- OWNERS AND EXECUTIVE LEADERS IN FAMILY BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE OFTEN SURPRISED by loss of productivity, motivation, and even resignation from next-tier leaders in Manager or Supervisor roles. DCG experience is that when this occurs, the principal underlying issues involve circumstances where those subordinates feel: (1) stuck or stagnant in their career progression; (2) limited mostly by politics among owners or their families; (3) absence of support for expanding personal leadership skills or behavior, especially with teams when cultural diversity is significant. These personal obstacles can become severe, even insurmountable, before CEOs are even aware of the issues. DCG provide experienced guidance in recognizing and minimizing these risks. Call us for courtesy consult.
- BE AWARE OF NEW CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWS EFFECTIVE 2025, especially: (1) Independent Contractors providing ‘Professional Services’ – including human resources/ marketing/ appraisals/ photography/ writing & editing/ content production – now require written agreements itemizing services, value, compensation rates, payment dates, and must be paid within 30 of invoicing or can be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 [SB988]; (2) Pregnant workers are now entitled to accommodations for even ‘minor, modest and episodic needs’ including temporary suspension of an essential job function; (3) Sick Leave Rights now apply in the event of any worker’s family becoming a victim of crime or abuse – including domestic violence, stalking or if threatened by a firearm – even if no one is arrested, and employee can use any accrued vacation, leave or paid time off accounts.
- “TODAY’S DECAY IN HIGHER EDUCATION threatens long-term prospects of reason, liberty and Western civilization. Some 40% of top public-sector decision-makers are Ivy League graduates, and nearly a third of the executives leading America’s corporate/ bank/ investment firms/ governments/ military/ media/ and religious groups attended one of 20 elite universities – which have ideologically become something akin to indoctrination camps, where traditional Western values are trashed while woke ideology is promoted. Not surprisingly, these graduates are inclined to maintain rigid liberal positions, confident of their own superior intelligence and perspicuity while being ignorant of other views. The Woke mindset has even permeated Science Departments, emphasizing ‘social justice’ over empiricism and placing race & gender ahead of merit. (After UCLA Medical School gave control of admissions to a DEI administrator, failure rate in exams increased tenfold). With loss of Federal support for the expected Trump Administration targets including DEI policies, programs favorable to terrorists, and students who are in the U.S. illegally – no matter how justified – and while undergrad enrollments have dropped 15% with 500 private universities having closed over the past decade, the arrogance of university leaders, reflecting decades of the education sector’s rising power & influence, will be challenging every step along the way.” [https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/12/12/the-american-university-is-rotting-from-within]
- COMPARED TO SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, THE U.S. HEALTH SYSTEM metrics for doctors per capita, hospital bed capacity, waiting times, surgical outcomes, and access to specialists is unparalleled. However, our healthcare costs are also 2½ times the average of 37 other democracies with market-based economics and “a funding system that is corrupt, mind-boggling complicated, and often outright predatory by over-treating and over-charging patients. The crony system has evolved through tens of thousands of mandates & regulations designed written by lobbyists for insurers, hospitals, ambulance-chasing trial lawyers, and the AMA doctors union, all designed to hide the costs to patients, leaving insurers to police hospitals in ways that often destroy patients.” New Administrations typically try to tinker with the system, to no avail, but still our health system is probably the best in the world. [PETER ST ONGE]
- THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:
- Maintaining cognitive performance after age 50 is important for quality of life, wellbeing and independence, and can be improved for up to 24 hours simply by moderate physical activity. Latest study at University College London found that any type of exercise – like brisk walking, dancing, even climbing a few flights of stairs – gets heart rate up which increases blood flow to the brain and increases short-term memory, especially when combined with more sleep. [INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY]
