Millennials in the Workplace - Great Expectations

 "I love flashmobs or commercials that talk about concepts rather than products; both are a refreshing change to marketing and make me feel like I'm part of something by engaging me rather than inundating me." - Mia, age 24

They are not like previous generations.  The communicate differently and view work through their own unique lens.

They are the Millennials in your workplace.

They want shared responsibility & flattened leadership
Previous generations respected the corporate hierarchy and wouldn't dream of doing end runs around their personal manager.  Millennials think nothing of sending the CEO an email to share their ideas directly with the person in charge.  

They don't understand why this is an issue.  In fact, they will call senior staff by their first name on day one.  

"That's his name isn't it?"

Managing Millennials
The 7 minute video below shows Millennials in action at work.
 



Generation Save
According to the Chicago Tribune, in a recent survey by Microsoft Inc., titled "Millennials in Financial Services" conducted by KRC Research in Washington, DC,  

"Of the estimated 80 million Millennials in the workplace, only half report they are currently planning to invest in the stock market, savings accounts, or 401(k)s" because they have less trust in banking and investment firms since the bailouts of AIG, and global banks a year ago."

Millennials in the survey believe that the U.S. financial industry is out of touch with the way they would like to communicate with their financial institutions.

What is your company's approach?
As you can see from the video and the survey cited, Millennials in your workplace have great expectations of their corporations and their career.   They are glad to share it with you and are not averse to telling you exactly what their expectations are.  

What approach is your company taking to accommodate the Millennials?  Have you even considered this aspect in your recruitment techniques?  Your comments are welcome.   
 

Lessons Learned on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice

  Celebrity Apprentice is finally over and we have a winner.  The Donald promises that the next Apprentice show will again feature regular people instead of celebrities.  I think that's a good thing.  Yes, I know it ended a week ago, but I wanted to let the idea for this post marinate before I wrote it.  I wanted to ensure I captured the communication styles.

One of the interesting things that caused me to watch the show this season is the mixed generation of the teams.   Unlike previous versions of the show, this season the communication demonstrated (for me) a vivid disconnect between the generations.

Here are a few of my observations:

4/18/10
I'm getting a kick out of the generational disconnect Cyndi Lauper and Maria Kanellis is having during their communication. "I watched you and I listened to you 'when I was growing up' and you hurt my feelings" Maria says. The interesting thing is they are talking AT each other and processing what each hears through their own generational filter. This is a difficult situation for both of them.

At one point during the project a young artist is made up for the photo shoot and  the makeup artist tells Lauper;  "I air brushed her"

Cyndi Lauper "YOU AIRBRUSHED HER?!"  You spray pained this kid?  She's 25, you don’t spray paint a kid.  You spray the old buzzards, not the kids."
 
Maria says "Cyndi thinks she's right and everybody else is stupid.

Sharon Osborne says "This is how Cyndi and I make our living.  This is what we do professionally and we've both done extremely well out of it.  So yes, she's going to ask me my opinion over all the girls.  It's just the way it is.  It's not about you, you, it's about the task."

Cyndi wants her to have a look like Bridgette Bardot.  More generational disconnect.  (As I observe I wonder if Maria even knows who Bridgette Bardot is).

They don't feel any respect from Cyndi.  They feel like she treats them like two turnips who just fell of the truck.  

Maria '"Think about what you can say" - for the media training portion of the challenge.

The guys are also having communication disconnects.  They find it incredulous that Rod Blagojevich can't even turn on the computer.  "this is a man who was Governor of the State of Illinois" one of them mutters.  Yes, some boomers who are not computer savvy but this is ridiculous!

Maria whines and pouts all through the photo shoot task about how she's been a model, etc. etc.  BUT this is a missed opportunity for her.  She could have used the time to learn from an experienced pro.  Thirty years of experience for crying out loud.  Instead she's jealous and whining.   She could have learned a lot from Cyndi.  Instead, she tunes Cyndi out.

IN THE BOARDROOM

Maria: " The vision of my childhood idol is being ruined"

Cyndi: "I'll send you a picture and you can throw darts at it."

Maria:  "Cyndi treated me like a child.  So I got defensive.  She's gone from Girls Just Want To Have Fun to girls just want to be mean."
 
Donald:  "Do you think she was mean?"

Maria:  "She was mean."

In the end the Women won.  So Cyndi must have done something right!  Vindication!  Yes!

May 2nd show

Cyndi Lauper is still caught in the generational communication disconnect with two of her female teammates.  The project manager ­Summer talks down to her and Lauper walks out muttering "I'm not in high school anymore."

Then while she is working on her task the project manager comes in and crosses out what she wrote and her tone is not a friendly one.

Later on as I watch them "working" in a room to create their 30 second jingle, I notice that Cyndi Lauper has shut down.  She is following instructions and being quiet.  The unfortunate result is that only two of the four team members are working on the task.  This is due to the fact that they have also alienated the male member of the team.  He too has shut down.

Soon Cyndi remarks "I'm on the girls don’t have any fun" team.

Truth is Cyndi is creative and they are more corporate.  This is another communication style disconnect as part of the team is very serious while the other wants to have fun with the creative process.

Watching the team dynamics of both Tenacity and Rock Solid is truly a lesson in the creative process, communication styles and generational differences.

After Maria grabs a piece of Curtis' pizza for Bret Michaels, Curtis is angry and pouting. This sparks a remark from Sharon Osborne "A 33 year old young guy thinks he's so HOT!  That's a put off for me and it's like "God bless you kid, but I've got nothing to say to you."  Later she tells Trump he's too smug for her and she doesn't like him.

In the van on the way to the presentation Holly Robinson Peete had the nerve to tell CYNDI LAUPER "it's all about live performing" - she didn't want Cyndi to sing the jingle.

Cyndi's response "You know, I can do live performances because I do it for a living."

These young people are amazingly disrespectful to Cyndi Lauper.  It's truly appalling the way they speak down to her. I realize this is the Celebrity Apprentice and Trump encourages them to do awful things in order to win, but people's personalities revel themselves in times of stress.

They asked Cyndi NOT to sing live because she might miss her cue.

Team member, Curtis, couldn't believe it and said "You've got to use a Cyndi Lauper voice it's unique." He thinks it's a mistake not to use her.

In the end, the executives favorite part of the commercial is Cyndi singing.

Bottom line, the team lost so the project manager was fired.  I wonder if the result would have been different had the project manager communicated better with Cyndi and Curtis (who are both still there).  She essentially shut down the creativity of two of her people and ultimately paid the price.

Communication skills are key if one is to succeed both personally and professionally.

The Winner

Ultimately, the Celebrity Apprentice winner, was Brett Michaels.  This was a surprise as his communication style was out there.  First of all he is a Gen X, second of all, his creative style is closer to Cyndi Lauper's which is talkative and fun, third he thinks outside of the box.    Both are nonconformists with a non-corporate style of communicating.  Turn them loose and ask them to be creative and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Lesson Learned 

When emotional outbursts and communication disconnects happen with your team, don't assume it's any one thing.  It could be a combination of personalities, generations, management styles, listening styles, or communication styles.

This season of Celebrity Apprentice had an interesting mix of generations, communication styles, management styles (creative vs. corporate) and reactions to stress.

Donald Trump was the puppet master whose leadership style leaves a lot to be desired.  He seems to revel in the stress he places on the actors, but I wonder how he would behave if that level of stress were placed on him.  I have a feeling, it wouldn't be pretty.

Using Twitter to Find Your Next Job - Learn how to find the Decision Makers Quickly

This video demonstrates how easy it is to find a job using Twitter.

I recently attended a face to face networking event with a group from LinkedIn in Chicago and was surprised when some attendees told me they were "old school" and weren't interested in sites like Twitter.

They had joined LinkedIn because it is known as a professional social network but viewed Facebook and Twitter as time wasters.  Many of them are job seekers and I hope they see this post as it will help them to realize the power of Twitter as well.

In this video one person shares how he was able to connect with decision makers and get hired not once but twice using Twitter.

I encourage you to watch this video and learn another way to use Social Media to make powerful connections.  In today's world knowledge is power only if you use it.

I would love to hear your comments on this.

A new Generational Difference in Networking & Job Seeking

Recently I shared with you the new video resumes used by more than one generation.   The method changed how recruiters view potential candidates and demonstrated the lengths to which the jobless will go to stand out from the crowd and be the one selected for a position.

Participants uploaded their resumes and other relevant documents.

Here is another example of a market differentiator that did not exist just a few years ago. 

Networking with your Avatar


Now this is the way to go eh?  Teleport into the venue and experience the things you can only do in Second Life.

The interesting thing to me is that More than 70 people registered from all over the US as well as from Canada, the UK, France, Spain, and Hong Kong.   And they probably did it in their pajamas.

Part of the fun of this networking event is the presenters are able to use their PowerPoint presentations, or not, as they preferred.  LinkedIn profiles are also featured.  What are you doing with your LinkedIn profile?  How comprehensive is it?

Check it out and share your thoughts.  I would love to hear what you think of this medium both for networking and for job seeking.

Oh How College Has Changed - New MBA Program Demonstrates Generational Difference

When traditionalist women were of college age, they were not allowed to attend institutes of higher learning.  Some wanted to, but like having their own patents, credit cards, or the right to vote, it simply wasn't allowed.  Women fought long and hard and eventually were granted these rights.  Today the number of women attending college is greater than the number of men seeking higher education.

The Baby Boomer generation also has a small percentage of college graduates.  Most boomers, both male and female learned their skills on the job. 

They grew into their position.   Many received promotions to the management ranks as "home grown" senior ranking members in their industry. 

Perhaps that is why they are so committed to their children's education.

Generation X, the "latch key kids" knew what they wanted and an even greater number of them than the boomers  are college graduates.   

They are college educated employees highly skilled in technology and committed to their careers and their personal life. 

Many are married with children or are thinking of taking this step as they note that time is skipping along and it's time to buckle down.

Generation Y is one of the most well educated groups in the workforce.  They have a different take on college education and many entered the workforce with their MBAs and a Plan.  They expect to climb the corporate ladder rapidly.  Some enter the company with their business plan for the change they want to see in the organizaitons they join.  

If they are not promoted within two years they bail, quit, move back home.  Whatever it takes, they show their displeasure with the corporate decisions by skating away. 

I found it interesting when one of their college courses was a study of Drew Barrymore's life. 

Drew was in her twenties at the time.  Hardly enough life to study in my estimation.  Yes, they received college credits for this class.

Times change and there's always a new generation on the horizon with their own unique needs, and generational differences, that demand to be met. 

The digital generation barely speak to each other.  They have lost the crucial skill of face to face communication.  Their spelling and writing skills are in the toilet due to increased time talking with their thumbs.  Even when sitting or walking together other they use digital devices to communicate with each other. 


It is the age of Social Media. 

So it was no surprize to learn today that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has announced plans to offer a new MBA specialization in Social Media Marketing.

The new program will allow students to study Web 2.0 concepts like microblogging and podcasting, and adapt these new ideas to existing business plans.  The MBA in Social Media Marketing will be offered both online, and at seven campuses.   You can learn more about it  here.

This confirms that the ubiquitous social media is here to stay and today's generation is gearing up to take advantage of everything it has to offer. 

What do you think of this new MBA?  Would you like to have one, to teach one of the classes, or to hire one of the graduates?    Click below to leave your comments.

Using Video Resume is a Generational Difference in Personal Marketing

Whether you are a recruiter or a job hunter today's job market is a stressful one.  Job hunters are hard pressed to stand out in a sea of resumes so that they are the ones selected for an open position.

One recruiting manager informs me that his staff has gone from receiving 2000 resumes a day to 40,000 per day.  It is difficult to keep up with the high volume of people seeking employement and using the internet to post their resumes for open positions.  It is no wonder then that job hunters have found a novel way to find a job, the YouTube video. 

Witness HireMeHeadblade:



Eric Romer created a video resume, posted it to YouTube, and sent the link along with his resume to the hiring manager. 

He heard about a marketing manager job at razor company HeadBlade via Twitter and decided to set up a blog called “Hire Me, HeadBlade,” where he included a YouTube video of himself shaving his head with the company’s product.  “I got a response within 24 hours, and the founder/CEO flew me out to interview less than a week later,” said Romer.    He got the job.

Boomers do it too
Louie Bernstein, age 57 created a video resume as well.  He wrote the script and had his son play the role of the interviewer. 



While he has not yet had an interview, his video has been viewed 167 times. 

He also posted his resume to YouTube


Still somewhat traditional
One job candidate created a video that included why he wanted to work at the company.  The recruiter was impressed by the research and work the candidate had done in preparation of the interview. 

What this means for job seekers
In the age of Social Media setting yourself apart from the competition means you must be creative in ways that didn't exist before.    It also changes the game as the recruiter is no longer simply viewing your experience, knowledge, and credentials.  With video resumes they can see your age, weight, race,  and more. 

This can put some people at a disadvantage and knock them out of the running for a job opportunity right out of the gate.  Before the age of social media, recruiters examined a piece of paper and selected candidate based on skills and credentials.  Video resumes changes that.  

What do you think about video resumes?  Please share your comments here about this new change for job candidates.

Generational Differences in the Church Causes Conflict

An article about generational differences in the church caught my eye recently.  It seems that the young pastor's communication style is causing disconnect with the older members of the congregation.

The question posed was "Our church just hired a pastor who is young enough to be the child of many members.  His language about 'the emerging church', 'post modernism' and 'interfaith dialogue' distresses older members." 

The result is unhappy constituents in the church.  The communication style and words used by the young pastor is causing sparks to fly and a disconnect between the generations.    Older members have trouble understanding what he means by "the emerging church" and the terms he uses makes them turn away from his sermons.

Michael Clingenpeel, pastor of River Road Church believes that the young pastor is responsible for the words he uses to encourage change.

I believe this is a continuation of the ubiquitous generational conflict we all face.  Regardless of the industry, people of different generations have trouble communicating with each other.  It is not simply a matter of verbiage.  It is a matter of mindset.  Yes, people don't like change, but the truth is change is inevitable.

In this instance, the responsibility lies both with the young pastor and his congregation.  This is an opportunity to open a dialogue whereby everyone can candidly hold a discussion about their faith.

If the young pastor relents to the older members of the congregation, he might lose the support of the younger generation.  They are the future of the church and we need them in order for there to be a congregation going forward.

I say, follow the action of the Pope. On January 23, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI gave a new commandment to priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

As a matter of fact the Pople has several blogs and many are right here on blogger.  A  really good blog by the pope allows the visitor to choose the languge that works for them.

Just google pope: blog and you might be surprised at the quantity of blogs out there.

My point is, the pope has jumped on the social media bandwagon because he realizes that generational differences mean that you must communicate with your constituents the way they expect it.  He communicates with his flock using the medium that works for them.

Here is another good pope website.  He is on Facebook as well.  You go with change and meet the people. 

I dare say the young pastor should do the same.  Help the congregation to realize the value of varied styles of communication and work with them break down the barriers he currently faces.