven calls per , person affected. Experts say that the best way to fight such calls is to (1) “decline calls from numbers you don’t recognize… and, (2) if you do answer, do not respond to invitations to ‘opt out’ which merely verify your working number and make you a target for more calls.” Call blocking apps such as Truecaller or Robokiller Also, be aware that “a recent robocall scheme recorded consumers saying ‘yes’ and used it to hack their credit card accounts.” [THE WEEK – May 26, 17]
  • “BOTNETS – FLOCKS OF COMPROMISED COMPUTERS which can flood websites with traffic, knocking them off until a ransom is paid – can be rented by the hour. Just like a legitimate business, the bot-herders will, for a few dollars extra, provide technical support… and the scope for malice is about to expand remarkably, since we are building a ‘world-sized robot’ in the shape of the Internet of Things – computerization of everything from cars and electricity meters to children’s toys, medical devices and light bulbs… The vulnerabilities of computers stem from basics of information technology, the culture of software development, breakneck pace of online business growth, economic incentives faced by computer firms, and the divided interest of governments… The Dep’t of Defense has found ‘significant vulnerabilities’ in every weapon system it examined, and a 2015 study found the average phone app had fourteen… The default assumption is that everything is hackable.” [THE ECONOMIST – Apr 8, 17]
  • 46% OF CALIFORNIA ADULTS HAVE ‘BLOOD SUGAR’ LEVELS THAT ARE TOO HIGH, which can lead to health complications including vision loss, kidney impairment, atherosclerosis and even cancer. A UCLA study last year reported that above age 55, six in ten were prediabetic and up to 20% had full-on type II diabetes; collectively, 55% of Californians above age 18 have one or the other – and most are undiagnosed. Despite the serious health risks, we “increasingly gorge on deadly foods & drinks that spike blood sugar levels, which not only increase disease risk, but also accelerate aging by shortening telomeres… The severity of this health crisis cannot be overstated.” [LIFE EXTENSION – June 17]
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: Not politically correct but quite insightful perspective on men v. women:  wmv

     Facebook had to assess nearly 54,000 potential cases of revenge pornography and “sextortion” on the site in a single month, disabling more than 14,000 accounts related to these types of sexual abuse – with 33 of the cases involving children.