Communication is the process of transferring and receiving information between at least two people. Most do really well on speaking and telling others what they need but fail to listen adequately. By adjusting our communication patterns we are better able to listen to what the other needs and communicate our needs in a more effective manner. Communication experts often achieve great personal and professional success.
Social interaction occurs through communication but is inherently part of social reciprocation. People talk and connect because they both receive benefits of doing so. When people talk and discuss issues they are connecting themselves into a wider social group and this has value for both parties. When communication breaks down so does social interaction leading to conflict.
Listening is at least half of this reciprocation process. When we listen we can better understand what the other person wants, needs, and desires. We are able to adjust our message and communication pattern to match theirs and in turn create better levels of understanding. Two people are better able to share their thoughts and ideas when the both are listening closely.
To listen effectively we have to slow down our thinking and avoid acting on the urge to talk. Try and understand what the person is saying and focus on what they are thinking. Once you have a good idea of what they want to say and what they are really saying you can open up and say something. That something is likely to be more profound and influential than if you didn't listen first.
This is difficulty because we have be conditioned and program to take a "first" stance in everything. However, effective communicators can use more wisdom than simply blabbing their mouths. They can listen and assess the environment and the conversation before talking. Once they act they are more effective and get more of their needs met.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
It Makes Sense to Lower Mortgage and Student Loan Interest Rates
Mortgage rates slipped to 3.93% while graduate student loan debt is at a whopping 6.84%. Housing and education are long term investments and should naturally have lower term rates. Despite this, student loan interest is prohibitively high and at a $1.3 trillion price tag that is holding the economy back. Encouraging the population to own their own homes and go to school needs more than wishful thinking.
Current college students, and those in high school now, are not big fans of buying houses or taking lots of student debt. They are staying with their parents longer and looking for certificates so they don't have to pay the big price tags. There is a reason why MOOCs and alternative education became popular.
I don't think anyone can blame them. If I could go back and do it all over I might stay with my parents longer, work, and pay as much of my education via cash online. I can go as long and as far as I want as long as I pay cash for it. I would do my best to live simply and take little debt.
Yet that wasn't the conventional wisdom at the time. We pushed people to take larger student loans and encouraged people to buy bigger houses they didn't need. This led to a housing crash that put the country into an economic spiral and sweltered a current student loan crisis that continues to drag the economy.
Despite these unfortunate mishaps we still have an obligation to invest in our nation's future. Home ownership, particularly the process of refurbishing existing homes versus expanding to new homes, has significant benefits for the nation. Likewise, encouraging people to get a meaningful yet cost efficient education has its advantages for long-term national competitiveness.
Our past mistakes should not be put unfairly on the current generation that must now limit their opportunities. High student loan interest is unfair and limits their capacity to go to school. It is also limiting the growth of the nation through locking up large payments at high interest rates that could be used for other things. Because these high interest rates are protected by the government students have little recourse.
Keeping student loan rates low, but ensuring the education has advantages for the economy, can help keep the younger generations in school---hopefully, relevant school. Keeping mortgage rates low, especially for urban development, encouragess the new generation repopulate and improve the value of cities. It is hoped the next generation has market relevant skills and contribute to national improvement in a beneficial way....they just may need a little support.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Wearable Fitness Creates Leads Holiday Markets
People love to get in shape and those that do are usually hard core work out enthusiasts. According to a report from International Data Corporation (IDC) wearable fitness devices are popular and keep growing in influence. Markets are expanding across the globe. They have become so popular that they are being distributed to company employees.
The Fitbit, Jawbone UP2, Garmin Vivoactive and many other types offer the opportunity to track one's fitness on a regular basis. Your cell phone collects your dating allowing you to see your activity, heart rate and other factors. Different wearables do different things so it is best to read about them and try them out.
You can always read about the various kinds and what is best for your particular sport (here).
For fitness enthusiasts the ability to track and monitor your performance is beneficial for continuous improvement. You don't know where you are going unless you know where you have been. Fitness wearables will be popular this season while providing the gift of greater health. As these items continue to adapt they will become even more exciting.
The Fitbit, Jawbone UP2, Garmin Vivoactive and many other types offer the opportunity to track one's fitness on a regular basis. Your cell phone collects your dating allowing you to see your activity, heart rate and other factors. Different wearables do different things so it is best to read about them and try them out.
You can always read about the various kinds and what is best for your particular sport (here).
For fitness enthusiasts the ability to track and monitor your performance is beneficial for continuous improvement. You don't know where you are going unless you know where you have been. Fitness wearables will be popular this season while providing the gift of greater health. As these items continue to adapt they will become even more exciting.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Losing the Love For Bookstores-Is Barnes & Noble on its way to Bankruptcy?
Barnes and Nobel is playing catch up with Amazon and launched a new webpage with significant glitches and problems. The end result is a 22% drop in sales and left with only a little cash on hand. The digitization strategies are failing and the company now faces serious risks of having to either make a last ditch effort to change, sell off unprofitable stores, or liquidate assets.
It is a shame. I loved B&N and the years of reading at their coffee shops. I still buy from them and am a little frightened they are moving down a path of going out of business. With Border Books taking a nose dive a few years ago books stores are becoming specialty shops and novelties.
You can almost foresee small mom and pop bookstore coffee shops springing up to fill the void. The grand bookstores some of these large chains offer are trying to buck the trend. Someone will need to fill the smaller but more robust niche book loving crowd.
What happened to B&N and to Border Books does highlight the trend of the market moving to electronic books and those that offer the best prices and platforms win. When companies don't adjust quickly and stay ahead of the market they have a harder time playing catch up later.
If they are going to survive then radical change is needed. This may require downsizing their large stores and focusing on demographics that buy the most books. That would require an adjustment of their strategy to focus on a smaller but more condensed relationship with the market.
They might have also offer comparable services that fulfill the needs of their core book reading market. Free electronic readers that app to your smart phone, shared discounted services with other large entities, and advertised more effectively online.
The immediate future looks a little bleak for B&N and with some great stroke of luck they could turn around their situation. Hopefully they do. The market seems to be saying that it no longer wants to touch and feel the paper launching us into a new era of paperless books. Books have become gifts and collector items.
It is a shame. I loved B&N and the years of reading at their coffee shops. I still buy from them and am a little frightened they are moving down a path of going out of business. With Border Books taking a nose dive a few years ago books stores are becoming specialty shops and novelties.
You can almost foresee small mom and pop bookstore coffee shops springing up to fill the void. The grand bookstores some of these large chains offer are trying to buck the trend. Someone will need to fill the smaller but more robust niche book loving crowd.
What happened to B&N and to Border Books does highlight the trend of the market moving to electronic books and those that offer the best prices and platforms win. When companies don't adjust quickly and stay ahead of the market they have a harder time playing catch up later.
If they are going to survive then radical change is needed. This may require downsizing their large stores and focusing on demographics that buy the most books. That would require an adjustment of their strategy to focus on a smaller but more condensed relationship with the market.
They might have also offer comparable services that fulfill the needs of their core book reading market. Free electronic readers that app to your smart phone, shared discounted services with other large entities, and advertised more effectively online.
The immediate future looks a little bleak for B&N and with some great stroke of luck they could turn around their situation. Hopefully they do. The market seems to be saying that it no longer wants to touch and feel the paper launching us into a new era of paperless books. Books have become gifts and collector items.
American Businesses Still Not Exporting Enough
Its wet, slippery, and continues to go down like a game of Chutes and Ladders. Its the trade deficit again. American companies are still not exporting enough products to lower the gap. The commerce department said that the deficit rose 3.4 percent to $43.9 billion from $42.5. Industrial goods and food exports declined marking slower trade. Even though it has been this way for some time it doesn't have to be.
The economy is very much tied to our ability to develop and export products that people want. Whether we are talking about Middle Class jobs or corporate profits the problems are related to the same fundamental business environment. I am believe that if we create the right environment our businesses will do a better job competing and hiring.
This means getting two political camps, left and right, to agree on some fundamental principles about what is important. Regardless of their personal agendas, it is important to create a strong business environment that maximizes the puts Americans into meaningful jobs. How this done is a point of contention as each has a focus on one aspect or another of the economy.
Getting back to the idea of corporate tax reform, I believe it is beneficial to lower taxes for companies; especially if they reinvest that money to expand their operations within the U.S. to provide American jobs. Only dying entities raise taxes while growing entities expand their tax base. It is much better to have more companies and people paying in then to simply raise the amount of money.
Slowing exports has been part of the American economic landscape for decades but is preventable. Encouraging companies to invest, innovate, develop, stay, train and hire is beneficial. The incentives for doing so is should be because the American business environment is the best place to start and develop companies. Until we solve that problem everything else will be a gimmick with short term gains.
The economy is very much tied to our ability to develop and export products that people want. Whether we are talking about Middle Class jobs or corporate profits the problems are related to the same fundamental business environment. I am believe that if we create the right environment our businesses will do a better job competing and hiring.
This means getting two political camps, left and right, to agree on some fundamental principles about what is important. Regardless of their personal agendas, it is important to create a strong business environment that maximizes the puts Americans into meaningful jobs. How this done is a point of contention as each has a focus on one aspect or another of the economy.
Getting back to the idea of corporate tax reform, I believe it is beneficial to lower taxes for companies; especially if they reinvest that money to expand their operations within the U.S. to provide American jobs. Only dying entities raise taxes while growing entities expand their tax base. It is much better to have more companies and people paying in then to simply raise the amount of money.
Slowing exports has been part of the American economic landscape for decades but is preventable. Encouraging companies to invest, innovate, develop, stay, train and hire is beneficial. The incentives for doing so is should be because the American business environment is the best place to start and develop companies. Until we solve that problem everything else will be a gimmick with short term gains.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
CEO's Not Happy About Next Few Quarters-Frustrated with Slow Pace of Tax Reform!
Corporate tax rate is at 35% and CEO's are frustrated! So frustrated they might just slow down on investments in the near term. According to a report released by the Business Roundtable from 74.1 to 67.5. CEOs are concerned about volatile global markets and the lack of movement on tax reform.
Corporate tax reform is an important issue that helps companies grow and hire employees. When offered more competitive tax rates overseas by hungry countries many large companies moved their headquarters to other shores in an effort to dodge U.S. tax bills.
We can argue about it and get upset but.....the problem is that we are in a global world and this means we don't have captive companies. Companies can put their headquarters just about anywhere they want while retaining the ability to manage large global networks. When push comes to shove----- they can leave.
This is bad news for investment. Creating the right framework for growth means reforming the tax rate in a way that encourages further investment in the U.S. Politicians are squandering an opportunity to get it right and set up a new tax structure that attracts businesses, encourages greater investment and fosters a stronger labor market.
It is also an opportunity to expand employment and raise wages. Sounds counter productive doesn't it? However, if the tax rate goes down, companies invest their differences in expanded operations to take advantage of the investment environment, foreign companies become attracted to improving business prospects and qualified labor moves into a demand position.
Combining hot topics such as reforming the public education system and encouraging higher education innovation could further developing higher skilled workers that command higher wages. It would be an important goal to increase investment, raise wages, and improve the demand for American workers. It is possible to support corporate needs while enhancing labor through tax reform.
Corporate tax reform is an important issue that helps companies grow and hire employees. When offered more competitive tax rates overseas by hungry countries many large companies moved their headquarters to other shores in an effort to dodge U.S. tax bills.
We can argue about it and get upset but.....the problem is that we are in a global world and this means we don't have captive companies. Companies can put their headquarters just about anywhere they want while retaining the ability to manage large global networks. When push comes to shove----- they can leave.
This is bad news for investment. Creating the right framework for growth means reforming the tax rate in a way that encourages further investment in the U.S. Politicians are squandering an opportunity to get it right and set up a new tax structure that attracts businesses, encourages greater investment and fosters a stronger labor market.
It is also an opportunity to expand employment and raise wages. Sounds counter productive doesn't it? However, if the tax rate goes down, companies invest their differences in expanded operations to take advantage of the investment environment, foreign companies become attracted to improving business prospects and qualified labor moves into a demand position.
Combining hot topics such as reforming the public education system and encouraging higher education innovation could further developing higher skilled workers that command higher wages. It would be an important goal to increase investment, raise wages, and improve the demand for American workers. It is possible to support corporate needs while enhancing labor through tax reform.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Changes in the Higher Education Market Show More Consolidation and Less Variability
Changes in the higher education fields that show shifts are occurring that lead to greater consolidation and less market variability. A recent report on HigherEdJobs website, using data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, show that total number of jobs in Q3 2015 continued to decline but advertised jobs increased.
There were less faculty per administrator and a noticeable shift toward hiring full-time faculty. Many universities are becoming top heavy and loosing their core responsibility to teach students. Shifts toward more administrators and less faculty show the bureaucratic nature of universities that will likely cause problems down the road with changing market trends.
More legislation is typically the result of the higher concern profile of higher education in recent years. Costs have skyrocketed and government is trying to get a handle on it. Some ideas may be beneficial but other ideas that create too much "red tap" may actually do the opposite.
Community colleges were quickly loosing jobs and are having a hard time keeping up with their budgets. Smaller entities may not be able to command higher tuition rates or secure alternative funding sources. Their limited resources and small local populations may lead them to go out of business. We have seen this trend grow with small private universities.
In the past many universities hired part-time adjuncts to keep costs low. In recent years, there has been a greater push by stakeholders to ensure that full-time faculty are hired. Some universities are replacing aging, retired, and shifting faculty with new full-time recruits. Hiring full-time faculty helps to keep the incentives alive for people to move into academia.
A lack of sufficient market variability can be dangerous for the industry is some major market shift occurs and there isn't enough diversity to provide adequate models that can compete. International, cross-border, schools are growing and too much restrictive legislation could limit options for future competition. Ensuring America maintains a place in the higher education fields means balancing the need for quality and variability.
https://www.higheredjobs.com/career/quarterly-report.cfm
There were less faculty per administrator and a noticeable shift toward hiring full-time faculty. Many universities are becoming top heavy and loosing their core responsibility to teach students. Shifts toward more administrators and less faculty show the bureaucratic nature of universities that will likely cause problems down the road with changing market trends.
More legislation is typically the result of the higher concern profile of higher education in recent years. Costs have skyrocketed and government is trying to get a handle on it. Some ideas may be beneficial but other ideas that create too much "red tap" may actually do the opposite.
Community colleges were quickly loosing jobs and are having a hard time keeping up with their budgets. Smaller entities may not be able to command higher tuition rates or secure alternative funding sources. Their limited resources and small local populations may lead them to go out of business. We have seen this trend grow with small private universities.
In the past many universities hired part-time adjuncts to keep costs low. In recent years, there has been a greater push by stakeholders to ensure that full-time faculty are hired. Some universities are replacing aging, retired, and shifting faculty with new full-time recruits. Hiring full-time faculty helps to keep the incentives alive for people to move into academia.
A lack of sufficient market variability can be dangerous for the industry is some major market shift occurs and there isn't enough diversity to provide adequate models that can compete. International, cross-border, schools are growing and too much restrictive legislation could limit options for future competition. Ensuring America maintains a place in the higher education fields means balancing the need for quality and variability.
https://www.higheredjobs.com/career/quarterly-report.cfm
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