Generations Blog
Generational diversity or cross-generational management -- no matter what we call it, relations between the four generations, soon to be five, has become a significant issue for most organizations. This blog discusses issues about the generational cohorts that inhabit the workplace. We address hot topics, controversial issues, and offer observations about age diversity in today’s society.
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Aug 09, 2010
My daughters have just returned from two weeks at the Summer Enrichment Program held every year by the University of Northern Colorado. The program is conducted on campus for about 250 gifted and talented students for the purpose of expanding their horizons beyond the normal classroom curriucula.
While the course offerings include everything from battling robots to poetry slams, what amuses and inspires me every year are the creative course titles. This time they included:
Zombies Attack! -- a course about designing survival strategies in the event of a catastrophe.
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Aug 06, 2010
A gentleman in a recent seminar brought up the question in the title. "Tell me more," I asked him. He told me that he's been disappointed about the number of times in the past year when the people he has hired turned out to be good at doing exactly what they were told. "But when they're finished," he said, "they just sort of stand around. I tell them to look around for something to do, and they'll say 'Like what.' Then I have to think up something for them to do. They're always dependent on me." I asked him if this was just about young people. "Oh, no," he said. "Everybody seems to be doing it."
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Aug 03, 2010
I spent a good portion of the 1990s working with employers in food retailing. One of the conventional "wisdoms" was that young clerks always worked faster than their older colleagues. I suspect that that is part of the reason that there has always been such a bias in the industry for hiring young people. Yet the more I stood at the front end of supermarkets and observed what was going on, the more I realized that checking and bagging food was more about outcome than speed.
Younger checkers and baggers moved with haste and productivity, almost seeming to be in a race with the clock. While they would greet each customer, this greeting for most was perfunctory at best. There was almost a production line mentality to it, as if they were
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Jul 30, 2010
If one looks at society over the past few years, it is evident that the number of rules for simply navigating life have expanded exponentially. This includes everything from suspending second graders for wearing plastic soldiers on a hat to banning cupcakes in New York City schools. While some claim that this so-called social engineering is good for those in the affected groups, I have to wonder about why we seem to be removing reasoning from everyday life. The more rules we put in place, the more rules we seem to need to clarify the rules we've put in place.
Philip Howard, author of The Death of Common Sense, maintains that the framers of our consitution made it intentionally vague to force citizens to use reasoning and consensus to work things out. Has society evolved since revolutionary times? Yes.
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Jul 27, 2010
One of the things I have been advising managers to do for more than 20 years is watch job applicants as they walk. This doesn't mean asking them to walk from one point to another. It means being aware of their gait. Do they seem to wander in the door for the interview? Do they stride? Somewhere in between? Do they keep up with you when you take them on a tour of the facility? Do they always seem anxious to move forward? Do they seem willing to
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Jul 22, 2010
In his new book about the competing forces we all face for our time, Hamlet's Blackberry, author William Powers writes " ... we are losing something of great value, a way of thinking and moving through time that can be summed up in a single word: depth. Depth of thought and feeling, depth in our relationships, our work and everything else we do. Since depth is what makes life fulfilling and meaningful, it's astounding that we're allowing this to happen." He goes on to argue that our fascination with the speed and intoxication of digital communication, what he calls "digital maximalism," has lured us away from opportunties
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Jun 22, 2010
Last week, a second grade boy in Coventry, RI was sent home after he arrived at school with a baseball cap to which he had glued two plastic soldiers and an American Flag to show his support for our troops. His class had been asked to design hats as a part of a school assignment. Coventry Schools Superintendent, Ken Di Pietro explained that the guns being held by the tiny toy soldiers violated the district's zero policy for weapons.
After an outcry from the local community, including a protest from Lt. Gen. Reginald Centracchio, adjutant general emeritus of the Rhode Island National Guard. Di Pietro clarified his decision by saying that the no-weapons policy shouldn't limit student expression, especially when students are depicting "tools of a profession or service," such as the military or police. He continued by saying that he would work to change the policy to allow such apparel.
What's to work out? The fact that the superintendent would have to bring something like this to the board of education for a decision speaks to the lunacy that zero tolerance policies have become. Each time I learn of another of these sad, but amusing little anecdotes, it confirms how our society is losing its sense of reason.
More importantly, what do decisions like this teach those coming of age about common sense and critical thinking? Were the superintendent's hands really tied in this situation or was this just a cowardly way to cover his butt and the butts of those around him? Some time in the future the second grader and his classmates will all be faced with desicisons like this. Will their observation of this chain of events influence how they make decisions? Will they err on the side of this kind of caution or take time to place the situation in context and recognize how a well-meaning policy can be taken to a surreal extreme?
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on May 20, 2010
My oldest daughter, 15 going on 25, has become a fan of a facebook page called Parents call it "Back Talk" we call it "explaining why their wrong". I should have expected it. After all, I was the same way at the same age. But here's the thing, the page debuted on February 5th and reached ONE MILLION fans within nine days. Much has been written about the influence this generation possesses due to their confort with today's technology. But ask yourself, "How do I, as a manager, cope with this in the work environment?
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on May 17, 2010
In the past two posts, we've discussed the benefits of cross-mentoring between the generations and some tactics for implementing this practice within your organization. In the final post in this series, we'll take a look at how to engage veteran contributors in this kind of effort. We'll also explore how to convince emerging professionals that they have something to share as well and the best ways for doing so. Let's begin with veteran contributors:
Ask them what they think they they'd like to learn from the experience. We live in a world of mistaken assumptions. Many time veteran contributors are anxious to learn new technology and other skills but are too busy to take the time. Cross-mentoring will provide them with the perfect opportunity.
Remind them of the benefits they've received from those who came before them. While many will acknowledge the value of insights they have learned from others, it never hurts to remind veteran contributors of the obligation of assisting those geting started. In some cases, they may even be shy about engaging young people for fear of not knowing how to. A cross-mentoring program provides them with a formal opportunity.
Off them options. Most days are packed solid for many long-time contributors, so finding the time to engage can be difficult. Allowing them to choose the way they would like to engage may be the barrier you can help them overcome.
Here are a few ideas for encouraging emerging contributors to engage in cross-mentoring:
Help them identify what they have to offer veteran contributors. While some emerging contributors are confident and clear in their skills and direction, most are not. Provide them with an opportunity to identify the skills and insights that they might be able to share with someone who has been in the organization for a long time. This does not have to be focused on technology, although that is certainly an option. Simply providing insights into the desires, work styles, expectations and values of their age peers can be very helpful to a senior manager who is trying to connect with those individuals.
Reinforce the benefits of connections with those who have come before. Some young professionals posses the mistaken assumption that veteran contributors possess nothing but out-of-date information. They forget about the nuances and wisdom these individuals have developed over time. Helping emering contributors to understand the value of connecting with those who can share this wisdom will serve to engage the ones who care.
Provide introductions. There can be nothing more powerful than an introduction to someone who can have a positive influence on your career. While many people shrink from this because it can be intimidating, those who embrace these opportunities will be the leaders of tomorrow. Participating in a cross-mentoring program is a great way to make these introductions and involve these young contributors in the organization's future.
Posted by: Bob Wendover
on Apr 22, 2010
In the last post, we explored cross-mentoring and its value as a two-way conduit for sharing information between emerging and veteran contributors. But how do you set expectations for these relationships and what questions do you ask to get started? Here are some ideas:
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