Picking a President

Unless you have just emerged from under a rock without any internet or cable access, you know that we have big choices to make in 2012 which will shape our landscape for the next 4 years. It is our privilege and responsibility to select a President for our nation and I hope you will all exercise your right to vote.

Before doing so, I believe we are all obligated to do our due diligence to become as educated about the choices available, starting with primary elections, as possible. In the forefront this year will obviously be how each candidate plans to stimulate job growth to get our economy back in gear. Each one will undoubtedly promise to rectify everything that is currently going wrong but some will offer more detailed plans than others.

Whatever your political beliefs may be, I urge all of you (myself included) to look at past voting records, public interviews, professional backgrounds, etc. of each candidate and decide if he/she will be capable of producing the results you wish to see. Personally, I wish I could find someone who has a ton of very creative business building experience along with a large dose of humility and compassion. Remember, beauty is only skin deep and we need to figure out who is best suited to get the United States back on track.

Could Be Better, Could Be Worse

2011 is about to become 2012 and I am trying to put a label on the year we are about to close the book on. Overall, I still think we have a long way to go. From my travels around Central Jersey this past month or so, retailers seemed to vary between somewhat busy and downright empty at times. It also appeared to me that the deep discounts we are used to seeing on December 26 were shallower this year since many companies had attempted to keep prices under control all along. Restaurants definitely are taking it on the chin as holiday parties have been downsized and folks are spending less on food and entertainment. The mood among those I regularly chat with has gone from totally depressed to guarded optimism with a hint of pessimism and a pinch of fear for what lies ahead. Presidential election years are supposed to help the economy but I think many of us have major concerns about the choices that might be offered to select among.

Fine tuning the picture tube to look strictly at the employment scene, I am just a little more upbeat than I was last summer. Personally, I am finding employers a little more willing to make hiring decisions than they have been in quite some time. The sidebar, however, is that pay rates are running from 40-60% lower than they were in 2008. Anyone who thinks they can negotiate for a higher salary than what is being offered to them, is taking a gigantic risk of being left behind!

The number of people approaching me for coaching services is increasing each month but I am seeing a few more people who are under-employed in the mix where last year most were unemployed. My concern is that we are being forced to accept much lower levels of income while the cost of surviving continues to grow.

My hope is that 2012 will surprise all of us and be a breakout year. Perhaps this will be the time when we will all begin realize personal growth on many levels and our economy will bounce back. Wouldn't be great if my last blog entry of 2012 is about the great recovery process that we have all been lucky enough to enjoy? Who knows but we need to try to stay positive!