Money Talking

Understanding the office bully's motivations and the context of their actions, will help give you insight into how best to respond.

President Obama traveled to Cuba this week, the first visit by a U.S. President since 1928. And he wasn't alone: CEOs from U.S. companies like Marriott, PayPal and Airbnb joined him. What did his trip accomplish?

The pharmaceutical company Valeant has gone from Wall Street darling to total turmoil. What exactly did the company do to get in so much trouble? And how does it affect what you pay for your prescriptions?

Contrary to popular belief, brainstorming sessions are not effective. But there are ways to make to create inventive and fresh ideas as a group.

Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are tapping into voter angst about getting the short end of the stick when it comes jobs and wages in global free trade deals. Are they right? And what would happen if the U.S. reversed course and stopped embracing global trade deals?

"People are very angry, people are very concerned about the direction of the economy, very confused about the direction of the economy,"  said Adrian Wooldridge with The Economist on Bloomberg Surveillance. But if you think he's discussing the state of affairs in the U.S., think again. He's actually referring to Britain (and Europe), where nations there are facing similar concerns to those closer to home. In Britain, this populist moment is best seen in what's being called the 'Brexit:' a British exit from the European Union. Just last month, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that there will be a referendum on June 23, where Britons will vote whether or not to stay in or leave the E.U. If Britain votes to separate, that could have global implications, politically and economically. This week on Money Talking, host Charlie Herman speaks with guests Patrick Foulis from The Economist and John Authers with the Financial Times about the upcoming vote, the consequences for Europe and America, and what it says about our current presidential election. (And if you don't believe us about Europe and what the New York Times editorial board calls the 'Trump effect,' check out the Brexit anthem and its reference to Trump's singing girls.) 

Managing your least favorite person in the office can feel like torture.  Consequently, you push that person out of meetings, turn down their ideas, and exclude them from brainstorming sessions all for the better of the company (and maybe your sanity), right? Wrong. "It's not possible or even preferable that you'll like everyone on your team," says Amy Gallo, editor at the Harvard Business Review and author of the article How to Manage Someone You Don't Like.  Gallo explains to Money Talking host Charlie Herman that it is better for your team and your company to work with an array of people because "you don't want a team comprised entirely of people you'd invite to a party," Gallo said. "You need people who have a diversity of work style, thought, and approach. People who provoke and challenge you." Gallo adds that there are some workarounds for managing an annoying employee, which all stem with you. By altering the things within your control (like your perceptions and reactions), eventually you'll feel less inclined to want to rip your hair out (what's left of it) when that maddening worker is around.  See the upside. Hiring someone who looks, acts, and thinks like you is incredibly dangerous in the office. Irksome employees can make you think twice about a decision you've made or a product you've created, essentially making you work harder or be more innovative.  Be the bigger person. As the boss, you need to be professional. Leave your personal feelings at home and focus on the big picture: having the best team or creating the most successful products. Discover their good qualities. No one is 100% annoying. Look for where that person excels. They may have unexplored talents that could prove useful.   Try aversion therapy. Sit near that employee, bring them into meetings, or go out to coffee with them to discuss ideas and strategies. Even though this sounds unpleasant, it is the best way to get beyond your distaste.  [Listen to host Charlie Herman and Amy Gallo examine best practices when you are managing workers you dislike.]

It's losing money, laying off staff and now Yahoo is exploring "strategic alternatives." Is this the end of the line for CEO Marissa Mayer's plans to turn Yahoo around?

On Saturday, news broke that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died. In his absence, the Court will still have to rule on several cases this year that directly impact U.S. business.

We tend to have a love/hate relationship with meetings. As employees, colleagues, and supervisors, we can't help ourselves when it comes to scheduling copious amounts of meetings. But once we're all in a room together, we hate having our time wasted, and our minds eventually wander (or we start catching up on our e-mail). So what are we getting so wrong about meetings? A guide to helping make the most out of meetings you attend.

Candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are gaining traction in the presidential election without the help of Wall Street. Is that worrying the Masters of the Universe?

For a short time, Google's parent company Alphabet surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world. 

Many of us have been told that "being true to ourselves" is a key to success. But in the workplace, being "authentic" might actually wreak havoc. "The more one looks at the notion of authenticity, the more one realizes, or the more I realize, it's a crock and it's nonsense, and it's more likely to be self-destructive than value-added," says Michael Schrage, contributor to the Harvard Business Review and a research fellow at MIT Sloan School. So if you shouldn't be your utterly unfettered authentic self, what should you be then?  

In early January, an armed group took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon, in protest of the federal government's control of the land.  The standoff, led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, came to a head this week when several militia members were arrested. After a nearly month-long stalemate, Ammon Bundy urged the remaining protesters to "go home." Even so, the situation continues to evolve.   So what's at the heart of this standoff? About a century of history, some suspected arson, and a whole lot of economics. Over the course of it, the militia members have been demanding that the Malheur land controlled by the federal government be turned over to the local government. In more basic terms: give the land back to the ranchers and loggers who can then live off and prosper from it. Unfortunately in today's economy, that might not work. This week on Money Talking, host Charlie Herman talks with James Surowiecki with The New Yorker and Zoë Carpenter from The Nation about the motivations fueling the militia movement and what benefits, if any, the protest has prompted.

Recently, it seems like you have more chances of winning the Powerball jackpot than getting tickets to see Adele or Hamilton.  When Adele's pre-sale tickets went on sale in December of last year, so many fans were locked out of the 56-date tour that a social media frenzy erupted. (Including the meme: "Hello from the ticket line. I've clicked refresh a thousand times.")  Soon after, tickets appeared online for hundreds and even thousands of dollars over face value. But who's snatching up all those tickets? And while Adele fans lament, there are plenty of other sporting events, plays, and concerts that we're getting locked out. So it begs the question: Why do the re-sellers and the scalpers seem to have all the luck? And is there ever a way to beat them at their own game? This week on Money Talking, Charlie Herman talks with Jason Abbruzzese from Mashable and Ethan Smith from the Wall Street Journal about the economics of online ticket sales and what you can do to get a ticket.