Sometimes CEOs have to make unpopular cuts — and holy macaroni, Batman, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav made one this week by canceling the $90 million film Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser and (returning to the role of Bruce Wayne) Michael Keaton.

Batgirl wasn’t just a planned $90 million film; it was a completed film. Zaslav, apparently worried about poor test screenings and already known for his ruthless cost cutting, also axed the $40 million Scoob! sequel. (Ruh-roh-Raggy!) The studio will collect a reported $15 million to $20 million in tax-write offs from the losses.

Fans and Hollywood talent are outraged, but business leaders should note the audacious swings being taken to uphold Zaslav’s long-term streaming vision.

A big Dale: Can How to Win Friends and Influence People win Gen Z?

Unjust rewards: How companies incentivize bad employee behavior.

Cool Mule: The perfect frozen cocktail for a hot summer weekend.

(Source: Shutterstock)

The classics never go out of style, which is why Simon & Schuster has published a new edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People more than 85 years after Dale Carnegie’s legendary 1936 original basically invented the self-help genre. Many of the changes update obsolete technological references and emphasize gender-neutral language to appeal to young readers — but even so, can a (nearly) century-old book possibly be relevant to zoomers?

We asked Joe Hart, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie and Associates, which has 200 franchised leadership training operations worldwide.

“Human nature hasn’t changed in 86 years,” Hart says. “The principles [Carnegie] identified are that everyone wants to be understood, appreciated and respected — and this hasn’t changed over time. In fact, these qualities are maybe even more important today than they ever have been.”

Over 30 Million Copies Later, Still Ahead Of Its Time

Hart believes that Carnegie was essentially spreading the tenets of diversity, equity and inclusion “years before DEI became a corporate training objective.” He’s also convinced Carnegie’s advice to managers would appeal to Gen Z, who have strong feelings about work-life balance and abusive behavior.

“There needs to be psychological safety in the workplace — the belief that an employee can speak up without the risk of punishment, retaliation or humiliation,” Hart says. “A lot of managers have no idea that they create such environments… Supervisors can either motivate or demotivate. This is one of the chief reasons why people leave.”

Younger workers are also demanding remote work flexibility. Although Carnegie probably couldn’t have fathomed Zoom back in the 1930s, Hart says the organization that bears his name was ahead of the curve here — and that companies resistant to hybrid schedules are spitting into the wind.

“[We] have been using video meeting platforms and virtual instructor-led training for more than 10 years,” Hart says. “The pandemic simply accelerated what was already well underway. You can blame technology, or you can look deeper at the relationships within your organization.”

What’s old can be new again — especially in a world of friend requests where everybody wants to be an influencer.

• The Wall Street Journal App: “A great source for relevant news.”
• Apple Fitness+: “Keeping my health on track.”
• Spotify: “Love my different playlists for running, working, and relaxing.”

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Dr. Steven Rogelberg is Chancellor's Professor at UNC Charlotte and a former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Human psychology is complex, but when it comes to rewards, we’re quite predictable: If we view a reward as attractive — such as a big bonus or promotion — we’ll change our behavior to pursue it. At face, this seems obvious, but managers often fail to recognize how they incentivize employees in problematic ways:

• Rewarding acquisition of new clients can mean neglecting (and losing) current ones who are quite valuable. “[I]ncreasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%,” according to Harvard Business Review.
  
• Rewarding fast work can lead to shortcuts, mistakes, and even safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has warned that bad rewards endanger workers.
  
• Rewarding short-term financial gains can take focus off long-term investments and strategy.

Companies usually have good intentions behind these bad systems. For example, rewarding departments that make full use of their quarterly budget might, in theory, boost productivity; in practice, though, it disincentivizes efficiency and cost-savings.

A Healthier Way to Motivate Employees 

Review your reward system to determine if you have accidentally created the problem you are trying to solve. Only rewarding that which is readily measurable contributes to the narrow focus.

Consider not using a behavior-specific reward system at all. Instead, pay people well, treat them well, and authentically inspire commitment to your organization. If employees feel respected and passionate about a company’s mission, working there is a great reward in and of itself.

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Searching for a frosty summer cocktail to serve at your next company party or outdoor event? Look no further! The frosé mule is what would happen if a frosé (a.k.a. frozen rosé) and a Moscow mule had a baby. 

With both wine and vodka, it’ll have a wide appeal to your team’s wine and cocktail enthusiasts. On top of that, it’s super easy to make. WIth a standard-size blender, you will need:

• 750 ml bottle of dry rosé wine
• A handful of frozen strawberries
• 3-5 tbsp of strawberry simple syrup
• ¼ cup of vodka
• ½ cup of ginger beer
• Juice from 1 lime
• Ice to your preferred consistency

Blend all the ingredients except ice until you get a smooth finish. Then add your ice until you get your desired consistency. Enjoy!

(You can make a mocktail version by using alcohol-free rosé and ginger beer — or ginger ale — and removing the vodka.)

Written by  Antonio Ferme, Jake Wengroff, Dr. Steven Rogelberg, and Ali Saleh. Comic by John McNamee.

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