'Ben Thinking' for the week of 03.24
I just want to go ahead and get this out of the way.
Should you feel like ‘accidentally’ forwarding something to any of your chat groups, feel free to send my newsletter along.
It’d be really easy to do it…and then you can follow-up with a message like: Oops! Didn’t mean to send you ‘Ben Thinking’…but take a look at these articles! Learn how to ‘fight like a CEO!’…speaking of CEOs, Goldilocks would be a good one!...wait, are my employees ‘taskmasking’??...so DO we have a labor crisis?….what's the real cost of burnout…and what do our customers expect from our creative?
(Sometimes the intros write themselves.)
Anyways, onto what I’ve ‘Ben thinking’ about:
There is no fear in this dojo!
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of comparing work to fighting. But lately, it feels like a fight. Or maybe I just feel like I’ve been in a fight. Either way, the battle is on…and the battle is real.
Mike Lawrence / Imagen 3
Chief Executive profiled Vrajesh Bhavsar, CEO of cybersecurity firm Operant AI. His advice for CEOs, trying to brace themselves to lead through a storm of economic, political and global uncertainty? “Think like a fighter.”
This is a good read for anyone in a leadership position.
Taskmasking. Is it just a Gen Z thing? (The Guardian)
I love any article that references the greatest TV show ever made (Seinfeld). This one does that right out of the gate, talking about that one where George discovers always looking annoyed at work means you’re doing a good job. I guess you could say George was ‘taskmasking’ before it was cool to do so (or had a name).
I’m not sure why Gen Z is bearing the brunt of this one…but that’s the way the article frames it up. Point is, companies are starting to see that people maaaaay not be as busy as they say or seem. Is THIS the actual future of work?
Point is, companies are starting to see that people maaaaay not be as busy as they say or seem. Is this the actual future of work?
Is this the future of consumer marketing?
It’s a small sample but this Marketing Dive article details how Gen Alpha is influencing buying behavior in the home…and what they are using as criteria for why they favor certain brands over others.
I know this might get dismissed as something that doesn’t necessarily apply to your audience, but keep in mind…this generation will become your future employee and buyer…and what holds true are the things they value when selecting a product. Ignore the takeaways at your own risk.
Do we have a labor crisis or not—basically, yes.
Strong read from Dan Schawbel on LinkedIn News this week. He’s talking about the labor crisis (yes, we are facing one) in light of the newest report from Flip.
Some ‘high’lights:
=59% of frontline workers over the age of 55 plan to retire within the next five years, creating a massive skills gap that industries are ill-prepared to fill.
=Couple that with nearly half (48%) of Gen Z employees considering leaving these sectors due to inadequate training and limited career opportunities.
=72% of managers expressing a lack of confidence in their ability to retain the knowledge and expertise of retiring workers.
72% of managers lack the confidence in their ability to retain the knowledge and expertise of retiring workers.
Too often we just talk about this. But it’s time to take action. And rather than look at a cookie cutter plan that you may have no way of knowing if it can be implemented, let’s start at the beginning. As in, what questions should you be asking to get started on your journey to solve this challenge?
Here are the five questions Akhia recommends starting with:
- Are you documenting critical processes and expertise effectively? This will help lock-in institutional knowledge that becomes the lore. (Bonus points: Gen Z will appreciate you calling it ‘lore’.)
- How accessible are your upskilling programs for younger employees? The cycle of continuous learning – and the expectation for it – must start somewhere. You must be the one to start it.
- Are you effectively engaging and motivating your frontline workers? Engagement is at an all-time low, so chances are, even if you think you are…you aren’t.
- Are your experienced workers actively engaged in transferring knowledge? Don’t leave this to chance. What proof do you have of this happening? What programs have YOU put in place for this to happen?
- Can technology address skill gaps and reduce productivity losses? Of course it can. But only if you make it ok to use this technology. (Yes, yes…I’m talking about AI)
That Goldilocks would’ve made a hell of a CEO… (WSJ)
You know how she was – didn’t like it too hot…or too cold. But juuuust right.
Mike Lawrence / Imagen 3
Turns out, that type of decision making…not being quick to act…or accepting anything mediocre…is what sets good leaders apart. The ambivalent leader is the one that seems to be getting the best results in this era of business. One that takes everything into consideration. One that can be at odds with themselves. Questions themselves. Ask questions of others. Doesn’t just sit on the fence but sometimes lives there.
6 Steps to boost demand and get products on distributors’ shelves.
Stop looking for the new tactics…and put your energy into new ways of using those tactics. We have so many more tools and a lot more access to information and data. Let’s use them!
Economy corner
First up: The economic data you need to make decisions through volatility (HBR)
Explained in the three charts to watch.
Next up: Decoder talks tariff chaos and what it means for global trade
This is a must-listen podcast if you want an objective, bipartisan explanation. Enjoy.
Burnout is expensive. (Fast Company)
An ounce of…something…is worth. Wait. I got this. To prevent an ounce. Hold on. To be cured, you should prevent an ounce…dammit! I can’t remember how that saying goes. How about this:
Disengaged and burnt-out employees cost you a lot of money – so make sure you invest in employee wellness!!!
Basically, an employee who is experiencing burnout or is disengaged can cost you anywhere from $4k - $20k, depending on where they sit in the company. Let me save you the math – that is anywhere from 3x – 17x what it costs to train an employee. So, to recap, you lose the employee, productivity, training, product quality, possibly customer trust and impact the working environment for other employees. “All because you want so save a couple extra pennies on…” employee wellness programs.
It's not foolproof – nothing is – but I think the ounce of prevention is more than worth a pound of cure (I got it right!) when it comes to accounting for employee wellness in your internal communications program.
Just for fun: 2D meets 3D
Take a little break and enjoy this creative spot from the Design and Animation School (DAS).
They had some fun with it…because they were expected to, right? It better be good…it better be something people like and want to share. It’s the freaking Design and Animation School
But…it made me think…and wonder…what do people expect from your brand? Is it delivering? Do you want to overdeliver and break out a little bit? What’s holding you back?
Thanks for reading! I hope you are seeing some value in the range of topics as we move So fast these days. Always here to talk and discuss.
Feel free to (accidentally, wink wink) share with anyone else you think would enjoy the articles and resources!
-Ben