“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.”

Walt Disney

Average Is Over

Economist Tyler Cowen has seen the future and it’s not pretty. In short, the middle class is going away and will be replaced by a society with 10% to 15% of society at the top and rest with less than a middle class lifestyle. Cowen says it’s all about the high technology we’re surrounded by. For example, we read about manufacturing returning to the US but without the corresponding increase in average jobs at good wages that the middle class enjoyed in the past. Why? The substitution of high tech automation for people requires fewer people and those that are hired demand a higher level of skill than before. His analysis: the good jobs at good wages with a high school diploma days are over forever. Is it American RIP?.

In his new book, “Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation” Cowen explores the world of work ahead and has some specific advice for the young people in your life. In particular, he feels that those who learn how to work with the technology of the future in a way that complements the technology will be the winners. Check it out.

 “Earning the Ears”

Many books and articles have been written about the growth of Disney Studios. A recent blog entry maintains that  “Walt Disney understood one thing about business very well: where profits come from and what an organization has to do in order to maintain them.” Take a few minutes and learn about Earning the ears 

“Five LinkedIn Strategies You Haven’t Thought of Before”

 Everybody’s on LinkedIn…but how well do you really use it? Check out this article from Forbes for  “Five LinkedIn Strategies You Haven’t Thought of Before.” Some interesting new ways to capture information about markets and competitors….

All You Need to Know about Business Problems

The cartoon panel below needs no explanation. Share it with your team and discuss…..it explains much of what goes wrong in business.

What Can Go Wrong in Business