The Rational Workforce

Twisters is yet another example of how much fun movies can be when you focus on the film and not on "the message."

In the wake of the attempt on Donald Trump's life, political and social leaders are calling on all Americans to tone down the rhetoric, end divisiveness, and get back to a place of mutual respect and understanding. That's a wonderful sentiment, but just days earlier, it was business as usual: anyone who didn't share the same opinion or world view was an enemy. We're all praying that calmer heads p...

If you're one of the thousands of frustrated job seekers who can't even get a response from employers, today's video will shed a bit of light on the problem.

Do you feel like "you're with us or against us" has become the default position at work, in public, and at home? Do you get the feeling that creating division is a feature, not a bug? If so, you're far from alone. There are a lot of forces out there keeping people divided, but there are also some individuals and organizations that are trying to turn the tide.

Whether you think Gina Carano was unfairly singled-out due to her political views or her termination was justified, the legal action she and Elon Musk have brought against Lucasfilm/Disney could have a big impact on the American worker. Today's episode unpacks the issue from an employee's perspective and how a favorable ruling for Carano could provide workers with an extra layer of protection agai...

Shortly after Google rolled out its Gemini Artificial Intelligence image generator, it became clear that it had a glaring problem: an absolute aversion to - as Fox Business described "showing pictures and achievements of white people." An unfortunate glitch or was it built-in? If you look at the Twitter/X history of the person helming the project for Google... well... watch today's video and judge...

There's a lot of hype surrounding AI's arrival in the workplace, and HR is leading the way in championing all the wonderful ways it can revolutionize the world of work. To be fair, there's also a lot of chatter around how AI can be used fairly and ethically at work... but there's a catch or two. First, as we've seen ESG unfold over the past few years, does it really feel fair and equitable to ever...

For some folks, the Christmas season can be a tough time of year. Doubly so when you're out of work. I know so many people - either directly or through social media - who are really struggling this year. It breaks my heart. If you're looking for a job and getting frustrated by a lack of response or an endless array of generic "sorry, not sorry" letters from employers, I just wanted to share a Bibl...

Like Bud Light and their distributors, poor decisions at one company often has a trickle-down effect that impacts others. And - true to form - it's usually not the executives paying the price. Today's episode looks at the connection between brands, merch, and storytelling.

"What I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil." That's what Elon said after the infamous f-bomb line, but the substance behind this quote is largely ignored by the media. Today's episode takes a look at a few of the companies that stopped advertising on X and sees if they're as virtuous as they appear or if they just care about looking good vs. doing good. 0...

@FilmThreat scooped info from anonymous sources about a decaying corporate culture. Bob Iger claims that "quantity over quality" is to blame for poor performance. In a recent filing, Disney hinted their pursuit of ESG goals could be damaging the brand. Is Disney moving from being woke to waking up? Is the House of Mouse on the path to recovery? Check out today's episode, then share your thoughts i...

You've heard all this nonsense before, right? The media makes headlines like this because it drives clicks. HR teams think like this because it makes it easier to throw people into categories & deal with the category instead of dealing with individuals. Social media influencers pick up on the narrative and run with it... which creates more headlines and starts the process all over again. Today's v...

According to a new WSJ article, the term "feedback" is too distressing for today's modern workforce. Let me repeat: workers aren't experiencing anxiety about the feedback they receive. The very notion of feedback is stressing them out, so some HR and business leaders are looking for a rebrand. I wish I was kidding. Combine that with the moves some companies are taking to leverage AI as a means of...

How can a labor union claim to support the human rights of workers while celebrating an atrocity? How can a group of college students sign an "open letter" in support of a terrorist group be surprised when employers decide they don't want to hire such people upon graduation? The simple answer is that these groups have largely been able to say anything they want without fear of reprisal. But in the...

A couple of weeks ago, every media outlet in the USA was fawning over the latest jobs report. The party line: Jobs are abundant. The economy is booming. Bidenomics rocks! Reality: - 70% of the recent job gains were in government, healthcare, and hospitality - Unemployment for college grads is actually rising - IT sector unemployment rate is 4.3% (up from 3.8%) - Competition is incredibly fierce fo...

Is AI going to be a game-changer in the workplace? Absolutely. Is it going to completely replace workers? Highly unlikely. For the past year or so, tech analysts and industry gurus have been making wild claims about the sweeping changes AI will bring to the workplace and a click-bait addicted media has been all to happy to parrot the talking points. When you get right down to it, though, AI is sti...

As brands like Target, Bud Light, and Disney are still reeling from cratering financial performance, investors, consumers, and employees are beginning to realize that being an "activist brand" can be a double-edged sword. So how about getting back to basics? How about judging companies on the quality of their goods and services or the soundness of its business model? EIG (Entrepreneurship, Innovat...

For the past couple of years, some really noteworthy brands have been lecturing you on civil rights, social rights, and human rights. Now, in the wake of true affronts to human rights, why have these brands suddenly gone dark? They were all too happy to baselessly call anyone who disagreed with their policies an "-ist" or "-phobe," but now when they have an opportunity to put their considerable br...

After seeing a massive spike in investment and attention during the past few years, enthusiasm for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) programs seems to be cooling, if not outright reversing. In a year when organizations such as Target, Disney, and Bud Light are learning that vocal social statements can sometimes lead to negative financial statements, many are questioning the val...

If you're one of the small business owners who survived COVID, you're not out of the woods yet. This economy (that, by the way, doesn't feel like a booming miracle of post-pandemic recovery as the media leads you to believe) just might take you down. But don't worry... your tax dollars are going to good use supporting businesses in the Ukraine. (Among other things.) 60 Minutes had a very interesti...

Well, I thought someone was finally paying attention to the thousands of rank-and-file workers in Hollywood's ecosystem. Seeing Barrymore and Maher take a stand and go back to work sans writers give me a glimmer of hope. "It's time to get back to work," Maher said. Then some people complained. Barrymore & Maher caved. And their staff was back to worrying about making ends meet. Anyone else see a p...

For several weeks, Rachel Zegler has been taking heat for year+ old comments about the original source material for her upcoming film, Snow White. Her comments about this film and some older comments that have resurfaced paint her in a less-than-flattering light, and she alone is responsible for that. However, for all the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, actors are still - ultimately - just workers...

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a feature headlined "And Just Like That, Sex Talk Comes to the Office." Um... no. Don't let this become a thing. I know the line between sharing and over-sharing blurs with each passing day, but some lines don't need to be crossed. This is one of 'em. Ugh. I can just hear the HR/horror stories queuing up. ================================== Here's a link to the...

0:00 Welcome 0:48 Businesses take care of themselves 1:42 Why "the house always wins" 3:12 Employers and "Quiet Cutting" 6:46 The lopsided Employee/Employer relationship 8:12 "Earning out" of your job 9:46 Sales pros given great new "opportunities" 11:42 The modern workplace and my decision to opt-out 13:17 Why more Americans are self-employed 14:20 The benefits of betting on yourself 17:25 Thank...

Hero or villain? Saint or sinner? Within the span of a week, Oliver Anthony went from virtually unknown to folk hero to political target... but that's the way the media works today, isn't it? Build 'em up. Tear 'em down. Move on to the next target. It's all bulls**t. Here's what's helped me to survive the past few years: - ignore the media - don't let them tell you how to think - if you really wan...