• WHAT MAKES A TEAM SUCCESSFUL are leaders who create environments rooted in trust, where people follow because they want to, not because they’re forced to. A Google study of 180 teams, testing raw talent/ intelligence/ experience/ work ethic, concluded that the primary factor is ‘Psychological Safety.’  And the fundamentals of strong leadership which can deliver that environment. critical to optimizing productivity, profitability and stability, involve: (1) Setting clear expectations; (2) Holding people accountable without making them feel afraid; (3) Creating environments where people feel valued, not intimidated; (4) Developing Trust in leader’s direction.  DCG have decades of experience in facilitating business structure and systems. Call us for courtesy consult.  [PSYCHOLOGY TODAY]
  •  PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR LA COUNTY FIRE VICTIMS from Governor’s Exec Order: 2024 assessments due 4/10/25 are suspended until 4/10/26.  2025 assessments are cancelled.  This applies to ‘affected properties’ in zip codes: 90019,41,49,66 / 90265,72,90 / 90402 / 91001 / 91104, 06, 07 / 93535, 36.   Additionally, owners in LA County can seek value reassessment for any damage or destruction above $10,000, which would remain in effect until the property is fully repaired, restored or reconstructed. And, separate protections also for owners who choose to sell and purchase a new property within 2 years.
  • CALIFORNIA PROJECTS ARE CONSISTENTLY OVERPAID, OVERDELAYED, AND HAVE BECOME A NATIONAL JOKE.  Ridiculous examples include: (1) In 2008, a high-speed rail project (LA to San Francisco) was approved for $33 billion and completion by 2020. Latest target is $128 billion with completion by 2030 of less than half the line, while “Engineers & Project Managers doubt completion in this century”; (2) In 2014, a bond was approved for water storage reservoirs. Ten years later, the Governor bragged that he is still “streamlining the project; (3) In 2016, a new Campaign Portal website was approved for 3-year completion at $11.6 million, but is now targeted for completion in 2027 at cost of $92 million; (4) San Francisco planned to build a single toilet restroom for $1.7 million taking 3 years, but ultimately “Democrats had enough shame to cancel the celebration for the project which managed to cut costs down to only $200K, though it still took over 3½ years.”  [WASHINGTON EXAMINER]
  • A QUARTER OF COUNTRIES AND NEARLY HALF OUR STATES HAVE A ‘SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND’ which is government run investment pot for stocks, bonds, real estate, oil & mineral rights, etc.  President Trump has just authorized one for America which sits on some $6 Trillion of assets (offsetting some $36 Trillion of debt). Nearly $2 Trillion is in student loans of arguable collectability, but next largest is Norway at $1.7T then China at $1.3/T.  [PETER ST. ONGE]  

 

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:

  • One-in-ten people use the same four-digit password: 1234.  Next most popular are 1111, 0000, 1212 and 1342, then come 2222, 4444, 5555, etc. or their year of birth. Analysis of 29 million passwords by haveibeenpwned.com found that these most commonly used PINs are the problem when phones and bank cards fall into the wrong hands.   [ABC.NET.AU]
  •  Wedding proposal diamond rings now average around $5,000 while Lab-Grown diamonds at that price – almost undistinguishable from a mined rock, except to gemologists with specialized equipment – now yield a rock roughly four times bigger. Synthetic diamonds have already replaced around half the Engagement Ring market, as well as taken over the Valentines Day and costume jewelry markets, severely impacting the ‘luxury gift’ status of DeBeers “A Diamond is Forever” brand.  [ECONOMIST]