Ageism is a diversity issue. And that's where the next big crisis can happen in business.
On Odwyerpr.com today is my article about the 4 must-dos for an ageism audit. Law firms and public relations agencies which conduct these audits can prevent a brand meltdown.
Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and publishing thought leadership content on ageism. Complimentary consultation. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.
Emerging trend: Entering and exiting what has been traditionally called "retirement." That supposed reward of not having to work after a lifetime of work no longer is a permanent state of being.
At the top of the list why is the anxiety about running out of money or actually not being able to have ends meet. In The Wall Street Journal Anne Tergesen presents the results of research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
It used to be that 85% of retirees were optimistic about their financial affairs. Currently, that's down to 80%.
What's eating at the financial self-confidence is the cost of what is broadly classified as medical care. That ranges from what's not covered by Medicare and Supplemental Insurance to long-term nursing care.
Next, is becoming invisible.
Working, even at a low-status job such as being a greeter at Walmart, guarantees a social identity. Folks at church want to know what's going on in The Big Store. Not working slaps a label on former members of the workforce. It reads: "I'm no longer interesting."
And, third is old-fashioned boredom. Work, whether for an employer or as an entrepreneur, expands horizons. What can narrow them significantly is the typical routine of the average retiree. In Oro Valley, Arizona, many of those were, well, sad.
No surprise then, "unretiring" is either happening or being considered by retirees. A poll by Reuters-Ipsos found that 30% of retirees would bounce back into the workforce if someone would hire them. Here are details.
That "if" is the flashpoint of our times. It could trigger everything from a Starbucks-like reputational crisis to suicides. Regarding the latter, in "Mullaugh v. JPMorgan," the estate of broker Michael A. Lorig is suing, claiming he committed suicide after being forced to retire.
The raw reality is this: As the concept of "retiring" becomes an anachronism, aging discrimination in hiring, promoting, and terminating is growing. According to the AARP, there's even age-creep on that. The bias can set in at age 35.
The clash between those who are aging who need or want work and companies which are blocking that could erupt into the next big business crisis. After all, just counting the Baby Boomers and GenXers, there are 121 million over-50.
That could kick off with massive boycotts in purchasing. The numbers of those participating in The Great Pocketbook Shut-Down will be the families and friends of the aging who bear witness to how they are being thrown under the bus.
Next, expect a kind of #MeToo March on D.C. and state capitals.
ABC's David Muir could do plenty with the visuals from that.
Also, Diane Sawyer would find that material a great subject for a "20/20" special.
Business can head that off by doing self-audits of ageism or having third-parties like myself or public relations agencies parachute in.
There are many quick fixes.
For instance, instead of a help-wanted ad specifying "recent college graduate," that can be reframed as "no more than two years experience."
The over-50 who become certified in search engine optimization and have worked a few years in the field are perfect applicants. There is no business reason why they shouldn't be hired.
Another quick fix is ditching the question "How are you in technology?"
Instead, the job description mandates advanced level knowledge of Excel. That heads off legal action. And avoids what is being experienced as patronizing behavior toward older job applicants.
Here is a free book for companies to download. Chapter 3 presents a template for a self-audit Download Agesimisdiversityissue.
Jane Genova helps business rebrand as age-neutral. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.
Michael Avenatti has become a media star.
He is one of those lawyers who not only represents his client in a charismatic manner. He does cable with an earnest persuasiveness that captures the right attention.
So, it's not a surprise that the members of the media are officially reporting talent agencies are chasing him. Here is just one example of the coverage from NBC News.
Among the chasers are William Morris Endeavor and United Talent. In store for him could be anchor jobs, high-paid speaking engagements, books, documentaries, and maybe even hosting a talk show.
Of course, he is playing coy. He contends he is totally focused on obtaining justice for his client Stormy Daniels. But, he could be consumed with decisions about whether to keep up with continuing ed courses and renewing his law license.
Avenatti is a lucky lawyer in a downsizing industry. It would be useful to law students and any struggling lawyers if lawyer-journalist Joe Patrice did a column on what, he posits, were and are the smart moves Avenatti made and is making.
Any size business can promote itself like a big business. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. Here is a brief backgrounder.
In Freshman Composition, newbie college students were trained to research and put together tightly organized narrative.
Each sentence was to glide into the next.
There had to be a logical transition between paragraphs.
Any break in continuity incurred the wrath of the red pencil.
That was then - the 20th century.
Now, in a digital era, engagement is what is required. And, a tightly organized narrative could prevent that.
Instead, editorial oversight is being focused on what will get, hold, and increase attention. It takes that initial attention to prevent the current high rate of bounce among readers of content. Once they move on to other content or a walk to the coffee urn, that will cut off the possible sale of a cause, idea, product or service.
Actually, research has shown that a lack of symmetry sells. The less-than-perfect ad copy will usually generate more of a response than the highly polished promotional piece. A classic instance of that had been the Playboy photos featuring a sexy female with one shoe off or dangling. There was all-eyes. In the direct response business, the slogan is: Ugly sells.
So, I smirked (internally) when an earnest owner of a financial services marketing communications firm edited my draft to ensure smooth flow. I did what he instructed. And, what was obvious was that such tightly woven content was, well, boring. There was no opening for excitement to break out within the reader's mind and heart.
I never did an assignment for that business again. The odds are it's out of business.
The core of digital communications is discontinuity. Content must leap from thought to thought. That locks in the eyeballs, which gleefully follow. It also creates an experience.
Examples of discontinuity?
Abovethelaw.com, the medium Twitter, Axios, and the plot line of "Good Girls."
Any size business can promote itself like a big business. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. Here is a brief backgrounder.
Last week, those in the legal sector and business recall that BigLaw firm Jones Day was crushed in the Abovethelaw.com (ATL) 100 power rankings.
Whether that will undermine its ability to keep current clients and prospect for new ones is what I asked over the weekend. Here is that post.
A question I would add is: Will Jones Day hold on to its ability to hire a record number of former U.S. Supreme Court clerks?
And that was then.
Now, Elie Mystal reports on ATL:
"Trump's 2020 campaign to re-elect has already spent $835,000 in legal fees in 2018."
Mystal then goes on to note that among those on the receiving end has been Jones Day. Actually, it's on the top of the list.
During Q1 2018, Jones Day was paid $345,000 for legal expenses. In contrast, Seyfarth was paid about $1,300.
Currently, Jones Day also represents Sherwin-Williams in the vestiges of the decades-old state-level lead paint public nuisance litigation.
But that could spring back to its initial robust form if the conviction is allowed to stand in California. That kind of litigation mirrored the dynamics of tobacco and asbestos lawsuits.
Them were nasty times for American business. So ugly were they that the tort reform movement caught fire. Plaintiff lawyers were stigmatized as greedy and bad for America.
After the CA Supreme Court said "no" to reviewing that conviction in the bench trial and the refusal of the appeals court to grant a new trial (although it did allow some concessions on the amount of abatement), Jones Day lawyers indicated they would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sherwin-Williams is based in Cleveland, Ohio (where Jones Day got started).
In addition, a partner from the Jones Day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was in the loop on lead paint - Laura Ellsworth - is running as a Republican for PA governor.
Among Jones Day's most famous alumni is Mark Herrmann. Currently an in-house lawyer with Aon, Herrmann is a weekly columnist at ATL.
When Herrmann left Jones Day that was the big news. Obviously, those were different times. Now, the narrative in the media focuses on Trumpism. Last night on the respected ABC news with David Muir, the first two segments covered that.
Reflection: No wonder applications to law schools are up. America is continually reshaped by the law.
Any size business can promote itself like a big business. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. Here is a brief backgrounder.
Today, the voice of communications – O’DwyerPR – published my article on how ageism has become a diversity issue for business. Here you can read it – and get mobilized to take on bias against anyone over-35.
Yes, AARP, which represents aging Americans, documents that prejudice in hiring, disciplining, promoting, and terminating can kick off in one’s 30s.
Ageism is right up there with the challenge of ending bias against races, ethnic groups, women, the disabled, and those with alternate sexual orientations.
Businesses “caught” treating employees and contract workers over-35 unfairly will be sued, sales boycotted, the brand destroyed, and refusal of workers who left to “boomerang” back.
“Ageism is a diversity issue. Communications coach Jane Genova helps companies rebrand to be age-neutral. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.”
In the downsizing legal sector, the question is the same as in entrepreneurial activities: How long should JDs stick with trying to make a career in law work?
Of course, there is no absolute answer.
But in my coaching of unemployed/underemployed lawyers over-50 I have found that they stay inside the law box too long. And, time, of course, is money - or the lack of it.
Not only does sticking with law as the career path mean for many that they are unable to earn a decent living.
In addition, their professional confidence erodes.
Because it does they may be unaware that they are not re-building a career after losing a job or jobs. Instead they are bottom-fishing. For example, they become willing to accept a content-creation assignment for $15 an hour.
The smart thing would be to attempt to leverage their skills and experience more quickly.
The tough nut associated with putting together The Next is that it requires experimentation. The hands-on kind. Lawyers aren't used to that. They have been trained and rewarded for living in their heads.
Several of my clients had solid ideas for how to leverage their backgrounds into other businesses.
For example, one had contacts in the marijuana industry. There were openings. But he didn't go after them. Instead he talked about how he could go after them. Meanwhile, he was still contacting headhunters about possible jobs in law.
What lawyers have to get is that they are not alone with high sunk costs - and magical thinking.
More and more professionals are finding themselves in the pickle of their education and experience no longer being marketable, at least not enough to pay the bills. Yet, they remain in the delusion that the golden age of their industries will return.
The reality is that career transition is a brutal experience. No, it's not a wild heady adventure.
During it, professionals, lacking an identity, are totally vulnerable. Any rejection can knock them off their game. And, most of the search for The Next involves plenty of rejection.
Solution? Have no master strategic plan. The focus has to be entirely on being able to earn a living, again. The methodology is irrelevant. All that counts is to keep trying out things.
Coaching on all aspects of aging, from careers to retirement. Complimentary consultation. Sliding scale fees. Please contact aging expert Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. Read her syndicated site http://over-50.typepad.com.
Satisfied clients –
Mark Misercola – Speechwriter
“For the past two years, Jane has helped me age more gracefully by opening my eyes to new opportunities and endeavors that will serve me well when I eventually retire. And some – like writing about my passion for collectible cars – I’ve already started on.”
Tara Belsare – Physician
“Jane encourages me to examine aging with depth and wit. She encourages me to write about the process. She has opened my eyes to the fact that I am, in fact aging.”
Name Confidential – Disbarred Lawyer
“Nearly 70, I was able to move onto a new career path.”
Conflict is at the heart of drama. And, that's what attracts media coverage.
Former FBI director James Comey is a public relations genius in continuing to escalate the feud between him and U.S. president Donald Trump.
The platform for that high drama, of course, is the book "A Higher Loyalty."
Just about every media outlet - establishment, digital, and broadcast - is following each act in this brilliantly orchestrated theatrical production.
The genre it falls into is dark comedy. Yes, we can smirk while observing it. But, simultaneously - and that's its pull power - we fear that it will unravel into tragedy.
For instance, will a rabid supporter of the president make it a sacred mission to off Comey? Or, more likely, will a backlash set in play and Comey can never land a decent job again?
Meanwhile, members of the "audience" who have no stake in the matters at hand enjoy the show. It's a distraction from wondering if the tensions with other volatile nations will mean the end of the world.
Any size business can promote itself like a big business. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. Here is a brief backgrounder.
The move-in incentives are everywhere in the world of apartment rentals. Many include specials for "seniors."
Seniors, of course, represent a growing target market for owners of rental complexes. That's because there is a school of financial thought advocating selling the family house when aging.
One reason why selling is recommended is to avoid the uncertainty of the expenses associated with home ownership. Those range from boosts in property taxes to major repairs not covered by insurance.
There's great irony in that: Sell to lock in predictability in fixed expenses.
The reality is that after the move-in incentive runs its course and it's time to renew the lease the percentage of increase could be huge. So much for the senior's ability to control fixed expenses.
Recently, I personally went to the leasing offices of apartment complexes in Parma, Ohio and Irwin, Pennsylvania. On the internet, the rents listed were significantly lower than I have been paying in Austintown, Ohio.
That was on the money for the length of the initial lease.
After that, there was no set percentage of increase. The monthly rent for the next lease could increase $15 to $40 or more. That would depend, I was told, "on who owned the complex then." And, of course, the year after that the rent could and probably would increase again - and how much would be at the whim of the owner.
Obviously, that lack of a cap on the percentage of increase for seniors can trigger homelessness for that vulnerable population.
In Tucson, Arizona, where many from the coasts relocate to semi-retire or retire, annual increases could be $50 a month. After all, that location is "branded" as "affordable for retirees." And the naïve come and rent. They hadn't been aware of the dynamics of Landlord Nation.
Soon enough, as the rents keep going up, those who had come to AZ have to sell their cars, downgrade their supplemental insurance for Medicare, and start working jobs in the supermarket bagging groceries.
They're the lucky ones. Others simply have to let go of their apartments. They live on the street or with relatives.
Federal and state officials have to pursue initiatives to lock in the annual percentage of rental increases for those over-65 in all apartment complexes. Those designated for the aging with special fee schedules are not the answer. They usually have long waiting listings. And residing in a senior-only community can be a turn-off to many.
Campaign 2020 for national, state, and local positions has to make the cap on rent increases a major issue. Landlord Nation needs to be more closely regulated.
Right now there are 76 million Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1965) and 45 million Generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1981). That's 121 million who may not be able to keep a roof over their heads.
Coaching on all aspects of aging, from careers to retirement. Complimentary consultation. Sliding scale fees. Please contact aging expert Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. Read her syndicated site http://over-50.typepad.com.
The memory of the boom days of the steel industry continues to hover over the Youngstown Metro area - or what life-long residents call "The Valley."
Everyone knows someone who had it all - then lost most of it when the steel industry collapsed.
But, unlike the Pittsburgh Metro area, The Valley didn't diversify. There has been no economic comeback. My neighbors earn $9 an hour in a window production facility or at a fast-food job.
So, yes, Youngstown is stuck in its glorious past.
The one bright employment spot had been the GM Lordstown plant. It's an easy commute from Youngstown. The wages are good. Assembly workers could move up to skilled trades. Surrounding businesses such as coffee shops and shopping centers enjoyed good times.
That was then.
About a year ago, the third shift was eliminated. That was an earthquake felt by the entire business community.
For instance, too many laptops and other digital devices left off for repair at a brick-and-mortar PC shop were never picked up.
No surprise either, when I renewed my lease here the rent only went up a buck. A buck. Before I relocated to The Valley, the annual increase was about $50.
Friends of mine have been nudging me to stop ponying up almost $40 for hairstyling (including the tip) at JC Penney and go to HairClips. They view that expenditure as a crime against myself. The mindset is extreme frugality.
Now, another one of the two remaining shifts is also being wiped out. That could total the loss of 1,500 of the remaining 3,000 jobs at the plant.
GM made that announcement today. And the reduction-in-force (RIF) would kick in around mid-June. Here is the media coverage.
That means much more financial and emotional suffering here.
Will there be a surge in crime, including the violent kind. Already the unthinkable has been happening.
Recently, at 4 A.M., just as in affluent areas, there had been a home invasion. The miscreants posed as police officers. One person was injured.
In addition, there had been a road-rage shooting. Road rage, in an area where no one horns you.
This is all in small town America where weekends are about high school athletics and white-tail deer can be spotted.
The tragedy is really no one's fault. Lordstown simply had the bad luck of manufacturing the Cruze. It's the car type no one wants any more: a sedan.
This year sales of the Cruze were down 28%. Overall car sales were down 13.2%.
Consumers prefer pickups, SUVs, and crossovers. This year, sales of those were up 7%.
During this weekend, the bad news will get around.
For those over-50 who will get caught in this GM RIF, I will provide career coaching services on a sliding scale schedule. The initial session is free.
Meanwhile, they might find it useful to read these two free career guides on how to outfox ageism:
Download Over50TheFourMonstersoftheMind
Coaching on all aspects of aging, from careers to retirement. Please contact aging expert Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. Read her syndicated site http://over-50.typepad.com.
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