TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

  This is supposedly the anti-social century.   We not only bowl alone. One-fourth of us eat alone . Well, most or if not all the hysteria about retreating into isolated bunkers misses this: Essentially we remain social animals. Just not as social. The social circles are smaller and who we let in are carefully screened.  In a simpler time when employment was stable, we only lived several years after retirement and offspring didn't hang on, what we called "troubles talk" served to deepen bonds. When the neighbor confided her husband was drinking too much welcome was this confiding. We were trusted. Obviously, we had another close friend. You can't have too many of that. In the century of financial uncertainty with homelessness possible and the kids a-failure-to-launch troubles talk isn't as welcome.  Notice that more of us in casual encounters say, "Good to see you," not "How are you." Overwhelmed, we don't want to hear it. The exception ma...

 In the fictional "Bonfire of the Vanities" the late Tom Wolfe focused on those grandiose Wall Street players.  The non-fiction "Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth About Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street" goes beyond that fun fascinating topic to the lawyers. Legions of them. They are from elite law firms such as Paul, Weiss, Dechert and Sullivan & Cromwell. Recall that lawyers also figured prominently in that other Wall Street saga "The Caesars Palace Coup."  This 681-page book, published next week, has been put together by William Cohan. Essentially it focuses on All Milken's Men. The story starts at Drexel. In addition to Black there is a broad array of Drexel alumni featured. But Black, along with the Apollo co-founders Marc Rowan and Josh Harris, is the main dish on the menu. Recently Black has dominated the news cycle again with his lawsuit against the House Committee on Oversight.  Here is a copy of that complaint. S...

 Esquire Magazine has a section "The New Middle Age." In the September edition, sports journalist Jesse Dougherty reflects on losing his dream job . That was 16 days before his daughter Eva was born. The essay is in the format of a letter Eva. Oh, he admits how catastrophic it was or so it seemed at the time. After all, he was to become a father for the first time. He sobbed. His wife sobbed. He warns Eva not to make a job so much of an identity. Maybe Eva will pay attention. Younger gens, I am bumping into as a coach, tend to reject the old-line hustle ethos which made the job all-consuming. In addition, he confides to Eva how the loss (along with fatherhood) has changed him. Now he feels fear all the time. Is the takeaway you want to pass on to your offspring during this reversal of fortune (hopefully temporary) to choose a line of work that doesn't operate on existential angst? No, all ways of earning a living aren't equally uncertain, performance evaluated with e...

  Talking about a "movement" can position you as, well, so out-of-touch. So 20th century. That's when influence was a highly centralized force field.  Back then, there were leaders, such as Gloria Steinem , carrying the activist banner. You joined organizations. You marched, following the institutional scheduling. You funded those institutions. Your identity was linked to them. Yes, you were a feminist.  Now, influence is decentralized. That's primarily because technology has created the era of the network. And those networks can generate a kind of collective message, with myriad nuances. And continual revisions. The sources of influence include: AI, especially chat bots Internet Social media Newsletters Podcasts Online communities Tik Tok, YouTube Professional platforms, both anonymous and functioning with bylines Lawsuits, digitally placed in the court of public opinion Reset legacy media Comments posted on legacy media's articles Prediction markets. A viral pos...

 Like too many institutions of higher education Syracuse University bills at about $100k a year for the four years of undergraduate learning.  One of the major benefits of that, it is claimed, is creating and nurturing curiosity.  For example, an op-ed in The New York Times states:  " ...my undergrads ... I expect, will approach the material with energetic curiosity. They always do."  The gigantic elephant in the room on that one is this: Why is that necessary? Observe any toddler in a store or on the playground and it's obvious that human beings are inherently quite curious. Even annoyingly so. Obviously, though, many will lose it along the way to being 18 years old. And defenders of the university will feature that pursuit as a main item on the menu.  We have to ask, of course, why curiosity is so easily erased as the human matures. But, equally important to look at is the wealth-creation reality that some hold on to the craving to explore.  Mark Zu...

  When looking for a job or even when in a job , now normal is this: reduction in compensation.  What's driving that could be as simple as employers having the upper hand and knowing they can get away with lowballing pay. And/or, the business contends more funds have to be invested in growth strategies such as implementing AI. Another possibility is that financial performance is dismal. Being offered compensation below what you expected isn't new, though. One of my first coaching clients had been a laid-off speechwriter who decried that a freelance assignment was for $1,000. Normally that was a $2,500 contract. Back then the I'm Insulted theatrics were standard. But the pragmatic guidance I gave was: Take it. It's a fresh sample for your portfolio. Your skills don't atrophy. It is income. Hold the drama. Essentially, I give the same advice now. My signature mantra kicks in: Work gets you work. That job or contract assignment serves as a platform to hustle for som...