Leading Multi-Generational Teams
Posted On July 6, 2017
If I mention the term “Generation X,” what’s the first word that pops in your mind? Is it “slackers?” When you think of millennials, do you automatically think of someone who has a feeling of entitlement, who is likely to leave a job at the drop of a hat if it doesn’t match their preconceived ideal? While both of these impressions are prevalent and pervasive, neither is particularly accurate. Research shows, however, that no generation more than Gen-X is willing to take their own future into their hands and “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” if you will, without relying… Read More
Categories: Work, Workplace
Are Changing Ethics a Reflection of Life Stages? Let’s hope…
Posted On May 17, 2017
Has relativism taken over in the digital age? Are millennials more likely to believe the ends justify the means? Does the largest generation in today’s workplace believe that ethics are negotiable in business? The Wall Street Journal recently cited an EY survey that would seem to say so – or at least that it’s more prevalent than in previous generations. In interviewing more than 4,000 people in 41 countries in Europe, the Mideast, Africa and India, the study found that one in four of the millennials surveyed could justify paying bribes in order to support their business (compared to 14… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generation Y / Millennials, Work, WorkplaceMillennials in the Workplace
Posted On April 29, 2017
By Sarah Allen, Community Manager, NucleusLife By now it’s easy to tell that Millennials have entered today’s workforce with a very different set of values and desires than previous generations. Growing up in a constantly connected world has given them a different perspective on company loyalty, work-life balance, career trajectory, and coworkers. There are an almost overwhelming amount of articles, blog posts, and tweets about how Millennials are the “participation trophy” generation; they’ve been labelled entitled, self-absorbed, and lazy – the list never ends. Instead of rehashing oft-disproved critiques, let’s take a look at how Millennials are thriving (because they… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace
Belichick Keeps Teaching Us How To Win
Posted On April 24, 2017
A couple months ago, I wrote in this space about New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s disdain for social media – “I’m not on SnapFace and all that,” he famously said last season – and the fact that most of us can’t afford to be so blasé about it. In a recent interview with CNBC, however, the five-time Super Bowl winner offered some perspective on his view. Personal relationships, Belichick said, are essential to success, and social media can distract you from them. Certainly we can see this in the business world, where in-person networking is still much more effective… Read More
Categories: Work, Workplace
Message to Mom and Dad regarding their job searching children: BACK OFF!
Posted On February 22, 2017
Recently, a friend of mine complained that she’d received correspondence from the parent of a soon-to-be college graduate, promoting him as a potential fit for her organization. She was exasperated that a young man who is about to enter the workforce wouldn’t be sending out his own resume and making his own contacts and instead was letting his parents do it for him. As crazy as it sounds, however, they aren’t alone. CollegeParentCentral.com cited data from the College Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University which found that some helicopter parents keep their rotors hovering close even as their millennial… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work
For my AL colleagues – Nothing different here. However, you knew that.
Posted On February 13, 2017
I’ve written a lot in this space about what millennials are looking for in a workplace as they start their careers. Since millennials are now the largest segment of the American workforce, employers would be wise to listen to what they value in a workplace. Flexible work hours, a stimulating work environment, a healthy work-life balance, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world are all important attributes to millennials, as countless studies and surveys have shown. But when asked which benefits are most important when searching for a job, respondents to a recent survey of Alabama millennials… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace
Fewer Family Businesses to be Passed to Next Generation
Posted On January 31, 2017
I’ve written in this space before about the need for succession planning. The long-term viability of your business may depend on it – particularly for family-owned business that want to maintain family control. But PwC’s annual family business survey found a decreasing number of owners who planned to keep their businesses in the family. Of the survey respondents who foresaw a change in ownership within the next five years – admittedly a small number at 17 percent – only 52 percent were planning to pass their companies down to another family member. That’s the lowest number since 2010, according to… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Entrepreneurship, Generation X, Succession Planning, Work
iGen, Education Trends, & and the Changing World of Work
Posted On December 6, 2016
(Today’s blog comes from our go-to demographer Gerald Bierling. I’ve asked Gerald to gather content on the generation following the Millennials – often called the Plurals or Gen Z, I prefer the term iGen – and afterwards, summarize some of it regarding the workplace.) by Gerald Bierling A lot is being written about the changing world of work and the difficulties the next few generations of Americans will have finding employment. Much of it focuses on the potential loss of jobs due to computerization. Researchers out of Oxford University, for example, estimate that up to 47% of US employment is… Read More
Categories: iGen, Work, Workplace
Are Millennials More Entrepreneurial? One Question. Different Data. Different Answers.
Posted On November 22, 2016
It’s interesting how you can come to different conclusions about an issue simply by which set of statistics you choose to examine. Take, for instance, the issue of millennial entrepreneurship. A Fortune article in February hailed the generation as “millennipreneurs,” noting that millennials had launched about twice as many businesses as Baby Boomers at the same age. Citing the 2016 BNP Paribas Global Entrepreneur Report, Fortune noted that millennial entrepreneurs were also starting earlier, starting their first businesses at age 27, as compared to 35 for Boomer entrepreneurs. But Forbes contributor Natalie Bacon cites research from the Kauffman Foundation, which… Read More
Categories: Entrepreneurship, Generation Y / Millennials, Work
Mike Rowe’s message continues to find traction
Posted On September 21, 2016
Mike Rowe has made a career out of, for a day, doing jobs that most people wouldn’t want. The host of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs” is a funny guy who isn’t bashful about making fun of himself while he’s elbow deep in mud, manure, fish entrails or some other nastiness, and that makes his show entertaining. But beyond cracking jokes, grossing out his audience and drawing ratings, Rowe’s show has a purpose – demonstrating that one doesn’t have to work in an office building or wear a coat and tie to make a good living. He has doubled… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace