Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

February 5th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

How to Build Trust with Colleagues You Rarely See"When you exchange pleasantries with a co-worker in the elevator, the two of you are building trust. When you stop by a colleague’s office and see their family photographs on a desk, you learn about that person’s life outside the office and, as a result, usually feel closer. Face-to-face meetings, office parties, and opportunities to socialize together after working hours can all contribute to the feeling that your fellow employees will be reliable in what they say and do and that they will act for the good of the team and the organization. You believe they are trustworthy because you’ve developed this feeling over time." www.hbr.org

What No One's Telling You About Writing That Book"...because it's so easy to self-publish a book these days, too many people are focused on the fact they can publish one rather than wonder if they even should. And too many never stop to consider what it takes to make the book work for them. They put their blood, sweat and tears into a book, publish it on Amazon and then wonder why nobody is buying it. Or worse, they throw together a PDF with a few famous quotes, call it a “book,” and publish it. Again, nothing happens. But, hey, they have a book!

When there are so many ways to build authority, a book for book's sake without the follow through to make it successful is a total waste of time. Having the book, in and of itself, is not going to do the thing everyone is talking about. People waste a lot of time writing books without ever having a clear understanding of why they're writing it in the first place. Don’t make that mistake! If you’re considering writing, here are a few things you should consider." www.forbes.coma b[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]book for book's sake without the follow through to make it successful is a total waste of time[/tweet_box]

The Mental Benefits of Vacationing Somewhere New" I believe that travel should routinely be used to achieve the opposite: to get out of your comfort zone, expose yourself to uncertainty, and eschew rest for exploration and learning. The result is personal growth — greater emotional agility, empathy, and creativity. A recent trip to Sri Lanka, with an unexpected stop in Thailand, led me to think more deeply about the positive impact of adventures that challenge us.." www.hbr.org

When Public Speaking Panic Sets In, How To Be As Bold As Richard Branson“It’s true to say I’m a natural introvert, but from my experience, shyness is a problem you can overcome. All it takes is practice. If you’re an introvert and find it difficult to communicate with strangers you have to practice, practice and practice - but practice being yourself.”

The point he makes is that when you are first starting out, no one expects you to be a commanding leader or a world-class orator. The key lies in conveying a sense of passion for what you’re doing to whttp://workplaceinsight.net/us-workers-increasingly-prioritise-flexible-working-personal-development-status in over an audience." www.forbes.com

Workplace Changes Are Accelerating: Why And What Millennials Should Do About It"Change is to be expected, unfolding at a constant rate as new generations replace old generations, and as old ideas become obsolete. But here’s the thing; in today’s world, change isn’t unfolding at a constant rate—it’s unfolding at a faster and faster rate. The rate of change in today’s workplace is accelerating, and if you aren’t prepared, it could dramatically impact your career." www.forbes.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

January 29th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

GDP Grew 2.6% at Year End, Extending Strong Stretch (paywall)"Eight years into what has been an unexpectedly slow expansion, the U.S. economy appears to have picked up steam.

Business executives have reported solid quarterly earnings in recent weeks and pointed optimistically to investment and hiring plans for 2018, supported in part by federal tax cuts. Stock prices keep churning higher." www.wsj.com

Three CRE Jobs That Will Change With The Rise Of Predictive Analytics"After speaking with hundreds of commercial real estate professionals during the development of our real estate predictive analytics platform, we’ve realized that although everyone wants to capitalize on big data and predictive analytics, few people have a solid understanding of the impact emerging predictive analytics technologies could have on jobs.

There are three commercial real estate jobs I believe will be fundamentally disrupted by the power of predictive analytics and machine learning. After the widespread adoption of predictive analytics products in real estate, chances are good the roles of these professionals will look much different." www.forbes.comTax Incentive Puts More Robots on Factory Floors (paywall)"New tax rules are hastening automation and modernizing in U.S. factories by giving manufacturers an incentive to buy machinery and boost productivity in a tight labor market. For the next five years, the revised tax code allows companies to immediately deduct the entire cost of equipment purchases from their taxable income." www.wsj.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]For the next five years, the revised tax code allows companies to immediately deduct the entire cost of equipment purchases from their taxable income[/tweet_box]US Workers Increasingly Prioritize Flexible Working and Personal Development Over StatusA new survey from LinkedIn and Harris claims that the priorities of US workers are shifting in the new world of work. Where once they would have craved the status of a corner office, they now hanker for personal development, flexible working and autonomy and many see work largely as a means to pay bills. A growing number of professionals are also keen on developing side projects away from work that they believe are more closely aligned with their personality and interests, according o the study of 2,000 people." www.workplaceinsight.netAmazon's Checkout-Free Store Makes Shopping Feel Like Shoplifting"Just as striking as the shopping experience was the scene outside, where there’s evidence that the company famously seeking a second home city is still gobbling up its first. South of the store was territory the company has already colonized—gleaming office towers where 40,000 employees work, expensive apartments where many of them live, glassy domes filled with rare tropical plants. Across the street, four cranes sprouted from a hole in the ground that will eventually anchor another office tower." www.theatlantic.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

January 22nd, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

3 Commercial Real Estate Trends To Watch In 2018"Political and economic uncertainty has pervaded the past year, with the U.S. economy showing signs of growth amid low inflation and a distressed retail segment in 2017, as accountants struggle to understand all the implications of the recently passed changes to the tax laws and Europe prepares for Brexit. Here’s a look at three commercial real estate trends to watch in 2018." www.forbes.com

Office Party? Atlanta Market 2018 Forecast Yours truly pens a post: 2017 was a mighty fine year for Atlanta office real estate. Macro events such as tax law changes, a roaring stock market, very healthy corporate profits and strong employment numbers helped corporate America to have a pep in it's collective step. And Atlanta was no exception.As I look deeply into my crystal ball and based on reading and conversations with economists and market experts, I’ve begun to tune up some predictions for 2018 in seven areas... www.blog.cushwake.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]2017 was a mighty fine year for Atlanta office real estate. Macro events such as tax law changes, a roaring stock market, very healthy corporate profits and strong employment numbers helped corporate America have a pep in its collective step, and Atlanta was no exception. #cre [/tweet_box]

Stop Neglecting Remote Workers"Employees want to feel connected to one another. In a recent Globoforce study about the value of work relationships, 87% of respondents said they trust their coworkers and 93% said it’s important to have colleagues think highly of them. These bonds stoke engagement and commitment to the company. Cisco found that face-to-face relationships in particular are a boon to effective collaboration, which improves productivity, efficiency, and innovation." www.harvardbiz.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Employees want to feel connected to one another. In a recent Globoforce study about the value of work relationships, 87% of respondents said they trust their coworkers and 93% said it’s important to have colleagues think highly of them[/tweet_box]

Warehouse Boom Continues, Sector Poised for more Growth in 2018, Says Report"As Amazon’s continued retail expansion requires more and more square feet get absorbed into the company’s warehouse empire, the value of industrial real estate has climbed. A new report from Cushman & Wakefield, the national commercial real estate brokerage and consultancy, predicts that this particular market will only continue to boom" www.curbed.com

Holiday Retail Sales Soared, With Biggest Increase Since Recession“Shoppers came out in force during the holidays, driven by a strengthening economy, high consumer confidence and rebuilding efforts after a season of natural disasters across the country.

Retail sales during November and December increased 5.5 percent, to about $692 billion, from a year earlier, according to data released on Friday by the National Retail Federation.

It was the largest increase in holiday sales since the recession of 2008, exceeding the federation’s forecast of $682 billion, or growth of about 4 percent." www.nytimes.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

January 8th, 2018

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!What’s the Verdict on Urban vs. Suburban CRE Investment?"In the past, urban assets have outperformed suburban asset returns in both office and multifamily sectors. From 1996 to 2016, suburban multifamily fell behind its urban counterpart by 80 basis points, while the suburban office sector underperformed urban by 110 basis points.The present spread between urban and suburban multifamily is consistent with its long-term average at 81 basis points, meaning there is currently no worthwhile advantage to investing in suburban assets when considering the long term." www.nrei.com

San Francisco’s Skyline, Now Inescapably Transformed by Tech"SAN FRANCISCO — The skyscraper came late to this city, a shipping and manufacturing hub for much of its existence. The wealthy roosted on the hills and the masses toiled on the flats and the docks. Everyone lived close to the ground in a setting renowned for its natural beauty.

Now the things being shipped are virtual, and vast amounts of office space are needed to design, build and market them. Salesforce, a company that did not exist 20 years ago, will take up residence on Jan. 8 in the new Salesforce Tower, which at 1,070 feet is the tallest office building west of the Mississippi." www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Salesforce, a company that did not exist 20 years ago, will take up residence on Jan. 8 in the new Salesforce Tower, which at 1,070 feet is the tallest office building west of the Mississippi[/tweet_box]

Piedmont CEO Says Supply, Demand in Equilibrium Across Office Sector"From a balance sheet perspective, Piedmont is “probably in the best position we’ve ever been,” according to Miller. The company expects to close on the sale of 14 assets in early January, which should reduce Piedmont’s leverage to its lowest level to date, he noted.As for individual market performance, Miller noted that the Sun Belt region is probably the strongest right now. Chicago and Minneapolis are performing “quite well,” while Houston is probably the weakest market, he said. Washington, D.C. continues to be “a little bit of a drag on us,” Miller added." www.reit.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]It's true that, since the rise of the Internet, we are #working from home more than we did before. But computers and smartphones didn't replace the office—they've just kept us tethered to it when we're not there #cre[/tweet_box]

The Future Of Home Business Technology"The idea of a physical workplace is being replaced by the idea of conducting businesses from your own home. It's easier now -- we can create a virtual office and marketplace through the internet. You can take care of all aspects of the business from home and find the right balance between personal and professional life. 

Not only do home business owners save time and energy, but they are putting technology to the right use." www.inc.com

Not Driving to Work Is the Hot New High-End Job Perk“The percentage is down a little for lower- and middle-income workers since 2005, although it's hard to detect much of a trend in either direction since the last recession. Among those making $75,000 or more, though, there's been a significant decline since 2005, and it is continuing. Just as a reality check for Bloomberg's many well-remunerated readers: Only 18.4 percent of U.S. workers made $75,000 or more in 2016, according to the ACS; the median was $35,815. (These numbers are all for individuals; median household incomes, also released last week, are higher.)

So while a big majority of higher-income workers still drives to work, that percentage is shrinking in a way that it isn't for lower-income workers. How are those higher-income workers getting there instead? Well, public transportation....." www.bloomberg.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

December 18th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

Tax Overhaul Could Be Big Win for U.S. Real Estate Investors"Owners and developers of commercial real estate stand to gain from a new tax break for “pass-through” entities, which don’t pay corporate tax but instead pass income through to their owners’ individual tax returns, according to the report, by Cushman & Wakefield Inc. The House and Senate have reached a tentative agreement to create a 20 percent deduction for pass-throughs, which the report notes are responsible for 61 percent of investment in U.S. commercial real estate." www.forbes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Owners and developers of commercial real estate stand to gain from a new tax break for “pass-through” entities[/tweet_box]

If You Aspire to Be a Great Leader, Be Present"..he came to understand that, even though he was in the same room with someone, he wasn’t always fully present. He let himself become preoccupied with other activities or let his mind drift to other things. And, most of all, he’d listen to his inner voice when someone was talking. Because of his lack of presence, people felt unheard and frustrated.

Our inner voices are the commentaries we lend to our experiences. They often say things like, “I wish he would stop talking.” Or, “I know what she’s going to say next.” Or, “I’ve heard this all before.” Or, “I wonder if Joe has responded to my text.”To truly engage other human beings and create meaningful connections, we need to silence our inner voices and be fully present — and being more mindful can help." www.hbr.com

The End of the Office? How Working From Anywhere Is Changing Everything"When I tell people that I work from wherever I want, whether it be home or a friend's office, I am generally met with a bit of scorn or a response that points out how "lucky" I am. Actually, I'm just getting to experience what millions of people are already living: the mobile office.

Office space has undergone marked changes in the past few decades, with wooden desks being replaced by customizable cubicle walls and desks, then shifting to many of the new open-office designs we see now. This evolution is continuing as businesses realize that mobile technology is keeping workers away from the office more than ever. Here are some of the ways we are seeing the change." www.inc.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]It's true that, since the rise of the Internet, we are #working from home more than we did before. But computers and smartphones didn't replace the office—they've just kept us tethered to it when we're not there #cre[/tweet_box]

The Future Of Home Business Technology"The idea of a physical workplace is being replaced by the idea of conducting businesses from your own home. It's easier now -- we can create a virtual office and marketplace through the internet. You can take care of all aspects of the business from home and find the right balance between personal and professional life. 

Not only do home business owners save time and energy, but they are putting technology to the right use." www.inc.com

Not Driving to Work Is the Hot New High-End Job Perk“The percentage is down a little for lower- and middle-income workers since 2005, although it's hard to detect much of a trend in either direction since the last recession. Among those making $75,000 or more, though, there's been a significant decline since 2005, and it is continuing. Just as a reality check for Bloomberg's many well-remunerated readers: Only 18.4 percent of U.S. workers made $75,000 or more in 2016, according to the ACS; the median was $35,815. (These numbers are all for individuals; median household incomes, also released last week, are higher.)

So while a big majority of higher-income workers still drives to work, that percentage is shrinking in a way that it isn't for lower-income workers. How are those higher-income workers getting there instead? Well, public transportation....." www.bloomberg.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

December 11th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

How Amazon's Jeff Bezos Made One of the Toughest Decisions of His Career"I went to my boss and said to him, 'You know, I'm going to go do this crazy thing and I'm going to start this company selling books online.' This was something that I had already been talking to him about in a sort of more general context, but then he said, 'Let's go on a walk,'" Bezos relates.

After two hours strolling Central Park and talking, Bezos's boss impressed upon him that, even though his business idea was solid, he had a lot to lose. "He convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision," Bezos reports. "So, I went away and was trying to find the right framework in which to make that kind of big decision."His wife said she was happy to support him either way, so she couldn't be the deciding factor. What could be? Bezos settled on the idea of "regret minimization." www.inc.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Bezos settled on the idea of "regret minimization."[/tweet_box]

The Technological Race to Find You a Place to Park"Technology has already started to solve the problem of squeezing into a space, with automatic parking features taking the pain out of parallel parking. Now it is trying to solve the other headache: finding a spot in the first place.

A slew of apps can predict where on- and off-street spaces will be available, direct you to them, reserve a space and let you pay for the spot through your smartphone. And manufacturers are beginning to add those capabilities to their vehicles’ navigation screens. BMW, one of the first to do so, is making the functionality of the Parkmobile app available through the navigation system on many of its 2018 models." www.nytimes.com

Why Do We Still Commute?"It's true that, since the rise of the Internet, we report we are working from home more than we did before. But computers and smartphones didn't replace the office—they've just kept us tethered to it when we're not there. The vast majority of us still travel to work most days: only about 2.8 percent of the total workforce says they work from home "at least half the time." It's a reality reflected in commuting data: Since 1980, when the U.S. Census Bureau started collecting data on this issue, the average daily commute of Americans has increased roughly 20 percent, with the typical worker now commuting over 26 minutes each way." www.citylab.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]It's true that, since the rise of the Internet, we are #working from home more than we did before. But computers and smartphones didn't replace the office—they've just kept us tethered to it when we're not there #cre[/tweet_box]

Six Workplace Trends For 2018"Technology has significantly impacted business models in nearly every sector," Said Alan Stukalsky, chief digital officer, Randstad North America. "The growing STEM skill shortage, AI both disrupting and creating jobs and talent driving a shift toward agile work arrangements is a lot for employers to keep up with. It requires progressive thinking to find talent and meet short and long-term needs. We're still in the Infancy of most of this, but digitization will advance the pace of change in the labor market and workforce in 2018." www.facilityexecutive.com

Demand for New Jersey Warehouse Space Skyrockets“The online-shopping craze that is tying up package delivery-systems around the U.S. is sparking a frenzy in New Jersey’s commercial real-estate market. Despite a feverish pace of construction in recent years, tight inventories and surging demand are driving rents for New Jersey warehouse space to new highs, according to a report." www.wsj.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

November 27th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

Grand Buildings Help Keep Macy’s Afloat"What Macy’s does have going for it is real estate — a vast network of more than 600 stores across the country. Macy’s real estate, with an estimated value of $16 billion, is worth more than the company’s market value of $6.4 billion, according to an analysis by Cowen, the investment management and banking firm. Many of its oldest stores are a developer’s dream — soaring spaces with ornate exteriors in the heart of major American cities.www.nytimes.com

Laptops Are Great. But Not During a Lecture or a Meeting."...a growing body of evidence shows that over all, college students learn less when they use computers or tablets during lectures. They also tend to earn worse grades. The research is unequivocal: Laptops distract from learning, both for users and for those around them. It’s not much of a leap to expect that electronics also undermine learning in high school classrooms or that they hurt productivity in meetings in all kinds of workplaces." www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"Laptops hurt productivity in meetings in all kinds of workplaces."[/tweet_box]

Amazon's Landlord: How The E-Commerce Boom Is Propelling Warehouse King Prologis To New Heights"Because if you believe in e-commerce, you believe in Prologis. While internet shopping has devastated demand for traditional retail spaces, it has had the opposite effect on industrial real estate. Amazon is Prologis' largest tenant, occupying 16 million square feet. (Prologis is also Amazon's largest landlord, accounting for 13% of the warehouse space it operates.) Why? Getting a book to you in less than 48 hours (Amazon Prime's promise) means already having it--and several thousand other items--nearby when you order." www.forbes.com

Why Do We Still Commute?"It's true that, since the rise of the Internet, we report working from home more than we did before. But computers and smartphones didn't replace the office—they've just kept us tethered to it when we're not there. The vast majority of us still travel to work most days: only about 2.8 percent of the total workforce says they work from home "at least half the time." It's a reality reflected in commuting data: Since 1980, when the U.S. Census Bureau started collecting data on this issue, the average daily commute of Americans has increased roughly 20 percent, with the typical worker now commuting over 26 minutes each way." www.citylab.com

The Future Of Retail In The Age Of Amazon“But here’s the thing about the Mall of America: It’s fighting back. “I hear all this doom and gloom in the industry,” says the mall’s SVP of business development, Jill Renslow, with an upbeat, Midwestern delivery. “I’m like, ‘Folks! Keep your chin up! There’s so much opportunity!’ ” The mall completed a $325 million expansion in 2015, says Renslow, who started working there as an intern in the mid-1990s and has seen it endure recessions and upheaval before. A new 342-room JW Marriott has opened upstairs, and retailers like Zara and Anthropologie are being lured to the space. The mall is experimenting with new leasing models to attract pop-ups and younger players like Untuckit and Toms Shoes." www.fastcompany.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

November 13th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!Preview of the First Mass Timber High-Rise in the United States"Images of the Framework building, the first high-rise building in the U.S. constructed out of mass timber materials, provided by Lever Architecture and KPFF Consulting Engineers." www.nreionline.com

Great Storytelling Connects Employees to Their Work"Connection happens when you see past the details of a task to its human consequences. When you feel connected to the moral purpose of your work, you behave differently. Now “moral purpose” might sound lofty but it needn’t mean saving a puppy or curing cancer; it can involve any kind of human service. And at the end of the day, all business is about service." www.hbr.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]When you feel connected to the moral purpose of your work, you behave differently[/tweet_box]

Ten Things Never, Ever To Say About Yourself"We have been taught to brag about ourselves in our professional branding, but that's terrible advice.

The more illustrious a person is, the less likely they are to praise themselves. When someone is truly a guru, other people say "That person is a guru!" but the guru doesn't say it about themselves. It would be beneath them to boast. They don't have to, and they don't want to.The people who brag about their credentials on LinkedIn or anywhere else are afraid that if they don't trumpet their accomplishments, no one will respect them." www.forbes.com

Is Your Agile Workspace Legible?"In this age of ubiquitous wi-fi and long commute times, a lot of space planning focuses on providing that choice. In question would be where, when or how a person works. For sake of this discussion, we could consider this the ‘degree of agility’. There are several reasons to consider agility. Among them are employee satisfaction, real estate efficiency, granting people choice, and providing employees with a sense of control." www.linkedin.com

Where Self-Driving Cars Go to Learn“We are in the Wild West phase of autonomous vehicles, where companies are looking for the state with the least amount of sheriffing going on,” said Henry Jasny, senior vice president at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a nonprofit based in Washington.

The payoff for Arizona has been a tech boom, with dozens of autonomous vehicle companies flocking here to set up operations. Every day, Waymo, the driverless car business owned by Google’s corporate parent Alphabet, as well as Uber, Lyft, General Motors and Intel now deploy hundreds of cars that drive themselves on the streets of Phoenix, a sprawling metropolis of 1.4 million people." www.nytimes.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

 November 6th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

Are You Suited for a Start-Up?"Start-ups have no clear hierarchies or paths to advancement. But from their embryonic stages through more-mature ones, they need good managers to create and effectively run departments such as marketing, product development, and sales. And one can accrue numerous personal and professional rewards working for these young organizations. In nearly every interview I’ve conducted with start-up joiners, they have emphasized how much they value the autonomy, creativity, and growth they experience in their jobs—all elements critical to fulfillment." www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Start-ups have no clear hierarchies or paths to advancement. But they need good managers...[/tweet_box]

The Top Reasons Startups FailOh Snap! | "More often than not, however, startups tend to fail brutally. According to CB Insights, 70 percent of upstart tech companies fail, usually about 20 months after first raising financing. The failure rate is even worse for consumer hardware startups with 97 percent of seed crowdfunded companies failing or turning into "zombies." www.forbes.com

Six Myths About Choosing a College Major"Students get plenty of advice about picking a major. It turns out, though, that most of it is from family and friends, according to a September Gallup survey. Only 11 percent had sought guidance from a high school counselor, and 28 percent from a college adviser. And most didn’t think that the advice was especially helpful. Maybe it’s because much of the conventional thinking about majors is wrong." www.nytimes.com

We're in the Worst Talent Shortage Since 2007. Employers Are Using This Strategy to Stand Out"Organizations are facing one of the largest talent shortages since 2007. In fact, a ManpowerGroup report indicated that 40 percent of the more than 42,000 employers surveyed indicated they were having a difficult time filling positions.

When Manpower dug a little deeper, it found the top reasons driving the frustration included:

  • A lack of available applicants
  • A lack of experience
  • A lack of hard skills
  • Seeking more pay than is offered
  • A lack of soft skills  www.inc.com

Ten Things Never, Ever To Wear To Work"There is no dress code policy — or any other policy, for that matter — that will eliminate the need for conversation.One of the signs of a healthy workplace is that people are always discussing and debating questions like "What's okay to wear to work around here?"It is pointless to try and write HR policies in such a way that no conversation is needed. That's an impossible standard to reach and in any case, conversation is essential! It's through conversation that relationships are built. It's how trust is established." www.forbes.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

October 30th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

As Amazon Moves In, Demand for Warehouse Space Climbs"For the modest warehouse, this is a golden age.

Boxy, unadorned and often overlooked, these properties are suddenly in hot demand in many parts of the country, thanks in part to a rise in e-commerce as consumer shopping habits move online. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are snapping up space once reserved for makers of office furniture and home flooring.

For years now, consumers have been purchasing more products online. In the second quarter, e-commerce sales topped more than $111 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, or 8.9 percent of all retail sales, according to the Census Bureau. Industry forecasters expect e-commerce sales to continue growing.

Warehouses often reveal little about what goes on within their walls, but the buildings make possible the rapid delivery that consumers now expect from online retailers. They serve as storage and distribution points for products ranging from auto parts to pharmaceuticals. And warehouse jobs have grown rapidly since 2010, forming a critical part of the employment base in communities across the country.

As developers try to catch up, they are considering some unusual solutions, like constructing multistory warehouses and demolishing struggling malls to make way for sprawling industrial properties.." www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]For the modest warehouse, this is a golden age.[/tweet_box]

All Management Is Change Management"Leaders should view change not as an occasional disruptor but as the very essence of the management job. Setting tough goals, establishing processes to reach them, carrying out those processes and carefully learning from them — these steps should characterize the unending daily life of the organization at every level. More companies need to describe their work in terms of where they are trying to go in the next month or next quarter or next year." www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]#Leaders should view change not as an occasional disruptor but as the very essence of the management job[/tweet_box]

Retail Apocalypse? The Sky Isn't Falling -- The Sector Is Just Evolving"The reality is that stores close – it’s a part of this business. Consumer's tastes have always fluctuated, but with the rise of the internet and social media, the rate of change has been expedited. As a result, brands and categories fall-out of favor much faster, which initiates the open/closure cycle more rapidly. There is no doubt that e-commerce penetration, especially in certain categories, has also contributed to this exacerbated pace of change – it’s just not the great "disruptor" that many would have you believe." www.forbes.com

How Retailers Use Personalized Prices to Test What You’re Willing to Pay"Whether personalized pricing catches on with web retailers is now up to consumers. Will shoppers be comfortable knowing that the prices they are offered may be higher than those presented to others? Will buyers relish “electronically bargaining” to outwit sellers? Retailers first “negotiate” with each customer by personalizing prices based on their profile. In response, savvy shoppers will “bargain” by checking prices on different devices, clearing caches, using the app, conducting multiple searches, asking friends in different cities to see what price they’re quoted, and so on. Or will they become fed up and steer clear of web retailers that price profile? Amazon is on the record as stating that all of its customers see the same prices — will other retailers be so clear-cut?

As the fate of electronic price profiling shakes out, one issue is clear: It is truly a caveat emptor environment for shoppers who use the web." www.hbr.org

Why You Can Focus in a Coffee Shop but Not in Your Open Office"So why do so many of us hate our open offices? The quiet chatter of colleagues and the gentle thrum of the HVAC should help us focus. The problem may be that, in our offices, we can’t stop ourselves from getting drawn into others’ conversations or from being interrupted while we’re trying to focus. Indeed, the EEG researchers found that face-to-face interactions, conversations, and other disruptions negatively affect the creative process. By contrast, a coworking space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of ambient noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.

Taken together, the lesson here is that the ideal space for focused work is not about freedom from noise, but about freedom from interruption. Finding a space you can hide away in, regardless of how noisy it is, may be the best strategy for making sure you get the important work done." www.hbr.org[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]..the ideal space for focused work is not about freedom from noise, but about freedom from interruption[/tweet_box]Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

October 23rd, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

College Advice I Wish I’d Taken"A’S ARE COOL AND COME WITH PERKS As a student, I saw myself as anti-establishment, and I hated tests; I barely maintained a B average. I thought only nerds spent weekends in the library studying. Recently I learned that my niece Dara, a sophomore at New York University with a 3.7 G.P.A. (and a boyfriend), was offered a week of travel in Buenos Aires as part of her honors seminar. I was retroactively envious to learn that a 3.5 G.P.A. or higher at many schools qualifies you for free trips, scholarships, grants, awards, private parties and top internships. At 20, I was too busy freaking out when said boyfriend disappeared (after sleeping with one of said friends). Students certainly don’t need to strive obsessively for perfection, but I should have prioritized grades, not guys." www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]I was retroactively envious to learn that a 3.5 G.P.A. or higher at many schools qualifies you for free trips, scholarships, grants, awards, private parties and top internships.[/tweet_box]

How Office Politics Corrupt the Search for High-Potential Employees"Few topics have captivated talent management discussions more intensely than potential. The obsession with predicting who may be a future star or the next top leader has influenced academic research and human resources practices alike. But how good are we at evaluating human potential? The answer is, it’s mixed. On the one hand, science has given us robust tools and powerful theories to quantify the key indicators of future career success, job performance, and leadership effectiveness. On the other hand, in the real world of work, organizational practices lag behind, with 40% of designated “HiPos” — high-potential employees — not doing well in the future and at least one in two leaders disappointing, derailing, or failing to drive high levels of engagement and team performance.

The main reason underlying this bleak state of affairs is that HiPo nominations are contaminated by organizational politics. To be more precise, there are six dynamics that prevent organizations from identifying, promoting, and developing the right people for leadership roles..." www.hbr.org

For Electric Car Owners, ‘Range Anxiety’ Gives Way to ‘Charging Time Trauma’"...there is another obstacle: charging time trauma. Compared with a five-minute pit stop at your local gas station, charging an electric vehicle is a glacially slow experience. Modern electric cars still often need an entire night to recharge at home, and even at a commercial fast charging station, a fill-up can take an hour or more." www.nytimes.com

The Surprising Power of Online Experiments"At a time when the web is vital to almost all businesses, rigorous online experiments should be standard operating procedure. If a company develops the software infrastructure and organizational skills to conduct them, it will be able to assess not only ideas for websites but also potential business models, strategies, products, services, and marketing campaigns—all relatively inexpensively. Controlled experiments can transform decision making into a scientific, evidence-driven process—rather than an intuitive reaction. Without them, many breakthroughs might never happen, and many bad ideas would be implemented, only to fail, wasting resources." www.hbr.org

5 Mall Redevelopments Adapting To The Changing Retail Climate"Between one-fifth and one-fourth of American shopping malls will close in the next five years, according to Credit Suisse. As more and more mall-based retailers struggle to stay relevant, many developers are thinking outside of big-box retailers to reinvent centers. Here are a few shopping malls that will be completely redeveloped." www.forbes.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

October 16th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

A Survey of How 1,000 CEOs Spend Their Day Reveals What Makes Leaders Successful"On average, about one-quarter of CEOs’ days are spent alone, including sending emails. Another 10% is spent on personal matters, and 8% is spent traveling. The remainder (56%) is spent with at least one other person, which mostly involves meetings, most of which are planned ahead of time. About one-third of the time CEOs spend with others is one-on-one; two-thirds is with more than one other person. (This data includes a CEO’s entire workday, not just time in the office.)

The most common departments for CEOs to meet with are production (35% of time spent with others), marketing (22%), and finance (17%). The most common meetings with outside functions are clients (10%) and suppliers (7%)." www.hbr.org[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]On average, about one-quarter of CEOs’ days are spent alone, including sending emails. Another 10% is spent on personal matters, and 8% is spent traveling.[/tweet_box]

The Coming Software Apocalypse"It’s been said that software is “eating the world.” More and more, critical systems that were once controlled mechanically, or by people, are coming to depend on code. This was perhaps never clearer than in the summer of 2015, when on a single day, United Airlines grounded its fleet because of a problem with its departure-management system; trading was suspended on the New York Stock Exchange after an upgrade; the front page of The Wall Street Journal’s website crashed; and Seattle’s 911 system went down again, this time because a different router failed. The simultaneous failure of so many software systems smelled at first of a coordinated cyberattack. Almost more frightening was the realization, late in the day, that it was just a coincidence." www.theatlantic.com

Ken Burns Talks About Leadership, Productivity and Achieving Immortality Through Storytelling"Award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns is responsible for such genre-defining and genre- defying documentary series as The Civil War, Baseball, and Jazz, to name a few. As he and collaborator Lynn Novick prepare to debut their new 10-part documentary film series The Vietnam War on September 17 on PBS stations nationwide, we spoke with the tireless documentarian about leadership, productivity, managing gigantic projects and how to achieve immortality through storytelling." www.entrepreneur.com

The Surprising Power of Online Experiments"At a time when the web is vital to almost all businesses, rigorous online experiments should be standard operating procedure. If a company develops the software infrastructure and organizational skills to conduct them, it will be able to assess not only ideas for websites but also potential business models, strategies, products, services, and marketing campaigns—all relatively inexpensively. Controlled experiments can transform decision making into a scientific, evidence-driven process—rather than an intuitive reaction. Without them, many breakthroughs might never happen, and many bad ideas would be implemented, only to fail, wasting resources." www.hbr.org

This Is What Happens When You Reply to Spam EmailSuspicious emails: unclaimed insurance bonds, diamond-encrusted safe deposit boxes, close friends marooned in a foreign country. They pop up in our inboxes, and standard procedure is to delete on sight. But what happens when you reply? Follow along as writer and comedian James Veitch narrates a hilarious, weeks-long exchange with a spammer who offered to cut him in on a hot deal. www.ted.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

October 2nd, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

The Cozy, Overcrowded, Keg-Filled Future of Work"The United Nations projects that, by the year 2030, roughly 1 billion more people will be living in cities than do now. As of last year there were 31 cities with more than 10 million residents, and in about a decade, there will be 41.

These demographic trends are a source of fascination for urban planners and theorists around the world. Those who study what these shifts will mean view the coming era of urban mega-density with both excitement and fear. Others, however, see a clear business opportunity. Adam Neumann, the CEO of WeWork, a firm that rents out office space and apartments, puts it this way: “We don’t have enough room.”" www.theatlantic.com

Here's How WeWork Pinpoints the Perfect Locations for Its Co-Working Spaces in Neighborhoods"Workspace provider WeWork has skyrocketed to become the leader of its industry in a matter of just seven years. The company, which rents office and desk space to teams and individuals, has 218 office locations in 53 cities worldwide, and it’s not planning to slow down anytime soon. After a $4.4 billion investment from SoftBank’s Vision Fund earlier this year, WeWork reportedly is one of the top five most valuable startups, worth $20 billion.

To keep up with demand and ensure it continues along its growth trajectory, the company is quietly building a trove of data about how its members work in order to better serve them. But to attract those members, it first has to be strategic about where its offices are. Decisions come down to more than lease length and building aesthetic, because what lies directly outside a WeWork’s motivational-poster-adorned walls is just as important as the walls themselves. WeWork members inherently value flexibility and options -- after all, they choose to rent space tailored to their needs rather than commit to a lease of their own. They want certain types of amenities in close proximity -- from coffee shops where they can take clients for meetings to fitness studios where they can blow off steam during their lunch break." www.entrepreneur.com

Work and the Loneliness Epidemic"There is good reason to be concerned about social connection in our current world. Loneliness is a growing health epidemic. We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s. Today, over 40% of adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher. Additionally, the number of people who report having a close confidante in their lives has been declining over the past few decades. In the workplace, many employees — and half of CEOs — report feeling lonely in their roles." www.hbr.org

How Grunt Work Can Benefit Millennials In The Long Run"If you have aspirations to lead a team, be responsible for other employees or grow into a C suite position, then it pays to develop the ability to relate to people in order to effectively manage them. One of the best ways to relate to people is to have empathy. And that comes from knowing the context of the hurdles they face and having first hand knowledge of what they are working on. This provides insight into their pain points and the techniques needed to solve them.

In fact, some of the most innovative leaders and best technical managers are the ones that still carve time out of their day to tinker. And while is it true that they may not have the time to engage in in a full coding set or build something complex from scratch, they still understand the language enough to know what they are looking for when they critique others’ work." www.forbes.com

What You’re Truly Saying With Your Out-of-Office Reply"Even better: If you want to truly unplug, own it and don’t apologize. And you should unplug! Studies have shown unplugging can improve your job performance and overall life satisfaction.

Mallory Ortberg, former editor of the beloved but now defunct website The Toast and current Dear Prudence columnist, went this route:

“I am currently on vacation and not accepting any emails about anything,” Ms. Ortberg wrote in one out-of-office autoreply, as Ms. Gould reported in her story. “I’m not planning on reading any old emails when I get back, either, because that feels antithetical to the vacation experience.”

What do you usually write in your out-of-office messages? Tell me at tim@nytimes.com or on Twitter at @timherrera.

Have a great week (or vacation)!"  www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]I am currently on vacation and not accepting any emails about anything. I’m not planning on reading any old emails when I get back, either, because that feels antithetical to the vacation experience.[/tweet_box]Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

September 5th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

On the Day I DieJust read this. It will keep everything in perspective, I promise. Love those around you.  www.johnpavlovitz.com

Robocalls Flooding Your Cellphone? Here’s How to Stop ThemOn a lighter note: "And then there is the Jolly Roger Telephone Company, which turns the tables on telemarketers. This program allows a customer to put the phone on mute and patch telemarketing calls to a robot, which understands speech patterns and inflections and works to keep the caller engaged.

Subscribers can choose robot personalities, such as Whiskey Jack, who is frequently distracted by a game he is watching on television, or Salty Sally, a frazzled mother.

The robots string the callers along with vocal fillers like “Uh-huh” and “O.K., O.K.” After several minutes, some will ask the callers to repeat their sales pitch from the beginning, prompting the telemarketers to have angry meltdowns, according to sample recordings posted on the company’s website." www.nytimes.com

The Amazing Life of Uber's New CEO Dara Khosrowshahi — From Refugee to Tech Superstar"Uber's board offered the top job at the company to Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Expedia.The job, should he accept it, represents just another milestone for the 48-year old Khosrowshahi, who has lived an extraordinary life of both hardship and influence." www.businessinsider.com

What You’re Truly Saying With Your Out-of-Office Reply"Even better: If you want to truly unplug, own it and don’t apologize. And you should unplug! Studies have shown unplugging can improve your job performance and overall life satisfaction.

Mallory Ortberg, former editor of the beloved but now defunct website The Toast and current Dear Prudence columnist, went this route:

“I am currently on vacation and not accepting any emails about anything,” Ms. Ortberg wrote in one out-of-office autoreply, as Ms. Gould reported in her story. “I’m not planning on reading any old emails when I get back, either, because that feels antithetical to the vacation experience.”

What do you usually write in your out-of-office messages? Tell me at tim@nytimes.com or on Twitter at @timherrera.

Have a great week (or vacation)!"  www.nytimes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]I am currently on vacation and not accepting any emails about anything. I’m not planning on reading any old emails when I get back, either, because that feels antithetical to the vacation experience.[/tweet_box]

Workers Are Already Pushing Back Against The Office Of The Future|"We are constantly told that real estate and technology will interact and fundamentally change the way people work. Big data, smart technology and artificial intelligence are all regularly predicted to have a huge impact on the way offices operate. Co-working and shared workspace are increasingly being touted as the next evolution in the way companies take space. But the path to the office of the future will not run smoothly, as companies are starting to find out. People are pushing back against innovation as quickly as they are embracing it. Last week Bloomberg reported that management at U.K. banking giant Barclays had faced a flurry of questions when staff discovered tracking devices had been put on their desks to measure occupancy levels."www.bisnow.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

August 28th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

Aging Parents With Lots of Stuff, and Children Who Don’t Want It“As baby boomers grow older, the volume of unwanted keepsakes and family heirlooms is poised to grow — along with the number of delicate conversations about what to do with them. According to a 2014 United States census report, more than 20 percent of America’s population will be 65 or older by 2030. As these waves of older adults start moving to smaller dwellings, assisted living facilities or retirement homes, they and their kin will have to part with household possessions that the heirs simply don’t want.” www.nytimes.com

Applebee's is Ditching Millennials After They Forced Hundreds of Restaurant Closures"Over the past few years, the brand's set out to reposition or reinvent Applebee's as a modern bar and grill in overt pursuit of a more youthful and affluent demographic with a more independent or even sophisticated dining mindset, including a clear pendulum swing towards millennials," John Cywinski, Applebee's brand president, said in a recent call with investors.He continued: "In my perspective, this pursuit led to decisions that created confusion among core guests, as Applebee's intentionally drifted from what I'll call its 'Middle America' roots and its abundant value position. While we certainly hope to extend our reach, we can't alienate Boomers or Gen-Xers in the process." www.businessinsider.comHow Big Can Google Get? Its Aggressive Push For Office Space in the Bay Area"For the past six years Google has been expanding bit by bit beyond its Mountain View headquarters. But this year, the tech titan’s plan for a massive new push into San Jose coupled with big land buys in Sunnyvale show just how big Google’s footprint may get.If everything the tech titan has in the works comes to pass, Google could double its footprint in Silicon Valley, potentially making room for roughly another 31,000 or more employees. www.commercialrealestate.com

Inside GE's Transformation"A CEO has different tasks in different cycles. Some CEOs are founders and builders. Others have the luxury of managing momentum through a stable economy or a period when business models aren’t being disrupted. My task was different: remaking a historic and iconic company during an extremely volatile time.

I led a team of 300,000 people for 6,000 days. I led through recessions, bubbles, and geopolitical risk. I saw at least three “black swan” events. New competitors emerged, business models changed, and we ushered in an entirely new way to invest. But we didn’t just persevere; we transformed the company. GE is well positioned to win in the future.The changes that took in the world from 2001, when I assumed the company’s leadership, to 2017 are too numerous to mention. The task of the CEO has never been as difficult as it is today. In that vein, my story is one of progress versus perfection. The outcomes of my decisions will play out over decades, but we never feared taking big steps to create long-term value."  www.harvardbiz.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]The task of the CEO has never been as difficult as it is today.[/tweet_box]

Why Millennials Have A Complicated Relationship With Travel"Millennials seem to have found themselves in a tricky spot. The more they follow the axiomatic advice to “stop and smell the roses,” the more frequently they’re accused of malaise. The more they discuss practical solutions to enduring problems, the more they’re labeled as “entitled.”

So it’s not going to help their predicament any to learn that millennials seem to value travel more than previous generations. Cue the accusations of being “discontent” with their work and home lives.The truth is, both science and common sense drive home the importance of broadening our horizons, which sure makes it seem like millennials know something their elders may not. So let’s dive into the surprisingly nuanced conversation emerging about millennials’ relationship with travel." www.forbes.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

August 21st, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

How New Managers Can Send the Right Leadership Signals“One of the most exciting and — sometimes anxiety-producing transitions in a career — comes when you move from being an individual contributor to becoming a manager. At this juncture, what you think, what you say, and how you show up —in effect, your leadership presence — can have a direct impact on those you are now leading and managing for the first time. So, as a new manager, how do you build an authentic and connected leadership presence that has a positive impact on your team and colleagues?” www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]One of the most exciting and — sometimes anxiety-producing transitions in a career — comes when you move from being an individual contributor to becoming a manager[/tweet_box]

The 40% Rule; Navy Seals Guide to Mental Toughness“..When your mind is telling you that you are done..you are only 40% done. We had a motto: If it doesn't suck, we don't do it." www.lifehunt.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]You can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. Jeff Bezos[/tweet_box]

How to Manage Someone Who Thinks Everything Is Urgent"We’ve all been in situations in which we couldn’t wait for a slow-moving or overly cautious employee to take action. But at the other extreme, some employees have such a deep need to get things resolved that they move too quickly, or too intensely, and make a mess. They may make a bad deal just to say they’ve made it, or issue a directive without thinking through the ramifications just to say they’ve handled a problem decisively. www.gensleron.com

Americans More Gung-ho About Economy in August, Consumer Sentiment Survey Shows"Republicans, and to a lesser extent independents, have been the most optimistic in 2017, though Democrats aren’t as gloomy as they had been. The economy continues to pump out thousands of new jobs each month, the unemployment rate is at a 16-year low and Americans are better off financially than they’ve been in years."  www.marketwatch.com

Why Millennials Have A Complicated Relationship With Travel"Millennials seem to have found themselves in a tricky spot. The more they follow the axiomatic advice to “stop and smell the roses,” the more frequently they’re accused of malaise. The more they discuss practical solutions to enduring problems, the more they’re labeled as “entitled.”

So it’s not going to help their predicament any to learn that millennials seem to value travel more than previous generations. Cue the accusations of being “discontent” with their work and home lives.The truth is, both science and common sense drive home the importance of broadening our horizons, which sure makes it seem like millennials know something their elders may not. So let’s dive into the surprisingly nuanced conversation emerging about millennials’ relationship with travel." www.forbes.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

August 7th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

Inside Uber’s New Approach to Employee Performance Reviews“In the past, it was like, ‘this is what you’re good at, this is what you’re bad at, here’s a score,’ ” Uber Operations and Logistics Manager Nicole Cuellar told me.

Cuellar, one of the 600 employees who participated in Uber’s focus groups on reimagining the performance-review process, described Uber’s T3 B3 process. T3 B3s, which Cuellar referred to as “Travis’s brainchild,” detailed an employee’s top three qualities/strengths and the bottom three things one could improve on.“It was this very exhaustive process of putting on paper what you’re good at and what you’re not good at and, in particular, in context of our cultural values,” Cuellar said.Some of Uber’s cultural values entail “Always Be Hustlin,’ ” “Toe-Stepping” and “Let Builders Build.”“Hustling meant being dependable and working hard,” Cuellar said. “Being an owner, not a renter, meant you took your work seriously and didn’t ask a million questions when executing.” www.techcrunch.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"] It’s an irresponsible act for me to give feedback to someone if I’m not trying to have them improve. [/tweet_box]

What You Can Learn From Jeff Bezos About Building For The Future“I very frequently get the question: ‘What’s going to change in the next 10 years?’ And that is a very interesting question; it’s a very common one. I almost never get the question: ‘What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?’ And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two — because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time.” - Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEOy." www.forbes.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]You can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. Jeff Bezos[/tweet_box]

You Are Considered a Consumer, Even at Work"Design is facilitating the acceleration of an experience-driven world by creating places that bring new people and ideas together. In an era where technology is propelling—and sometimes hurling—us forward, convention is unimpressive. Connecting with people on every level—their values, priorities, emotions and intellect—is necessary as their journeys unfold. www.gensleron.com

The Fabulous Life of Google Cofounder and Alphabet CEO Larry Page“Larry Page is one of the most powerful people in the world.The quirky, soft-spoken computer scientist cofounded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998 and now, almost 20 years later, still runs its parent company, Alphabet. So who's the man behind Google and how did he get to where he is today?Here's his story.” www.businessinsider.comCould A Bus With Sleep Pods Replace Airplanes?"If you ever have to travel a long distance — say, Washington, D.C., to Atlanta, Detroit to Chicago, San Francisco to Los Angeles — you might be stuck with only bad options: a flight from an airport with chronic delays that's hard to get to, or an Amtrak train ride that costs three times as much as a flight.Well, now there's a new option on the horizon: a double-decker bus with pods for sleeping. It's called, simply, Cabin. It's an overnight service — like a red-eye — designed for people who love going places, but hate being in transit." www.npr.orgYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

July 24th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!Architecture Firms End Second Quarter On a Strong Note"For the fifth consecutive month, architecture firms recorded increasing demand for design services as reflected in the June Architecture Billings Index (ABI). As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the June ABI score was 54.2, up from a score of 53.0 in the previous month. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.6, down from a reading of 62.4 the previous month, while the new design contracts index decreased from 54.8 to 53.7.“So far this year, new activity coming into architecture firms has generally exceeded their ability to complete ongoing projects,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “Now, firms seem to be ramping up enough to manage these growing workloads." www.aia.org[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]For the 5th consecutive month, architecture firms recorded increasing demand for #CRE design services[/tweet_box]

Promising Cities for Commercial Real EstateAtlanta Number 1! | "Commercial real estate in the U.S. is at a turning point, with primary markets like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco showing signs of overheating—that’s according to online marketplace for real-estate investments RealtyMogul.com. As is common in this phase of a real-estate cycle, secondary and tertiary markets across the country are where the new action is, the firm claims. So Barron’s Penta asked its real-estate team to identify the top commercial real-estate markets that high-net-worth investors should be looking at. Here they are, in order of preference." www.barrons.com

5 Unusual Facts About Google's Odd (and Wildly Successful) Management Practices"One of the things I truly admire about Google's management approach is that, like the rest of Google, its HR leaders look at real-world data to engineer the company's people practices and guide their decisions.

Is it any wonder, as odd and counterintuitive as some of Google's practices may be to the outside world, it's been ranked the No. 1 place to work for the eighth time in 11 years?Laszlo Bock, Google's former HR boss, has shared extensively in book form and various media outlets about Google's leadership and people practices. Here are my favorites that stand out...www.inc.com

Disruptors Target Real Estate"Real estate is an enticing market for tech companies, but not without challenges to adoption. The industry is replete with complex and antiquated ways of doing things that could be simplified and streamlined by tech. Much of the information in real estate is locked down and unstructured." www.bizjournals.com

This Email From Elon Musk to Tesla Employees Is a Master Class in Emotional Intelligence"Tesla, the electric-automobile manufacturer led by famed CEO Elon Musk, has struggled mightily with safety over the past few years. California nonprofit Worksafe, a worker safety advocacy group, recently made headlines when it reported that the injury rate at Tesla's Fremont, California, plant was more than 30 percent higher than the industry average in 2014 and 2015.

Musk insists, however, that safety is the number one priority at Tesla. He claims that recent actions, like the company's hiring thousands of employees to create a third shift and reduce excess overtime, have made a major impact in lowering the injury rate.A recent email Musk sent to employees indicates just how seriously he's taking the issue:" www.inc.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

July 17th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!

The Coolest, Most Fun And On-Brand Office I've Seen Yet: Desigual's Headquarters In Barcelona"The nature of my work has enabled me to visit many offices of creative companies around the world.  I’ve never seen one I’d want to work in more than the Desigual fashion brand’s 4-year old beachfront headquarters on the Mediterranean in Barcelona’s Barceloneta neighborhood.  Many aspects of the building are great for motivating teams to want to do their best work. Employees say they feel privileged to work there.  I would too!  Desigual means “unequal” in Spanish: a good descriptor for the asymmetric design that’s the brand’s hallmark.  The brand, through its design sensibility, makes customers feel unique and a little quirky in a good, colorful way that enables them/us (I’m one) to express our own identities.  Wearers of Desigual clothes feel a little more special in them.  I do.  The headquarters captures that unique spirit.  It’s a happy place.." www.forbes.com

This Will Help You Decide If You Should Delete LinkedIn Connections You Don't Know"Maybe you ended up in this situation because it was a strategic move, you wanted to be more closely connected to recruiters or people at your dream company. Or maybe you think the whole point is to build out your network with new people. Maybe someone had a ton of mutual contacts, wrote you a personalized note or just had a really cool job title.

The list goes on, but the point is: You’re probably connected to quite a few strangers on LinkedIn. And more often than not, you probably wonder: Does it make more sense to stay connected or delete them?www.forbes.com11 Places you Should Never Use a Debit Card"A lot of people stick with a debit card as a way to control their spending and avoid racking up big credit card debt — since with debit, you can’t spend what you don’t have. And in the aftermath of the Great Recession, that strategy became a very popular one as many people had to rethink their spending routine.

When you only use a debit card, it forces you to limit your spending to however much is sitting in your checking account.
But debit cards are full of hidden dangers — and these dangers are often the same aspects that make them an appealing alternative to credit cards — like only being able to spend what’s in your account.www.ajc.com

Thomas Jefferson And Three Keys To PersuasionThomas Jefferson would have been comfortable on Twitter. He would have been really good at writing short, provocative tweets that make people think differently.

Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is the most persuasive document in American history. Its creation contains valuable lessons for any leader who wants to sell ideas more effectively.” www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"] Thomas Jefferson would have been comfortable on Twitter. He would have been really good at writing short, provocative tweets that make people think differently.[/tweet_box] 

This Email From Elon Musk to Tesla Employees Is a Master Class in Emotional Intelligence"Tesla, the electric-automobile manufacturer led by famed CEO Elon Musk, has struggled mightily with safety over the past few years. California nonprofit Worksafe, a worker safety advocacy group, recently made headlines when it reported that the injury rate at Tesla's Fremont, California, plant was more than 30 percent higher than the industry average in 2014 and 2015.

Musk insists, however, that safety is the number one priority at Tesla. He claims that recent actions, like the company's hiring thousands of employees to create a third shift and reduce excess overtime, have made a major impact in lowering the injury rate.A recent email Musk sent to employees indicates just how seriously he's taking the issue:" www.inc.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

July 10th, 2017

Credit: iStockEach week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week!Duke Long's 2017 List of 150 Commercial Real Estate People You Must Connect With On LinkedInHonored to be on Duke's list! www.dukelong.com

Why Company Leaders Need To Distribute Their Own Content"Imagine receiving a birthday card from your mom. It’s written in third person — and not as a joke. “Mary wishes you a wonderful day. She wants you to celebrate the day of your birth.” It’s signed in one of those faux handwriting fonts that don't fool anyone into believing you actually signed it yourself. With resignation, you tell yourself that at least it isn’t Comic Sans.

It feels weird, impersonal, and cold.Now, transfer your reaction to this imaginary touchpoint between you and your mom to the actual touchpoints between your brand and your audience. Your audience hears tons about your organization from top to bottom, all thanks to the hard work your marketing team puts into your content distribution strategy.But if your audience never hears from you as a leader; you’re just a nameless, faceless founder barricaded behind a frosted glass door. That impersonal image won't help you build better relationships, knock down trust barriers, or become a leader in your industry." www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"if your audience never hears from you as a leader; you’re just a nameless, faceless founder barricaded behind a frosted glass door"[/tweet_box]

Motivating Employees Is Not About Carrots or Sticks"The bottom line is: Don’t rely on outdated methods and tricks to motivate employees. Talk with your team about the relevance of the work they do every day. Be proactive in identifying and solving problems for your employees. Recognize employee contributions in specific, meaningful ways on a regular basis. Connect with your own motivation, and share it freely with your team. Put away the carrots and sticks and have meaningful conversations instead. You’ll be well on your way to leading a highly motivated team..www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Put away the carrots and sticks and have meaningful conversations instead.[/tweet_box]

Apple’s Architect Says the Future of Offices Must Be Flexible“Ultimately, the most enduring workplaces will take into account the deep-rooted desires of the people who spend time there. They’ll prioritize smart paths of circulation to help people connect with one another. Instead of sequestering employees into glass boxes, they’ll encourage them to connect with nature. To be truly competitive, architects and companies have to think beyond productivity. “From the very beginning, I’ve protested the idea that an office headquarters, whether it’s mega or micro, is only about work,” Foster said. “It’s about lifestyle.” www.wired.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"an #office #headquarters, whether it’s mega or micro, is only about work, it’s about lifestyle." #cre[/tweet_box]

The Beauty of Amazon's 6-Pager"How great would it be not to be constantly interrupted by clarifying questions?  How great would it be not to have the decisions in the meeting based on the social networking advocacy that happened before the meeting?  How great would it be if executives deeply understood your organization from your perspective before asserting they know better how to do it?  How great would it be to be able to review the core data going into a decision rather than have someone summarize it and assert that correlation is causality without revealing their work?

This is what meetings are like at Amazon and it is magical. " www.linkedin.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken