• THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION DON’T BELIEVE MUCH IN ORGANIZATIONAL HEIRARCHIES and that “waiting in line doesn’t make sense when they’re ready now.” Surveys show that some two-thirds of workers born after the late 1970s know “their personal drive is intimidating” but don’t care – they are simply “less respectful of more experienced colleagues and don’t feel compelled to follow in the same path as their superiors.” This reality is impacting the value of ‘mentorship’ programs promoting retention and/or succession strategies, since the attitude of Millennials seems to be that “the idea of seeking out a single career confidant is as old-fashioned as a 3-martini lunch… Their model is more like a Twitter conversation – short-term and quite informal… like ‘speed mentoring,’ where aspiring mentees face off individually…for short bursts of advice (speed-dating-style) and a cache of business cards… looking for those critical few to help them reach goals in as short an amount of time as possible.” DCG can help your company develop or adapt mentorship and leadership programs to today’s realities. [BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK – Mar 18, 13]
  • IF YOU HIRE UNPAID ‘INTERNS,’ BEWARE OF RESTRICTIVE LABOR LAW GUIDELINES. To legally employ an unpaid worker: (1) They must be a ‘student’ and training is imperative – more than “learning a new skill” or “professional experience”; (2) The program must theoretically be more for the student’s benefit than the Company’s – “tailored more closely to their education than toward employer operations – and cannot “replace a regular employee to cut overhead costs”; (3) Interns cannot “work independently to complete projects that will ‘benefit’ the Company… Employers cannot “derive immediate advantage… In fact, any efforts the student makes must be offset by impediments incurred through training & supervision”; (4) There is not supposed to be any chance for a post-internship job position. Unless these guidelines are met, the intern qualifies as an ‘employee’ and must be paid commensurate with job functions, ob- viously subject to payroll tax regulations and severe penalties for failing to do so. [OPENVIEWPARTNERS.COM – Mar 4, 13]
  • WORKPLACE ‘NAPS’ ARE BECOMING MORE COMMONPLACE. Between ages 13 and 64, some 43% of Americans say they “rarely get a good night’s sleep on worknights” so, recognizing that “worker fatigue weighs heavily on health and productivity of employees,” an increasing number of employers are responding by allowing – even encour- aging – daytime naps. Some have ‘quiet rooms’ with extended lunch times; one company stuck a “recliner and soothing fountain in an unused closet and lets employees sign up for 20-minute naps twice a week.” [THE WEEK – Mar 22, 13]

    • ‘STAND-UP’ DESKS ARE ANOTHER EMERGING WORKPLACE TREND, since studies have also found that “being sedentary literally shortens your life… that standing for an hour a day can reduce blood sugar & risk of type-2 diabetes as well as improve posture, core and leg strength… and that staying on your feet can also boost your mood.” It’s likely the Nap Room concept would be even more useful in this environment. [MEN’S HEALTH – Apr 13]

  • ARE WOMEN LOSING GROUND IN AMERICA as talking heads in the lame-stream media currently report their statistics? The statistics from other sources show, quite to the contrary, that Women have risen to a powerful demographic, now controlling over 50% of all private wealth (some $14 trillion) and launching 70% of all new businesses; also that Women assume the role of Chief Financial Officer and control the money in 85% of families. As Mark Twain adeptly pointed out: “There are 3 kinds of lies: Lies, Damned lies, and Statistics.” [ADVISOR TODAY – Mar/Apr 13]
  • UPDATE ON THE ‘RECOVERY’: President Obama told ABC news last week that the current national debt is “sustainable,” and he does not feel the need to try to balance the budget. Bill O’Reilly’s response was that “just about every honest economist knows that running up massive debt without an effective strategy to improve the economy is flat-out dangerous. If the U.S. dollar collapses, there will be a worldwide depression that will make the recent recession look like an after-party at George Clooney’s house.” [LBNElert Mar 16, 13]
  • LOOKING FOR A 5-MINUTE PROGRAM TO RELIEVE STRESS, TENSION AND THE IMPACT FROM DAILY NEGATIVE ENCOUNTERS? Developed by an internationally renowned psychotherapist, “Brushing Your Nervous System” involves a quiet and simple thought process just before sleep. Double-Click: e n g l i s h . m p 3 [GINAROSS.com]
  • THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.”