LinkUP Thursday: Here's What I'm Reading This Week

"How much of your life is spent in fear? Fear of disappointing others? Fear of being disappointed? Fear of not being good enough? Fear of missing out?"

Good Morning Folks,

On LinkUP Thursday, I quench your thirst for knowledge and self-development, bringing you the curated, cliff-notes version of my week’s knowledge quest— as I span the web, so I can bring all the best stuff to you here all wrapped up in an easy to digest package, all in one place. And sealed with a FSO kiss.

In between postings here, I use LinkedIn and Twitter to be your guide to the very best resources and information online, providing deep insights into how to find, hire, motivate, train, incentivize, retain and improve the lives of hourly employees— and of course for being happier at work today and always. I sort the grain from the chaff. Think of my role as your information museum curator.

Moreover, I find many sales people sending me article shares in the morning as a way to stay in touch, and I appreciate that very much.

So if we have not connected socially, regardless of age, role in life or anything else, I welcome all in my friendly social club. Friend me on Twitter HERE and LinkedIN HERE.

The first article today is one I highly recommend that effects us all. How much of your life is spent in fear? Fear of disappointing others? Fear of being disappointed? Fear of not being good enough? Fear of missing out? The list goes on... I'm Afraid by @BertOliva https://lnkd.in/bWiV6Uf

Now here is more today's picks.....

What a beautiful tribute to love and courage. "My wife, my hero" by @mirvin1129 https://lnkd.in/bmyyHue

Timely: Does the stock market have you or someone you know with high anxiety? 6 Reasons Why Every Investor Should Consider ETF
https://lnkd.in/batyR8V

What's the first thing new team leaders should do? http://s.hbr.org/1pWZRGG

According to the Harvard Business Review, What Makes a Legendary Salesperson  https://lnkd.in/bk8PH_s

Tell me about a time you fought... and lost. (my favorite interview question) https://lnkd.in/brW7_rf

Giving difficult feedback: Get it right and win more work; get it wrong and lose a client http://s.hbr.org/1UZ4KkX

New #CFO Survey -- what’s keeping US finance execs up at night http://gt-us.co/1PwJNu3

Giving Customers More Than They Asked for Is Too Much of a Good Thing http://pulse.me/s/241vKQ

Five ways to keep your cool during a big presentation http://read.bi/1unBHwz 

Happiness doesn't come from chasing it, but when you're taking the good with the bad and enjoying the present moment. http://bit.ly/1hBSVmS

"Back to School - Tips for Working Parents" by @DonnaCMorris https://lnkd.in/b5hvMcZ

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still." 
~~Chinese Proverb

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Thursday LinkUP: Millennials— If You Don't Develop Them, You'll Lose Them

"As a millennial myself, I would say that I connect deepest with brands that keep an active and inspiring social campaign. This means that their post, image, or link catches my attention in my already busy newsfeed, say images and quotes that are industry-related (but maybe not brand related) as well as industry-related articles are my favorite posts from the brands I follow." 

~~ Clark (FSO MVP)

Good Morning Folks,

I've been using Thursdays for throwback posts the past few weeks. Meanwhile I'm amassing more content than I can possibly share on social media, so today, I thought I'd LINK YOU UP to the business world's most forward thinking on my favorite topic: Millennials.

Once upon a time generations of workers had a life-long career in a single company with a progressive path upward inside the company (as in Detroit automakers), the reality is that most of us do not have that option today, and that path is no longer even viable (as in Detroit automakers).

The career escalator is jammed at every level. Unemployment rates are sky-high. Creative disruption is shaking every industry. Global competition for jobs is fierce. The employer-employee pact is over and traditional job security is a thing of the past.

At FSO our managers excel navigating a brave new world in which companies must manage four different generations from Millennials to Boomers — each with different needs and motivations. The challenge for our executive leadership team and in grooming our future leaders is... in an era of job hopping and fast rises, how do you turn young talent into leadership? The answer is if you don't develop them you'll lose them.

“The Millennial Compass“ study was released at this years SXSW holds some answers.

It found that Millennials are focused on achieving through personal networks and technology. They value a good work-life balance, perceive their managers as friends, and don’t want to be tied to an organization, a timetable or a hierarchy.

According to Mashable whose founder and editor Pete Cashmore participated in the study, (Pete Cashmore And Olivier Fleurot: The Truth About Millennials At Work), "The Boomers helped shape some of the great global companies that exist today and the Millennials are turning innovations into new businesses with speed we have never seen before. The boundaries of business today are expanding in America and around the world." 

"Successful leaders must drive constant innovation, manage with ease in a world of change, and must be able to navigate global markets. In that respect Millennials seem to be well prepared for the future. Whether they do that in large companies or in start-ups really doesn’t matter. Entrepreneurial skills should be valued in both."

"The Boomers helped shape some of the great global companies that exist today and the Millennials are turning innovations into new businesses with speed we have never seen before. The boundaries of business today are expanding in America and around the world. Successful leaders must drive constant innovation, manage with ease in a world of change, and must be able to navigate global markets. In that respect Millennials seem to be well prepared for the future. Whether they do that in large companies or in start-ups really doesn’t matter. Entrepreneurial skills should be valued in both."

Among the starkest data points in a different study (Deloitte's 2014 Global Human Capital Trends report) is this one: About two-thirds of companies around the world consider themselves weak in developing millennial leadership. Meanwhile, only 5 percent of companies rated themselves as "excellent" in that field.

The data comes on the heels of other reports showing trouble in leadership development programs. Among those findings: Companies are hurting themselves by failing to differentiate between high-performance and high-potential employees, and though they recognize the importance of talent development they're not putting their money where their mouth is by investing in development programs.

Every brand, well most of them, desperately want to understand millennials – their online behavior, where they spend their time, what they care about, how they work, purchase patterns, etc. And the reason is pretty simple. There are over 80 million of them roaming the Internet, which is by far the largest generation to date.

The only language that really counts is to "level with them". Knowing them is an edge to marketers who can provide efforts that builds awareness and cultivate referrals on long term basis.

At FSO, know we are doing an exceptional job meeting the millennial challenge and making the most of its unique technological skills and brainpower.

But if your company is like most others, you'll need all the help you can get. These article links that follow, the most informative from my large Millennial resources archive, may shed some light. 

And for millennials reading this I've also included a link to a great guide to retirement as many millennials feeling young and invincible live from paycheck to paycheck and may not otherwise consider these issues before it's too late.

Stern Advice - Getting real about retirement  (Reuters)

Get Creative to Recruit Millennials   (INC)

The Millennial Marketing Mix: Community, Innovation And Values  (Forbes)

The Paradox of Generation Y  (Entrepreneur)

Commitment-phobia: Millennials want different models of ownership and brands need to keep up (Marketing Magazine UK)

What We All Thought About Millennials Is Actually True  (LinkedIn, Log In required)

Pete Cashmore And Olivier Fleurot: The Truth About Millennials At Work (Forbes)

Why It's So Hard to Turn Fickle Millennials Into Leaders  (INC)

Millenials Believe Business Can Do More (LinkedIn, Log In required)

Millennials Are Changing the Wine Industry With Tasting Room (HuffPO)

Are Millennials Too Impatient At Work?  (LinkedIn, Log In required)

Sorry Banks, Millennials Hate You  (Ritholz Blog)

Love them or hate them, Millennials are here to stay and they carry the torch to take business into the next millennium and beyond. Therefore to my boomer peers running law firms or corporations I remind you that David Ogilvy once said "the consumer is not a moron, she is your wife" to which I say today "the consumer and brand she or he is buying from aren't morons, they are your kids!"

Next week I will return to the "throwback" mode with a review of the cell phone on its 30th anniversary.

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Welcome To The HAPPIEST Place To Work on Earth

"Clients: Remember, HAPPIER Employees deliver more PRODUCTIVE and PROFITABLE results. Be ready as we help you accomplish more than had ever been thought possible before."

Hi Folks,

We're glad that you could join us on a fine but chilly morning in NYC. 

I hope you all enjoyed your time off over the holidays.

And, thank you for all the wonderful notes from our FSO employees supporting the closure of the company. It could never have happened without all of your amazing efforts in 2013.

Closing the company for a week, so we could all take a collective sigh of relief, was our way to say THANK YOU for the amazing effort and year that FSO realized in 2013.

2014 will be a an even more inspired year and we plan on lighting up the nation. 

We are planning our best year yet: national, growth, legal, client and employee love fest and more.. we won’t change our strategy as we know it works, but we will certainly use new ideas, new plans, and new strategies out of the 2014 play book to ensure success for all.

But I can only do it with each of you, and your positive attitudes and passions. So... From the first chapter of the 2014 play book....
                                                                                                                 
FSO WILL be the HAPPIEST PLACE TO WORK ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is my goal and your goal— from the newest hire to inspiring our current staff— to ensure that we are focusing on what counts and what’s important— being The HAPPIEST Place To Work on Earth. I love it.

I have never taken my eye off what drives a successful company – continued innovations, changing with the times and having the ability to be flexible, and retaining great talent.

In a blog post in December I suggested ten simple ways that we motivate our best people which collectively make FSO The HAPPIEST Place To Work On Earth!

1. Challenge them

2. Give them the opportunity to make a difference

3. Give them the opportunity to advance their career

4. Be one of the leading places to work

5. Pay them well

6. Give them the ability to make decisions on their own

7. Be the boss they want to work for

8. State the company's beliefs and values

9. Be supportive of their personal goals

10. Provide complementary team members

As a result, OUR team leads with consistency in mission and in corporate/strategic initiatives. At FSO, employees really do feel a sense of accomplishment after hard work. We show every employee where they can go inside our company. We share a detailed vision! 

"We excel at attracting and retaining
inspired and passionate people with
performance-based rewards and
opportunities for advancement"

We offer employees the opportunity to work with industry leaders, the latest and greatest technology, and some of the most forward–thinking customers in the world. FSO provides an environment that rewards innovation, is rich in resources and respects the incredibly talented team we’ve built over the last three years.

For employees, forging a fulfilling career is one of the most important — and often, most difficult —challenges in building a happy life. Most employees want to use their careers to make a difference in the world. We show them how they can accomplish that through their work for you, our clients.

For employers, building a culture of happiness is key to cementing their brand’s success. When these interests converge, the result is a sense of belonging through shared values and an intangible, emotional belief that we are on a shared journey. 

I am ready, I am pumped, I am ready to lead like never before to help each of us thrive by creating the work life and workplace that we want and deserve.

So to our employees: BE HAPPY.. BE THANKFUL. It’s our time to INSPIRE A COUNTRY, light up a nation and change our client's worlds.

Clients: Remember, HAPPIER Employees deliver more PRODUCTIVE and PROFITABLE results. Be ready as we help you accomplish more than had ever been thought possible before.

I can see 2020 clearly. I hope you can as well.

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Barry Moltz: 10 Simple Ways To Motivate Your Best People

"Employees that are able to have control over their daily environment have a higher level of job satisfaction and stay longer."

Good Morning Folks,

Barry Moltz Small Business Speaker, Consultant, and Author offers 10 simple ways to motivate your best people that mesch exactly with the way we say and do things at FSO.

The path for making most small businesses successful goes directly to having outstanding employees. Hiring and rehiring staff is a time consuming and expensive proposition for any company. How do you retain the best people and keep them motivated?

The golden rule of employment is employee goals = company goals.

When the employees’ career goals match what the company is trying to achieve in the long term, people stay and prosper. As soon as this equation becomes unbalanced, great employees seek opportunities elsewhere.

Here are 10 simple ways to motivate your best people:

1. Challenge them
Every top performing employee wants to be challenged on a weekly basis. As you raise your expectations, their performance and job satisfaction will also increase.

2. Give them the opportunity to make a difference
Forget about hiring “the best.” Most employees want to use their careers to make a difference in the world. Show them how they can accomplish that through their work at your company. People really do feel a sense of accomplishment after hard work.

3. Give them the opportunity to advance their career
Show every employee where they can go inside your company. Share a detailed vision! I will never forget in the late 1980's how my IBM Branch Manager, Jim Corgel once took his business card and scratched out his name. He then wrote my name in its place. Jim was showing me where I could go in the organization.

4. Be one of the leading places to work
Give them bragging rights at every party and family event. How do you think the employees at Apple, Google and Groupon feel right about now? Like business rock stars? You bet!

5. Pay them well
This is not a place to save money in your business. Give your best employees golden handcuffs by paying them above market rate and provide incentives to be the highest paid employee in their field. If you pay the best, you can expect the best.

6. Give them the ability to make decisions on their own
“Empower” is an overused word in business. But, we still need to give employees the ability to make their own decisions and be responsible for their outcome. Employees that are able to have control over their daily environment have a higher level of job satisfaction and stay longer.

7. Be the boss they want to work for
Be someone that all employees can communicate with without fear of judgement. Be available to talk with them as they make their own decisions in  your business.

8. State the companies beliefs and values
Publish a company manifesto clearly and ensure that every company action is in harmony with them.

9. Be supportive of their personal goals
Katrina Markoff, Founder of Vosges Haut Chocolates always asks her employees what their personal dreams are over the next 3 years. She then figures out ways to be supportive in order for them to meet their personal goal.

10. Provide complementary team members
Weed out the non performing employees quickly (Everyone knows who they are anyway)

In the spirit of the season.... CHEERS!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 

 "If you're not happy with what you have, 

you'll never be happy with what you want."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Inspire ME Friday: Love Life

"Life is Short, Break the Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably, And Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile!"

Good Morning Folks,

I'm going to make it short and sweet. 

The quote above, and this week's dose of inspiration, great article from a man who watched 70 hours of TED talks; short, 18-minute talks given by inspirational leaders in the fields of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED). He watched 296 talks in total, and recently went through the list of what he watched, weeded out the crappy and boring talks, and created a list of the 100 best things he learned. Have a look and you'll want to print it out and keep it close for anytime, anywhere priceless inspiration.

In closing, I started this blog as a blank canvas 134 posts and five months ago sharing with you "If you are tired of laziness and complacency in pursuing your dreams and need guidance in cultivating your career or profit center, you’re going to love my new blog here at MitchWeiner.com. I look forward to being your tour guide on this wild, wild ride that is today’s rapidly changing job market."

It's a post worth revisiting.

Meanwhile, the blog and our social media initiative has taken off beyond my wildest expectations. And I want to thank the ever growing list of brands who have become faithful readers and loyal fans:


Aarhus Kobmandsskole
Access Staffing
ADP
Amazon.com
American Express Company
American University
Arhus Kobmandsskole
Automatic Data Processing
Automattic
Baltimore Technology Park
Barclays Capital
Bbdo New York
Bloomberg
Brookfieldts Lp
Bsnl
Cahill Gordon & Reindel
California Department Of Justice
California Education And Research Federation
California State University, Long Beach
Cb Richard Ellis
Charles Schwab & Co.
Citigroup
Comporium Communications
Condenast Publications
Credit Suisse Group
Datagram
Deloitte & Touche 
Detroit Public Schools
Devry
Dga Security Systems
Dickstein Shapiro Llp
Discover Financial Services
Ernst & Young Llp
Esi International
Facebook
Fedex Neuberger Berman
Fisher Scientific
Florida International University
Fort Hays State University
Fortressitx
Free Sas
Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, P.c.
GE
Gerson Lehrman Group
Godaddy.com, Llc
Google 
Graphnet Inc.
Graphnet Inc.
Group M Worldwide
Hachette Book Group
Hearst Corporation
Hewlett-packard Company
Higher Colleges Of Technology
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hma
Intergrated Office
Johnson & Johnson
Kabel Bw
Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hayes, And Hudler
Kirby Mcinerney Llp
Legal Source Ls Llc
Leslie Digital Imaging Llc
Lexis-nexis
Los Angeles County Office Of Education
Loyola Marymount University
Macquarie Bank
Macquarie Holdings
Mayer, Brown & Platt
Miami University
Microsoft Corp
Milbank - Milbank Tweed Hadley Mccloy
Ministry Of Education Computer Center
Moses & Singer Llp
Nassau County Board Of Cooperative Education Services
National Board Of Medical Examiners
Nbc Universal (multiple)
Nbs
Ncs Pearson
Neuberger Berman
Nomura International Plc
Old Republic
Peter-paul_verduin
Polytechnic University
Pricewaterhousecoopers, Llp (multiple)
Sarah Lawrence College
Sfr
Socorro Independent School District
Stinson Morrison Hecker Llp
Syracuse University
The Chubb Corporation
The City Of New York
The Coca-cola Company
Ungaretti & Harris
Universitypeter-paul_verduin
Us Department Of Defense Net
Volumedrive

You are forever in my heart and mind. As the season of gratitude rolls in, I am a grateful man indeed. You make it so. Together we are unstoppable.

In the spirit of the season.... CHEERS!

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Welcome To My New Blog

Good Morning Folks,

If you are tired of laziness and complacency in pursuing your dreams and need guidance in cultivating your career or profit center, you’re going to love my new blog here at MitchWeiner.com. I look forward to being your tour guide on this wild, wild ride that is today’s rapidly changing job market.

The face of business is changing and whether an individual or corporation, the pressure is on to innovate or die. Employment in America is increasingly operating in a new reality. The constancy of change requires today's career employee to think and act differently, because the path to the American Dream is no longer a guaranteed right of passage. 

It’s because workers across the board took a hit during the financial crisis and struggled to find work. While generations of workers had a life-long career in a single company with a progressive path upward inside the company (as in Detroit automakers), the reality is that most of us do not have that option today, and that path is no longer even viable (as in Detroit automakers).

Young Americans are being crushed by college debt. And even with college degrees, many of them can't find jobs. Older candidates faced an even harder time regaining employment during and after the Great Recession. 

Most of the gen x and younger Americans no longer have long work histories at any one particular company. It's a nomadic life of constantly on the look out for greener pastures.

The career escalator is jammed at every level. Unemployment rates are sky-high. Creative disruption is shaking every industry. Global competition for jobs is fierce. The employer-employee pact is over and traditional job security is a thing of the past.

That's why I decided this is a unique opportunity in time for me to step up and blog.

Some days I’ll blog original thoughts on workforce-related topics I’m most passionate about such as how the unemployed can get back into the market and make the most of their skills and talent. I’ll address how today’s managers can navigate a brave new world in which companies must manage four different generations from millennials to boomers — each with different needs and motivations. 

I’ll also dispense valuable advice about realizing the full potential of the forgotten hourly demographic, sharing our recipe for implementing the training and incentives that boost morale to levels that build rather than tax the bottom line. In future posts I’ll opine on topics like:

• How to develop a YOUR COMPANY/YOU Mind-Set
• How to develop a YOUR COMPANY/YOU Skill-Set
• How to turn company culture into a huge motivator
• How to develop and sustain a competitive advantage
• How to anticipate and prepare for contingencies with agility and resiliency
• How to bounce back from adversity even when facing unemployment, massive student debt and a Master’s Degree collecting dust
• How to establish and strengthen a network of genuine and appropriate relationships
• How to become a stand-out in a competitive world
• How to avoid common career mistakes such as going for money above all else or choosing a company for what you can get, rather than what you can give
• How to recognize and avoid mediocrity

On Thursdays we’ll “Link UP” with other thought leaders and share tips and techniques I have discovered on other blogs. 

To end each week, our “Inspire Me Fridays” posts will usher in the weekend with some positive reinforcement and send you home to your families with a big smile.

While many companies are struggling to retain and find great talent, all while facing the difficulty of managing a four-generational workforce under one roof (Xs, Ys, Boomers, and Millennials), we excel at attracting and retaining inspired and passionate people with performance-based rewards and opportunities for advancement.

My team leads with consistency in mission and in corporate/strategic initiatives. I have never taken my eye off what drives a successful company – continued innovations, changing with the times and having the ability to be flexible, and retaining great talent.

"We excel at attracting and retaining
inspired and passionate people with
performance-based rewards and
opportunities for advancement"

We offer employees the opportunity to work with industry leaders, the latest and greatest technology, and some of the most forward–thinking customers in the world. FSO provides an environment that rewards innovation, is rich in resources and respects the incredibly talented team we’ve built over the last three years.

For employees, forging a fulfilling career is one of the most important — and often, most difficult —challenges in building a happy life. For employers, building a culture of happiness is key to cementing their brand’s success. When these interests converge, the result is a sense of belonging through shared values and an intangible, emotional belief that we are on a shared journey. My goal in this blog is to share insights and strategies to help each of us thrive by creating the work life and workplace that we want and deserve.

Welcome aboard!

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here