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How To Save Jobs: Reinventing Business, Reinvigorating Work, and Reawakening the American Dream
Publisher: ZATZ Publishing
Keywords: reawakening, american, dream, work, reinvigorating, jobs, reinventing, business, save
Number of Pages: 474
Published: 2010-01-05
ISBN-10: 0945266014
ISBN-13: 9780945266013
Book Description:
A shocking and disturbing look into how changes worldwide have created enormous disruption in the very nature of jobs in America. Ideas, strategies, and innovative approaches for policy change that could make a real difference and help save and create jobs in America. Powerfully effective hands-on tips, techniques, and strategies that you personally can take to keep and create jobs, without waiting for politicians to get their act together.
AAbout the Author
David Gewirtz is Executive Director of the U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute, Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, and a CNN contributor. He is a recipient of the Sigma Xi Research Award in Engineering and was a candidate for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Letters.
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................1
This is a national security issue............................................................. 6
The How To Save Jobs projects.............................................................10
Acknowledgements................................................................................14
PART I
THE STATE OF JOBS IN AMERICA
A shocking and disturbing look into how changes worldwide have created
enormous disruption in the very nature of jobs in America.
What is a job?................................................................................19
A short history of jobs.....................................................................23
The difference between work and a job.............................................. 24
The transactional nature of work........................................................ 26
Our changing relationship with work................................................28
China, India, and living on $2 a day.................................................33
China’s economic overhaul.................................................................. 33
India’s transformation.......................................................................... 37
Living on $2 a day................................................................................. 38
The dot-com bubble .......................................................................41
So why did the dot-com bubble burst?...............................................43
Outsourcing the American dream....................................................47
The failure of the H-1B visa program.................................................48
The outsourcing boom ........................................................................ 50
Offshoring is a national security risk................................................. 52
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
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Jobs and population.......................................................................55
Show me the numbers..........................................................................56
The “middle-classing” of developing nations.................................... 57
Too many people for the planet.......................................................... 58
American labor force............................................................................66
Controlling population........................................................................ 71
Is it all the Internet’s fault?............................................................77
Jobs designed for cheap labor.............................................................. 77
Competing where it hurts.................................................................... 85
The world isn’t flat.................................................................................90
Let’s do the time warp...........................................................................91
The world is warped ............................................................................. 92
The rise of the free economy ............................................................... 94
Why newspapers can’t eliminate the competition...........................99
Going the distance.............................................................................. 100
So, is it all the Internet’s fault?........................................................... 103
The health care hostage crisis ......................................................105
How employer-funded health care got its start.............................. 106
About this chapter.............................................................................. 107
Health insurance by the numbers.................................................... 108
The myth of employer-provided health care....................................112
How much does this all cost?.............................................................115
Are we getting better care?.................................................................119
Comparing America’s health care to other countries.....................121
Bankrupting the insured................................................................... 125
Insurance is no assurance..................................................................128
The failure of the insurance system.................................................. 134
The push for health care reform........................................................ 137
Get the latest updates on this issue................................................... 140
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgTable of Contents xiii
PART II
POLICY IDEAS THAT COULD SAVE JOBS
Ideas, strategies, and innovative approaches for policy change that could make a
real difference and help save and create jobs in America.
Moving forward............................................................................143
The rise of the entrepreneur society..............................................147
Rely on existing corporations to create new jobs............................149
Rely on the government to create new “make work” jobs..............149
Do it ourselves......................................................................................152
The challenges of small business........................................................153
Business is business............................................................................ 155
Working green by working from home............................................159
Home work is green work...................................................................161
What if more Americans worked from home?................................165
Changing hearts and minds...............................................................167
Healthy bicycle commuters................................................................170
America buys American................................................................ 171
The KC-135 saga...................................................................................171
Hiring the fox to guard the henhouse...............................................172
Your tax dollars at work......................................................................175
Saving jobs by spending American...................................................179
How much of that is American?....................................................... 184
What is America’s share?................................................................... 186
How to save health care...............................................................189
If it ain’t broke......................................................................................191
Health care as an American value.................................................... 194
Disadvantages of employer-funded health insurance.................... 201
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgxiv Table of Contents
Medicare For All.................................................................................205
Canadians seem to like it...................................................................208
Marijuana legalization........................................................................210
Medical coverage for illegal immigrants..........................................217
It’s about you........................................................................................223
Get the latest updates on this issue...................................................224
Reinventing unemployment..........................................................225
The organizational divide..................................................................226
A patchwork of programs..................................................................228
Connecting workers to jobs............................................................... 232
Making it easier for small businesses to hire employees............... 235
Subsidizing very small business payrolls......................................... 239
Using education to kick-start job creation......................................240
Workforce development..................................................................... 241
The National Skills Database.............................................................244
PART III
TIPS & TECHNIQUES YOU CAN USE RIGHT NOW
Powerfully effective hands-on tips, techniques, and strategies that you personally
can take to keep and create jobs, without waiting for or relying on politicians to
get their acts together.
Luck is a skill...............................................................................251
War stories........................................................................................... 251
Aftermarkets........................................................................................ 253
The danger of being an aftermarket supplier.................................. 255
Change happens..................................................................................256
A lucky break....................................................................................... 261
Getting lucky.......................................................................................264
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgTable of Contents xv
Doing well by doing what you’re (really) good at..............................267
SWOT analysis....................................................................................269
Knowing your strengths....................................................................269
Private strengths................................................................................. 271
How to identify your strengths......................................................... 272
How to find those strengths...............................................................274
Tracking your strengths..................................................................... 275
Always keep your eyes open to your strengths............................... 278
Becoming strength-driven................................................................. 279
Who needs your strengths?...............................................................280
From prospects to profit..................................................................... 281
Reconciling your mission with your market...................................282
Doing what you’re good at.................................................................284
Positioning the strength-driven company.......................................286
Different positioning for different types of customers...................287
Differences by functional area ..........................................................290
How to overcome obstacles to your success...................................293
Real obstacles are a creature of the “now”.......................................294
Is it in your way?.................................................................................297
Obstacle or excuse?.............................................................................298
Strength makes it hard to be a victim..............................................300
Situational awareness.........................................................................303
Blockade or projectile obstacle?........................................................305
Prioritizing obstacles..........................................................................308
Qualifying obstacles...........................................................................309
Your toolkit for wrangling obstacles.................................................311
If you break, everything breaks.....................................................327
Manage yourself.................................................................................. 329
Three mistakes high ........................................................................... 329
Staying calm.........................................................................................331
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgxvi Table of Contents
Don’t make big decisions when you’re cranky.................................331
Eating and exercise............................................................................. 332
Know your cash flow.....................................................................333
Know your banks and bills................................................................ 335
Know your guzins and guzouts........................................................ 335
Be honorable and keep your promises............................................. 336
Prioritize creditors.............................................................................. 336
Manage your spending........................................................................337
Store it in the “cloud” or let Wal-Mart store it.................................337
Take advantage of being small.......................................................... 339
Cash flow recap...................................................................................340
Optimize your operations..............................................................341
The rightful second cup.....................................................................341
Defining and refining the system.....................................................343
What are your systems?.....................................................................343
Manage with integrity..................................................................345
Putting the ship first...........................................................................345
Repurpose good people......................................................................347
Speaking of dead wood... ...................................................................347
Dumpster Day..................................................................................... 350
Pay attention to quality................................................................353
Quality can be systematized..............................................................354
Customer service quality...................................................................354
Take an attitude check-up from the neck up................................... 356
The Internet means word of bad quality gets around fast............. 357
Nurture your customer list............................................................359
Know your best customers................................................................ 359
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgTable of Contents xvii
Know your historical customers.......................................................360
Referrals. Referrals, referrals, referrals. Did I mention referrals? 361
Nurturing your personal customer list............................................ 362
Market like your life depends on it.................................................363
The power and majesty of PR............................................................363
Advertising gets results......................................................................365
Marketing yourself.............................................................................367
How to think about outsourcing ....................................................371
Let’s talk turker....................................................................................374
Revitalizing your products and services ........................................379
Getting the most out of your current resume.................................380
Where to look for opportunities....................................................... 381
Revitalizing your product line .......................................................... 381
Evaluating products and product lines............................................382
Investing in your products................................................................384
Expanding your product line............................................................387
Acquisition techniques....................................................................... 387
The art of the free product.................................................................388
How to find product creators............................................................ 392
How to structure the deal.................................................................. 392
Free product pitfalls............................................................................ 393
Remarketing others’ products...........................................................394
More ideas............................................................................................ 395
Take control of your products........................................................... 397
Always give your customers more than they expect.........................399
Bonus tips............................................................................................. 401
How To Save Jobs
by David Gewirtz
Gifted to the public via a grant to the
U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
Make a difference at
HowToSaveJobs.orgxviii Table of Contents
Tomorrow’s action items...............................................................409
Do some kind of exercise for 15 minutes.........................................409
Write down your cash, bank, and bills.............................................410
Make a list of out-of-control procedures .........................................410
Brainstorm (and write down) possible fixes.....................................410
Create a “pending” folder....................................................................410
Schedule a dumpster day ....................................................................411
Do a gut-check quality check.............................................................411
Make a list of your top 10 customers.................................................411
Make a list of your top 10 historical customers.............................. 412
Make a call to at least one “historical” customer........................... 412
Stay calm. Make it a priority.............................................................. 412
Help America save jobs...................................................................... 412
PART IV
APPENDICES
Four previously-published articles that provide interesting background
information and perspective.
The lessons from history on health care reform.............................. 417
Is China friend or foe?..................................................................423
Is China a superpower?......................................................................425
Is China a threat?................................................................................425
What about their recent aggressive behavior?................................426
What does this mean for America?..................................................427
Infrastructure or chotchkes?........................................................429
Detroit, pimp my ride....................................................................433
Good old American iron....................................................................434
What if you ran the car companies?................................................. 435
