Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles to Help You This Week

January 3rd, 2017

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 a Laid-Off IT Guy Built a Million-Dollar Nutcracker Empire"In the space of a year, Glenn Crider lost his job and saw his products enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution.

Crider makes nutcrackers. If you mailed or received Christmas cards, you've probably seen his work. That year a fierce soldier in a yellow uniform, a shaggy-haired drummer, a red-suited Santa clutching a snowflake staff, and a king in a high golden crown stared proudly from the perforated frames of holiday stamps. After posing for their close-ups, the four wooden originals marched from Crider's garage workshop into the U.S. Postal Museum in Washington D.C." www.inc.com

Millennial Start-Up Love Your Melon: Why Giving Back Is Sweeter Than Making Millions"Older people” have a lot of misperceptions about the Millennial me-me-me generation. Millennials are professional wafflers, they say, rarely staying at a job for more than a few years. They move relentlessly, avoiding roots, community, and settling down. Most of all, their addiction to technology, digital devices, and virtual relationships desensitizes them from engaging in meaningful ways with real people and real problems." www.forbes.com

How Google Channels Diversity Into Creativity"Google hasn't let up on its efforts. Google's leaders know that diversity on their teams -- specifically the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented groups -- is key to its businesses and has a direct impact on its bottom line. The company wants individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for its job openings and feel welcome at the company.

'We fully acknowledge we have work to do and are committed to this work for the long haul,' says Thygesen, whose own division features a program designed to help grow women and minority-led businesses that are interested in working with Google. 'We hope that by highlighting these folks' accomplishments -- both tangibly as it relates to our bottom line and intangibly as it improves our collective ability understand, embrace, and celebrate our differences -- others like them will see themselves in fulfilling careers at Google.'" www.forbes.com

[tweet_box design="box_08" float="none"]Diversity on teams is key to Google's businesses and has a direct impact on its bottom line[/tweet_box]

No Laptop, No Phone, No Desk: UBS Reinvents the Work Space"The elimination of fixed desks is not a new concept — it has proved particularly popular among technology companies and start-ups — but only in recent years has technology made it more viable for larger companies.

It is still a rarity, however, in investment banking. Citigroup is one of the few companies that has a similar setup, at its new headquarters in downtown Manhattan." www.wsj.com

How To Earn Your Manager's Respect"A recent HBR study of nearly 20,000 employees around the world found that the most important thing that workers want from their managers is respect. “If you don’t feel respected, you won’t be engaged in your work,” says Linda Hill, professor at Harvard Business School and the coauthor of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader. Respect from your boss has many layers, according to Michael Watkins, chairman of Genesis Advisers and a professor at IMD. It begins with being seen as “someone worth keeping and someone [your boss] wants to have as part of his team.” It progresses to being viewed as an employee deserving of “interesting and challenging assignments,” and finally as an employee that your manager, “wants to invest in and develop because he thinks you have a bright future.” Wanting respect is one thing; getting it is another. Here are some strategies." www.hbr.comWhen You Outgrow Your iCloud StorageHow can I tell how much iCloud storage I have? Should I look at my iPhone or my computer?www.nytimes.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken