• IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, MANY FAMILY BUSINESS OWNERS FOCUS SOLELY ON SYMPTOMS of risk (sales down, expense levels, insurance coverage, etc.) which are measures of success, versus the key points at which, if failure occurs, it could cause the entire system to fail. The greatest insurance and assurance of business success is a Culture driven by clear and shared consensus of purpose, when prioritized and communicated consistently to everyone in the organization. In today’s business climate, financial results are likely to get worse before they improved. Let DCG assist you in forecasting, budgeting, communicating and optimizing productivity.
  • BACK-TO-OFFICE POLICY IS EFFICIENT, except when office drama gets rekindled – when some personalities “exaggerate, catastrophize, and spin minor situations into varying degrees of crisis which increase employees’ stress, often with emotional overreactions creating confusion, amplifying negativity, and derailing meaningful work & productivity.” Effective leadership requires leaders to remain neutral, unemotional, and capable of filtering out the noise to focus on ‘just the facts,’ in order to manage solutions. “Teams that operate with clear communication and minimal emotional distractions experience higher productivity, with less time wasted on gossip & panic, lower stress levels as employees feel more in control of their work environment, and better decision-making because facts lead to informed choices versus reactionary chaos. When leaders control the tone, they control the conversation – and ultimately workplace culture.” DCG can help.  [FORBES]
  •  CHOOSING A BABY’S NAME generally reflects the parents’ values and hopes for a child, shaped by factors like family history and perhaps the baby’s first few responses or demeanor. But first names are also subject to popular culture, and an A.I. analysis of some 400 million people born in America & Britain over the last 1½ centuries found some interesting traits and trends including: (1) Parents increasingly care about appearances – some 30% of names are more associated with beauty or brawn rather than with brains. (Top girl’s names are now Emma, Olivia & Charlotte which connote ‘elegance’).  (2) 70% of American boys got a name associated with strength and 15% with religious links (like Elijah, Jacob, James). (3) Other factors which influence naming involve parental priorities for cultural identity, internet trends, and fads stemming from popular film, TV or music stars. But in reality, birth names pale as kids age with Nicknames conferred by future friends and detractors. [ECONOMIST]
  •  ‘PARENTING’ IS A TWO-WAY STREET, with children actually reshaping parental priorities, schedules and the brain itself, guarding against age-related cognitive decline. Latest study of MRI scans from some twenty-thousand global adults found “higher brain synchronization, progressively strengthening as the number of children increased, similarly impacting moms and dads.” Exact reasons aren’t fully understood but researchers suggest key factors being (1) the constant mental juggling of multiple tasks, schedules and solving problems which help keep the brain active, along with (2) being attuned to kids nonverbal cues like gestures and expressions which support parents’ capacity to recognize distinct thoughts & emotions in other adults, contributing to social cognition and connection. Who knew?  [EPOCH TIMES]

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:

  •  People with obesity actually take away less pleasure in eating, according to latest neuro-scientists at UC-Berkeley. Based on brain scans, individuals obese from long-term consumption of high calorie foods have reduced neurotensin and dopamine levels which adversely impact their level of enjoyment. [BERKELEY.EDU]
  •  Los Angeles County’s blanket ban against the death penalty, instituted by its former progressive District Attorney to include inmates already on death row, has now been reversed by the newly-elected D.A. to apply in the “most egregious sets of circumstances.” In California, the execution chamber at San Quentin has been closed since Governor Newsom declared a moratorium on the death penalty in 2019.
  • “Do not argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

                            “Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”              

                                      “Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.”