YourCommunicationsEdge

On Fishbowl Startups , an unemployed senior product manager asks for guidance in landing work - any kind. Yes, it's tough out there for White Collars, even in the buzzy world of entrepreneurship. One responder asks:  " ... what’s your superpower?" And that could open the door to the emerging mindset in hiring. Shift from positioning and packaging yourself as having an "edge" to a more aggressive/results-driven track record for "superpowering" in your niche.  Miracles are expected. And the delivery of them must be fast.  That's exactly why the tenure of CEOs is shrinking. According to Korn Ferry it's down 14% since 2016. At Disney Bob Chapek got the boot before being in the job three years. At X, new CEO Linda Yaccarino could be on short time because her messaging lacks credibility and confidence.  In contrast, those leaders who are resetting their organizations for extreme success, despite the external realities, are role models for what goes i

  In 2023 we frame our conversations in terms of models. How smart we sound. So as the world observes law firm Paul, Weiss evolving quickly the issue is framed like this: What law firm will it look like when the changes harden into the 2024 or 2025 Paul, Weiss normal? (And, will it drop the comma which still remains a platform for deriding the firm?) Some, as in this post on Fishbowl Big Law , speculate the model will be some version of Kirkland & Ellis.  But this responder disagrees: "P,W would much rather align with its 'old money' white shoe peers then some scrappy Chicago firm" My hunch? Paul, Weiss essentially is a nerdy bunch. So it would make it its mission to preserve the image of being a cognitive heavyweight with a pedigree background. However, it would be aggressive in showcasing 1) Client list of major brandname organizations 2) Dismissals, wins, lucrative settlements, new practices such as AI 3) Internal innovations like (as has been rumored) institut

  Films are supposed to transport us into another dimension.  For some of us in the audience for "Killers of the Flower Moon" the only piece of that was being lifted into awe for the acting ability, right down to her eyes, of Lily Gladstone. She portrayed Mollie, a member of the Osage tribe who had, like her relatives, come into wealth because of oil. After an odd kind of flirting she marries white man Ernest Burkhart, played by a no-longer boyish Leonardo DeCaprio. Actually it was a turnoff that DeCaprio had porked up. We did accept his bad teeth, though, as symbolic of his dirt-poor condition in the beginning of the movie.  The storyline was all too familiar, especially in this era of a heightened consciousness about justice and genocide.  Academic powerhouses are signing petitions, published in The Wall Street Journal, about the conflict in the Middle East.  Progressive law firms ranging from Kirkland & Ellis to Paul Weiss to Akin Gump have financially supported social

  There's not enough buzz about this: John Oliver's scathing comic takedown of management consulting firm McKinsey , whose mission is to create "positive enduring change in the world." That is boxed in YouTube series "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."  With his wonderful British accent and zany pacing, Oliver doesn't miss an opportunity to deride anything supposedly noble which has become associated with McKinsey.  At the top of the list is its branding for creating unique solutions. Oliver positions and packages them as obvious. For example, in analyzing the expensive process of manually transporting documents for signatures, it asked if signatures were needed. An alert high-school freshman would have been apt to pose that inquiry.  Also, although tobacco has been taboo for decades McKinsey had been involved with it until 2021.  Of course, we all know how it bellied up to helping Purdue increase sales of painkillers which can be addictive. On profes

 But it's tougher to get those customer service and data entry jobs. You have a better shot at unretiring by registering with a platform like Care.com for taking care of the aging, children and animals. Also food delivery brings big tips.  Data or the gut for your careers and communications? Both of course. Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach, content-creator, and Tarot reader Jane Genova (text 203-468-8579,  janegenova374@gmail.com ). Dow Jones Near closing, October 27, 2023; 32,417.59 −366.71  (1.12%) today

  There's an expertise in increasing demand. That is the ability to put together a pitch deck, with both text and graphics, that provides value in business development. Once called "Power Point" and once a kind of a joke (as in Save Us From Power Point or Death By Power Point) it has become a most serious business. NO JOKING AROUND Although management consultants seem to be the most vocal in groaning about having to put together another pitch deck, players in other professions also have had to master that task in communications. It is a safe bet that many Knowledge Work positions require advanced skill in crafting slide decks. That may be assumed, that is not made explicit in a help-wanted or criteria for promotion. Or it will be listed as a must-have on a job board. For example, there is a help-wanted on the Paul Weiss law firm job portal for an ESG Client Program Manager, posted June 20, 2023. The job description includes creating pitch decks. Compensation ranges from

 X, which used to be known as Twitter, celebrated its first anniversary this month. CEO Linda Yaccarino toasted that with a gush blog post that things were ducky fine, especially with the return of advertisers. She puts that number during Q3 at 1,700. However, Insider reports different numbers: " ... data from  marketing consultancy Ebiquity , which was shared with Insider, suggested that most big advertisers have stopped spending on X. The company works with 70 of the top 100 advertisers, only 2 of which advertised on X last month, the data found." Insider also throw shade on the optimistic tone of the posting.  This is the second time that Yaccarino has not made her point. The first was last month at the Code Conference. Her performance was so much on the defense that she eliminated Q&A, which used to be standard.  Given that how the CEO sizes up things at X isn't perceived as credible it's possible that her shelf life is short. What value is she creating for

"Are Kirkland regulatory specialist teams also sweatshops?" -  That has been posted on Fishbowl Big Law, October 2023  Using the term "sweatshop" will not automatically trigger fresh information or perspective. Not in Big Law, which is known for extreme overwork with impossible deadlines and no excuses. To dig for insight, frame the question more specifically, as in: What is the hours requirement in regulatory at Kirkland and how many flee before two years? Actually, on professional anonymous networks the term "sweatshop" is being used less. Those conditions are assumed and given the sustained slowdown in much of the industry there is less balking about that reality.  Overall, as Law.com reports, earnings are not expected to be great for 2023. There are exceptions, of course.  Kirkland, along with Paul Weiss, seem to be on fire. There are many who will ignore the possibility of sweatshop conditions in order to grab a job at firms which are confident enoug

  "The complex geopolitical dynamics underpinning the deadly Israel-Hamas war are putting pressure on the workplace as employers face calls to take a stance on the conflict, a demand that risks fueling discord among workers and inviting litigation." -  Bloomberg Law,  October 23, 2023 Workers and potential plaintiffs aren't the only ones who can stir up trouble for business during the Middle East military conflict. There are myriad other categories of force fields which could put corporations in upheaval if they take the "wrong" stance or even remain silent. In a sense the growing upsets in the Middle East are creating a new form of the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) dynamics which overtook America. And, as with the original ESG, the stakes could be high. It is well known what making the "wrong point" did to businesses such as Bud Light and Target. Since then more businesses are backing off from making values statements. During the first v

  Right now many clients of public relations firms are out of luck in getting their information into establishment media. Those choice slots are jam-packed with updates about who lost jobs and which institutions lost donations because of a point they made or didn't make strongly enough about the Hamas attack on Israel. That's the media. Here on Main Street, without exception, my career coaching clients are choosing not to become involved in those conversations. And they make sure they are navigating that smoothly. No making a point about not making a point. In most cases you have only one shot in communications. Jane Genova is a communications coach and content-creator. Complimentary consultation (please text 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com) 

  The  existing blacklist  against Harvard students supporting Hamas could mutate into an overall bias about hiring any graduate of that elite institution. The "Harvard-Educated" brand could lose plenty of its equity and that could be long term. Employer hesitation about making offers to graduates of top universities is not new. When I was employed at a Fortune 50 the head of media assessed those as "feeling entitled." He tossed their resumes. And get this, when I assisted a president of a top university with a speech, we played with the idea that such as credential could be a liability. I had told him how having been admitted to Harvard Law sucked away some of my working-class hustle. What is new is the extent of the power directed against almost everything elite universities represent. Harvard is just one. The result could be sizing up all recent graduates as lacking what employers need and want. The workplace is not a forum for the exchange of opinions. Bring us

  As careful as lawyers are, law firm Dentons wound up in trouble because of social media posting associated with Israel. Here are more details from  Law.com. What has happened since the Hamas attack on Israel is the hardening of two cultures.  One is okay opining on social media and actually needs to in order to promote its branding, products/services. That tribe is all over LinkedIn et al. The other should steer clear of the social networks. It has the resources to create other less volatile platforms for everything from a point of view to how-tos to analysis of subject matter. Dentons is in this group. It should have known better. It has pulled the post. Meanwhile, another law firm - Paul Weiss - has been playing it smart, at least so far. Here is the eloquent statement messaged internally throughout the firm by its chair Brad Karp: “For now, while we watch the horror unfolding from afar, our thoughts are with the State and people of Israel and we pray that our support of these orga

  " ... for my thirteenth birthday, I asked for and received a copy of THE COMPLETE STORIES AND POEMS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE."  That's what Neil Gaiman pens for the "Introduction" to the coffee-table book EDGAR ALLAN POE. Gaiman grew up in a different time. We read books, lots of them. The last tribe to have shaped their lives in that time probably were we Boomers.  Although television was evolving as a major medium books were considered downright sacred. Love of them sent the message that you were headed somewhere. Over the summer there were lists of them we were supposed to complete before returning for the seventh grade. In the fat envelope for my acceptance to college and later Harvard Law School there was also a list of must-read books. Along the way ghostwriting books earned me a nice living. There is still some of that work out there if you are a patient enough scribe to do long-form. More of us have crossed the line over to short-form as in copywriting for c

Read all about it in The New York Times.  Here is my earlier post about the situation.   The post now includes the update. In most cases you have only one shot in communications. Jane Genova is a communications coach and content-creator. Complimentary consultation (please text 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)

"Davis Polk & Wardwell rescinded job offers to three law students at Harvard and Columbia universities after organizations they were part of made controversial statements about the Hamas attack on Israel ... they were leaders of groups that signed on to the Joint Statement from Palestine Solidarity Groups at Columbia University and the Joint Statement by Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups on the Situation in Palestine."   Bloomberg Law , October 17, 2023 Davis Polk did not provide the names of the students. Could privilege be part of the reason the students who made the statements might have been unaware of the potential for severe consequences? In the hood as well as lower middle class neighborhoods we were totally aware of the correlation of what came out of mouths and employment and even survival. I got down cold not to mouth off. Legendary were tales of what happened to those who did shoot off their mouths.  The clients of law firms could be among those who are creat

 So much has been said about man's inhumanity to man in the Middle East. Law firm Paul Weiss lifts that into eloquence. Its chair Brad Karp, shared with us by Law.com, makes this reflection in an internal message to members of the firm: “For now, while we watch the horror unfolding from afar, our thoughts are with the State and people of Israel and we pray that our support of these organizations will make a difference on the ground ... And, as with past humanitarian and traumatic crises, we intend to do everything we possibly can to provide relief to those desperately in need.” As a firm, Paul Weiss has contributed to a number of relief organizations including the UJA Emergency Fund. It has also appealed firmwide for individual donations to humanitarian outreach in Israel. It will match up to $1,500 each year. In a seminal podcast hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Karp has been saluted as a social justice change agent. 

" After the NYU stuff, I am thinking of deleting my (always private) social media accounts. I mostly use them to keep up with local politics, and though I would never post anything that crazy, I don’t want to needlessly rock the boat." -    Posted on professional anonymous network Reddit Big Law, October 2023 On this one, rule out the well-paid influencers. Their earnings depend on social media. There's little ambiguity. Follow the money.  However, for non-influencer professionals, as controversy accelerates post-attack on Israel, the issue of posting on social media (including liking and commenting) has become a career one. This is much more complex and sophisticated than warnings about "Animal House" boasts about drinking competitions. Yes, on the one hand, there are those whose work roles require a presence on social media. Among them is brandname lawyer  John Tarantino  who has added on the roles of spiritual guide and leader of lylon Precision Oncology. The

It has become the universal sign of a disconnect: Those who should be paying attention to you sneak a peek at their phones. And, reports Sarah Vine at  Daily Mail , that's what happened mid-show during Madonna's Celebration tour in London. She lost a part of her audience and never got it back.    The speculation is that Madonna doesn't understand who her current audience is, so played it wrong. The only ones who could afford the pricey tickets are the financially well-off. They tend to be more or less buttoned-down (hey, they don't have to strive to seem cool or youthful) and wouldn't welcome raunchy. An example of that is her recounting that when just starting out in the streets of New York City it was "blow jobs for showers." Perhaps more to the point her street saga is not only well-known but irrelevant to where the world's mindset (e.g. Middle East could explode into a regional war).    So, we ask for not only entertainers but also leaders,

  IRAN WARNS OF ESCALATION DEPLOYS WEAPONS IN SYRIA USA SENDS SECOND CARRIER

" ... She [Fox's Suzanne Scott] could be a pain in the a_s. It was obstruction and delay ... she was able to create a lot of misdirection ..." Excerpt from The Fall by Michael Wolff, page 255. The chapter focuses on how Fox star Sean Hannity had begun to become a liability to the cable network. It was time for him to go.  The pain in the a_s tactics Scott leveraged are common in organizations to motivate employees to resign. That saves the business bad press, severance and unemployment.  It takes many forms. They include: Micromanaging Compulsive questioning Overcorrection (e.g. over-editing documents) Slow responses No responses. If this is happening to you it could signal you are not a good fit with the culture, have made too many mistakes, are no longer needed, and/or got on the wrong side of power players. Rarely can you reverse the dynamic. Hannity was fired. So, consider starting a job search.   In most cases you have only one shot in communications. Jane Genova is

"UPenn Rejects Apollo CEO Rowan’s Call for Resignations in Antisemitism Fight" -  Bloomberg, October 12, 2023 The university stood with the president and head of the board of trustees. Rowan called for their resignations. As not uncommon he weaponized money. This version was in the form of donations. To continue to operate, as so many alumni know, institutions of higher learning need outside funding. Tuition/fees don't cut it. So, here as the world might be on the brink of WW3, one institution in Pennsylvania stands up to what Wall Street represents. This is reassuring. Maybe power won't destroy the values of the civilization and, yes, the human race itself. Meanwhile, other institutions such as law firms are in a pickle. Should they take a public stance on highly controversial issues such as support for Israel after the Hamas attack? No one can predict how that will resonate with myriad constituencies, including clients.   Way back in 2021 in an interview with Bloom

"WW3 will end the world. I don’t think macro economics will be your concern if that is going to be a reality"  Posted on Fishbowl Consulting, October 11, 2023  That's a response to a query about if professional services has hit a bottom. It hits a nerve. With a war in Europe and one in the Middle East, it's easy to feel foolish having a panic attack over a decline in business, what the stock market is up to, will Bill Belichick save his job this Sunday or even if generative AI will do us in. Actually, we can put the brakes on angst. All those concerns will soon be irrelevant should the world go to war. As a species humans could be wiped out. Maybe the planet itself will be blown up. That can be the new gallows humor on Wall Street. Data or the gut for your careers and communications? Both of course. Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach, content-creator, and Tarot reader Jane Genova (text 202-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com ). 

It's another sad day in what had been glam.  The Washington Post announced its plan to downsize manpower throughout the organization by 240. That will start with buyouts.  CNN admitted it's not ready for the future. The Wall Street Journal has gone part pop culture to attract a younger audience. The average age of its reader is 59. We already know ABC probably will be up for sale. Establishment media is making its point: Its existence is uncertain. What could replace it could be digital apps on phones. Public relations folks will pitch their clients' stories to the apps. Or maybe PR also will go poof. Everyone will be an influencer. Data or the gut for your careers and communications? Both of course. Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach, content-creator, and Tarot reader Jane Genova (text 202-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com ).

  CEO tenure  plunged on the average 20% from 6 years to 4.8 years. Gunning to Be CEO Gossip is in overdrive if Goldman Sachs head David Solomon will hang onto his position, at least with the current job description. Among the scenarios is that he could be saddled with a co-leader to "help" him out. Maybe even the most ambitious shouldn't gun for the big business CEO slot. With that kind of ambition, instead maybe do a startup or become a player where the money is but not that kind of high-profile responsibility. Media is configured to pick up the stumbles for clickbait. Bad news sells. Sports Maybe Not a Meritocracy Youth may also be less focused on starting the journey to become a football coach. The aura of a Vince Lombardi type career could be losing its wattage. There has been the racial discrimination lawsuit "Brian Flores, et al. v. NFL et al." In July it got the get-go to move forward to trial. Wigdor is representing the plaintiffs and Paul Weiss the mai

  The media highlights aging professionals who continue to be not only relevant but also have a sustained track record for putting together and successfully implementing fresh initiatives.  Of course, at the top of the list are the two prime movers at Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.  Then there are those in the now-turbulent sector of Big Law who keep surprising watchers, despite their age. They range from Kirkland & Ellis' Jon Ballis to Paul Weiss' Brad Karp.  Only now Clint Eastwood, 93, seems to have tamed ambition. But not before making the stunner transition from lackluster action films to aesthetic creations like "Unforgiven." Unfortunately those players are atypical. Generally, as a personal piece in  The Wall Street Journal  points out, as professionals age they probably will face the need to downsize ambition. Usually the advice columns primarily jaw-jaw about decisions involved with material possessions such as home ownership and th

  In Geneva on the Lake in Ohio bellying up for fries and burgers and Dairy Queen soft serve at Eddie's Grill is a loved ritual. But then the beach season ends. Today the love shifts to high-school football. It's Homecoming. Homemade signs on store doors state: Closing at 6 PM for Homecoming. No longer do I have a network with those in the Homecoming loop. No, I didn't leap into the new force field of excitement.  I am stuck in Eddie's Grill time. Every weekend this summer I drove the few hours to be at the beach.  But I didn't dare reflect on that when I ran into some of the usual crowd who ignored the cold to walk around Lake Erie and duck the waves. Such talk would make me sound "old." The dominant ethos is to move on. Let the summer go. Grab yourself a pumpkin and carve it.  Time is being declared irrelevant to the human condition. In college we read Virginia Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse." There is a section headlined "Time Pa

"A growing number of  anti-Trump  Republicans are giving up — and giving into the belief that nothing will stop him [Donald Trump] from winning the GOP's presidential nomination."  Axios , October 6, 2023 With his usual weaponized rhetoric, Donald Trump already has labeled the liberalism represented by ESG (Environmental Social Governance) initiatives as "garbage." And if he really does become the GOP presidential nominee attacking that concept could be low-hanging fruit for him. The guy likes those easy grabs. And he's good at giving them broad reach. Meanwhile, the conservative push against ESG is gaining traction. Most recently, as Reuters Legal reports, there is a lawsuit against the U.S. Naval Academy about affirmative action. This follows similar litigation against the U.S. Military Academy. The plaintiff is Students for Fair Admission which won the SCOTUS ruling last June against race-conscious admissions in higher education. Words are political power