#SanFrancisco #RemoteWork #downtowns #WorkPatternsChange
Three years ago, San Francisco’s business district was bustling.
Tech workers were heading in and out of train stations by the droves.
People rushed to grab lunch at a favorite salad bar.
Visitors crowded the sidewalks when a big conference was in town.
Today, San Francisco may be the most deserted big-city downtown in America.
Conor Dougherty and Emma Goldberg explored this in an article for The New York Times.
It was also published December 29, 2022, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Occupancy of the city’s offices is roughly is roughly 7 percentage points below that of those in the average major American city,” the article quotes Kastle, a building security firm.
Because San Francisco’s economy revolves around the tech industry, and those workers have found the idea of working remotely appealing, in any given week, office buildings are at about 40 percent of their pre-pandemic occupancy, the article says.
It’s been almost like sport to predict how remote work would affect many things. This article shows what can happen when people go home to work, and don’t come back.
In another article published a few days later, Zachary Hansen, development reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote about how Atlanta’s older office buildings are being, if not deserted, emptying out. The article attributes that to more remote working and moving to newer office spaces. The private sector and the city are working together to convert some of that old office space into housing, the article says.
The good news: the more people who work from home, the fewer people are on the roads commuting. The bad news: businesses who thrived on busy downtown areas are closing. The Times article talks about one owner of a salad shop who has moved her store to the suburbs, because many of those remote workers still like to grab a quick salad for lunch.
This phenomenon could bring about many trends, as has been discussed. Your employer could be based in place X, where living expenses are high. (San Francisco is a classic example of that).
But, because of technology, you could do your job from anywhere, preferably a less expensive location, and live there.
Or, you could work from your favorite vacation spot.
Regardless, the downside could be big-city downtowns becoming relatively deserted. Another downside is the loss of face-to-face contact with colleagues, clients etc.
With the shortage of affordable housing just about everywhere, some of these office buildings could be repurposed, as Hansen’s article says. But, if that’s done, the owners and builders of those buildings may not see the return on investment they had expected for a good long time.
The live-work-play concept may gain even greater popularity, because it might give people the best of both worlds – working from home with easy access to the office as needed, with all the amenities and necessities of life within the same complex.
Fear not, however. SOMEONE will find a way to turn this downtown problem into a solution that will benefit all concerned. Atlanta seems to be out in front of that trend.
One’s imagination could think of a downtown that’s active, fun, but not overcrowded. No traffic gridlock is visible. Individuals saving money either by not commuting at all, or commuting less.
Change is no longer coming, it’s here. How can you best take advantage of it?
Peter
Author Archives: pbilodeau01
HOLIDAY TRAVEL WOES ADD NEW PERIL
#HolidayTravel #SouthwestAirlines #flights #traffic #FunTravel
Southwest Airlines is getting back close to normal operations, according to reports.
Now comes the task of not only reuniting fliers with their belongings, but also making whole those customers who had to endure delays, rerouting and not making it to where they wanted to go in time.
It’s an unenviable task for the airline, but, hopefully, it will fix its operational shortcomings, and thrive again.
The weather was a catalyst to the problems, but apparently not the real cause.
But for travelers, it goes back to what we discussed here during the holiday season.
If you travel, by whatever means during the holidays, give some thought to why you are going, what enjoyment you’ll get from it and whether it’s worth the sacrifice you will make – and potential disasters you could face.
Travel is supposed to be fun. The journey should be pleasant. Certainly, regardless of transportation mode, there could be glitches: traffic, bad weather, mechanical issues etc.
That’s why the destination, and with whom you will interact, is worth some thought.
If you are traveling with a spouse, your children or others in your immediate family, and going to a fun destination, travel glitches should not matter. (If you don’t get there through no fault of your own, and you paid for a trip, someone should reimburse you.)
If you are going “home” to interact with people who will analyze your life, and give you advice you do not seek, you may want to rethink your sacrifice.
When wheels turn and wings fly, there is always the possibility of peril.
The odds, however, favor a good trip. That’s why it’s incumbent on those providing the journey to make sure the chances of a problem are minimized to every degree possible.
All travelers ask is that they get to their destination safely, and relatively on time, and get back to where they live the same way. The comfort in which one travels may be up to the person, and what he or she is willing to pay.
The mystique of travel in general is beginning to disappear. When one gets the opportunity to travel, the hassles become apparent quickly.
An old adage about life says it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the journey. For travel, the destination is what matters. The journey had better get you there on time.
It’s important here to remind everyone to not be discouraged about traveling. It’s loads of fun, usually, when things go right and you go to fun destinations. Travel can also be necessary for business. The travel issues this holiday season should make one think about “obligatory” travel that is not business. Are you going there for the right reasons? Are you going to be happy once you get there?
If the answer to those questions is yes, take the trip. Choose your mode of transportation with care, however. Hopefully, well before the next holiday season, Southwest Airlines would have fully dealt with its operational shortcomings to make it a good alternative to consider.
If you are unsure of the answers to those questions, you may want to rethink your plans. Southwest’s recent problems increase the potential peril of travel.
Therefore, if you go somewhere, go for the right reasons.
Peter
2023: DO YOU WANT IT TO COME?
#2023 #attitudes #CreatingANewAttitude #clothes #NewSchoolClothes
Many want to see 2022 go, and 2023 come.
Others may want to see 2022 go, but would rather go back to a different time.
It’s relatively normal, if you’ve lost a job, lost a business or lost someone close to you to long for what was.
But the future has a way of coming, whether we want it or not.
So, if you are one who would rather look back, you have to find a way to deal with looking forward.
Think of the future as new clothes. Each August or September, when you started school in a new grade, it usually meant a new set of threads to wear to school. Sometimes, new clothes were necessary because of summer growth spurts, but, more often, new school clothes were a reward for moving up a grade.
Plus, you wanted to look great for your classmates, some of whom might be new.
So, in 2023, you may have to shed your old attitude and create something new. For many, the past year has brought turmoil, even disaster. Therefore, one can start by seeing nothing but great things in the coming year.
You can see the best years of your life ahead of, rather than behind, you.
As for personal resolutions, find what makes you happy and do more of it.
Figure out where you want to be, and do what you need to do to get there.
If you can’t bring back the past, don’t waste a lot of time thinking about it.
Certainly, some memories and nostalgia provide good thought therapy at times. But, resenting what is, or will be, because you long for what was is futile.
It may be difficult to be optimistic, given your personal situation. Optimism doesn’t always come naturally.
Sometimes, it has to be sought, even created.
If you have difficulty seeing the good in life, you may need some help to point it out.
It might help to imagine your attitude completely naked, and you get to bring it to the store for some new school clothes.
This time, however, you WANT your attitude to undergo a growth spurt. You want it to be adorned with bright colors. You want your 2023 attitude to look sharp, yet be free of sharp edges.
Some people just look great no matter what they wear. Others have to create their looks.
Some people’s attitudes are great, no matter what happens to them. Others have to create a mindset to offset circumstances.
So, how are you looking going into 2023? Are you looking sharp, as always? Or, do you need some new clothes?
The advantage you have is that with an attitude, you can make your own wardrobe to best suit you. Oh, you can browse store windows to get ideas, but, ultimately, you may have to sew – or sow – your own.
Happy New Year to all!
Peter
HOLIDAY TRAVEL: THINK BEFORE YOU GO
#HolidayTravel #FamilyGatherings #traffic #AirTravel #families
This, and every holiday season, is a time for joy, celebration and reflections of faith.
It’s also a time for gifts, parties and family gatherings.
Are you looking forward to your family gathering?
Families can be wonderful, loving, inspiring and encouraging.
They can also be fraught with tension, animosity and jealousy.
If you have an extended family in which everyone not only gets along, but also is genuinely happy to be among one another, consider yourself truly blessed. Not all families are like that.
There is nothing worse this time of year than to make a big sacrifice to get somewhere for a family gathering, and either not want to be there or not have a good time.
As you ponder whether to go to a family gathering, consider what you might have to do to get there. Will you have to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or drive through hazardous winter conditions, that extend a trip for hours more than it should take? Will you have to negotiate a crowded airport, complete with multiple contagions, risk flight cancellations because of weather or other reasons and wind up not getting there in time for the festivities?
And, as you consider whether to make the trek, do you hear things like: “so-and-so will be so disappointed if you don’t come.” Or, “this may be so-and-so’s last Christmas (or Hanukkah).”
Those guilt trips are merely that because, in some cases, the so-and-so who would be disappointed if you didn’t come may simply give you a hug when you arrive and when you leave, but not talk to you very much the rest of the time – unless, of course, to tell you how he or she doesn’t like, or disapproves of, something in your life.
By all means, if you have an overwhelming sense of obligation that you can’t shake, make the trip.
Holiday family gatherings became customary when everyone in the family lived near each other. As members of the family – usually the younger ones who grow up – move away, they become more complicated. With all the advances in travel over the decades, traveling today can be difficult, not to mention exhausting and frustrating. Holidays are supposed to be fun and celebratory. Often, they are stressful and lead to hurt feelings, arguments etc.
Political polarization within families can add to the tension. The TV commercial in which a holiday dinner leads to a physical fight is not necessarily overdramatic.
Yes, all of us are born into a family. We should cherish where we came from. But, we don’t necessarily have to be obligated to all members of that family.
A good rule of thumb is: if you KNOW you will enjoy yourself at a holiday family gathering, make the effort to go.
Or, if you really want to see some, if not necessarily all, members of the family, try to get there.
But if you know a trip to a family gathering will be stressful, and getting there will be a big sacrifice for you, then you may want to rethink making the trip.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. But, if you do, go having weighed all the considerations.
Sometimes we view these occasions as automatic. They don’t have to be. You have choices, even during the holidays. Try to celebrate wherever you will be the happiest.
The best of holidays to all.
Peter
EMPLOYEES NEED TO EVALUATE EMPLOYERS, TOO
#JobInterviews #interviewers #applicants #skills #employers #employees
In any job interview, the applicant wants to impress.
In the past, it was thought that being conservative, looking good and answering questions politely was the way to go.
The applicant’s posture was, more or less, quiet confidence. The interviewer held most of the power.
In today’s job market, the prospective employees have more power. They should size up the employer as much as the employer evaluates them.
Experts say that employers need the employees as much as the employees need jobs – perhaps even more so.
So, when approaching a job interview, an applicant should ask as many questions as he or she answers.
The applicant may have quiet confidence, but can be more demonstrative with his or her confidence, experts say.
Employers, too, are looking for “soft” skills – friendliness, the ability to work with others etc. – as much as they are looking for job talent.
Applicants should demonstrate those soft skills as well as their talent.
Remember, the employers who just want you to be grateful they are offering you a job are probably not the ones you want to work for.
A job is not just a paycheck. It is a lifestyle. If the expected lifestyle doesn’t fit your needs, walk.
Therefore, employers have to be tuned in to the expectations of employees. If one hires someone who ultimately doesn’t want to be there, or is hampered by outside obligations, like children, they may not give the employer what he or she wants from him or her.
Given the worker shortage and people’s need to earn a living, both sides have to be flexible to match the proper job with the appropriate worker.
Most employees want to be good, productive workers in good work situations. Employers have to, perhaps, be less rigid in their requirements and compensation, and more adaptive to the needs of workers if they want to keep good people.
Certainly, not everything can be determined by resumes and interviews. A person can look great on paper, say all the “right” things in an interview, and either be a total bust or bolt after a couple of days.
Applicants should presume that, if they take a job, it will work for THEM, as well as their employers.
The lessons here are that potential employees, in today’s market, have choices. Employers need help, in most cases.
Job applicants should be themselves, to a great extent, in an interview. Interviewers should not just be box checkers when analyzing applicants.
Flexibility on both sides finds good fits.
Peter
DARING VS. STUPIDITY
#daring #stupidity #RiskTaking #innovation #phones #technology
In a restaurant ad, two guys are having lunch, when the boss for one of the guys calls him.
He dunks his phone into his drink.
“I have insurance,” he tells the other.
In a second ad, for a vacation package, three guys go on vacation. When they are all in the pool, one guy pulls out his phone to take a selfie of the three. He drops his phone into the pool.
Good thing he saved all that money on his trip, to paraphrase the narrator. (As an aside, did he put his phone in his bathing-suit pocket before jumping into the pool?)
The first ad begs the question: would your phone’s insurer cover your loss if it knew you deliberately dunked your phone? Also, what would the boss say if he knew that not only did you ignore his call, but also dunked your phone?
There are another ads that show people leaning over a cliff walk to take a selfie. Yes, the person comes close to falling, but he (or she) probably got a great picture. Then, we have the ads in which drivers playing with phones crash.
Does modern telephone technology put something in one’s brain that prompts a person to take such risks?
Certainly, the technology is great if used appropriately. If the guy in the first ad did not want to talk to his boss during lunch, he could have just sent the call to voicemail and called the boss back afterward.
The three vacationers would have been better off to take the selfie on the pool deck, with the pool in the background. If the phone got dropped, presuming it had a protective case, no damage would have been done.
One might say that these scenarios illustrate combining technology with daring.
Others might say they illustrate stupidity.
To paraphrase Albert Einstein, the difference between daring and stupidity is that daring has its limits.
We certainly don’t want to encourage people to always take the safe route. Innovation often requires daring, and over-caution can inhibit innovation.
But daring, as well as genius, should not necessarily be limited. Perhaps smart and daring people know how to limit stupidity better than others.
Most innovative people look for options that those who gravitate to safety would never consider.
Certainly, folks of a certain age remember their parents preaching safety and security above all else.
But the innovative never stop dreaming, though they initially may gravitate to the safe option. The safe option(s) can buy time for ideas to gel. Once that happens, the innovator can use his hours away from his safety and security to bring his or her idea to fruition.
In short, be daring, but be smart. Be safe, but don’t ditch your dream just to be safe.
And, when the call comes that could bring your dream to fruition, don’t dunk your phone.
Peter
HOW DO YOU MAKE DECISIONS?
#decisions #MakingDecisions #HowToMakeDecisions #deciders
Different people make decisions in different ways.
Some have to consider all the options before making a decision.
Others fear making decisions, and try to avoid them.
Still others make decisions quickly, and go with whatever they decide.
We all have to make decisions. Some are very important. Some are not. Some are whimsical. Some are very serious.
How we go about the process differs from the type of decision, and our natural tendencies as people.
Regardless of the type you are, some decisions won’t go away because you don’t want to make them. Others can actually be postponed, and could become moot as time passes.
There are no rules for decision-making, but there can be perils. Some decisions will result in something bad no matter what one decides. Others have a clear good option, vs. bad. Some may not see, or want to see, the clearly good option and still opt for the bad one.
Among the serious decisions: Where do you want to live? Whom do you want to marry, if anyone? How big a family do you want to have, if any? What do you want to do for work?
Among whimsical decisions: will you buy that ice cream cone as you walk by it? What will you do for fun today? What would you like to have for dinner? (Note: Decisions such as the ice cream cone may be just fine once in a while, but too many spontaneous ice cream cones can have unintended consequences).
A decision-making disease called analysis paralysis is common among people who don’t like, or have trouble, making decisions. It’s always good to think before one does, but over-thinking can deprive one of good things over time. It’s important for a decision to FEEL right, as well as BE right.
A decision can feel right, but the alternative can be right. It may take a few bad decisions to learn that, but most wise people do.
Getting advice on decisions is advisable for many things. Advisers don’t always know what you think is best for you, but information and voices of experience never hurt. It’s always best to rely on professional opinions when a decision is beyond your level of expertise.
Usually, there are people in your life who love making decisions for you. Parents, teachers, even friends fit that bill. Certainly listen to people you care about, but always know in your own mind what is best for you.
There are no rules for making decisions, but there are guideposts. First, if you have a decision deadline, think, but don’t over-think. If you make a decision that will be long-lasting, try to make it work, even if you have days in which you think it is not going to work. A phenomenon called fear of loss, or fear of missing out, often creeps into the process. Consider this intently. If I don’t do/go, what will happen? If I do/go, what will be lost?
Previously, we talked about ice cream (plug in your own treat here). Some things are harmless done occasionally, or in moderation, but done too often, or at too high a quantity, can be harmful.
In summary, find your sweet spot – that point in the decision process at which you’ve thought enough and can go for it, or not. Like the occasional ice cream cone, finding your sweet spot can be your greatest reward.
Peter
CRAFT A RESUME THAT TELLS WHAT YOU DID
#resumes #JobInterviews #managers #prospects #jobs #workers
In separate ads for Wavely, the job-searching platform, a hiring manager is looking for that special something in a prospect that his or her resume does not reveal.
The second ad shows the prospect hoping the hiring manager will find her to be the perfect candidate.
Thus, we have the competitive world of hiring.
In the past, resumes were seen as a tool to hire or get hired. Prospects tried to craft a resume that would make him or her stand out in a pile.
The resume evolved from simply listing job titles, duties and years of experience to trying to convey how the prospect brought value to the company he or she worked for. In other words, the resume turned from a roster of experience to a story of experiences.
In today’s hiring world, in many cases, there are fewer prospects for every job.
So, how does one stand out? One has to tell his or her story, as briefly as possible.
Hiring managers, in most cases, do not want to read long narratives. But they want to know not only what the prospect did – job titles seldom reveal that – but how effective the prospect was. That involves telling the hiring manager how the prospect’s effort(s) either made money for the company, saved the company money or added some other value to the company.
That’s a tall order for many applicants. Many see themselves as a performer of routine tasks – tasks the employer finds vital, but not necessarily game-changing.
How does a prospect who has experience as a clerk, for example, convey his or her value?
Perhaps the prospect can tell, briefly, how he or she helped his or her boss succeed.
Or, he or she could spell out how much time he or she saves his or her boss.
In short, stories sell, and everyone has stories.
In the past, many hiring managers didn’t always know what they wanted in an ideal candidate. They had to know it when they saw it (in a resume).
Today, hiring managers largely know what they want, and it’s up to the prospect to display that. Certainly, a hiring manager can still stumble upon an unusual candidate. But, generally, the managers have pictures in their mind of what the ideal candidate is.
For the candidates, overselling oneself can be fraught with peril. Truthfully telling your value is usually the best avenue.
Confidence is also a good trait for candidates. It’s not easy to display confidence in a resume, but, if a prospect gets as far as the interview, that’s when he or she can display confidence.
Hiring is not always easy. Getting the right job is not always easy.
For the prospect, the job description does not tell you everything. For the manager, the resume does not always tell you everything.
But both can give some clues about the job, or the candidate. One may have to get further into the process to know whether a job and a candidate are a match.
In summary, if you are looking for a job, have your resume tell the employer what you did, rather than what job you had. For the employer, look to find out what the prospect did, rather than the job he or she held.
May all managers and job seekers find the perfect matches.
Peter
5 P.M.: IS THAT QUITTING TIME FOR YOU?
#9to5 #WorkSchedules #JobDescriptions #CompanyManuals #5PM
Time has been memorialized in song:
“It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere,” by Alan Jackson, with Jimmy Buffett; “5 O’Clock World,” by the Vogues; “9 to 5,” by Dolly Parton, to name a few.
These songs presume, among other things, that most people work a regular schedule. And, when the clock strikes 5 p.m., people go home to do whatever they want.
It begs today’s question: Are most people on such a regular schedule?
Chances are, most people are not. Some are on a regular schedule to start the day, but their day doesn’t necessarily end at 5.
Others work complicated shifts – nights, weekends, holidays etc.
For others, the job never ends. They may go home, but work comes with them. The phone always rings. Urgent e-mails pop in. Such a situation has been dubbed “the electronic leash.”
So, if you are actually on a routine schedule, be thankful. But, know that that could change at any moment.
Part of the reason some folks, particularly women, are staying out of the work force since the COVID-19 pandemic, are not only complicated schedules, but also not knowing how they can work and care for children, whose schedules can flex depending on sickness, weather and other circumstances beyond their control.
In short, working is not what it once was for many people.
Certainly, some workers want flexibility. They want to be able to work when they can, and from where they can.
To attract the best people, companies may have to look at some flexibility to make it worth the employees’ whiles to work there.
As a prospective employee during a job interview, are your first questions something like: what time do I start, and what time do I go home?
For a few jobs, those questions may be appropriate. For most jobs in today’s world, at least in the employers’ minds, those questions are irrelevant.
The same goes for written job descriptions and company policy manuals. If companies still use them – some may have to for legal reasons – you, as an employee, must know that these documents are fluid. Job descriptions and policy manuals, if not on paper, in fact will change over time.
It makes one long for the days of set hours, set duties, set expectations etc. Of course, no one wants set pay. Everyone wants to get raises. But, in some jobs, pay is set. Period. Take it or leave it.
A big part of the reason we can create many jobs, yet still have people out of work is NOT because people are lazy and government benefits are paying them to stay home. (Some of those cases may exist, but not many).
The crux of the problem is that work and life have become more complicated. Companies reorganize often. Job descriptions change multiple times. A person may be hired to do Job X, but ends up doing Job Y – a situation that may have been a deal breaker for the employee, had he or she known it was coming.
In summary, don’t presume a job is what it seems. Don’t presume, as employees, that more will not be expected of you than you think, often without more pay.
It’s not a 9 to 5 world for most. You have to have your eyes open to that.
Peter
VIRTUE OF BEING NICE
#BeNice #kindness #performance #credit #action
Perhaps your mother told you as a child, when you did something she didn’t like, “that’s not nice.”
In the current movie “Banshees of Inisherin,” we learn that ending a long friendship is “not nice.”
As you grew older, you may have learned that “nice guys finish last.” Some confusion may have set in, because mom taught you to “be nice,” but, by being nice, you won’t win.
As years went on, you may have learned that kindness is a virtue, to the point that you were inclined to perform random acts of kindness. Perhaps, these random acts were not witnessed by anyone, except you, and the person to whom you were kind. That recipient was the only one that mattered in that instance.
Later, you learned that character was built by doing good things, even when no one is watching. In other words, you were DOING rather than performing. It may have made you feel good, but you got no “credit” for it.
In today’s world, for many, it’s ALL about performance and credit. They even try to make bad actions look good to an audience, thereby getting “credit” for it.
This milieu might make it a good time to relearn, perhaps through “Banshees,” the virtue of being nice.
It is indeed possible to create a persona in yourself that is both nice and winning. In fact, such a persona is a foundation for success in whatever endeavor one chooses.
If you own a business and people work for you, those who are “nice” to their employees tend to get more out of them.
Unfortunately, some who own or manage businesses are nice to customers, because they have to be, but are not so nice to their workers. In this labor market, such people may be chronically short-staffed.
Also, today, many long friendships and relationships have become strained for various reasons, including the hardness of opinions and the growing willingness to avoid those who have certain views.
Such willingness can manifest itself in many toxic, even violent, ways. Not nice at all.
When one gets to that point, he or she may need to not necessarily change his or her opinions, but craft a persona that allows him or her to be “nice,” even to those with whom he or she disagrees.
One way to do that is to avoid inflammatory conversation topics. Another way is to enjoy what you both enjoy.
So, in a complex world, a combination of niceness, enthusiasm and drive can help lead one toward success.
In the past, it’s has been said that one does not have to like you, he or she just has to respect you. One who realizes that respect is earned, not demanded, will be the more successful. One may earn such respect by simply being nice.
One has to wonder when niceness became so unnecessary. For many, niceness comes naturally, no matter what happens to them. Others, who may have been jaded by some event or circumstance, may have lost their niceness.
Be nice. Work hard. Don’t step over others, as that may taint your success. Real success is achieved not at the expense of others, but with the help of many others.
Peter