(Time to read this Blog section is about 50 seconds)
- California dreamin’. If California was a separate country, it would be the world’s 5th largest economy. Only the economies of the USA, China, Japan and Germany would be bigger.
- Conformity gone mad. In Japan, a country with a strong conformist culture, a schoolgirl with naturally brown hair was ordered to dye her hair black in order to fit in with her classmates. A Japanese court will soon rule on whether or not this edict can be enforced.
- Rough road ahead for the car industry. According to global consulting firm Bain & Co. the development of autonomous robo-taxis could reduce vehicle sales in America by 40% from 17 million vehicles a year to just 10 million. This will have a huge economic impact on car makers, their suppliers, vehicle insurance companies, parking lot owners and driving schools.
- Less stress for your staff. Instead of announcing a sweeping change, say, “I’d like to try a little experiment.” Little experiments aren’t threatening. They sound temporary and suggest a bit of adventure. If the experiment works, you can keep it If not…well, it was only a little experiment, right?
- Are you a leader in your industry…or do you just say you are? Many of my biz coaching clients claim to be “leaders in their industry”. Then I ask them when is the last time they actually ‘lead’? When’s the last time they did something innovative, courageous, or disruptive? When’s the last time they were ‘first’ to do something? That’s what leaders do…they lead. Saying you’re a leader doesn’t make you one. The things leaders do are called “acts of leadership” for a reason. What are your most recent ‘acts of industry leadership’?
- An amazing employee perk. After just one year of employment, every employee at Basecamp, a web-development company, receives $5,000 each year to go on vacation. The real battle in business today is the battle to attract, engage and retain top talent. This perk may be too rich for your business, but what are you doing to be a ‘talent magnet’?
