Over-50

Baby Booomers from Jersey City, NJ - Maybe We Never Have Been Able to Shake the Ethos of the Frank Hague Political Machine

Earnest

Visionary

And, in terms of implementation through more than a dozen federal agencies, a test of the political and management skills of the Biden Administration.

That's the Executive Order on Competition, which you can read here. Its 72 initiatives cover everything from non-compete clauses imposed on low-wage workers to mergers. 

The platitude applied to sum up its ethos is to circle back to the priorities of "trustbuster" Teddy Roosevelt.

However, the more insightful way to capture what it is about is to resurrect the spirit and the messaging of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Essentially that 1939 film, directed by Frank Capra, celebrates the power of doing the right thing on behalf of Everyman (or what Joe Biden refers to as the "little guy). The movie's protagonist Jefferson Smith represents the ultimate whistleblower about what has gone so wrong in America. 

In the Capra world, those noble causes win out. Like now, back then it was a time of crisis. The background for "Mr. Smith" was The Great Depression. Now, the times are about the uncertainties of the Post-COVID economy (along with the return of COVID), surging inflation and hardened polarization.

Watching "Mr. Smith" this weekend can be uplifting. Downright inspiring. 

However, this weekend the little guy whom Biden is determined to help could be wondering what really will play out from the 72 initiatives. And how much will it improve the life of the little guy? 

Go to various "listening posts" around America, such as the check-out lines in Walmart (I take in what those I coach say), and it's likely that what will be picked up is the sense of powerlessness.

The tone and content mirror the resignation of those who endured the Frank Hague political machine in the mid 20th century. What resonates in my consciouness is the mantra: You can't fight City Hall. The residents of Hudson County, New Jersey, such as my immigrant family, accepted their powerlessness. Everything from jobs to getting your mother in a nursing home had been determined by the Machine.

Does the Biden Administration have the little people behind this EO? Do the people believe things can change?  Or will the loudest voice in the corridors of power be those of entrenched interests? The lobbyists reportedly are already busy conjuring up counterstrategies.

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It's About The Money - Barb Stout, RVer Working At Amazon, Is On The Money

The "Camperforce" documentary - which you can view here - features RVer Barb Stout and her husband Chuck Stout. After the couple lost their nest egg in the 2008 global economic crash, they pivoted into the RV lifestyle.

Increasingly that includes finding and doing seasonable or temporary jobs while on the road. Some RVers have down cold who will be hiring, where and when. For example, some show up every spring to do jobs in national parks. 

No slouch when it comes to trends, Amazon looped into that. It created a whole recruitment program called "CamperForce." Primarily it's geared to older workers such as the Stout couple. Amazon posts information about the program it on its website.

The Stout couple applied at the CamperForce program and were hired for the $11-an-hour gigs. They were "pickers" in an Amazon warehouse. That is, they scouted up the goods for fulfilling orders.

Yes, the jobs are demanding. At night, after using a scanner all day, Barb's hand can go numb. Chuck got hit in the head with a falling box. 

Liberals may balk at what seems to be exploitation of the vulnerable aging who deal with sustained financial challenges. There is a lot to be said about that.

However, what Amazon provides is work. It pays. And Barb is pragmatic. She presents her take on why Amazon recruits the aging. She hammers that Amazon knows older workers are there not to learn, not to get ahead. It's about the money. End of story. They do the job and that's that.

In coaching, that's exactly the mindset I recommend to those who are post-career. The new game for them is to earn income. And as much as possible. They are no longer pursuing macro goals such as upward mobility, personal branding or building wealth. 

That perspective allows those in their 60s, 70s and 80s to shake off all the "oughts" of the careerist. They only have to go to work, do the job and be alert for opportunities that offer more, including increased income.

All generations, not only the aging, have to continually search for work. The iconic job guide "What Color Is Your Parachute?" documents that trend. The most important skill in the current economy is the know-how to be hired. Both jobs and project assignments have shorter and shorter shelf lives. 

Here, free to download, is my guide on landing, holding and moving on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Documentary "Camperforce" Depicts New Version of Migrant Workers - RVing Elderly

The RVing craze is not just a result of wanderlust. At least not for a growing number of elderly. 

It's become, the documentary "Camperforce" captures, both their only affordable habitat and their transportation to seasonal gigs.

One such  assignment is at Amazon. The tasks Barb and Chuck Stout do can actually cause them pain. The couple lost their nest egg during the 2008 global recession. And they have evolved into the RV generation of migrant workers. 

The Amazon website provides details about its Camperforce work program. It is positioned and packaged as a great deal. However, as with many jobs at Amazon, it's controversial in what it actually demands. 

Those Amazon jobs are also featured in the hit film "Nomadland." 

For the aging, the world of RVing seems to be binary. There are those retirees who are enjoying the good life on the road on their terms in a full-service vehicle. And there are those who have embraced that lifestyle as the only way they can afford to make ends meet. 

This article in Moviemaker provides a link to that documentary "Camperforce."

Here is the free guide for how to land, hold and move on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

COVID Troubles - Do We Really Give a Damn about Woody Allen and Mia Farrow?

With a pile-on of investigative reporting, HBO is taking a fresh look at the infamous legal and media battles between one-time lovers and professional colleagues Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. The documentary is "Allen v Farrow."

Some may be still interested in finding out new information about a family feud. Others may just roll their eyes.

What is surprising in that legal and media clash of the titans is that there hadn't been a murder. Or a murder suicide. We are well-schooled by pop culture television true-crime presentations to anticipate that strong passions in a souring romantic relationship frequently trigger those high-profile homicides or worse. 

Had things gotten to that kind of actual physical violence in the Allen and Farrow saga, this story could have been featured on "Dateline." It is there generations of fans for that series learned the spouse usually did it. And despite everything appearing rosy, there had been signs of the eventual unraveling.

Currently, HBO is promoting the documentary. But only time will tell if there remains interest in that melodrama. We all have so many of our own troubles during COVID times.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Those Old-Neighborhood Moral Guidelines - Collapsing in COVID Times

In the old neighborhood - and the ethos in film "A Bronx Tale" - snitching was verboten. There was even the saying, "The snitch winds up in the ditch." And the kid tattletaling in school back then wound up with gum in his or her hair. Or worse.

That code was like a religion. 

Now, such a value system may be breaking down. Daily Mail reports that Boston College has opted to encourage members of that academic community to report on those not observing measures to prevent COVID. That seems to be positioned and packaged as a "duty," associated with  a system of cherished values.

Of course, Boston College is not alone in making prevention a collective responsibility. And, disclosing the names of those not conforming has become beyond acceptable. In some circles, it's considered the right thing to do.

Long term, that old-time bias against snitching could collapse as part of our society. Future generations might be puzzled why the boy in "A Bronx Tale" sided with the gangster, not law enforcement.  The moral guidelines some had acquired in the urban neighborhoods of yesterday might evolve into kinds of crimes against the people.

A one-time kid who grew up on the mean streets of pre-gentrified Jersey City, New Jersey, I feel my value system being blown away. 

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Knocked Out of the Box in Hollywood - Hang In, Do Career Transition, Float (choose option 3)

COVID-19, mergers and executives exiting for other careers. 

That's the new Hollywood story, reports The Wrap.  

In addition, as Variety hammers, the business model is shifting from the studios being in charge to personalization. The viewer is now at the center of the marketing and distribution processes. Massive layoffs are at all levels. 

The hopes for a comeback in the Hollywood loop have been blown up. As the pandemic goes on and on, folks have gotten out of the habit of leaving home and ponying up about 15 bucks to take in a movie at the mall. They'll continue nesting. There they will consume DVDs, streaming and even old-line broadcast television. New players providing such entertainment provide fresh competition for Hollywood as we have known it. 

Obviously, this industry joins editorial, hospitality, theme parks and myriad others in being disrupted. The result for all - and there will be more - is this: The workforce will have to find another way to make a living. 

An option is, of course, career transition. 

But career transition has two distinct drawbacks. Both financial, notes Forbes. 

One is that money usually is not coming in while learning a new skill. And, two, the training involves an outlay of funds. For instance, becoming licensed as a long-distance truck driver can run between $1,500 and $10,000, documents the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A law degree, calculates Nerd Wallet, can represent an investment of $130,000. 

In addition, once the training is completed, demand in the new field might have dried up. There had been a forecast of a shortage of truck drivers. Then, the recession overtook the industry. The new entries were stranded in unemployment and with loans from truck-driving schools.

Given the financials and risks of career change, there are some in Hollywood who will struggle to stay put. They might entertain magic thinking that they can hold on in a job or through assignments.

What could play out is the dynamic overtaking the collapsed field of editorial. Typically on digital job board ProBlogger, there are gig assignments (forget full-time jobs) for 2-cents a word. Here is a typical example from We Write Blog Posts. At one time, such an assignment might have been billed at 75-cents a word.

Given the extreme deflation in compensation, many content-providers in that niche would make a better living delivering pizzas for Marco's. 

One middle-aged man in Toledo, Ohio, burnt out from being a troubleshooter in IT, is doing just that. He not only had been able to buy a new car. He is getting estimates for extensive dental work. To his surprise and everyone else's, he is okay without a clear professional identity. 

And, that's the third option for those in Hollywood and others whose industry has been disrupted. That state of being might be called "Floating." 

Its advantages are clear:

• Money is coming in. Some declare the new game is about ensuring a steady stream of income. 
• No investment is being made in some possible Next.
• There is no compensation deflation. Many temporary gigs are in demand. 
• The opportunities are there to test out other lines of work. The former IT expert is having an inside look in fields such as food, delivery and customer service. Regarding the latter, the tips provide much insight.
• Anyone in that loop can develop multiple sources of income. Conventional career paths, for many, may be going kaput.

In the early 21st century, the lucrative executive communications industry tanked. After the Enron scandal, executives went low-profile. Then the post-9/11 recession cut budgets for any remaining demand for vendors providing ghostwriting and speechwriting. 

 

A coach recommended I "float." That included gigs in loss prevention, manning the front desk in a hotel chain and syndicated blogging. From those vantage points I could pick up on how the labor market was changing. I had enough information and insight to create a new startup. On that platform I have developed a career coaching service. Its special expertise is the displaced professional, along with new entries to the workforce. 

 

You may be able to pivot from your current unemployment or underemployment on your own - DIY. But if you discover you cannot, I am here for you.

 

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

 

Own It: "At Your Age" Your Abusive Childhood Is Still Getting You in Lots of Trouble (but, help is on the way)

The confluence of COVID-19 and a dicey economy is unleashing a tsunami of raw rage. That could reach from the client biting your head off to the murder down the block to parts of city going up in flames. 

But even in more tame times rage has cost society much. Also, individuals have lost their freedom. Jails and prison are packed with those who let their rage run its course.

In addition, my hunch is that frequently professionals with an abundance of potential get stuck because of rage under their internal floorboard.

Obviously, those anger management courses haven't been effective in reducing rage. 

However, help could be coming from a surprising source. That's Marlon Brandon. Last year, a new Brando biography- "The Contender" - was published by William J. Mann. 

The total dynamic of rage, from its source to simple ways to push it down (as Brando thought about it), is made so clear. No one needs to take Psychology 101 or tune into Dr. Phil. 

Here's what you will get from "The Contender":

• Rage can take shape because of an abusive childhood. The trauma of that may never go away. So much for the platitudes of healing. REPEAT: If you were an abused child, as Brando had been, you can be embedded with the kind of emotional setpoint that results in your throwing a punch after what others consider a minor assault on your dignity. 

• Own the rage. Through years and years of therapy and meditation Brand accepted that there was that force within him that it was his responsibility to control it.

• It's possible to create a DIY in your head to prevent the rage from rushing up to the surface - and getting you in trouble. As Mann notes, Brando was admired but not widely liked or loved. The tactic to manage the rage is analogous to what some anger-management courses teach: Find the midpoint in that powerful feeling. That is between being a doormat and exploding. Place the emotion at that safe midpoint. Then, stop. Think.  

If you are part of the post-book generation, however, the 624 pages could be too formidable to even order from Amazon or check out from the public library (they are open again).

That's the rub in this amazing resource for rage management. The author is a professor. Likely he leveraged researching and publishing this tome as a needed credential for his academic career. No surprise, although it's well-done and an engrossing read, it only ranks in the 200,000s on Amazon. It should rank higher.

Those with no intention of plowing through "The Contender" can grab onto this takeaway: Admit your childhood was that bad. Recognize when rage is building up. Push it down. Hold that position.

According to Mann, Brando finally did achieve peace of mind. That's what he chased. Not fame. Not even to create great art through his acting. 

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Aging - You Were Hot, Not You're Not, Shot at Returning to Hot

Even youth has its the grim encounter with being hot, then not.

Remember climate change activist Greta Thunberg. COVID-19 stole her thunder.

More typical is the downward trajectory of child stars such as Maculay Culkin. 

But, when the loss of hot happens to an aging player the suffering can be profound. That's because they assume - wrongly - they don't have another shot at BigSuccess. 

In itself, that expectation that they're "finished" blocks their putting together an attention-getting Next. 

The reality is that the Next can be put in play for those who are open. For the new door to open the former one has to be shut. 

The prime example is Clint Eastwood. He was open to letting go of his signature action films. He embraced serious drama. Currently Eastwood is more known for films like "Million Dollar Baby" than his earlier work.

One-time tech innovator Bill Gates forged a next and even more fame than he had on this first round. The shift has been to philanthropist. That was right in time to be the voice of reason during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, Betty White, in a Hollywood which discards women early in the game, carved out a fresh identity through being an advocate for the aging.

Here's what I recommend to those I coach who have gotten stuck:

• You are your story. Stop telling the one about being a vice president of communications at a Fortune 50. Focus the narrative on what you are now exploring. Through that story line you could attract help to reach your new goals.
• Shift the focus from maximizing income to acquiring the know-how in the new field. A former management consultant came to me desperate to match her previous compensation. I told her she would hit a wall unless she ditched that perspective. Once she did she eventually made her mark as an intuitive coach. Continually media outlets quote her. It's irrelevant to her how much she is earning, as long as she can make ends meet. 
• Prune the network. Those from the past can block the lanes needed to navigate to get to what could pay off big. The longer in our lives we work to earn income the more colleagues, superiors, subordinates, clients, customers and old college acquaintances we will have to ditch. A useful read in Henry Cloud's "Necessary Endings."
• Have no expectations. Just go out there and try new things. If money is low, grab a survival job. Actually that could be fun and you wind up less tightly wound. Here is my book, free to read, on how to land, hold, and move on to better work, at any age Download Outwitting ageism.

One more thing. Yes, there really is a phenomenon called the "late bloomer." You might not have made it big the first time but you could pull that off the second or third. Only as he matured did Frank Lloyd Wright attract fame and influence. An amazing book about the emergence of peak performance later in life is David Galeson's "Old Masters and Young Geniuses."

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.  

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Incidentally, We Members of the Mickey Mouse Club Didn't Care About Who Walt Disney Really Was

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e. 

Poof. The iconic Disney logo can be eliminated from popular culture.

Deadline reports there is growing scrutiny of Disney's founder Walt Disney.

He was an obviously flawed human being. In fact, on speeches I had created on leadership for chief executive officers I leveraged his attitudes about his workforce as negatives. For example, he couldn't understand why employees would want higher compensation. After all, went his thinking, weren't they fortunate to be part of his team. In addition, he was in no way the kind of verbally polished leader of today. The undertow of his messaging signaled prejudice.

But that was then. A different time. Entrepreneurs, be they Disney or Henry Ford, could operate by their own rules. 

Today, Bob Iger, by so many current metrics, scores high on leadership. His memoir "The Ride of a Lifetime" captures his ethos of deep caring, especially of all the humans in the loop. They range from employees to consumers. 

On Glassdoor, the overall rating for working at Disney is "4" out of a possible "5."

After retiring from the job of chief executive officer, Iger parachuted back in when the business of Disney became troubled. 

Actually, as I argue in this article, Disney seems stuck. But that's a strategic matter, not a cultural one. Iger has a big job ahead of him.

That, unfortunately, will likely include the struggle to preserve the Disney logo. The founder's flaws have tainted the essence of what Mickey Mouse meant to generations. Part of that was the extreme power of creativity. 

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No Longer the Elephant in the Room: Professional Decline

" … full-scale professional … decline can feel, to some, as threatening as death itself." - Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, June 4, 2020.

Careers are lasting longer. That could because human beings are living longer and maintain good health. Therefore, they can remain productive in the workforce well into their late 60s, 70s, and beyond. Also, the increase in the years of a professional life can be the result of simply needing the money. This is not your father's retirement. The cost of living, with a few exceptions, has become high throughout the U.S.

Along that extended career journey there are those who blossom in new ways or fit into unexpected roles. 

Among the late bloomers has been Clint Eastwood. Now 90 years old, his later productions such as "Miracle Dollar Baby" and "Unforgiven" have been authentic art. 

At law firm Paul, Weiss, chairperson Brad Karp has added on a global leadership position in philanthropy and social justice. His initiatives range from the Paul, Weiss Coronavirus Relief Center to creating a consortium to eliminate racial bias. Simultaneously, he manages about 1,000 lawyers at the firm.

University of Chicago research professor David Galenson documented that phenomenon of the late bloomer or game-changer in his book "Old Masters and Young Geniuses."

More often, though, is the awareness of not being the player one used to be - or the fear that could soon occur. Among the poignant memes in "Boston Legal" had been Denny Crane's observing that he could no longer sustain his once-brilliant performance as a lawyer. Instead there would be only the occasional flashes of genius. 

Professional decline, points out Brooks, can take many forms. Those range from others receiving the attention and rewards you had to not being able to keep up with what used to be the expected daily workload.

The usual response to that unraveling is denial, embedded in a thick emotional wrapper of fear. Brooks hammers that only worsens how decline impacts a professional life.

As in so many spiritual programs - be they Buddhism or the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous - Brooks' advice is acceptance. Yes, embrace that reality and go on from there.

That "there" could be a shift to semiretirement, rebranding, delegating more and taking on the role of manager, reducing the number or intensity of assignments, and/or forcing yourself to learn new skills. In addition, there is the option of retiring. That's what Johnny Carson did when at the top of his game. 

Among those who are pulling that off well has been Betty White. She created new space for herself as The Aging Woman. Bill Gates shifted from the fast-moving tech sector to funder and thought leader for making the world a better place. 

Among the professionals who might be stumbling is investment guru Warren Buffett. Although not all have given up on him, enough have. It makes you wonder why he hadn't left center stage when his act was still engaging. 

Also, in the legal sector, you got to ask if iconic David Boise, founder of Boies Schiller and Flexner, should consider rebranding. In 2020, there has been at Boies Schiller the "Partner Diaspora."

With the numbers of aging who are still doing paid work growing, the issue of decline is no longer the elephant in the room. It's palpable. Every day you size up your colleagues and yourself asking: Do they and I still got it?

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