• SUCCESSION PLANNING IS ABOUT HAVING A FOCUSED PROGRAM to ensure that an organization’s talent is capable of taking over leadership when necessary, not only at the executive level but for all critical tiers. “With thoughtful dialogue & participation, it can be optimally effective as a tool for leadership development and business stability. But when handled poorly, succession planning can be a waste of time and resources, since stakeholders who do not buy-in to the process & purpose can easily sabotage efforts.” Small business owners tend to procrastinate this process, often too long and to serious detriment, as “things happen, people leave, and the criteria for success in any given role changes.” DCG have decades of expertise in succession and estate planning; call Dennis for courtesy consultation. [INTERCHANGE-GROUP – 1/20]
  • “30% OF AMERICANS THINK ‘MALWARE’ IS SOMETHING USED TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF A WiFi ROUTER; fewer than a quarter of millennials can correctly define the term ‘ransomware,’ and 50% of people who take a work device home have let their friends & family use it.” A survey of security professionals in seven countries who had collectively experienced nearly 50 million ‘simulated phishing attacks’ found that “the majority stemmed from “failure to observe the basic principles of cyber security hygiene” – half didn’t bother with passwords to protect home networks, a third were unfamiliar with VPNs, and 90% used work PCs & smartphones for personal activities. “In a world where 90% of global organizations report being targeted by Business Email Compromise & Spear Phishing attacks, with 2/3 having experienced a ransomware infection last year (of which 33% opted to pay up against all advice, and one in three of those were indeed extorted for further payments), end-user security ignorance urgently needs better training & reporting.”  [COMPUTER WEEKLY – 1/23/20]
  • STATS SUGGEST THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO 40 RESUME SUBMISSIONS TO LAND A JOB THESE DAYS. If you or your kids are in the market for job change, a few pointers from hiring managers who are “looking for candidates who can walk in with skills to do the job now”: (1) Don’t bother showing years of ‘experience’ or adjective-heavy soft skills like ‘detail oriented,’ ‘team player,’ ‘people person’; (2) Describe how tangible ‘value’ was added in prior positions – what positive impact resulted from application of skills to given responsibilities; (3) Emphasize collaboration skills and specific results from personal involvement in team projects; (4) Give evidence of ability to work under pressure, especially “in cultures where priorities shift, variables change, and goals are moving targets.” The jury is out on whether a photo belongs, given today’s climate of potential ‘discrimination’ charges from people rejected, but it’s still considered useful by most managers.  [U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPT – 1/27/20]
  • THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOFTWARE REVOLUTION IS FULLY UNDERWAY, which during the next decade will dramatically disrupt most traditional industries. Already, neither of the world’s largest taxi and hotel companies (Uber and Airbnb) own any hard assets; researchers, medical diagnosticians, attorneys and other skilled professionals are being eclipsed by computers delivering greater accuracy than humans within seconds; phone apps are starting to replace physicians in identifying ailments & diseases; electric vehicles are replacing internal combustion engines and support industries including parts, gas & repair stations, and ultimately oil & gas producers; autonomous vehicles will also drastically reduce accidents and impact insurance companies. Strategic Planning is becoming the critical factor in protecting not just profitability but survival of companies.  Call DCG for courtesy consultation before your reality check bounces.
  •  THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: Outstanding and humorous perspective on our world from Louis C.K. just a decade ago: https://biggeekdad.com/2009/10/everythings-amazing-nobodys-happy/

     Ever wonder about what it means when Politicians tell us they are giving “more than 100%” to their constituents?  From a mathematical perspective, if the alphabet ABCDEFG etc. is represented numerically as 1 2 3 4 5 … , then H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K  calculates to 98% (8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11); K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E adds to 96%, and A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E actually equals 100%, which somewhat makes sense.  We also find that B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T totals to 103%, and A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G = 118%.  So, one could conclude, with mathematical support, that since it’s the B.S. and Ass Kissing which put you over the 100-line, those Politicians may be telling the truth.        

     24 Android apps which contain malware and should be deleted.   https://bgr.com/2020/02/05/android-apps-removed-from-google-play-store-382-million-downloads/