Polarisation of the United States

Two states, two very different states of mind. On August 25, California banned the sale of petrol-powered cars from 2035, a move that will reshape the car industry, reduce carbon emissions and strain the state’s electricity grid. On the same day in Texas, a “trigger” law banned abortion from the moment of conception, without exceptions for rape or incest. These two events may seem unrelated, but they are symptoms of an important trend. Washington, DC, may be largely gridlocked, but the states are making policies at a furious pace. With 50 states, America has 50 laboratories to test which policies work and which do not. But this constructive form of federalism is not what state politicians are pursuing today. Instead, they are fighting a national culture war, stoking outrage among partisan voters on everything from guns to abortion and transgender issues. Moderates might prefer them to concentrate on fixing roads and refining tax policy. But in many states, politicians can safely ignore them because their seats are ultra-safe, and they fear only primary voters.

(Adapted from “American states are now Petri dishes of polarization,” published on September 1, 2022, by The Economist)

Give good career advice

Let’s be honest: Great advice is hard to come by. Even though we’re living in the age of knowledge, most of us still make poor career choices. This isn’t because there is a shortage of advice — we often receive bad advice and follow it.

So, how can we get better at giving each other guidance? 1) Consider the context. While recounting your own experience can be helpful, your advice will be much more impactful if you adapt it to the advice-seekers situation.

2) Help the advice-seeker align their wants with their needs. If someone is good at getting what they want, but what they want is not what they need, they are just running faster in the wrong direction. Knowing this, ask the advice-seeker questions that clarify their long-term goals. 3) Be resourceful. You should see your advice as a part of the overall equation. If you’re not well-positioned to provide them with advice, make introductions to people who can help guide the person better.

(Adapted from “Stop Giving People Bad Career Advice,” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, published by HBR Ascend)

Not on the CEO track

A decade ago, we were poised to make serious progress. Employers started showing considerable interest in both measuring and improving gender diversity. They dug into the analytics and kicked off initiatives with hopes of turning the numbers around — only to shelve a lot of those efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic when many companies struggled to stay afloat. As those that have survived begin some kind of restart, they face an exceedingly tight labour market where employees have no shortage of career options. So now is a good time to assess where we are in the advancement of women — particularly in the most visible leadership roles in our biggest businesses, where inequities can be clearly seen. The drop in the proportion of women in general manager roles in 2011 might have kept their numbers from growing in the top tier in 2021. Although their percentages had increased in functional roles, those jobs rarely put leaders on track to becoming CEO.

(Adapted from “Women Are Stalling Out On The Way To The Top,” by Monika Hamori, Rocio Bonet, Peter Cappelli, and Samidha Sambare, published on August 31, 2022, By MIT Sloan Management Review)

Less magical than before

Over the past two years, as Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort and Southern California’s Disneyland Resort have emerged from the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, the company has made a host of changes that have sent the cost of a visit to a Disney resort skyward. The outcome is a bonanza for Disney even as the company limits the number of visitors and keeps attendance at its US theme parks below pre-pandemic levels, they are generating record sales and profits. The results reflect a major strategic shift on Disney’s part, where the company is focused less on maximising the number of visitors and more on increasing how much money each visitor spends, an approach the company refers to as yield management. Improving the visitor experience, the thinking goes, will prompt guests to spend more hours — and therefore more money — at the parks because they are having such a good time.

(Adapted from “Disney’s New Pricing Magic: More Profit From Fewer Park Visitors,” By Robbie Whelan and Jacob Passy, published on August 27, 2022, by The Wall Street Journal)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, September 12th, 2022