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If this week had a mood, it would be change is comingready or not. Across industries, big players made moves they hope will future-proof their businesses, while others scrambled to adapt to new realities. Tech leaders leaned into bold experiments, retailers weighed expansion against contraction, and the markets reacted with their usual mix of enthusiasm and side-eye. Policy shifts sent ripple effects through sectors that depend on global talent and international travel. In the corporate world, some companies are making high-stakes bets on emerging technologies, while others are dealing with leadership shake-ups, financial pressures, or both. And in between the serious boardroom decisions and billion-dollar strategies, there were moments that reminded us how unpredictableand occasionally absurdthe business landscape can be. Wells Fargo goes all in on AI with Google Cloud Wells Fargo is rolling out Googles Agentspace AI across its workforcefrom branch tellers to top executives. The bank says the tech will help speed up workflows, automate routine tasks, and deliver sharper insights, all while staying within strict compliance and ethical guidelines. Trump crackdown pushes international students toward the U.K. and Asia Stricter U.S. visa policies and heightened scrutiny are driving prospective students to universities in Britain, Hong Kong, and beyond, potentially costing the U.S. billions in tuition and local spending. Crypto exchange Bullish preps IPO despite steep losses Bullish plans to raise up to $629 million in its NYSE debut. Backed by BlackRock and ARK, the listing tests whether investor enthusiasm for crypto can outpace concerns about a $348 million quarterly loss. T.J. Maxx is opening 6 new stores this month The off-price retailer is expanding in Virginia, Connecticut, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington, D.C., even as tariffs loom over the retail sector. The news comes a little over a year after CEO Ernie Herrman announced the companys goal of adding 1,300 stores to its global portfolio of locations during a quarterly earnings call. At Home to close more stores amid bankruptcy The home furnishings chain announced this week that it will shutter six additional locations, on top of 26 announced earlier, as it works to manage $2 billion in debt under Chapter 11 protection. U.S. to require $15,000 visa bond for some travelers A one-year pilot program will mandate refundable bonds for visitors from countries with high overstay rates or limited vetting processes. On Tuesday, a notice from the State Department said travelers from Malawi and Zambia would be required to post the bonds. Other countries could be added to the list in the future. Claires files for second bankruptcy, eyes store closures Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time this week. The teen and tween retailer has identified 18 stores for likely closure, with more than 1,300 at risk unless a buyer emerges. Eli Lilly outpaces Novo Nordisk in weight-loss marketbut stock dips Mounjaro and Zepbound sales are surging, yet investors were underwhelmed by trial data for Lillys oral GLP-1 pill. Hulu brand to fold into Disney+ in 2025 Say goodbye to Hulu. Disney announced this week that it will merge Hulu content into its flagship streaming app, streamlining offerings ahead of its ESPN streaming launch. Duolingos “AI first” gamble pays off Despite backlash over replacing contractors with AI, the language-learning platform posted an 84% profit growth and a 24% stock surge. Trump calls for Intel CEOs resignation over China ties President Trump criticized Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tans past investments in Chinese chip companies, intensifying political scrutiny of Intels leadership.
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Gary Chapman, long-time marriage counselor and author of The Five Love Languages, created the love languages model when he realized that romantic partners were expressing love in ways that were unnoticeable or unintuitive to the other. The change languages model offers a similar solution for addressing this same dynamic of miscommunication, but as it shows up in the relational, layered, and systemic work of change. A ‘MULTILINGUAL’ SOLUTION TO CHALLENGES WITH CHANGE Over the course of a year, I served as a member of a nonprofits strategic planning committee whose meetings were not unlike what I imagine some of Gary Chapmans marriage counseling sessions to be: confusing and dizzying at best, tense and threatening at worst. At first glance, this friction made no sense: outside of meetings, we had strong rapport, and we were all explicitly and thoroughly excited about the organizational change that this committee was tasked with realizing. But despite our shared commitment to the prospect of change, we struggled to talk about change in our meetings in ways that were mutually understood among the members: we couldnt carry the different needs and priorities that change surfaces. While on that strategic planning committee, I began building out the idea of extrapolating love languages into the domain of change. Similar to how Chapman drew connections across his counseling sessions, I drew connections across change efforts that had faltered or been miscommunicated during my 10-plus years in different roles: classroom teacher, professional development coach, nonprofit board member, union organizer, and organizational consultant. Each role and team always focused on organizational growth and transformation. After being pressure tested in real-world scenarios with clients and colleagues, the change languages were then put in tune to the insights of change-focused thinkers including Lisa Laskow Lahey and Robert Kegan (Immunity to Change), Adrienne Maree Brown (Emergent Strategy), and Damon Centola (Change: How to Make Big Things Happen). THE SIX CHANGE LANGUAGES The following definitions are intended not only to differentiate the six change languages, but also to help you identify which of the six resonate the most. Knowing which change language(s) you prefer to speak is prerequisite to noticing which of the six change languages are being spoken by other people. Big-picture clarity How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale. What we practice at the small scale sets the patterns for the whole system. Adrienne Maree Brown, Emergent Strategy If your change language is big-picture clarity, you feel grounded when you know where and how change is heading from the high-level perspective of systems, as well as when you can foresee how youll fit within and interact with these changing systems. When making sense of change, you feel compelled to map out a wide perspective on the situationclarifying intended or potential systemic outcomes, selecting the change management models that align most with your current situation, and perhaps even considering how your experience of change fits within broader political, international, and environmental contexts. Personal security It is not change that causes anxiety; it is the feeling that we are without defenses in the presence of what we see as danger that causes anxiety. Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey, Immunity to Change If your change language is personal security, your own well-beingand the well-being of othersare front of mind. You make sure that no one is left on their own to navigate the consequences of change. When making sense of change, you are driven by the fundamental question, After all is said and done, who is and isnt going to be okay? Youll figure out how change might impact your workload, positionality, pursuit of professional goals, and even baseline employability. You have a strong preference for changes that minimize personal risk. Values alignment Dont ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman If your change language is values alignment, you feel most open to change when you and your team care about the same principles and are moving toward something you all believe in. Your inner senses of morality and purpose rationalize your negotiations with change. When making sense of change, you figure out how change can bolster (or interfere with) your, your teams, and your organizations pursuit of the mission at hand. (In fact, you probably have your orgs mission and/or vision statements bookmarked for frequent reference.) To you, change isnt worth pursuing if it isnt evidently aligned with your cause. Sense of continuity The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order. Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality If your change language is sense of continuity, you feel stabilized when present and future endeavors are clearly connected to past efforts. You prefer a sense of progress that builds on that past, rather than resets from it. When making sense of change, you listen to confirm that essential elements of the past will show up or matter in some recognizable future form. For example, if a team moves client meetings from an in-person to virtual format, you might want the same staff to be involved (for role preservation) or the tone of the interaction to stay consistent (for social-emotional familiarity). Otherwise, youll likely lose your bearings in the newness. Careful timing Both common sense and scientific evidence agree: repetition is a form of change. James Clear, Atomic Habits If your love language is careful timing, you feel most capable when change moves at the pace of trust and readiness: not too fast, not too slow, with space for inevitable relapses, mistakes, and misunderstandings. When making sense of change, even if you resonate with the rationale for implementing a particular change initiative, you might not hop fully onboard until you see a timeline for rolling out that initiative. You want to see change broken up into phases, each one providing time for you to absorb, mess up, learn, adjust, and eventually become ready to move onto the next phase. Fast-paced overhauls are one of your worst professional nightmares. Celebrating growth We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. Maya Angelou If you speak the language of celebrating growth, you feel resilient when progress is affirmed, feedback is given compassionately, and making transformation feels joyful. You dont want change to feel like a chore or task, but rater a source of fulfillment and satisfaction. When making sense of change, you prefer to have a sense of what will likely signal that change is moving in the right direction, so that you can be on the lookout for those signals. When you are in the thick of change, you seek tasks that you want to do, rather than need to do, as well as encouragement that honors your effort, not just your output. When change isnt enjoyable or imaginative, you feel dramatically less committed. What I’m tryoing to say is Change languages stand to benefit all areas of organizational change, from project management, to leadership development, to conflict resolution. They help us move through change relationallyrather than alone, undignified, or confused. Instead of resisting the fact that different people inevitably become attached to different aspects of change, we can embrace these differences with clarity, and therefore strengthen our chances of arriving somewhere more grounded, more aligned, and ultimately more fulfilled than where we started.
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E-Commerce
Historical period dramas are not only highly entertaining but also can serve as bigger metaphors for modern audiences. Wrapped up in the elaborate costumes and stylized language, there are lessons to be learned. So it is with Julian Fellowess HBO series The Gilded Age, which has much to say about the complexities of innovation and capitalism. The series has been scoring record ratings ahead of its much-anticipated Season 3 finale, which airs August 10. Let’s take a look at what all the fuss is about. If you’re not up to date on the series, beware: There are spoilers ahead! First, some background Before we get into the dollars and cents of it all, heres a quick refresher. The Gilded Age premiered in January 2022 on HBO despite being slated to air on NBC originally. The plot follows Marian Brook (played by Louisa Jacobson), a newly orphaned young adult who is forced to move in with her old-monied aunts in New York City in 1882. Residing across the street from her new home are railroad magnate George Russell (Morgan Spector); his wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon); and their two young adult children, Larry (Harry Richardson) and Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), who are looked down upon because of their “new money” status. The title of the show refers to the time period in which it is set. Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner are credited for naming this moment in history in their book The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. These authors’ social commentary remarked that the period looked beautiful but it was all just a patina or facade built on an ethically questionable foundation. So what can audiences learn here? Capitalism needs regulation While George Russell is a fictional character, he has historical precedent in the likes of Jay Gould and Cornelius Vanderbilt. George made his fortune by being a ruthless railroad tycoon. When the old guard doesnt accept his authority, he muscles his way in. In Season 1 he manipulates the stock market, causing Patrick Morris (Michael Gill), a city alderman, to lose his fortune and take his own life. George isnt afraid to pressure politicians to achieve his goals of railroad expansion. He threatens to pull his business from the representatives districts, and offers bribes and political favors. He bullies entire towns by promising to bypass certain cities if his demands are not met. George does not care about the human impact of his business dealings. Audiences are shown a softer side of the robber baron in Season 2 when he agrees to negotiate with striking railroad workers, but even then George makes sure the final deal favors his interests instead of the working class. Ultimately, the character serves as a cautionary tale, warning against unchecked capitalism (though last weeks cliffhanger suggests we may see him have a change of heart). It’s lonely at the top Jack Trotter (Ben Ahlers) works as a footman in the Van Rhijn household. On the side, he labors to invent a reliable alarm clock and ultimately sells it with Larry Russell for $600,000. Overnight, Jacks whole life changes. His take is worth around $9.5 million in today’s dollars, according to Vulture. While this achievement gives Jack options, he is forced to leave the only home hes ever known. He is now a man who doesnt fit in anywhere, straddling the world of aristocracy and his former working-class roots. Its interesting to ponder whether or not money bought Jack happiness. Money opens doors Bertha Russell is an ambitious woman who spends much of the series determined to win the approval of society’s most elite circles. Her wealth gets her in the door, but it does not buy her immediate acceptance. Bertha is snubbed by the Van Rhijns and Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy), denied a box at the opera, and gossiped about relentlessly. Eventually, she makes her own mark in societybecause all money talks, even if it’s new. There will be ups and downs Capitalism is volatile, as experienced by many of the characters in The Gilded Age. This includes Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson), who was born to privilege but loses it all with one bad real estate investment. Thankfully, his Aunt Agnes (Christine Baranski) reluctantly saves the day. Ditto for Mr. Collyer (Michael Cerveris), who was once a successful banker. When he loses his money, his father-in-law gets him to agree to divorce his wife and abandon his child. He changes his name to Watson and finds employment in the Russell household as a valet. The Russell family fortune is dependent on the railroad industry. Because this is new technology in the 19th century, it can be a highly speculative enterprise. When profits are king, entrepreneurs like George Russell run the constant risk of becoming over-leveraged, having to defend their wealth in morally questionable ways, and maybe even losing it all. The latest season of The Gilded Age focuses in part on the real-life panic of 1893, which “threatened the solvency of the entire banking system,” according to Federal Reserve History. New industries change society The railroad was a disrupting force in 19th-century America, analogous to the modern tech industry. Trains not only changed how people traveled but also how products were distributed and wealth was made. These days, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos fundamentally shift society with entities such as Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. Like the Russell family, they also have amassed enormous wealth, and they exert their power across business, culture, politics, and philanthropy. If George Russell were alive today, he might be ushering in the latest version of ChatGPT instead of building a new rail line. Oscar van Rhijn might have lost his fortune on crypto or NFTs. While the final word might lie in future episodes, The Gilded Age doesnt fully condemn or endorse capitalism. It holds a mirror up to human nature and lets the audience draw its own conclusions, via petticoats and top hats.
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E-Commerce
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