Posts

Labor Market 2026: Mostly How It Was in Early 1950s (and it may stay that way)

Only the oldest of us Boomers will remember. Historians could also put it together. That was how earning a living used to be. That was back in the early 1950s. It was the time before the post-war economic boom really kicked in and college introduced the working man's children to being all you could be. Usually you didn't have the opportunity to graduate from high school. You know someone. That someone got you in. The in could be the next 40 years on the railroad, unloading freight on the docks, moving paper at city hall or policing the mean streets. You obeyed the boss. Actually you knew to suck up. Eventually there was medical insurance. And that was that. Of course, there were exceptions. Members of the lucky sperm club got to be professionals. Medical doctors, lawyers, accountants.  Today the labor market replicates much of that. You bet, you better know someone. Those lamenting the grim realities of a current job search on Reddit have no idea that what they're encounter...
Post a Comment
Read more

Public Relations and Reputation: Ditch the Messaging, We Mandate Behavioral Change

  Some in public relations are still making a buck. Actually, a good one.  The Business Research Company reports: "The global PR market is healthy, growing from $105.12 billion in 2025 to $110.35 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%" But those thriving likely are not the usual players in the sector such as large Manhattan agencies. One-time powerhouse Edelman had three straight years of revenue decline. Boutiques that got the hang of the structural changes in the market have been taking over.  And as for in-house personnel, inertia will probably prevail. They'll hold onto their jobs - without effectiveness or influence, though.  During the Epstein Files fallout the spokespeople at Goldman Sachs and Paul, Weiss spun all that reputation management messaging. Got 'em nowhere. The news cycle kept running with the decline narratives. It still is. Social media pounded. Keeps pounding. See, the traditional functions of PR matter less and less. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Classically Beautiful Females, Looking-the-Part Males: Of Course, They Got the Edge, But ...

 It's reality: There are a Beauty Premium and an Ugliness Penalty  generated by physical appearance.  Smirk. In the late 1960s, Dove became a loved brand by celebrating the natural beauty of all females. However, in the workplace certain types of beauty gave women an edge. Still do. As for males, especially in corporate and professional-services settings, specific body types, height, hair volume and facial features ensure ongoing promotability. So much so that it was a bitter joke among those not meeting those specs to muse about being doomed to middle management.  But there are myriad variations on this theme. For example. contrary to popular belief lookism can benefit males more than females.  My hunch is that's because too many organizations are still operated via male power. The game is really about them. In addition, there are ways around this reality. At least for those accepting how things are.  It is documented that those not the "type"  in ap...
Post a Comment
Read more

Leon Black, Paul, Weiss and More: Can't Shake Off the Decline Narrative (at least for now)

 Legacy media players, ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times, are holding on. That's despite the perfect storm, including AI, roaring through the sector. One powerhouse strategy, at least for now, is what's known as the "decline narrative."   "The decline narrative ... (often coupled with a 'fall from grace' or 'downfall' framing) is a structural storytelling blueprint used to keep a long-running news story 'sticky' ..."  How the human species derives great joy and comfort from such reversals of fortune! Or what is made to appear like that.  So, it's irrelevant that the coverage primarily recycles old news, positioned and packaged with a topical perspective. Predictably the rehash generates the results which are critical for commercial survival. Those range from page views to repostings to buzz. Today, The Wall Street Journal revisited the saga of how Apollo co-founder and billionaire Leon Black got into a re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Location Location Location: Lots Changed in Your Job Hunt

  Hustlers, the flexible and those with skills in demand used to be smug about location. Just move there and you will be hired. No worry if you're not based there let them know you will relocate. And about the latter, more recently let them know (since they're no longer reimbursing relocation) that you will pick up the tab for the move.  Less likely is that job-search strategy effective.  A sign of the shift in how employers assess applicants is a post on Reddit.   A laid-off graphic designer (a sector hard hit by AI) requests feedback on where to move (yes, on their own dime) for work.  Immediately, the advice is: Don't move unless you already have a job lined up. That is sound, given the decline in opportunities for that skill.  Actually, as a coach I add to that: Even if you have an offer you could get there, sign a lease and have the job cancelled. That had been common during the Great Recession. It is emerging again currently. However, the soul-w...
Post a Comment
Read more

AI, CTE Research: Two Tough New Tests for Scott Barshay's Leadership at Paul, Weiss

One of the most closely watched succession dramas keeps adding new chapters. That's at elite law firm Paul, Weiss.  In early February of this year Decider Group member Scott Barshay took over the chairmanship. After 18 years in that role, Brad Karp stepped down. Even under normal circumstances it would have been challenging for Barshay to establish his leadership. Karp was iconic. Also, by many, much loved.  But the process was abrupt. In addition, Barshay is a very different player than Karp had been. And, of course, the organization was in chaos after the dealmaking with the Trump administration, Epstein files disclosures and flight of star litigation partners. After a string of wins ranging from poaching big names to wow financial performance, Barshay has just been hit with two new tests. The question intensifies: Can Barshay be the leader Paul, Weiss requires at this time? In time? The law-firm sector is in existential turbulence.  Here's what has come down.  In...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grandpa, What Was Football?

  Outcries about football have been around a long time.  One round was in the 1890s. It took  President Teddy Roosevelt to save the game.  This time there may be no such salvation. Not with the damning CTE research published yesterday in the British Medical Journal. The game will end. And it will be through the  bottom-up  collective force field of power.  Obviously. reform from those in the loop hasn't solved the CTE problem. It's growing. So much for rule change and better helmets.  So how could this bottom-up happen? That could be abruptly. There has been such a surge of commentary in legacy media and social media. The death of beloved Dolly Parton didn't suck attention from that story. So, fans can just back off. Big money is in broadcast. No one watches. Also, boycott the products/services of the advertisers. Will sports bars stop airing those channels? The promo for a mass campaign could be: A brain is a terrible thing to get banged, over ...
Post a Comment
Read more