Survival First
A strategy to deal with the jobless recovery,
by W. Michael Allen
Copyright © 2011 W. Michael Allen
Smashwords Edition
ISBN 978-1-4659-2702-6
Direct quotations of 1000 words or less may be used without written permission and are permitted for educational and or review purposes, downloads of sample chapters from eBook vendors are also allowed.
Disclaimer: This book makes no claims to being your solution, only a source of ideas. You have to find your own way, and should seek independent sources of financial, legal and counseling services.
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Survival First
A Strategy to deal with the jobless recovery
by Mike Allen
Chapter 1: Survival First
It has been three years since the financial crisis struck the globe and the world economy is still trying to recover. The problem is, jobs have not returned and unemployment/underemployment impacts nearly a quarter of all Americans. A large number of folks have exhausted unemployment benefits and have found no job. Even those who worked hard sending out thousands of resumes, and attending every job fair available found little hope. People are in dire straits, many have lost their homes and when benefits run out they can’t even afford to rent. Moving back to mom & dad, a tent in the woods or to a friend’s basement is often the only choice. If you find yourself jobless, this short book is one strategy on how to deal with it.
The simple fact of the matter is that the world has changed and the financial crisis sped up that change. Globalization, automation, and free trade mixed deeply to permanently eliminate jobs. Read that bold part again and again – there is no going back to the way things were last decade. Many folks just don’t have the needed skills to compete for the positions available. If you think you have the funds, drive and desire to go back to school and retool your skills great, don’t delay, for most people it is not even a remote possibility, many that try will just be buried with student loans that can’t even be discharged by bankruptcy. Putting America back to work will require a long term fix, reeducation championed by the government, schools and employers. While the children of this generation may benefit from education targeted to creating more professionals and managers it doesn’t help the current jobless. Our Politian’s hope to solve the job crisis by encouraging banks to invest in corporations and thereby creating jobs. What we really need are more opportunities for people to exchange directly with each other. Peer to peer business is the new growth area. The sooner you get used to the idea that you may never find employment, (in the service of a company), the better. Cast off the comfort of working for someone else and solve this problem for yourself. Companies currently can pump out more stuff than we can possibly use, we don’t need more people to build and sell stuff.
We became quite comfortable having companies give us work, plan our days, and pay our benefits. We lost something important working for corporations and those who can get it back will not only survive but succeed. America was built on the entrepreneurial spirit, it is time to grab the boot straps and find out what we can do for ourselves. You need to offer the world a product or service, so step one is to brainstorm on your talents and options. Having some cash on hand from savings or a severance package would be helpful but not necessary. Since we lack experience in entrepreneurial activities there will be trial and error. Limiting losses is important when you don’t have all that much to start with.
List your options, things like, I can:
Build a company a free web-site
Teach a company to use social networking (Facebook, Google+, Twitter)
Build a company a free blog and consult on how to use it
Get out of the city, move to a real town where people have real needs you can meet
Paint
Clean
Do yard work
House sit
Baby sit
Care for pets
Exercise pets
Repair household items
Repair mechanical items
Build machined parts
Drive, pickup/delivery of people and things
Plan and chaperon outdoor adventures
Plan and chaperon college visitations
Tutor a subject
Program a computer
Repair a computer
Do arts & crafts
Run garage sales
Start a green company to recycle – metals, computers, electronics, etc...
Event vendor – food or treats
Exploit the internet to sell a product
And that is just a few ideas, on things you may be capable of. It is best if you brainstorm this with a few friends and family in the hopes of having 100+ possibilities when you finish. Once you have a good list, pick the three items that interest you most and write a step by step plan to offer the product or service to the world. Once you have some plans pick the one that seems the most feasible and make a business out of it. If you don’t succeed move on to another idea. Take advantage of every social safety net that you qualify for, it will provide subsistence, and buy you time. Take control become an individual proprietor, for the sake of survival make your own success.
You may look back and find that joblessness was the best thing that ever happened to you. Great things don’t just happen they are born of necessity and drive. When you tire of pounding the pavement knocking on doors asking for a job it is time to make a job for yourself. It won’t be as nice with cushy benefits, and a guaranteed paycheck but with some luck it may be a success.
Everyone has a passion, find something you really care about and become the expert. Talk to people until they are sick of you picking their brains, go to the library, search for material on the internet. Dig to the very edge of something, the newest parts, anticipate the unfolding parts. You may find your calling in business or industry or a bit of the basic culture of a small town The important thing is to identify the jewel that you care about and make it happen like it has never happened before. The more you make it special the more people are going to need what you do.
So that could be anything right now. It could be community-supported agriculture, which is an exciting place. It could be peer-to-peer currency. It could be some of these direct democracy movements. I mean, there’s so many places out there where people are having deep thoughts, where people are passionate. If you position yourself in one of those places where people are genuinely passionate, then you’re in a growth industry,
This strategy may result in a number of outcomes.
1. You go bust, don’t make enough money for it to be worth your time and fall back on welfare and handouts. (Until you try your next idea)
2. You make decent money and consider the experiment a success.
3. You make awesome money and take your business to an unbelievable level.
4. Your experience becomes an impressive line item on your resume and you find employment in corporate America as good as or better than you lost.
Chapter 2 – Occupy Wall Street
The occupy movement took America by storm in the fall of 2011. It has a lot of different faces and a lot of different causes. The best thing about it is that it scares the elected government to death. At its roots it is about the 99% of the population that the government has stepped on to enrich the few. For the past 40 years, more and more of the nations wealth has been concentrated with the top 1%. Congress deregulated the financial industry and let them run wide. Banks and the top financial houses generated billions in fees while creating toxic assets that eventually destroyed the economy.
Tax loopholes abound to ensure the rich will have money to invest in new jobs (yea right) and of course the next political campaign. I am not complaining about the family that makes three or four hundred thousand here, they do a pretty good job of pumping all of that level of cash back into the economy. It is beyond the 500K level and especially when the sixth zero is in the income level that the playing field is slanted the wrong way. The list is almost endless on how the middle class has been squeezed to oblivion; outsourcing, offshoring and automation have taken a toll.
It took a
major recession and a jobless recovery to spur people to action and
recognize how badly the government has shafted them. Just last night
on the local news I saw common folk writing in with their explanation
of what the Occupy movement means. They hit the nail on the head,
they understand what these people are mad about. No amount of tear
gas or police brutality will make them go away.
The silent majority will scream the message from the rooftops and their votes will send those in both houses of congress, (who don’t understand they represent the “people”) off to join the middle-class in oblivion.
You can occupy my street, you can occupy Wall Street and I expect there is a pretty good chance the government will listen and start to fix the problem. The more serious problem is that it took 40 years to screw things up and changes in this decade will take significant time to have an impact. You still have to fix the immediate of joblessness yourself. Find a nitch you can call your own, a product, a service or a humanitarian cause. A peer to peer economy can be the solution, find your spot in it.
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I spent last winter writing a book on Success. As more and more jobs went to India and China and the economic situation declined I really felt a need to prepare advice for today’s youth on how to succeed in the coming years. Its title is Success in the 21st Century – What do we tell our kids. Despite its focus on the next generation it has useful advice for people of all ages. It is available in eBook formats from my website, Success21stCentury.webs.com, Smashwords.com and the usual eReader stores, it is also available in paperback from Amazon.
This book addresses the question that is on most peoples mind. How can we outsource all of these jobs, how can our kids make it in a global world where other children practically make a business out of studying and excelling at school. In addition to it’s analysis of the past 10 years it also takes a peak at the future and provides a nice mix of classic success advice. You will enjoy it’s bottom line approach to complex issues.
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Chapter 3 – Random ramblings on Success
The remaining content of this short book is random ramblings on success from my blog and research. It is not met to tell a story or layout a path for you to follow. My hope is you can find some ideas of value that carry you first to survival and then to success.
Just as you need a business plan to offer a product or service you need to understand what you value to plan for success.
Chapter 4 - Values
If I could only say one thing on success it would be; understand yourself. Everyone must choose what values they hold dear. One thing is for sure, if your values are in conflict with your actions you won’t be happy. The conflicts created when you do not work to support and develop your values can cause the feeling of incongruity and helplessness. This is why you can still be miserable when you are rich. Defining what your values are is important; remember that the definition will evolve over time. Brainstorm a list of values and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 (unimportant to extremely important). Keep in balance with these values in your quest for success. Do some thinking about the steps you can take, things you can do and develop which support your values.
Plan your life around the things that are important to you, when you look back you will be able to say that despite the heartache and hard times — “life’s been good”.
The first step in making a plan for success is to determine your values. What do you feel is important in life.
Make a list
study the list
weight each value
pick the top three
Begin your success plan with actions that support your values. Be aware that as time goes on values evolve. Change is expected. Examples of values are:
Family
Love
Friends
Academic achievement
Rewarding career
Job
Morals – right vs wrong, good vs bad
Children
Dress (style)
Faith
Self respect
Clear conscience
Worth ethic
Financial stability
Etc…
Values evolve as our goals and self-image changes. Pick out your top few and establish your success plan to support your values. When you have a decision to make compare how the decision impacts your values. The more your actions are in line with your values the better you will feel about yourself. You can’t be a success without believing you are a success.
Chapter 5 - GLOBALIZATION
This trend has been around since the first villages began trading with each other. The 1800′s and early 1900′s were the heyday of Globalization. Industrialization, the steam engine, the telegraph, the transatlantic cable and the migration of people all change the world forever. Now with the changes that occurred in the past generation globalization has once again changed the playing field. The internet, fiber optic communications and low-cost of labor in the undeveloped world have all pushed off-shoring of manufacturing jobs and information based work.
Since 1970 there has been significant growth in the number of jobs in the USA. During this same timeframe over half of all manufacturing jobs have disappeared. They won’t be coming back, and the numbers of manufacturing. jobs may even continue their decline. Jobs in the service sector, managerial and professional ranks have grown by leaps and bounds. This spells trouble for the average “Joe”. Going back to school to take one of those great high level jobs is not usually an option, that leaves unemployment or low paying service sector work. Even ramping up our education system to have our young folks ready for “High tech” jobs will take time we don’t really have. The middle class is in trouble.
I just read today that India was dealing with this problem by creating job specific training for high-tech jobs. Rather than educate people with 5 or 6 years of college, (most of which they will never use) they are taking people who test as smart/clever and providing task specific training. We may need to consider this for the reparation of the unemployed middle class who were knocked out of work by technology and off-shoring.
Bottom line is that globalization has changed the playing field. If you want to coast along, get a factory job and live a nice middle class life you will find this path is no longer an option. As you identify a career path you must think about it’s location security. What makes it special, unique and difficult to transfer to a low-cost part of the world?
One thing that is interesting about Globalization is that it is both a past and future force. It changed the playing field this past generation and will continue to have significant impact in the years to come. It (Globalization) is often spoke of with distain, a dirty word in many factory towns, but it is not all bad. Markets are changing and expanding globally, people are being pulled out of poverty and the countries of the world are closer with more common ground. There is no rewind button, keep a close eye as we charge forward for opportunities to grow with a global world.
Chapter 6 - Offshoring – Jobs do return to America’s shores
Globalization is a dirty word in a lot of towns in America. It is associated with the transfer of jobs overseas and the loss of the American dream for many. Coupled with technology it has had a major impact on the “average” worker. For the first time I can remember I am starting to see a reverse of the trend. Multinational firms bringing factories back to American shores. I scratch my head and say what caused this? I have been pretty firm in my belief that these job losses were forever. Did they have a sudden relapse and start having concern for the American worker? Maybe but I doubt it. Globalization, outsourcing, offshoring will become a two-way street. Wages are rising worldwide, difficulties continue finding and retaining competent managers, difficult logistics, and rising transportation costs can all come together and lead to a decision to bring work home to America. Americans are desperate for employment and willing to work for less than they did in the past. GE, Caterpillar, Northrup, NCR, Grumman, and Dell all are moving some production back to the US. I even read about an call center which has over 5000 employees based in the US.
All of this does not mean that offshoring and Globalization are finished and now in the past tense. Both will continue strongly and articles are still running about 10 to 1 covering work being sent away. What it does mean is the Tin man (multinationals) may have finally found their brain. Take a look at all the factors before you sell the American worker short.
I have claimed for years that outsourcing IT doesn’t save money and limits flexibility and innovation. A recent survey found: 82% of the Fortune 500 who have outsourced IT have found the same thing.
Chapter 7 - The World is a tough place
I don’t want to tell my grandchildren; sorry, we screwed up the world. I am afraid it is a story they will come to know on their own, we won’t have to tell the tale, they will know who to blame. We put so much carbon in the air that the weather will be wild and weird long past their lifetimes. Flooding in coastal areas will be commonplace. We are past the tipping point and there is very little anyone can do to change the course. I see Australia is proposing a carbon tax, turns out they believe their commissions’ report on the climate. It is a bit like bringing a popsicle stick to a sword fight but a long journey requires many small steps. Man is interested in personal ease, not the future. It may take government to force change. When and if we do change much of the damage will be done, we will have to live with the result. I am convinced the world will be a difficult place to live for the coming generations.
Population explosion, resource scarcity, and climate change are all very scary trends. Don’t throw in the towel and quit, even the scary trends can lead to success. It is in adversity that leaders emerge. If you decide that one of your key values is to make a difference in the world, step right up there is plenty of opportunity. Scary trends are full of causes that need a champion.
Think about the following paragraphs in terms of: “If I were to take up a cause to have a positive impact on the world I would________…” or think of them in terms of: “If I were to develop a product or service to lessen the impact of a scary trend it would be______….”. Fill in the blank.
Global birth control and natural disasters may slow human expansion but we will still add a couple of billion souls before leveling off. If the end of days doesn’t come in 2012 we will need a lot of food, water and power to provide for the next two generations. Innovation to boost production of basic commodities is a must.
Oil and gas are limited, and their use contributes to the carbon problem. Aggressive campaigns to promote alternative renewable energy sources need not just government support, but grass-roots support.
What happens to the post industrial world when we run out of metals? Let’s hope the known reserves are expanded with new discoveries long enough to make mining moons or asteroids practical. If you look at a list of metals whose known reserves will be exhausted soon you will quickly see why recycling is so important.
The climate is such a complex system that understanding the damage we have done and continue to do is nearly impossible. The one thing that is common in the literature on future trends is that we can expect more weird weather. Don’t be surprised at anything.
A long term fix – Ignore free trade agreements and protect key industry
I would like to think that our government will recognize the need to protect and nurture key strategic industries but I am not holding my breath for tariffs and tax breaks. I am afraid we will get to watch the Chinese introduce cheap solar panels and other green energy innovations while we fall further behind. With active government protection we could put the middle-class of America back on track with some important jobs in strategic industries. Until you see America’s political parties join forces to create and protect jobs, it will remain an ugly situation for a large segment of our countrymen.
India is approaching the need for high-tech workers by developing job specific education. No four-year college degree needed and production can be ramped up quickly.
This is the solution – don’t reeducate concentrate training.
Chapter 8 - The butcher the baker the...
Oh, that’s right the candlesticks are now sourced from Asia. The butcher and the baker, well we have to have them on Main Street. They will always have work here in town. When you think about a career choice you need to consider how mobile the job is. How much labor is involved, how complex is the labor, how expensive will it be to ship the goods?
We have to hang our hat on at least one of three things: a skilled trade, higher education or innovation… get a big hat and cover two or three.
Within America our most evident source of competitive advantage is innovation and a deep understanding of our consumer culture. To succeed we must understand what our customers want and need before they even realize it themselves. The more we can customize and build to order to meet our customers’ needs, the more indispensable we become.
We also have a choice as consumers. Do you pay top dollar at the boutique where the candles are made in the back room or do you buy the cheap ones at Walmart? For many products we don’t and probably never again will have a choice to buy American (clothing). When we do have a choice we decide someone’s future.
In the perfect world the economists live in the work goes to the most efficient, lowest cost provider. The average worker put out of job retrains and finds something better. The problem is, it is a bitch to retrain. Entry level technology jobs do not pay near what an experienced factory worker made.
So when you have a choice buy American.
Chapter 9 - Educate our way to the top jobs
We may not be able to change our educational status much (teaching an old dog new tricks) but we must fix it for the next generation.
Educating our way to success. There is a growing premium on highly educated workers at the top end of the value-added chain – as a country education must be boosted. It is desirable to have as many people as possible compete in that part of the economy. We have been beating that drum for many years with mixed results. Our public education is not bad, it is just not as good as it could be. The United States ranks close to the average in reading and science and well behind most countries in math. Spend time with your kids on homework, when you can’t spend the time hire a tutor, or bribe an older sibling to help. Challenge them to goals and reward performance.
We need to change how we think and act on education. The entire field of education seems unattractive. No matter how hard they try, dedicated teachers find their plight demoralizing and talented students shy away from teaching. We must shift the thinking of our communities and our national values through moral leadership. We need to put the fun, excitement, compensation back on the table by creating attractive employment opportunities. Rewarding educational success with incentives is overdue. Increased educational effectiveness is needed to be competitive, and the promise of rewarding employment is required to improve education.
Our country can’t think our way to the solutions, it will have to go with trial and error. Start a grass-roots movement, first at home with your kids and then with your school board or anyone who will listen. Create some incentives for the teachers. It would be great if the incentives were cash. We all know teachers are underpaid, but in this economy even the “Pie of the month” for the teacher of the month would be appreciated and bring on that warm glow that comes with recognition of a job well done.
Don’t wait for Obama or the next guy to study the problem and propose a solution, make a difference at a local level. We can fix many of our problems in education now with baby steps.
Chapter 10 -The Individual
This particular trend may be the trend that can most impact success. Many forces are at work in the world and they all add up to big impact on small groups of special interests. Instead of being a controlled “Orwell” society we have become a world where individuals matter and can express themselves. People have choices and because of the connected world we live in they can exercise those choices and link up with like-minded people.
Nitch markets have become important an important part of the global economy. If you can recognize and exploit them, they can bring you unbelievable success. A 2007 book revised in 2009 by Mark J. Penn – “Micro Trends” identifies over 70 trends that involve small groups of just a million or more people. Study of a book like this may give you insight on how to serve an underserved market or a special interest you would like to make a part of your life.
The important take away on this mega-trend is that the individual matters. People like specialized services; they like to have products (even custom products) delivered when and where they want them. The internet provides a link so people can be reached on a large scale.
Chapter 11 - Random thought on “Friends”
I found a new friend and it got me thinking. I always believed that best friends were best friends forever. However life has taught me otherwise. When time and space intervene there is no magic way to reclaim the friendship of the past. Quite a few folks have a special place on the shelf in my mind, and I would go to great lengths to come to their aid. I doubt we will ever be best friends again but we will always be friends.
Friends are an important factor in a well-balanced life. Finding folks who share your values and interests contributes to a feeling of well-being. I have always refused to seek out best friends and that action may be wrong. I have hundreds of casual friends, folks I am friendly with and sometimes even kind to. Best friends just seem to happen, sometimes for months, years, or rarely a lifetime. Be sure to cherish those special people. If you are very lucky your life partner falls into the BFF bucket. Having other best friends can expand your horizon beyond measure and help make you feel successful.
So my advice is to count your blessings. Friends do come and go, if there is a void in your BFF category, do the work, concentrate on building friendships. Plan outings, events, BBQ, help with the work, help with the play get involved. You will be surprised at the result, friends will come out of the woodwork and maybe even a best friend.
To all of my best friends on the shelf, you know who you are, I still consider you best friends.
Chapter 12 - Jobless recovery and the deficit
Since the Euro came into being, Europe has created twice as many jobs as the USA. The statistics show that job growth tracked pretty evenly with Europe from 1999 to 2008. We had a dip during the 2000/2001 recession but we came back strong and matched Europe. The problem is that the 2008 financial crisis hit us harder and the job loss was much deeper. So far job growth has been almost non-existent.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, congress debates deficit reduction as a condition to raise the debt ceiling. While I am all for cutting spending excess, the hack and slash approach is not the way to solve the problem. We need to stop being the world’s consumer and continue the export surge that started in April.
It is pretty sad that it took a tsunami to put Detroit back on track for profits. What this means is that while we are crying about the lack of jobs we are shooting ourselves in the foot with a preference for imports. If everyone kept the American worker in mind on every purchase we wouldn’t have a deficit problem or a jobs problem.
America has a dynamic innovative economy. It is time for our consumers to step up and understand the big picture. You can’t always buy American, nor should you, but when there is a choice give extra weight to domestic goods.
Make It Right – #success, #payitforward
While discussing my new book with a friend they pointed out to me an omission. One of the concepts I have always lived by is that if you see an injustice, untruth or just a plain unfair rotten deal, when it is possible, ie… within your power, MAKE IT RIGHT.
You can’t solve all the problems of the world but you can have an impact on many. Start within your immediate family, expand to extended family, friends and neighbors. If you can’t help with money help with your labor – physical effort.
Too many times people are treated unfairly in school or the workplace and no one speaks up for them. Be a voice, have some guts, don’t stop with just words, take action to actually correct the wrong. Not within your power? Kick it up a notch to the next level, champion the appeal. As an outside unbiased observer your opinion will carry significant weight.
A few examples:
A tree falls in an elderly neighbor’s yard. You have a chain saw but not much time. Make the time, solve their “big” problem, who knows you may even get cookies. A heartfelt thank you is worth more than any money can buy.
A bully trashes a wimps lunch, — share yours.
A kid on crutches is struggling with a book bag — carry it for them even if you end up late. Anyone who punishes you for a good deed has problems of their own.
A discussion on promotions dredges up events and actions from years long past where the person did not perform up to snuff. — refocus the discussion on present performance not past mis-steps.
Your kid’s car is destroyed by someone at fault in the accident and uninsured. — cover the loss, pay the deductible for them. They were wronged and you have the means to make it right.
An acquaintance is robbed of $200 and you know they can’t afford that kind of loss. They may even go hungry because of it. — Cover the loss or if you can’t, take up a collection to help cover the loss.
Enough examples, you get the idea. — MAKE IT RIGHT.
Chapter 13 - Global Production
Let’s not waste time with talk of limiting trade. Nearly half of all globalized business activity is global production by multinational companies. This “intra-firm” trade, is the new way of doing business, components are shipped to and from a multinational corporation’s subsidiaries and assembly takes place across the globe.
You can’t call it trade or regulate it; it is efficient transnational production. Don’t expect the world situation to change and suddenly become nationalistic. Many companies like to think they act globally but in reality they do have a host, a place to call home. Consumers and Governments need to encourage good corporate citizenship. Reward and support multinational companies that take care of folks in their home country.
In an earlier post I discussed a few large US multinationals who were relocating global production back in the USA. As consumers we need to reward this behavior, and encourage our government to do the same.
The largest industrial democracies have proven that a large domestic market is needed as a base for multinational sales and operations. We need to use this leverage while it still works to encourage people friendly conduct by these companies.
Chapter 14 - No one can do it for you
When talking to our youth about how to succeed in the new world, an important point to make is that while success may include some luck, in the end it is up to you. It doesn’t matter how badly your parents, grand parents or their generation screwed up the world. It does not matter how bad the future trends are (climate change, population explosion, resource scarcity, etc…) You have no choice but to deal with it. If you try to assign blame it becomes an excuse for failure.
At the end of the day it is up to each person to make the best of the available resources and to succeed on their own. Decide what success means to you and begin to plan on reaching that goal. Enjoy each step in the success process both the successes and failures, reevaluate the goals and begin again with a new plan. Never let it rest.
Success is a life long process, and what constitutes success evolves over a lifetime. The earlier you understand it is all up to you the better. Choose to excel in school, public education is free unfortunately learning is not mandatory. Choose to be responsible for yourself and become the best person you can be, (someone you would be proud to call friend).
No one can do it for you.
Chapter 15 - Internet on Steroids
Wow, can you believe the capability available on the internet? Not only can you collaborate with co-workers around the world but you can make a free video call to anyone who has internet access, you can compare retail product choices from hundreds of vendors and see product reviews and ranking to aid your decisions. Truth is most folks barley scratch the surface of what is possible with the internet today.
You all know what a geometric curve is, one where you start slow and then the curve rises at a faster, steeper pace. Well the internet is on that track and it is combining with globalization to charge forward with a life of it’s own. The American economy has grown 4.3 percent since 2007 despite the recession and 7 million fewer workers. Doing more with less labor, the supercharged information enabled economy is taking a new path. It is global and internet enabled and we have just seen the tip of the iceberg. Shift happens and will continue at an ever-increasing rate. The economy has changed permanently and will not return the powerhouse of the past five decades. It is time to hitch your wagon to the new horse – exploit the internet.
The unemployed American worker is in a tight spot. We compete with better educated, highly skilled workers in other countries. Government intervention with tariffs and protections might save some emerging strategic industries but many cases what is lost is gone forever. We don’t have even the basic capability of producing much of the high-tech gear we consume today. Companies like Apple couldn’t possibly produce the iPad domestically, we just don’t have the necessary skills, knowledge and production facilities in America.
The fix is long-term and involves education and skill building on a nation-wide basis. People without full-time jobs must engage directly in commerce. The legions of unemployed need to reach down into their basic American heritage of self-reliance and entrepreneurial spirit. Specialize in a narrow product or service, one where you can do as well or better than anyone on the planet, exploit the internet to secure clients and customers. We live in a search engine driven world, if you offer what they want it will be found via the internet. Don’t wait for the government to provide a long-term fix. Americans have the capacity for hard work and that is what it will take to put the middle class back on track.
What happens if…recession, depression, & double dip occurs
What happens if they are right… headlines strike fear into our hearts, the markets gyrate every time another European government peers over the edge of financial default. Wild market swings while politicians refuse to compromise. Predictions of a double dip recession or even a depression run rampant. Inflation and devaluation of the dollar destroying nest eggs. Unemployment turning to violence in the streets. It is a great time to be a pessimist, lots of material to work with.
What happens if they are wrong… the economic recovery continues and jobs slowly come back.
The USA is the greatest economic force in the modern world. We need to hope our politicians have enough sense to foster an environment for continued growth. We need to control spending, institute progressive taxation and retain the flexibility to stimulate the economy with deficit spending when it falters. The far left and right positions of some of our politicians is very dangerous and ridiculous. While controlling the deficit is an important step if we had a balanced budget amendment in 2008 we most certainty would be in a depression now. The government needs to spend wisely and still needs flexibility. If a depression cuts the economic output in half just imagine how little can be supported with the remaining taxes…
If the economy implodes and the politicians continue to posture we will survive by whatever means necessary. I don’t think anyone looks forward to growing their own food and hunting for meat but it is not beyond the realm of possibilities. I don’t believe we are heading that way yet because I have faith in what this country can do. I just wish I had faith in one of the political parties or even in one of the politicians.
The Democrats want to break the bank with healthcare and social programs, the Republicans puke every time taxes are mentioned. Every dollar of spending needs careful review, the feds need to get out of all projects that have just a local focus (pork), they should fund basic research and science not bridges, dams and roads. Even Warren Buffet is calling for progressive taxation. Since 1970 we have concentrated our wealth with the top 1%. Now we need to add a percent or two to the tax rate for ever one or two hundred thousand of income over two hundred thousand.
How do we put intelligence back into politics?
Chapter 16 - Inspiration
I often say nothing much inspires me. Inspiration is a strong emotion and I am a low-key guy. On the same note nothing much bothers me, stubborn, obnoxious, or egotistical folks just roll off me like water. Even though my fuse is very long there are shortcuts for those who find where my goat is parked. Mess with truth and injustice and I go off like a roman candle. The fact that I can go a bit crazy to right a wrong is not the point of this post. I am more interested in exploring inspiration.
How intense does it need to be to qualify as inspiration? Was it inspiration that brought me back year after year to patrol the ski slopes? It may have started that way but it became more habit than inspiration. My career choice offered constantly changing technology but was not particularly inspirational. Raising a family was rewarding and enjoyable but not inspirational. My Christian beliefs provided comfort but not inspiration.
I do have to admit that the book I just published inspired me. I felt strongly that corporate America was shafting our kids and grandkids by shipping jobs offshore. A lot of thought needed to be given to what we should tell our kids on how to succeed now that the world has changed. As I researched globalization and outsourcing I found a lot of conflicting views. Melting them down to a summary I could support was a challenge. It was obvious that globalization wasn’t the only factor impacting future success. The recent financial meltdown was also a big factor in changing the dynamics. This past decade has forever changed the world. The whole success advice part of the book was probably the hardest part since I didn’t want to research and rehash all the volumes of literature on success. I wanted it to be from things I had learned or lived by. The last dynamic I wanted to cover was future trends and I have always enjoyed reading what futurists have to say about near and far term trends. While some of their predictions are dire doomsday situations, they still can be exploited and many offer opportunity.
What inspired this post… an old friend said on Facebook that lack of appreciation might make him quit trying. Not sure of the context but I think it gets down to where the satisfaction comes from. Recognition from others or satisfaction from doing a good job on whatever…
Pro Baseball #Beach Bums, hustle, commitment
I went to see the Traverse City Beach Bums play baseball yesterday. It is late in the season and they are in contention for first place in the frontier league. The temps were in the low 80′s with clouds and a pleasant breeze. The Frontier league is professional baseball but much different from other minor league games I had been to.
Just like the minor league teams there was plenty of entertainment between innings and the facility was top-notch. It was a real bargain, with $2 parking and $11 seats. That’s where the similarity ended. When the teams took the field, the spark the drive the commitment wasn’t there. Each time I have gone to a minor league game I have been amazed at the hustle. The outfield backs up the infield on every throw, for example: on a ground ball to third the right fielder would be behind the first baseman or at least on a dead run to be behind the first baseman. That’s just one example in a single game you might see 50 instances of kids going the extra mile and demonstrating real hustle.
I asked myself what was the difference and I think it comes down to opportunity. The Frontier league is not associated with the major league teams. In a good year one or two players from the entire league may get a chance to try out for the big leagues. Whereas on minor league teams the players are trying to get noticed and one or two from each AAA team might get a few innings in the big leagues. You can dream all you want but if the opportunity isn’t real it saps the strength from your performance.
It is a lot like being jobless and knowing some damn computer has eliminated you from 99% of the jobs you have applied for. Opportunity is a funny thing, you can improve your chances for good things to happen with long-term performance. Chance and luck play a big role too, sometimes opportunity is not in sight and your hustle needs to be focused on making opportunity for yourself. When there are no jobs, self employment becomes the only viable option.
Debt and taxes – a sure thing? debt ceiling, default, solution
The famous saying death and taxes are two things you can’t avoid. This week it’s debt not death. We may wish for an exit if debt takes us to the depth of another recession. Many times we have reached the top limit of government borrowing and each time congress has raised the debt ceiling.
How long can it go on? This time congress has drawn a line in the sand and can’t seem to compromise. The democrats want to tax the rich to solve the problem, I am afraid they think everyone making a 6 figure income is rich. The Republicans want to cut social programs and stick it to the freeloaders and the retired. With 10% unemployed and another 15 to 20% underemployed they don’t seem to have a clue that cuts are inappropriate and political suicide.
If we don’t pass a short extension to give time for a compromise it seems we default and spin toward economic disaster.
Wait, I see a giant red ball on the horizon, it looks like a Beatles record, no it’s a Macintosh, no it’s Steve Jobs to the rescue. Bailed out by iTunes, what luck, what an ironic twist. Everyone better download American Pie, because it’s bye-bye for business as usual… Apple has more cash on hand than the federal Government, the problem is that at the current spending rate our government could spend Apple’s entire cash reserves in a bit under 8 days.
I also think it should be bye-bye to the Senators and Congressmen whose childish ways led us down this path. Political leadership involves compromise.
Here’s a compromise for you, a one percent income tax increase for everyone making under 100K, 2% for 100-200K, an extra percent for every 100K up to 20 million. Instead of a 10% cut in social programs, cut 5% from every federal program and for each federal program totally eliminated give the funding back to the social safety net.
We have income inequality which has run rampant since 1970 with the top 1% securing most of the benefits of economic growth for themselves. Since much of that growth came from automation which they funded it is not totally unfair. They have bought enough seats in government to instill the idea that progressive taxation is an evil suppressor of the economy. Somehow they think the economic drain of social safety nets is holding back the economy. I hope we can use the next election to show where the people stand and that this madness does not cause riots in the streets.
I agree we need to stop being a consumer society, and stop borrowing to fund imports. If we are to fix the problem both sides of the coin need to contribute, dollars are needed from both government programs and taxation.
Chapter 17 - Basketball
One day when I came home from college I noticed the basketball hoops in the parking lot across from my house were gone. Turns out the Nuns who lived in the quarters attached to the Church thought the sound of children playing was just to disruptive. It was a sad day.
Summers in my high school years were spent on that asphalt. One year I wore through the bottoms of 3 pairs of Converse all star tennis shoes running up and down that court. Bet you didn’t know there were 5 different colors of rubber in the soles of Converse All Star tennis shoes. I was sad to see the backboards gone. Those hoops kept a lot of kids busy and out of trouble.
Ok so what is the point of this old memory? What did I learn? It’s simple - Well meaning adults can have a negative impact on the community. Often without even understanding the depth and breadth of their actions. Don’t just make decisions, seek to understand the impact. As children you live with negative consequence of your actions but those actions usually only impact you, as an adult you can impact many.
I still wonder to this day if anyone put in an alternate court. I also wonder if the silence was worth the cost.
Chapter 18 - A tale on State St.
A post that starts out with State St. immediately gains an audience of folks across the nation. Practically every town has a State St. ours was main-street. When I went to visit my buddies on State St. it was always an adventure. I remember building a backstop for our home-made baseball diamond. If you are lucky you may remember the kind, the backstop was half chicken wire, half old nets… and we had blocks of wood for bases. The field normally had knee-high grass but after one cutting we kept it beat down and always ready for a few innings. No umpires, no coaches and no fancy equipment. The fact is it was loaded with fun and a lot of life lessons.
You learned how to pick teams fairly, let everyone participate, and to give 100 percent effort without someone yelling at you. You learned early that some of the kids were twice your size and some twice your talent but that didn’t stop us from having fun. While the bigger kids may have picked on us a bit and whipped us on the playing field, they also looked out for us during everyday school life. We learned how to get along and maximize our fun.
Today we organize and legislate sports to keep them fair and safe. It is an antiseptic environment where half of the life lessons never occur. Back yard pickup games are for the most part a thing of the past. When the opportunity presents itself informal sports should be encouraged. When I was growing up we had one dad in the neighborhood who came out almost every evening and organized pickup games in his side yard. Even after playing baseball, football or basketball all day we looked forward to his participation.
If you have the talent and time spend some evenings playing with your kids. In the long run it will mean much more than all the long talks, or even the attendance and support of organized activities. Learning to play again will bring many rewards to you too. Your kids will respect you, look forward to your participation and try very hard to never disappoint you. You can’t buy that you earn it.
Go ahead, sit in your easy chair, rest from a long day at work and miss out on the fun of life. I think not, grab life by the short hairs and take control.
Chapter 19 - What’s up doc? – (I miss that rabbit)
Bugs bunny approached life with confidence and swagger. He was always in control, well mostly. Elmer and most of the others were putzes, who barely had a clue. Did we learn from Bugs? Perhaps a bit, – approach life with confidence; solve your own problems fix whatever is wrong. Hopefully we had role models other than just Disney characters but not everyone did or will.
How do you instill self-confidence? It is a tough one, because self-confidence comes one success at a time. It comes with everyday life and often with sports and games. Seek ways to build your kids self-confidence by setting up ways for them to have small victories on a regular basis. This does not mean letting them win every game they play but to have them win enough to learn they are good valuable contributors.
Don’t just let the wins and loses pile up, when they happen discuss the meaning they have in each situation. What did we learn? How will it help in the future? What will we do different next time? These are the types of discussions that have real meaning and go far beyond the common question, ”how was your day”.
OK, — just fine, — peachy = same crappy boring day. Whereas a discussion of why we won or lost in a particular event and how we can expand upon or change the result in the future, has real depth.
Observe peer interactions that impact self-esteem, deal with bullies, and people intent on attacking self-esteem. Don’t let anyone take a position of power over you or your kids unless they deserve and have earned that place. They must have a demonstrated talent and the experience necessary to become a leader, educator or an enforcer of society’s rules. Those who abuse a position of power to tear down self-esteem must be dealt with by direct confrontation and escalation to their superiors. There is no excuse for those who abuse authority at the expense of others.
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About the Author: W. Michael Allen was born into a middleclass family of bankers in the mid 1950’s. Raised in a small town in northern Michigan he excelled in school, enjoyed sports, was seen as a leader amongst his peers. He went to Michigan State University and graduated summa-cum laude with a BS in Engineering including a 60 credit major complement in Business. He worked for over 31 years in Fortune 100 companies providing global telecommunications and Information Technology (IT) infrastructure services, (computer center management). Managing hundreds of professional staff and raising a family of two girls was an enjoyable challenge. He is now retired and when not golfing, he writes and speaks on success and future trends. Residing once again in northern Michigan he enjoys life with his wife (and editor) Rhonda.
If you enjoyed the straight talk of this short book, look for his full length Success book wherever eBooks are sold ($4.99):
Success in the 21st Century – What do we tell our kids?
Paperback available from
Amazon.com $9.99 and
Createspace (an Amazon Company)
https://www.createspace.com/3675781
This book has been written as a parent’s guide for helping kids succeed. Have you ever wondered what to tell your kids about the world today? With all of the forces impacting us, understanding the situation is a bit complicated. Things like globalization, outsourcing, offshoring, the 2008 financial crisis, dire future trends, and managing personal finance all impact their chances.
Are you worried that the world is going to heck in the preverbal hand basket. Now with this book, you have a definitive go to resource - the bottom line presented in an easy to understand summary.
The good news is that in many cases, things are not as bad as you might think. The bad news is that for a few future trends, things are worse than you ever imaged. It is not that you can’t exploit some niche - it is that you were right when you began to feel that the complexities and overall situation for our kids is dangerously perched. They will need more focus than our generation had to achieve similar results. They will need to be driven from within to achieve greatness.
This book provides more than classic success advice. It takes a look at the forces which in the recent past have impacted our plans for success and takes a peak at what today’s visionaries are saying about future trends. Taking the past present and future into account will provide an advantage when planning for a career and life in today’s world. The core topic of success is also covered in this volume. It contains many pearls of wisdom - classic success advice that can provide direction and advantage. While this summary is a great starting point, don’t stop here - this book was meant to supplement the great works on success, not replace them.