The Strategy Page: Aftermath Edition

At a glance:

1. A Formula to Rebuild
2. An Opportunity for Employers: Government’s Work-From-Home Shift
3. A History of U.S. Territories
4. Is #Boeing Getting a Raw Deal?
5. Top Tech From the Consumer Electronics Show
6. Podcast Recommendation – Today, Explained: From #TikTok to 小红书

A Formula to Rebuild

We are based in a sprawling master planned community north of Los Angeles. It’s a place where roads are wide and traffic flows seamlessly. The school district is one of the best in the state. Paseos, parks and walking trails abound. Critics may characterize it as cookie-cutter suburbia, but the community provides options for every housing type from condos to luxury homes.

The ravaged homes in the Palisades had old-world classic charm, built with flammable materials from a past era. Altadena, just north of Pasadena, is also an older community—albeit less affluent.

The city should embrace the principles of master planning as it rebuilds the needed infrastructure. It would accelerate the speed in which homes could be built. Builders today utilize mass-customization, providing buyers a range of options. To build thousands of custom homes will take years to execute, but that is what the residents within the Palisades will demand.

We are struck by communities near us, constructed as a result of cooperation by multiple builders and local government. It will require this type of planning and cooperation by public and private entities to build back neighborhoods better than they were before.

We also offer context on the chorus of outrage that has followed the Los Angeles housing market. The LA District Attorney made a public decree that any renter who marked up rent more than 10% would be subject to prosecution for price gouging.

The government needs to walk a fine line. Price gouging is nebulous because it suggests that public figures pick arbitrary numbers. What’s fair? 10%, 20%? Officials need to be thoughtful in curtailing supply and demand, because the result of their action could dis-incent builders from building and landlords from renting, injuring the very people they are trying to protect.

An Opportunity for Employers: Government’s Work-From-Home Shift

Business leaders are trying to digest an avalanche of actions by the new administration.

Among them is a sudden return to the office for government employees. In a violent swing of the pendulum, many private employers have moved toward in-office work. This corresponded with a slump in employee engagement. Some employers have even been accused of deploying this strategy as a tactic to separate remote workers.

For context, roughly 42% of federal employees work remotely either full-time or part-time. Agencies like the Department of Commerce reported nearly 50% remote work rates, while others such as the Department of Veterans Affairs hovered closer to 30%.

For those who still support work-from-home policies, this a unique opportunity to poach disgruntled talent, especially in regulatory and compliance roles.

A History of U.S. Territories

The President’s comments on Greenland and Panama sparked controversy and curiosity. But the U.S. annexing territories is not without precedent.

From the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which doubled the country’s size, to the annexation of Alaska in 1867, often referred to as “Seward’s Folly,” the U.S. has pursued opportunities to secure strategic and economic advantage in territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

Greenland is rich in natural resources and strategically positioned in the Arctic. The idea of acquiring the island has resurfaced periodically, most notably in 2019 when Trump expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. At that time, Denmark firmly rejected the idea. Critics viewed the proposal as antiquated, reminiscent of 19th-century land deals. If nothing else, Trump has stated his intention to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.

Similar discussions about a hypothetical purchase of Panama–a vital trade corridor due to the Panama Canal–would face immense legal, cultural, and political hurdles.

Is Boeing Getting a Raw Deal?

It’s been a rough year for Boeing as reports of unsafe flying conditions have dominated the headlines. A few weeks ago, a tragic Boeing 737-800 crash in South Korea that claimed 179 lives was replayed countless times, fueling concerns about aviation safety.

But according to the Wall Street Journal, commercial airliner fatalities are exceptionally rare—just 17 per billion passengers flown last year. To put that into perspective, your odds of dying in a plane crash are not one in a million—they’re one in ten million.

Boeing has faced intense scrutiny for its safety and management issues in recent years, and for good reason. But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. U.S. commercial air travel is among the safest in the world, and Boeing’s record remains remarkable despite recent challenges.

On a related note, if you’re intrigued by aviation mysteries, Peacock’s Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth is well worth watching.

Top Tech From the Consumer Electronics Show

Podcast Recommendation – Today, Explained: From TikTok to 小红书

TikTok’s uncertain future has driven a flood of users?to a fully Chinese social media app full of opportunities for genuine cultural exchange.

Listen here

The Strategy Experts

Marc Emmer is President and Chief Strategist & Facilitator at Optimize Inc. He is an author, speaker and consultant recognized as a thought leader throughout North America as an expert in strategic planning.