Over-50

Yes, We Can Be Pet Parents in Our 70s

We are living longer. That means that, even in our 70s, we can open our lives to those four-leggers which need a home.

For three days I had searched humane shelters in southwestern Arizona for a small senior dog. There were a number of couples in their late 60s and their 70s who were also at the shelters wanting to adopt a senior dog or a senior cat.

Finally at the shelter on Roger Road in Tucson, Arizona I found my new best friend. He is six years old with a heart condition. The increased the odds that he will pass over before I do. That's what I want. 

I renamed him Magic. He sat in my lap on the hour and half ride from Tucson to Sierra Vista. I felt such joy. He seemed to relish having a mommy. 

Back home in Sierra Vista the four-legged feline I had adopted four months ago welcomed having a sibling. I had expected World War IV. That didn't happen.

The cat sniffed Magic and that was that. I had named him St. Jude. That's because at the time I went in search of him at shelters I was still reeling from when my four-legger LOV had passed over the first week of January 2021. I never thought I could ever feel whole again.

Now with Magic and St. Jude, I am whole again. 

So, yes, if you are in your 70s, it's okay to consider being a pet parent again.

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing communications that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

The Death of the "Fun" Workplace

A blast of arctic air should be going through the U.S. business community. And law firms which have proven-out ESG (Environmental Social Governance) practices will be doing breakthrough kinds of assignments.

AAll this has been put in play by the extraordinary probe by the SEC of video-game maker Activision Blizzard. 

Bloomberg Law reports:

" ... the latest probe from the country’s securities regulator raises the stakes for the company’s leadership, with the SEC subpoenaing current employees, including executives, to put them on the record about what they knew about Activision’s workplace culture, and opening the door to more lawsuits from investors and alleged victims about the company’s internal response."

The executives such as Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick are being investigated.

It could be discovered that they knew about the workplace toxicity. That toxicity is being positioned and packaged by the feds as an actual health and safety issue. Yes, that's the lens through which the federal government is viewing cultural matters. No longer is there just something rotten in the state of Denmark. It is affecting the health and safety of those who are working there.

If the Activision Blizzard executives knew about the rot and made public statements denying those realities then they could be accused of misleading. In addition, investors could and probably will pile on them for allegedly misusing funds in the process of scrambling to clean up this legal, stock price, and public relations mess. Expect a string of C-Suite resignations.

The board of directors isn't sitting pretty either. What did the members know? Expect too resignations there. And what was the general counsel doing or not doing? Recently the general counsel for Blizzard Entertainment Claire Hart had stepped down. 

Observers of this move by the SEC into the cultural matters of a corporation speculate this could be the beginning of greater federal involvement in workplace issues. The key issues could be harassment and bias. As is well-known, the Biden Administration is focused on workplace cultural matters ranging from inclusion to employee well-being. 

The pickle Activision Blizzard is in could have been prevented. The scandal at Fox News triggered by sexual harassment allegations against Roger Ailes in 2016 should have been a cautionary tale for supposed "fun" workplaces. They could have parachuted in consultants to reset the culture.

Obviously way back in 2016 values were beginning to change. Constituencies, ranging from investors to advertisers, were no longer going to ignore exploitative behavior. Overall, the new expectations of what was expected of corporate conduct went under the umbrella concept of ESG. 

Paul Weiss had picked up on this developing ethos earlier than other law firms. Back in April 2020, its Chairperson Brad Karp launched its Sustainability & Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Advisory Practice. Its mission covered all what-ifs, as you can see here:

"Business leaders face greater pressure to increase their organizations’ resilience while simultaneously addressing social issues of importance to stakeholders. Our advisory practice helps companies navigate the legal, business and political ramifications of developing and implementing ESG initiatives. We advise on matters such as stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance."

In terms of intense federal involvement in workplace culture, Activision Blizzard is the canary in the mine.

Those observing what is happening right now and what could happen can't miss this: Not paying attention to the values disruption put in play way back with the ouster of Ailes can be catastrophic.

By time the extent of the problem became evident to the Activision Blizzard brass and it called in WilmerHale for an internal investigation it was too late. 

Already the stock price had taken a hit. It hasn't recovered. How many investor lawsuits will there be about that?

Executive careers are derailed. 

Talent is likely to flee.

Competition is gleeful. 

The media centers have grabbed onto this story and they won't be letting it go. 

One definite takeaway: Call in your outside law firm's head of the ESG practice today. Fix what can be fixed. Prevent further fallout. 

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing communications that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

Not Work As We Baby Boomers Remember

"Tim Cook sent an email to Apple employees Tuesday evening about an all-hands meeting that leaked to The Verge last week. He said the company is doing “everything in our power to identify those who leaked” and noted that “people who leak confidential information do not belong” at Apple." Zoe Schiffer, Verge, September 22, 2021

This latest development in employee activism at Apple is almost cartoonish: The CEO's memo condemning the leaking of internal communications is leaked. Likely Cook maintains the illusion that the worker revolt can be brought under control.

The reality is that there has been a disruption on labor relations. Employees have stepped out of the fear box and bet on their marketability with other employers, go gig economy, or start their own business.

Recent research by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford found this is exactly what concerns the general counsel. Here is my analysis of this phenomenon, published in  O'Dwyer Public Relations. Essentially, the majority of general counsel have been struggling with how to categorize this kind of employee behavior. Should it be treated as any other workplace issue? Or does it need a new framework to assess it and to determine how to manage it. 

The Rock Center sizes up employee activism as a risk factor which corporations have encountered. With workers becoming more aggressive at Apple it has become the corporation the media centers are tracking for what's the next in labor relations. 

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing communications that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

Boosters Available For 65

"U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans." - Daily Mail, September 22, 2021

The question: Should you take the booster? That's a medical issue, not a political one. 

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing communications that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

Baby Boomers - Remember Our Blind Faith in Higher Education ...

The statistic is well-known: About 55% of law schools are overenrolled for first-year (1L) classes.

Despite opportunities, with just an undergraduate degree, on Wall Street and the excitement of startups, there are those who are opting for the three-year, expensive education for the JD degree. That is even though there are growing warnings of a glutted entry-level job market for the JD Class of 2024. In addition, there could be the beginning of the end of the boom in large law firms. 

What is happening for M.B.A. programs is very different, reports The Wall Street Journal. For the program at Northwestern, applications have been down 20%. At Columbia 6%.

The ethos of HiHo HiHo Off to Work We Go is replacing the old-line blind faith in the more academic education the better.

Currently in fields ranging from finance to tech the demand for talent is exploding. In fact, many banks have boosted their entry-level compensation. That is to distract from the routine of long long hours. So, those beginning their careers or in the early stages are going for that. 

This ethos reflects old-fashioned American pragmatism: A bird in the hand is better than one in the bush.

A law degree is three years. Many M.B.A. programs are two years. By graduation time the demand for their skills could turn ugly. That's what some experts are warning the JD Class of 2024.

This is nothing new. When I started my doctoral studies at an Ivy League university, funded entirely by a federal government fellowship, projected was a growing need for university professors in the humanities.

By the time I was working on my dissertation the market had almost totally collapsed. Not only was the degree not marketable. It was treated by employers not involved in academia as ridiculous. We were the Lost Generation of Scholars of the mid 1970s. It took me four years to put together a new career path. That was not a soft landing. Current law students could become the Lost Generation of 2024. 

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing communications that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

Business - Ditch the Purpose-Driven Marketing Communications, Beef Up Quality of Products/Services

Businesses are being overwhelmed with the mandates of ESG - Environmental Social and Governance - principles. Among them is usually that your enterprise has to be purpose-driven. That is, it has to have a mission beyond the bottom line. 

That's what you're hearing. 

Often the expert opinion on purchasing patterns, though, turns out not to be in sync with reality.

PAN Communications turned up something very radical. In its annual survey what it discovered was that 72% of those interviewed buy based on if the product or service is extraordinary. Not what the business stands for. Sure, it's nice that a business has such and such values. But those aren't the tipping point in the majority of purchasing decisions.

Therefore, you in business should invest more of your resources in creating quality products and services. Not competing for a kind of commercial sainthood. 

In addition, the survey found that businesses are putting too much content out there. That can be up to 16 pieces a month. But the average consumer only pays attention to 1 to 5 pieces a month. 

Less is more. PAN Communications found consumers are only paying attention to about 1/16^th of your content. So, together let's create the marketing materials that engage them. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

Yes, You Can Be a Thought Leader - 7 Tips on How to Craft Your Op-eds

Law.com observes how so many lawyers are resorting to supposed thought leadership op-eds to get attention during the pandemic. And most either aren't getting attention or the wrong kind (ridicule). 

That's primarily because they don't understand that an op-ed is a type of communication in the service of the public interest. It is not a platform for showcasing how smart or insightful a lawyer is. This applies to all professionals, not just those in the legal sector. 

If done right, the tone and content will create a force field in which readers will open their minds, hearts, and if appropriate even their pocketbooks. 

One that had been done correctly and published in The New York Times is "The Law Did Not Create The Crisis, But Lawyers Will End It." 

It had been a classic in the genre of op-eds. It speaks in a collective voice on the issue of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

The bylined authors were Brad Karp, chairperson of Paul Weiss, and Gary Wingens, chairperson of Lowenstein Sandler. However, more than 30 other lawyers had lent the support of their own powerful brandnames and those of their law firms.

Here is an excerpt from the op-ed:

"We speak for a group of lawyers ... As a group, we cannot stand by as our government, under the pretext of enforcing the law, violates it and traumatizes children and their parents in the process. We are professionally obligated to safeguard the rule of law and to protect the poor and the vulnerable against targeted governmental abuses. We call upon the administration to develop an immediate plan for reunifying children with their families, to release families who pose no threat to our country and to terminate the policy of criminally prosecuting asylum seekers."

So, how can you do your thought leadership op-ed right? Following are the 7 fundamentals. 

TUTORIAL ON OP-EDS:

• Put skin in the game. The lawyers are taking on the administration. Therefore, they open themselves to some kind of retaliation. 

• Notice the use of "we." This isn't about the "I." It is effective strategy to 1) have the byline of lawyers from different law firms 2) structure the advocacy as a cooperative initiative. Later Karp used that same strategy of collective action in mobilizing thousands of lawyers throughout the legal sector for the COVID Relief Center.

• Maintain dignity and calm. Rather than a rant or rage, the authors remain in the box of civility. It is "our government." 

• Hammer the call of duty. That is captured in the phrase of "We are professionally obligated ..."

• Use simple old-line language - "the poor and the vulnerable." That connects with human touchpoints. It is usually  but not alwaysd counterproductive to go the way of popular slang. 

• Put teeth in, as with the accusation that there are "targeted governmental abuses."

•  Provide a solution or a call to action. Here it's a CTA: the administration is to develop an immediate plan to do the right thing,

Can op-eds enhance the brandnames and business prospects of organizations and professionals? Of course. And they often do. But that's never their purpose. Even if the op-eds are paid for.

Public relations genius at Mobil the late Herb Schwertz pioneered the paid op-ed during the 1970s. The oil industry was in turmoil. It was in the public interest to explain the facts about issues ranging from the cost of energy exploration and production to energy independence. Otherwise America would have been unable to fuel its industrial and transportation needs. Mobil thrived. Schwertz became famous. Both unintended consequences.

Need assistance with your op-eds? Genova Ghostwriting and Editing is here for you. Fees customized for your unique budget. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com for a complimentary consultation.

Looks Like We Won't Be Retiring Any Time Soon

STOCKS TUMBLE
CHINA PROPERTY FEARS
GLOBAL MARKETS ROCKED
BITCOIN PUMMELED

Let’s talk about success. How can you boost that in your own career and the trajectory of your business? ON YOUR OWN TERMS. You owe yourself a complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail (no selling).

Do This, Don't Do That - How Advice Industry Could Be Scewing You Up in Search for Work

Now, it's about the phrases you shouldn't be using on a job interview.

Soon enough with the economy darkening there will be a list of no-nos about the search for work during a recession. 

And, when the economy lights up again there will be the 7 questions to ask yourself about remaining in your job or seeking greener pastures. 

Yet, there you are, quite experienced in how to get, hold, and move on to better work. Over the years you have learned to change with the times. By now you have developed your own unique assessment system for how you had performed on an interview and what kind of course correction you should plan for the next one.

So, leaning into all those pointers which the Advice Industry foists on you could not only be a waste of time. More importantly, it could erode your confidence in your instincts. After all, in a job interview it comes down to the real time play out of you and those who could hire you. You are your instincts.

Takeaway: Trust yourself.

Let’s talk about success. How can you boost that in your own career and the trajectory of your business? ON YOUR OWN TERMS. You owe yourself a complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail (no selling).

No "Best" Place to Retire - Climate Change Changes the Dream

Influential Bloomberg now says in a headline on its site: "With Climate Change, There May Be No Best Place to Live." The opinion piece by Francis Wilkinson then goes on to recommend locations less affected by climate change.

Increasingly in my coaching I am encountering those near retirement/semiretirement who feel they have hit a wall. For example, for a long time they dreamed about relocating from the expensive cold northeast or midwest to the Gulf Coast. However, with all the severe storms hitting that area they sense they have to rethink such a decision.

The good news is that there are still pockets that can be considered "paradise." Take southwestern Arizona near the Mexico border. There are towns such Sierra Vista, Douglas, and Nogales. Aside from the threat of drought, they are insulated from most of the impacts of a changing climate. Also, they are affordable on a retiree's budget. 

What is necessary is to research relocation possibilities in a totally open-minded way. That could include investigating cities and towns outside the U.S. The first step in that is to click on the bible on retiring abroad - International Living. 

Let’s talk about success. How can you boost that in your own career and the trajectory of your business? ON YOUR OWN TERMS. You owe yourself a complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail (no selling).