• SUCCESSION PLANNING IS A CRITICAL PHASE OF STRATEGIC DIRECTION IN FAMILY BUSINESSES, and owners often focus only on skill and experience but fail to consider ‘temperament’ of a potential successor. In measuring the likely Effectiveness of a potential new leader – always dependent upon acceptance by the teams of workers – owners should be attentive to the degree that an aspiring candidate exhibits negative attributes: (1) an obsessive need to be seen and recognized; (2) ‘mirroring’ of current leader’s dress & mannerisms in attempt to build rapport; (3) interrupting or taking conversations in a different direction before others input is completed; (4) focus more on “I” than “we,” taking credit for team’s work rather than acknowledging other member’s contribution; (5) wasting time by unwillingness to accept better ideas. DCG provides courtesy consult in exit and/or succession planning. [SMARTBRIEF]
  • THE IMPACTS OF ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE ON SLEEP: Sleep deprivation impacts daily feeling, behavior, overall health and well-being. While two drinks or three-to-six glasses of wine within three hours of bedtime has a sedative effect, it’s temporary and sleep is actually disrupted when the body tries to compensate by inducing changes in physiological functions, including: (1) affecting circadian rhythms – the 24-hour body clock that responds to environment light cues in order to synchronize the sleep-wake cycle – producing less melatonin which decreases body temperature important for sleep; (2) by relaxation of airway muscles which can exacerbate snoring; (3) from the diuretic effect of alcohol which generally means more bathroom visits. Sleep disruptions of any kind can make you feel more tired the following day, since disturbed REM sleep (rapid eye movement) also leads to impairments in the consolidation of memories, cognitive function and regulating emotions. Caffeine intake also affects sleep since half the ingested stimulant remains in the body four-to-six hours after consuming, on average.  [REAL CLEAR SCIENCE]
  • FOR SEVERAL DECADES, AMERICA’S CITIES WERE SAFE. NOW MOST HAVE BECOME DEVASTATED by ‘Criminal Justice Reform’ – soft policing & prosecution which effectively legalized crime. The early reforms included abolishing bail and restricting judges’ ability to detain suspects before trial, decriminalizing transportation fare evasion, shoplifting and drugs. Then came Covid which made masking normal and questioning a mask somehow racist, leading to eruption of protests, riots and chaos. “An old sentiment has become a popular online saying these days: Strong men lead to good times. Good times lead to weak men. Weak men lead to bad times.” Hopefully, our new leadership will lead strong men once again to lead back to good times for our cities. [WASHINGTON EXAMINER]
  • “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SUPPLEMENTS – EVEN SUPPLANTS – HUMAN COGNITION, potentially redefining and broadening digital amnesia: planning our days, doing our work, answering our questions, and in essence thinking for us. However, as AI has grown more commonplace in everyday life, research is confirming that it reduces users’ engagement in deep reflective thinking, causing Critical Thinking skills to atrophy over time – i.e. the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to make reasoned decisions. Latest studies find a strong negative correlation between higher usage of AI tools and lowering of skills, especially in younger users whose ability to critically evaluate information, discern biases, and engage in reflective reasoning is diminished. Moreover, without learning how to assess the veracity of AI responses and evaluate generative AI’s writing to iteratively sculpt the outputs, students lacked the skills like content analysis, writing, mathematics and logic – turning AI into a Black Box.”    https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2025/01/29/does_using_ai_wreck_your_critical_thinking_skills_1087805.html

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:

  • With over 200,000 injuries reported annually in California for individuals resulting from motor vehicle, construction, slip-and-fall accidents or accidental death, the P.I. landscape continues to rapidly worsen, as companies tighten their settlements in the face of increasing risks from financial exposure to disasters – most recently the Wildfires. DCG and our affiliate Bausch Law Group offer courtesy consultation and fully-contingent legal representation to navigate this increasingly evolving and difficult hurdle. [LEGALADVICECA.COM]
  • Both men and women are equally attracted to younger partners, according to separate research. A U.C. Davis study involving 4,500 blind dates among people ranging from age 22 to 85 purportedly seeking long-term partners, and another matchmaking analysis involved 6,000 dates among participants of mixed sex/ race/ ethnicities. The findings suggest that men and women both find youth more appealing in initial attraction setting. [PROCEEDINGS OF NAT’L ACADEMY OF SCIENCES and TAWKIFY]
  • “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in sizes, so governments’ programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”  [RONALD REAGAN]