'Ben Thinking' for the week of 05.13

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. (Wait, we only get one month for mental health?) As the news continues to flow faster and overwhelm us, it’s important to remember to be selfish. You are in charge of you.

Not enough time for yourself? Don’t feel bad about saying no to someone. Feel great you’re saying yes to yourself. If it’s only for this month…fine! Just start somewhere. You can’t take care of anyone if you’re not taking care of yourself, first.

‘Ben Thinking’ is jam-packed this week. Let’s get started.

Tired of hearing about the labor shortage? Well, I’ve got some bad news for you…
We’re going to hear a lot more about it. So, let’s take a minute and truly understand why this is happening and what industries are being hit the hardest. The informational article I linked to is from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is the ideal read and share.

Gen Z and the labor shortage.
(I told you there’s a lot out about the labor shortage.)

The key to solving the labor shortage could be…Gen Z. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. Mainly because Gen Z is working from a different playbook. This McKinsey report is incredible. But this excerpt really got my attention:

“Our survey found that in manufacturing, 48 percent of Gen Z workers say they intend to leave within the next three to six months, compared with 41 percent of those working outside of manufacturing.

The losses may be costly. McKinsey analyses on the value of talent estimate that each frontline employee departure could cost about $52,000 annually in recruiting, training, and onboarding productivity losses, above and beyond their salary.”

I also thought this was pretty interesting:

The number one reason Gen Z leaves a manufacturing job is:

a.         Money

b.       Flexibility

c.         No career planning/development

d.       Bad boss

(Answer at the end)

This headline is a little more direct: Prepare for the Labor Cliff
I would like to draw your attention to the second (of the three) tips they are offering. I don’t think you can say enough about it.

Gen Z doesn’t care if influencers are actual humans.
I do have to ask though…if AI is not self-aware, aren’t humans still responsible?

Video podcasting seems like a no-brainer, right?
“With YouTube booming,” says the article in the New York Times, “podcast creators are getting camera-ready.”

YouTube is the second-largest search engine, so why NOT use it for your podcasts? And as I’ve been discussing with companies for a while…the window is (still) open for you to be acting as your own publisher. YouTube should be a key part of your channel strategy, yes, but putting out your own industry news, trends, and more is nearing the point where it’s a must-have.

Manufacturers have shared their digital transformation priorities.
What do you think? Does any of these sound familiar?

We’re an international company.
So your leadership style mirrors that, right?

I loved this article from Chief Executive on key international considerations for the C-suite. Covering topics from labor laws, data security and human rights, it’s a must read.

I wrote this:

Reputation management in the age of AI. Nightmare? The choice is yours.

Fast Five:

1.         OpenAI announces GPT-4o.

2.        The Northern Lights. (An eclipse and a light show in the same year?!)

3.        LeBron sat courtside in Cleveland. (Could he suit up? We’re a little short-handed.)

4.        GameStop stocks are spiking again!

5.        WNBA Fever is here.

The answer you were looking for:

The number one reason Gen Z leaves a manufacturing job is:

a.       Money

b.       Flexibility

c.       No career planning/development

d.       Bad boss

Need a speaker, facilitator, panelist or moderator?

=I would be happy to contribute to your next event or planning session. Contact me to talk more.

=Want to talk about the impact AI is having/could have on your organization? Don’t know where to start? We have a workshop for that.

Feel free to share with anyone else you think would enjoy the articles and resources!