How wide is the generation gap in your workplace? How wide do you think it will be in a couple of years, when Millennials will comprise half of the world’s employees? That’s right—50% of the workforce in 2014 will be those born after 1980. Meanwhile, older employees continue to work after traditional retirement age—which means the four-generation workplace will continue for the foreseeable future. You really should be preparing now for some big generational shifts. Diane’s recent guest column in Forward magazine, "Four Generations, One Workplace," outlines some general advice on updating management style, educating employees, and instituting new hiring practices—all with the goal of keeping your organization vital and relevant. FOUR GENERATIONS, ONE WORKPLACE

Most professional associations are struggling with how to widen their reach and appeal to their youngest members and prospects. Smart leaders in membership and marketing understand the importance of engaging their industry’s "new blood" to keep their organizations vital and moving forward. But members of the Millennial generation don’t typically respond to traditional communications or invitations to association meetings and conferences. At The Learning Café, we see this failure to connect quite often, across a wide range of industries. So in order to help organizations like yours, we’ve put together a new Action Checklist. In "Engaging Millennials in Professional Associations and Conferences," we offer 10 actions you can take that will help you bridge this common generation gap. We hope you’ll download this PDF and then let us know what you think.

A good reputation is priceless. Being known as a team player, an effective leader or a methodical thinker can carry more weight than a stellar annual review - because your reputation, or personal brand, is so far-reaching and so long-lived. In our experience, few professionals focus directly on improving their reputation—but doing so is an extremely effective way to move ahead in your career, your personal growth and even your job satisfaction. For some easy tips on how to get started, take a look at our new action plan, "Reputation Rehab."  You’ll find steps for building a good reputation, repairing a rep that needs some rehab, and leveraging your reputation and becoming more visible.    

Did you know that the Millennial generation (born 1977 - 1998) is assuming leadership roles faster than any other generation ever? And this is indicative of how fast those young leaders will change our workplace habits and cultures… Find out what the future holds—including the future of your workplace — in our new feature article "The Future of Leadership: A Look at Today’s Managers and How They Lead." Originally published in July in the Electrical Distributor trade journal, the article is now available here.   We interviewed 50 managers age 35 and younger for this article, and asked about their views on leadership and organizational life. We found some clear patterns in their answers, which spell good things to come for your workplace.

There are 75 million members of the youngest generation in today’s workforce, and they are assuming leadership roles earlier than any U.S. generation to date. Here, we examine the leadership styles and behaviors of Millennials (those born 1977- 1998). Their leadership characteristics, outlined here, will influence the culture, processes, and values of business in the near future. From November 2011 through May 2012, NAED’s Eastern Region Council in collaboration with the consulting firm The Learning Café (thelearningcafe.net) interviewed 50 Millennial leaders and emerging leaders in the electrical distribution industry about their views on leadership and organizational life for research and reporting. The oldest person included in the research was 35 years old and the youngest was 22. This report is based on information from those interviews. Click here to download The Future of Leadership. An NAED member recently sent this message when requesting a copy: "I recently read the tED magazine article about Millenials - a fascinating read and one that I will share with colleagues of all ages! I commend your leadership over this important research! My team is comprised of Gen X (me) and Millenials (my direct reports). Our senior leadership team is comprised of Baby Boomers. I would say your findings reflect our reality to the letter."

By 2014, 50% of all employees in the world will be those born after 1980. This means that the Millennial generation (those born from 1977 to 1998) is the future of the electrical industry and taking steps today to build a foundation from this pool of talent is critical. But how? Click image to download this article.

A blog is a place to share your own story and listen to others. Here we will share TLC’s story along with tips, strategies, news and more… We invite you to join in our conversation. Stay Tuned.  

An introduction to cross-generational differences and how they can make or break your sales success. BY DIANE THIELFOLDT Click on the image below to download the PDF file.

An overview of each of the very different generations in today’s workforce. BY DIANE THIELFOLDT Click on the image below to download the PDF file.

A look at how each generation uniquely operates as purchasers. BY DIANE THIELFOLDT Click on the image below to download the PDF file.