• NON-FINANCIAL MOTIVATORS REMAIN MORE EFFECTIVE than the highest-rated financial incentives (salary, bonus or equity-stock options), even in this economy. A McKinsey survey of more than 1,000 C-level Execs, Managers & Directors found that employee priorities continue to be: (1) “Praise and commendation from their immediate manager; (2) Attention from leaders; and (3) Opportunities to lead projects or task forces.” While money rewards generate short-term enthusiasm, non-financial motivators “are more effective in building long-term employee engagement in most sectors, job functions, and business contexts… Employee motivation and morale has fallen almost in half of all companies…as managers praise subordinates less often, opportunities to lead are scarcer, and leadership attention to motivate talent is less forthcoming… One reason may be executive hesitation to challenge traditional managerial wisdom that money is what really counts… Another is probably that non-financial strategies, on the whole, require more time and commitment – particularly from those who tend to ‘hide’ in their offices, uncertain about the current situation & outlook, without regard to the highly damaging void that saps employee engagement from lack of interaction.” DCG helps focus leaders on efficient and effective response to these issues. [McKINSEY QUARTERLY CLASSICS – May 13]
  • ONLINE BANK FRAUD IS RUNNING RAMPANT, as cybercrime now targets small & medium size companies. But your bank may not be liable for losses if it was your User ID and Password which got hacked. “Cyber thieves can easily steal these credentials, bypassing technology controls and taking advantage of your employees’ lack of awareness training.” Here are four simple protective steps which may save you mucho money and hassle: (1) Use a separate workstation for online banking – with updated & patched applications, without web-browsing capacity, and isolated from other network functions; (2) Tighten authorizations, strengthen passwords, and limit employees’ internet use; (3) Train staff to be alert to social engineering phishing attacks; (4) Consider cybercrime insurance. DCG can help. [ISSA-LA Bulletin]
  • IN CALIFORNIA, PRISON ‘REHABILITATION’ IS SUPPORTED BY CALPIA, the Prison Industry Authority, where some 5000 convicts “punch the clock at 57 state-operated factories, earning 35 to 95 cents per hour” manufacturing fabric, metal, furniture, dentures and license plates, recycling toner cartridges, or performing services ranging from meat cutting, food/beverage packaging, baking and coffee roasting to digital support. Statistics claim that over a 3-year period, “ex-cons who’d worked the program” stayed out of jail up to 38% more often than other offenders. However, state law only allows the agency to sell to other government agencies, so fewer buyers coupled with fewer workers – due to mandated release of prisoners to reduce ‘cruel & unusual’ overcrowding – has turned even this program (like most other government-run social programs) into a deficit. [BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK – May 20, 13]
  • WHY OUR TAX SYSTEM IS UNRESPECTED: In the last decade, the Tax Code has been amended over 4,700 times with over four-million words (many contradictory) costing those who file responsibly to spend some $170 billion plus software costs along with over six-billion hours on compliance – “enough work to keep over 3 million people employed full-time – without producing anything.” Meanwhile, some 7,000 millionaires pay zero and $400 billion in reported taxes due somehow never get collected. Since “politicians usually balk at taking on the myriad vested interests which all ferociously defend their favorite tax breaks,” expect more of the same. [THE ECONOMIST – May 25, 13]
  • YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fKTu6B4Rgek#!
  • A CRAZY RADIO DJ DECIDED TO EXPERIENCE “SIMULATED CHILDBIRTH LABOR.” If you are a guy who wishes to sense what women go through to deliver your children (a perhaps sensitive, but strange, wish), check out: Men Experience “Simulated Child Birth” | The NEW MOViN 92.5 – MOViN925.com – All The Hits!
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: A French survey claims that 31% of women gave their telephone number to a man carrying a guitar – twice as many as responded when he was empty-handed.

    H-1B visas for fashion models get approved by U.S. Immigration over 50% of the time; visa requests for computer- related occupations around 28%.

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