• EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION, PRODUCTIVITY AND RETENTION ARE IMPACTED BY UNCERTAINTY, especially when any substantive changes in business structure or routine are anticipated. Effective leaders anticipate that risk and take steps to: (1) Ensure advance communication and encourage collaboration, so that employees hear facts before rumors and are enabled to ask questions; (2) Anticipate their personally perceived threats (particularly in situations of new management, team re-alignment or merger/acquisition) and address in private discussions; (3) Focus on maintenance of company culture as well as positive financial and stability impacts of changes. Effective leadership must begin with communication that is Timely, Clear and Simple. Not doing so leads to confusion, which produces some level of anxiety, creating insecurities which often lead to workers’ lessor performance.  [CFO – 8/31/21]
  • WEIGHT GAIN IN MIDDLE AGE IS GENERALLY ASSUMED TO BE THE IMPACT OF METABOLISM.  But a major Duke University-based study (of some 6,400 people ranging from babies through age 95 in 29 countries) found this to be a myth – that metabolism declines gradually about 60% until age twenty, then “plateaus and remains ‘rock solid’ through most of our adult lives,” until starting to decline again about 1% yearly after age sixty. It turns out (surprise) that “weight gain is most likely the result of changes to lifestyle factors such as diet, activity levels and sleep.”  [THE WEEK – 9/3/21]
  • SIX-IN-TEN LARGE EMPLOYERS NOW MONITOR REMOTE WORKERS with software than can export any unencrypted web traffic, social media usage, and even private conversation messages. Keyboard & mouse activity can now track productivity down to how long it takes for email response. Tools can now view content & attachments from both business & personal inboxes, scan for job-search site visits, profanity or negative posts, take intermittent desktop screenshots, even activate video chats. “Some surveillance software includes always-on-webcams to ensure employees are (really) working from home.”  Most remote workers are unaware that U.S. law allows companies to monitor employee communication, with “very, very, very light protections, if any, for employee privacy.” [WASHINGTON POST – 8/20/21]
  • CHINA’S LEADERS ARE INTENT ON “IMPROVING CHINA’S ECONOMY, by both pushing its workforce toward more productive pursuits, and by reigning in large tech companies who attract foreign investor capital.”  Regulatory probes have so far resulted in a trillion-dollar stock selloff, and the newest strategy is to (1) limit the time children can play video games (labelled ‘spiritual opium’) to three hours weekly (only one-hour on weekends & public holidays) in order “wipe out most spending from minors, and (2) require platforms to register all users of online games users, linked to a state anti-addiction[BLOOMBERG – 8/30/21]
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: “We shouldn’t call it the ”White House” anymore because that’s racist. Let’s call it the Nut House instead.”

      The pushback against American ‘values’ by Terrorist Extremists stems from cultural perception of the ‘Human Rights’ label to promote ideas that they reject, and are not widely shared within their societies. This dichotomy has been constant throughout the evolution of Western civilization and should not be surprising.  Activists always ignore how expansive new programs might aggravate suspicion in today’s multipolar world and push forward ignoring the degree of resentment.  For those who want conservative perspective (otherwise don’t click or view further!).

     Bill Maher’s perspective: Blind hatred of America,” he began, “is just as blinkered as blind love.” https://redstate.com/alexparker/2021/08/29/bill-maher-may-have-just-delivered-his-most-conservative-monologue-ever-434597?utm_source=rsmorningbriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=be9796dd8b3cfc7f2a550c6bec436c84

     Bill O’Reilly’s perspective: “Casting a ballot on emotion almost always leads to disaster.” https://www.billoreilly.com/b/Time-for-Straight-Talk/326724391779452506.html?dest=/mobile/blogdetail.jsp