There are four indicators that your industry is about to undergo radical change, writes Greg Satell, a transformation and change expert. The indicators include technology that is being broadly adopted, companies in your industry are merging, your industry has shifted its focus from creating new products to safeguarding current ones, and government regulations increase as fraud is exposed, Satell says.
If you feel something has damaged your credibility as a leader, do a self-inventory to identify potential problem areas, take a walk to clear your head, and look for mentors or coaches who can help you identify areas where you may need to grow or change, writes executive coach Anne Sugar. "You must accept that there are times you will need to make changes, whether you like it or not," Sugar writes.
Too many HR professionals are forgetting the "human" part of their department's name, says Charlotte Thatcher, senior vice president for people at digital workplace YOOBIC. Thatcher adds that many enterprises "fail to see even communication, coaching and mentoring as a two-way street," and only about 1 in 5 are willing to invest in employee experience.
The US labor market greatly outperformed expectations for January, with 517,000 jobs added and the unemployment rate declining to 3.4%, its lowest level in more than 50 years. The strong job gains, which were well above the Dow Jones estimate, could play a role in the Federal Reserve's future policy decisions.
Despite the need for startups to tighten up on spending, there are opportunities in a down market, such as hiring and less competition, writes Pegasus Tech Ventures general partner Anis Uzzaman. "Many successful companies were founded in recessionary times, so smart founders and investors can each benefit by actively participating despite the perceived risks," Uzzaman writes.
If you need coffee to wake up, or pick you up later in the afternoon, the chemical reaction it causes within your body simply prevents adenosine from making you drowsy until the caffeine wears off instead of giving you an actual energy boost, writes Emma Beckett, a senior lecturer at the School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle. "So, the debt you owe the caffeine always eventually needs to be repaid, and the only real way to repay it is to sleep," Beckett writes.
This podcast takes a look at the economics of Girls Scout Cookies and how what was once an opportunity for girls to develop sales and communications skills has now become big business. The internet changed the game for Scouts and the pandemic shifted an already competitive sales landscape even more. This podcast is relatively short, so listen to the full episode. If you don't, you'll miss out on gems like this one at the 12:05 mark: "Thin Mints just might be a vessel for self-discovery."
