• PREVIOUS GENERATIONS HAD THEIR DIFFERENCES – countless race riots & murders, politically motivated bombings & assassinations, and a Civil War which cost some 600,000 lives. But none were fomented or fostered by cable TV or the internet promoting ideological positions, with social media providing a (false) sense of security for being in the ‘right’!  Polls today suggest that nearly two-thirds of both Democrat and Republican voters “are motivated less by their parties’ ideas than by the fear that the other party’s policies would ruin the country… and 40% say the other party is a threat to the nation’s well-being.” But reality is that “violence is part of our collective political culture. America was born in the bloodshed of the Revolution, and we’ve always had rabid ideologues with fervent faith in the purifying value of guns, ropes and bombs. It may be small comfort, but the hateful rhetoric and violence surrounding us today are hardly aberrations or unique to the Trump era.”  [THE WEEK – June 30, 17]
  • PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEMS ARE CONTINUING TO EVOLVE from traditional ‘appraisal’ which focuses on what was wrong, to “mentoring systems which give the employee needed tools to improve, including learning how to give and receive feedback.”  Entrepreneurial employers are shifting focus from managing talent, to “creating an optimal culture where talent can thrive… with independent judgement, high levels of expertise and problem-solving skills, ability to deploy technology and increase collaboration.”  Traditional annual evaluation systems, which consume substantial personnel time, are not only failing to engage today’s “multi-generational, technology-driven and app-savvy workforce, but can even undermine performance as people focus on their ‘ratings’ versus personal growth and organizational mission.” DCG have decades of experience in developing optimal evaluation processes for workgroups of all sizes & shapes. Let us help.  [FORBES – June 20, 17]
  •  AS IT RELATES TO WOMENS’ RIGHTS, IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONCILE the support of American women for Sharia Law. Sri Lanka’s “Family Law that applies only to Muslims,” for example, provides (1) No minimum age, except that children under 12 need approval of a Muslim Family Judge; (2) No bridal ‘consent is required – to the contrary, in one circumstance, “to avoid being married at 17 to a stranger, a schoolgirl tried to commit suicide (by swallowing her mother’s diabetes pills) and, while recovering in the hospital, her parents went ahead and registered the marriage; (3) Polygamy is permitted for men, without a wife’s acquiescence or any knowledge of other wives; (4) Husbands can get quick divorces without any explanation, versus a wife being barred from legal representation, routinely ordered to keep quiet, and likely to endure a long process that requires producing of witnesses. (5) The penal code also exempts Muslim men from prosecution for statutory rape, provided the victim is at least 12 and married to the perpetrator.” Conservative Muslims actually present Child Marriage as a way to make pregnancy less of a problem, and view marriage by age 17 critical because “their value (i.e. Dowry) decreases as they get older.”
  • FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES ARE SELDOM MANAGED in a manner compliant with best business standards and practices. Controlling owners often find it uncomfortable to balance their multiple roles; family members may have expectations, envy, ego, insecurities or entitlement issues; communication is often stifled by emotional entanglements; and/or all of the above. So creating business efficiencies and effectiveness in structure & operations is always a challenge.  Decades of DCG experience suggest four crucial areas where formalized process & procedure are typically lacking: (1) Job titles unsupported by clear responsibility, accountability & authority; (2) Compensation levels unsupported by market relationships, or a realistic and independently-administered performance evaluation system (to ensure perception of fairness); (3) Programs for developing next-stage  management or leadership skills; (4) A communication mechanism/ structure which “codifies the operating principles and relationships,”  including who gets to join (spouses, kids, cousins), and ownership protective criteria (prenuptials, wills, Trusts).  When companies mix family and business without structure for separating and clarifying these crucial and often incompatible areas, disaster can ensue. Call us before your reality check bounces.

 THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:  MEN make the family decisions, right?  Oh Yeah right! https://biggeekdad.com/2013/06/the-man-song-2/

Statistics and Graphs can be structured to illustrate any visual perception one wishes. Check out these “spurious correlations”:  http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

Average human I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) is around 100.  MENSA is a high-I.Q. society for those scoring above 130 in the top 2% on standardized tests – i.e. the top 98th or higher percentile. It turns out that 70% of U.S. Presidents have scored at that level, including Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy and Clinton. Neither Obama nor Trump scores have been officially released.