YESTERDAY All my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday. 

Suddenly I’m not half the man I used to be. There’s a shadow hanging’ over me Oh, I believe in yesterday. 

Love was such an easy game to play Now I need a place to hide away Oh, I believe in yesterday. 

Overview. You may recall the famous Beatles song “Yesterday” and its poignant lyrics that: …all my troubles seemed far away, now they’re here to stay. It is fundamentally human to take our present state for granted, that is, until circumstances change. Whether in matters of health, financial security, business stability, economic prosperity, or international peace, we develop a deep a feeling of apprehension and uncertainty when a transformative event from a prior time enters our lives (and “Yesterday” is 60 years old but is timeless gratitude, and empathy in navigating the complexities of modern life. We stand at an inflection point in human history where technological capabilities may finally outpace our ability to adapt to our social and economic structures. This serves as a poignant reminder of where we were and the importance of planning for the future and the hindsight of where we might be heading as to corporations and individuals as we will note.

Throughout history, we have lived immersed in the present moment, consumed by the demands and opportunities of everyday life. For many, the demands of daily existence create constant challenges. Yet consider those fortunate enough to balance life’s ever-changing demands with a fulfilling career, stable family life, meaningful friendships, good health, no major environmental cataclysms, and financial security. Such people may not regularly pause to appreciate their circumstances, so they don’t forget how fortunate indeed they are and don’t get too cocky and secure and not fully value the situation they have arrived at, with the assets they have accumulated and the stable life they have. Perhaps they might have done a few things differently like not put most all of their money on that can’t lose hot stock trade or not kept that secret amorous rendezvous and lost the good life. Yes, by not appreciating that Yesterday moment, and how good it really, before making bad decisions. Sometime ones situations is pretty damn good, and doing things that were not so smart lost all of that and we now can only reminisce about them now, for they are gone.

The same applies to companies who were doing great, until the CEO thought that his string of the last 20 years of steady growth, even with downturns in the economy, and thought of himself and the company to be bulletproof and dismissed the downturn with its impact on the company. Therefore, he decides to enter a new market while his competitors were doing poorly. The company new venture was not doing well, and he was distracted from running the core business which was in itself now in a downturn. So, he thought that was a good time to enter a new market. While he was doing that, new competitors knew he always bragged about how well he was doing, decided to enter his market, but this was not only to compounded his problems. He recognized that he took his eye off of the ball, his core business. This might have been appropriate action in good times, but these were not good times. He blamed his advisors for telling him about the opportunities in new markets, although this was not exactly good times. Clearly he was the decision maker and responsible for all that happened and in hindsight this was not exactly the time to enter a new market. And a new market that he knew very little about. As a result, the company was now in big trouble. He could blame his advisors who said he could not lose, but he was the one responsible. The company forgot about the new market, which he already wrote off, but now his bigger trouble, as the core business was also in difficulty, with eroding, sales, margins and profit. After a board meeting, he was out of a job. He was not bulletproof after all. His prior accomplishments were a thing of the past. He gambled his future and it was not the time to bet. He lost the bet that he could not even conceive was on the line after a string of 20 years of sustained growth and profits. He assumed that his job was guaranteed. But he should have known what they say about the word “assumption”. Ah, Yesterday, and now I need a place to hide away. Oh, I believe in yesterday.

This theme, of both doing what has worked for you in the past, along with what has to be done today, recognizing where the differences are, with respect to, the economy, society, politics, and technology. New problems need different new solutions, but what has worked well in similar situations should be factored into your calculus. New problems should be a point of reference, but the same template sound is not applied everywhere. Navigating for change should not duplicate what one has done before when facts and conditions have been altered. We will explore this as to employees, freelance workers, business owners, innovators, entrepreneurs, companies, and the government.

What do you need to do to feel secure in catching next big tech wave to bring you to new economic heights or just survive after a possible 2026 economic downturn. What risks can you afford to take and what additional resources do you need to avoid. Certainly, one needs to stay abreast of the continuing advancements in the world of technology, and specifically, Artificial Intelligence AI in all of its various forms and incarnations like AGI, ASI, and QAGI. (see Linked In Michael Neidle, Staying Relevant in a Changing AI World).

News. All the Information. All the Time. Overloading Our Ability to Process and Act. In our modern world, technological advances have brought unprecedented connectivity and access to information. Between YouTube, TikTok, and breaking news notifications that appear on our smartphones, we have constant access to global events and diverse perspectives. The news is almost always bad news, but this is the rise to two insidious problems that purports to be news but to call it fake news, is an insult to this world. It is fraudulent and often malicious. Fraudulent by supposedly offering information that you hang on to every word, but never receive any confirmation of, such as your favorite home team just signed Mr. Wonderful but he never did sign. It was all bogus. The owner of YouTube channel was rewarded by the number of clicks on that headline, and again how long they kept you watching, they earned money by keeping you engaged. A total scam, that YouTube does not police. 

Knowing their customer and what they want, analyze market trends, demographics, are on top of leading indicators. They also know their own KPI’s, and their capabilities. They are early adopters of new technology. They aren’t too concentrated in a small and declining market or have just one or two key client that represent most all of their business. The CEO is a good leader who knows how to motivate their staff with both recognition and financially. He hires and retains the right people and provides them with the right tools to do their job, and if he makes the wrong decision he own up to and cuts his losses. Having said all that, one can easily be overloaded with data as opposed to actionable information. It’s salient information that one needs. Too much unprocessed data and information leads to “paralysis thru analysis’, where one has so much data and information that one becomes overwhelmed with too much of a good thing, one can’t act. The same is done with those with access to the CEO. At the head of our government, a good Assistant to the President filters out those people, who can have direct access to POTUS. But there is just the right amount of infraction, not too much and not too little. The job of filtering must be done by a very experienced gate keeper if the filtering is set to high. This person needs a keen sense of balance and who not only what goes to the president, who sees him who can be trusted. 

A similar situation applies to employees who want to be seen as valuable to their company. And when a RIF happens he is one of the last to be terminated. A company should know who its key employees are and who are not. Most key players are already known, and others may be glossed over for any one of a dozen reasons. For those who work product never reaches the decision maker, the valuable employee (or even a key freelancer or contractor) know their value but may easily be overlooked. The best opportunity to show his value through his boss who be encouraged to mention him to his bosses superior and if they need to move on are better prepared to join another company, along with a great reference. And as for the freelancers, it’s just another gig, and they are normally prepared to move on any way. You may have had known you had good thing but could not prevent losing it.

A Perspective on Recent Changes: What Has Shifted. Over the past several decades, the world has experienced remarkable transformations. Economically, many nations have seen substantial growth and development. Financial markets have generally trended upward despite periodic corrections creating wealth for investors and those with 401K plans alike. Yet we know things tend to run in cycles; you can sometime only prosper a few years after a large erase those losses. And everything ends at some time, maintaining politics power, being the most popular movie star, the dominant military power, and life itself. Even the perennial Superbowl champ Kansas City Chiefs didn’t even make the playoffs this year.

Blockbuster was founded in 1984 was in the movie rental business. Employment peaked at 84,000 people with assets of $27 million and 1,700 location, did not see the end to their business model until it was too little too late. Streaming services like Netflix was the lifesaver that Blockbuster could have bought their way in, but for whatever reason decided that a covered wagon was just as good as a plane, train or an automobile. Blockbuster did not want to accept the fact that they were rapidly sinking. With revenues of $3 billion in sales, and late fees alone of $800 million, 65 million register uses and 9,000 outlets at their peak. This was their downfall seeing the peak tree and missing the perspective of a forest being clean-cut down. Was it a case of purposeful blindness or belief that streaming was an illusion? Who really knows, but Netflix was huffing and puffing until they blew Blockbusters house down. 

The impact of AI is just coming into focus, and AI will be far from a minimal threat to success in most areas of commerce, science and just about everything else. Everyone will be impacted in some way, if they don’t know it yet. It is their responsibility to find out and figure out how to participate in a generational tsunami. Like Blockbuster, if they don’t get with the program, they will go the way of the dinosaur. The only ones still around are in theme parks, museums or on Netflix streaming Godzilla movies. When was the last time you met someone without an iPhone or an Android? It might be the person who lost it to the person who asked a stranger to take her picture and ran away with it, or for a country it is poor North Korea. The poorest of poor countries, many of which are in Africa, have been so far left behind and to have almost no hope of ever catching up with modernity. Getting through the day is challenge enough when you do not know when or if your next meal will come. Billions of adults worldwide, who had no education, or after 30 never had a real job, will ever get one, or live past 50. 

The Value of Reflection and Appreciation. There is a tendency to not appreciate one’s circumstances, and this happens far too often. You may be living the high life and went to Portugal on vacation, but your neighbor went to Monaco as a guest of the king. Now that’s a buzzkill. For some its going from good to even better is not appreciate until you are part of a RIF or learn that you were diagnosed with a debleating illness. As this title of this article suggests, don’t wait until something really bad happens for you to put your life into perspective. This is not merely a personal observation but a well-documented psychological phenomenon. This pattern has far-reaching implications affecting everything from personal relationships and resource management to the reduction in government subsidies. This has been documented by research work by psychologist John Gottman who has shown that successful relationships, be they in business and in commerce require active appreciation and regular acknowledgment of positive qualities, rather than taking relationships for granted and seeing only those things that have impact them negatively. This should be an important consideration in well run corporation. That is periodically letting them know all of the perks and benefits and things that are below their radar that are often not appreciated because the company does not teach them. And there are the simple compliments, awards, recognition of anniversary dates, happy birthday greeting and simply thank you that go a long way. Key employees whose efforts are handsome and remunerate do not need this same treatment, but nevertheless they should not be overlooked in these messaging. Retention is most always more just the money; but being appreciated and part of the management team. Being proactive requires a well thought out customized plan. By consciously reflecting on what we value in employees, we should take proactive steps to preserve and enhance this relationship, rather than waiting for circumstances to force such recognition or only do this during annual review You didn’t know what you had, until you lost it. This is demonstrated by inevitable business cycles and the corollary emotional reactions to it. This is especially the concern and despair, and the concern, followed by ..... until you lost it phase, which in this case is an overreaction to concern is followed by our fortunes having to improved and the reaction is one of elation. Yet, which path will be in the future as a path may be either upward (green) or downward (red) has not been determined. 

The same should be done with all customers, but especially the key ones, recognizing them as important to you as not only a valued customer, but to you personally, for the perspective they bring to you and implementing them into your services wherever possible. One of our clients used this concept not only to convert prospect into customers. But using their regularly held cocktail parties, where rich and famous and the whose-who of silicon valley, which is worth its weight in gold, mixed freely at the Atherton Valley address. 

The Impact on Employees and the Evolving Nature of Work

The employment landscape has undergone significant transformation over recent decades, presenting both challenges and new opportunities for workers. Employees in many developed nations have experienced periods of a relatively strong job market with historically low unemployment rates. Unemployment fell recently to 3.7% in 2019. a six years low, after COVID 19, and the initial collapse of the supply chain, new international hot spots, a new impeachment proceeding, full impact of tariffs, and layoffs. This rate was the lowest in 55 years, but this is unlikely to last, assuming this number was properly calculated, for the head of the administration was terminated in last August as POTUS did not believe the transition from one industry to another and from career to another which will be a challenge, but with the move to AI this is more essential than ever. The rapid pace of technological change requires continuous learning and adaptation. Workers increasingly recognize that career success demands ongoing skill development rather than relying solely on credentials earned in an earlier life. Forward-thinking employers like AT&T have invested over $1 billion in employee reskilling programs, recognizing that developing existing talent often proves more effective than replacing workers.   

Contingent and Similar Workers in the Today’s Economy. The workforce includes non-only regular employees a substantial number and growing portion our manpower. These people are categorized as contingent worker aka freelancers, temporaries, temps, a freelancer, locum tenens, traveling nurses, those who doing gigs (sometimes a one off thing, like a musician filling in for someone else), or a contractors, most often a non-benefited person on an assignment/gig. This may be a onetime thing, or something or more and end before another one ever happens. A freelancers can represent all of these groups, but often on their own or thru an agent of agency. These areas have experienced substantial growth over the past few decades, fundamentally reshaping how many people approach their jobs and careers. This group accounts for 4.5 to 5.8 %, (depending on the definitions) of all workers and has grown substantially over the years Some 30 to 45% of all workers, (again depending on definitions), at one time or another worked as a freelancers or temps, or not a regulars year-around employment. This has been a substantial benefit for companies with ability to have core team and flex its size for more or less work, and for specialists not requiring a 40 hour per week job. The entire temp, freelance, gig or like economy last year contributed $1.2 trillion to the economy, with staffing firms placing temporaries representation some 50% of this amount. The data here is from the BLS and Uplink and others.

Economic pressures may affect specialty temporaries, traveling nurses and locum tenants differently than other freelancers . During recessions, companies often reduce discretionary spending on external contractors before laying off permanent staff, making freelancers especially vulnerable to economic cycles. Conversely, in recovering economies, companies may hire temps and freelancers before committing to permanent headcount, creating early opportunities for independent workers. Understanding these patterns helps contingent workers develop strategies to weather economic variations through diversified client bases, financial reserves, and flexible service offerings.

Contingent and Similar Workers in the Today’s Economy. The workforce includes non-only regular employees a substantial number and growing portion our manpower. These people are categorized as contingent worker aka freelancers, temporaries, temps, a freelancer, locum tenens, traveling nurses, those who doing gigs (sometimes a one off thing, like a musician filling in for someone else), or a contractors, most often a non-benefited person on an assignment/gig. This may be a onetime thing, or something or more and end before another one ever happens. A freelancers can represent all of these groups, but often on their own or thru an agent of agency. These areas have experienced substantial growth over the past few decades, fundamentally reshaping how many people approach their jobs and careers. This group accounts for 4.5 to 5.8 %, (depending on the definitions) of all workers and has grown substantially over the years Some 30 to 45% of all workers, (again depending on definitions), at one time or another worked as a freelancers or temps, or not a regulars year-around employment. This has been a substantial benefit for companies with ability to have core team and flex its size for more or less work, and for specialists not requiring a 40 hour per week job. The entire temp, freelance, gig or like economy last year contributed $1.2 trillion to the economy, with staffing firms placing temporaries representation some 50% of this amount. The data here is from the BLS and Uplink and others.

Economic pressures may affect specialty temporaries, traveling nurses and locum tenants differently than other freelancers . During recessions, companies often reduce discretionary spending on external contractors before laying off permanent staff, making freelancers especially vulnerable to economic cycles. Conversely, in recovering economies, companies may hire temps and freelancers before committing to permanent headcount, creating early opportunities for independent workers. Understanding these patterns helps contingent workers develop strategies to weather economic variations through diversified client bases, financial reserves, and flexible service offerings.

Michael Neidle

President /CEO of Optimal Management, Inc