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Hi,
How’s your January going? Groundhog Day is just around the corner, and you know what that means. So far there’s no snow here in Princeton, NJ. Wonder what the Groundhog will predict about wrapping this cold season up.
In the meantime, here are the stories that I want to share with you this week:
- This was the topic of a recent dinner conversation: “Which comes first, recession or layoffs?” I posited that large companies seem to initiate layoffs by reacting to each other’s moves and a desire to make the bottom line better to appease investors. When they do this, they set off a chain of events that negatively affects their employees and the rest of us too. My friend said a recession is simply defined as two consecutive quarters of falling gross domestic product numbers. Okay, but don’t big companies enacting news-making layoffs spark more anxiety in the marketplace, creating a snowballing effect? In other words, why are large companies reacting to leading indicators and not taking time to gather more data before reacting? Here’s what Forbes has to say on the topic.
- Have you tried Otter AI yet? It transcribes meeting notes in real time so you can share and search them securely. I’m just starting to play around with it thanks to Dan Nestle who always seems to be a step ahead of the rest of us. Let me know if you’re a fan or have tried and abandoned this platform. And if it’s new to you, here’s where you can learn more: Otter AI.
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 The Parks System 🌟
This one was suggested by DBE’s Marketing Manager, Natalie Lorenzo. She writes: “I’ve been involved in my parks system for a while now. If I’ve learned one thing, park workers, rangers, and volunteers are truly devoted to park preservation.
Did you know one of the main causes of trail weathering is water? (I had thought the stamping of human feet was the main problem, but flowing water can erode a trail very quickly!) Trail maintenance teams create water bars, redirect weathered trails, and more to preserve the trails and the nature around them.”
If you’re looking for a green way to donate time or resources, try the U.S. National Parks System or if you’re in central NJ, consider the Monmouth County Parks System.
- Some leaders are great at business development, others find it extremely challenging and list it as the part of their job they like least. So if you’re not great at sales and you want to outsource it or build an internal sales team from the ground up, what do you do? If this is something you’re struggling with, please let me know. There are several excellent sales consultants in The Connective that I can put you in touch with. In the meantime, this list of interview questions for biz dev hiring from Sales Assembly may help spark some new thinking around defining the role and your expectations for it.
- I’ve shared thoughts on several of the trends this Harvard Business Review piece talks about. Many of them boil down to mutual respect among employers and talent. Companies will be testing options for empowering employees while honing systems for monitoring and measuring real productivity. Likewise, to be successful, leaders will find themselves parting ways with old school management assumptions and strategies: command and control is dead. And another theme we’ve explored here gets more play from HBR too: resilience.
Noteworthy 🖋
Comvia
My team and I worked with Michael Piperno of The Comvia Group to help our already synergistic team work even more seamlessly together. A year later, we’re still using the toolkits and tips from Comvia, and so today I’m shouting out Comvia as Noteworthy.
Key services provided by Comvia are:
- Leadership Development. Influential and inspiring leadership requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and expert communication skills.
- Speaking, Presenting & Storytelling. From the storyline and slides to delivery and Q&A, Comvia helps make you a better presenter.
- Workplace Relationships. Helping teams reach their highest potential and be at their collaborative best through better communication. (This is how DBE leveraged Comvia’s strengths.)
- Career Journey & Transition Coaching. Connect your purpose with your career path and be more fulfilled where you are, or more confident exploring something new.
If you’re looking for a resource to help you or your team, I highly recommend Michael Piperno of the Comvia Group. You can learn more about Comvia and Michael Piperno.
- What’s in Worcestershire Sauce? We don’t really truly know. And yet, we use it in so many recipes for that umami we crave. Why am I talking about it here? You know I love great marketing, and if nothing else, the story of Worcestershire Sauce is a story of great marketing.
- Have you tried these bio-degradable bags yet? They feel weird, and their sustainability mission makes me happy. I bought a few, and I’ll let you know what I think. If you’ve tried them already, share your thoughts please.
Okay, that’s it for now. We’ve got noteworthy companies in the queue through February, and if you have a company you’d like to see featured, please tell me about them. Same for our not-for-profit spotlights: don’t keep good causes to yourself—tell me, tell me!
Have a great rest of the week and rock the weekend too,
Niki