MAGNETIZE YOUR MESSAGE! Not sure if your company is appealing to Millennials? It may be, if it’s fast paced, exciting, and a different experience every day. In this article Diane Thielfoldt explores what draws young workers to a company. Join us in the conversation about which companies pay off in job satisfaction and career opportunities for today’s youngest workers by letting us know about your experience at TLC@TheLearningCafe.net. Click image to download this article. JavaScript needs to be enabled for polling to work. Online Surveys by Constant Contact.

Chances are when you read the "phrase" 4G your mind immediately conjured cellphone commercials, perhaps a young man dreaming about taping a cheetah to his grandma’s back to increase her speed or the sad cry of a werewolf who wants to be a human again, yet the 4Gs to which the title alludes has nothing to do with cellphone connection speed. Silents, Boomers, Xers, and Millennials are the topic of conversation here: the four generations prevalent in today’s workplace.   A Glance at the 4Gs Recognizing there are multiple generations in the workplace is by no means a revolutionary concept, the idea has been around for over 50 years, yet the challenge to bridge generation gaps still remains. Before we attempt to jump the hurdles associated with bridging a generation gap, lets take a brief (and I mean brief) glance at the four generations. Silent (Born 1933-1945): Work hard and speak softly. Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964): Live to work. Gen X (Born 1965-1976): Work to live. Millennials (Born 1977-1998): Work is merely a piece of the puzzle used to change the world. These, of course, are broad generalizations, but should help you get a sense of the difference in how each generation approaches the workplace. I could write for days (and many have) about only those things that make each generation unique, but let’s not get bogged down in the details just yet. The important message is still to come.   How to Engage the 4Gs with 3Cs The challenge of bridging the generation gaps among these four very distinct generations begins with engagement. How can you possibly create a workplace that appeals to both the young and the more seasoned, the Boomer and the Xer? As a Millennial manager this challenge seems even larger - how can I get a team of more experienced professionals to respect my role and find satisfaction in their positions? Yet the solution lies in 3Cs.   CULTIVATE THE "RIGHT" CLIMATE Create a climate that energizes and empowers. It is up to you to break free from being a thermometer (simply reading the climate around you) and become a thermostat (that which impacts and sets the climate), as the workplace climate is a reflection of management tone and priorities. A Few Easy Tips: Respect work style differences. Be visible, walk around, say hi, greet peers. Keep commitments & appointments. Celebrate successes.   CUSTOMIZE COMMUNICATION The message matters. But so does the method. It is important to know your audience and the best way they are going to receive the message. Do you know your employees’ preferences for communication? Perhaps a text message or a face-to-face encounter? Do you communicate frequently enough? Or too much? Are your methods of communication current and up to date? Taking the time to understand the individual’s communication style can ensure that the message is properly received, sets your employee up for success, and demonstrates your commitment to them as an individual. A Few Easy Tips: Request frequent feedback. Ask: What’s going well? What’s not going well? What can I do to support you? Express your appreciation. Tell people they count! At least once a month tell people why and how their work is significant. Make sure employees see the link between their work and the organization’s mission, goals, and values. Use positive messages instead of "or else" statements to inspire. Connect with people in person.   ENTERTAIN CANDID CAREER CONVERSATIONS Everyone desires to feel valued. They want to feel engaged, empowered, and needed at work. Coaching is how you meet that need. A successful manager will take the time to have candid conversations with employees about their career opportunities. They will support their career, build a relationship, ask how they’d like to be coached/mentored and take the time to follow through. They commit to valuable contributions, meaningful work and mutual success. A Few Easy Tips: Have career conversations. Develop a list of potential projects, challenging assignments and tasks that could enhance their career. Develop a training plan for your team that comprehends what skills your team members need now to make sure they are skilled in the future. Arrange for a senior leader to meet with employees. Ask them to talk about their own lessons learned and how they have managed their careers. Discuss reputations (see What’s in a Name? for more details on personal branding).   The Bottom Line As a Millennial I have a unique opportunity. We (Millennials) will not be the new kid on the block forever, truthfully we are almost yesterday’s news, but it is an optimal season to learn how to master cross-generational engagement and glean something from those around me. For those who are more seasoned veterans of the workforce these tips still ring true. No matter what generation you were born into, everyone wants to be engaged at work. Now is your chance to help them and maybe even yourself, find the fulfillment they (or you) have been looking for.  

A long-term approach to introducing an organization to Millennials will go far in helping recruitment efforts pay off. Today’s young job candidates are making career choices earlier; therefore, to recruit the best and brightest, it’s best to start courting these candidates well before they graduate. One way to achieve this is to revamp recruitment efforts into marketing campaigns that use attractive messages and popular media. Read more about lining up the best talent and marketing to college students in the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR article by Diane Thielfoldt. Click image to download this article.

Picture this: It is your first day at a new job. Your anticipation mixes with apprehension and anxiety. All sorts of questions fly through your mind: "Is this where I’m supposed to be?" "Will people like me?" "Can I really make a career out of this?" Now flash forward 25 years. You have spent the last two and a half decades working for that organization, building a legacy that will live on even after your departure. You have helped your company build its brand and increase revenue; you have empowered those around you through meaningful relationships; you have been successful by all definitions of the word. Every employer dreams of having an entire organization of this type of person. Managers often ask themselves, "What made (or makes) them stay for the long term?" Employee retention is one of the leading concerns of most organizations, yet we think they are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking "what" makes people stay, perhaps the question should be "who." Over 70% of people leave their jobs because of the way they are led, not how much they are paid. It stands to reason that if we want employees to stay, we have to become better leaders. But how? The trick lies in recognizing a few essential leadership roles.   The Employee Cycle Like your washing machine, dryer, and life, employment comes in cycles. Your employees navigate key phases, performance milestones and challenges as they move from recruitment to departure. To be an effective leader, you must recognize what stage each of your employees is in and respond accordingly. In each stage of the Employee Cycle, the individual has different needs that must be met and questions they ponder: Once you accurately assess which phase each person is in within their cycle, you can step up and engage them with the tips I’ve outlined here. Be prepared - what follows is packed with a lot of powerful information that will challenge you to grow as a leader and will equip you to engage employees of the multigenerational workforce. But it is only as effective as your commitment to taking action on what you read.   THE TALENT SCOUT This is arguably the most important role a manager plays. As the Talent Scout, it is your responsibility to recruit and hire the most talented individuals who are committed to the vision of your organization. This means that it is not only up to you to accurately assess the skills of the prospect, but to clearly communicate the value of your organization to the person. If they are going to commit to the company for the duration of their career, they have to buy into the vision, mission, values, direction, etc. of your company. It’s up to you to help the best candidates fall in love with your company even before they first punch in.  To Each His Own Engaging the generations in each stage may be difficult, but here a few ideas to help you out. Understand what attracts each generation to an employer, and then customize your communication to attract them. For instance, try these promises: Millennials - "There’s a lot of challenge and a lot of structure here; you won’t be bored!" Generation X - "You can be entrepreneurial and highly skilled here." Baby Boomers - "We need your unique contribution; you’re part of something bigger here." The Silents - "Your experience is welcome; teach us what you know."   THE ORIENTEER Once your prospect joins your team as a new hire, your role shifts from one of recon to one of integration. It is up to you to help your new hire acclimate to the culture, embrace the position and connect to the social network. The best managers recognize the importance of monitoring and guiding the interconnections within the group, the socio-organizational norms that create (or diminish) the collaboration and cooperation critical to delivering a stellar product or outstanding service. Truthfully, the first 30 days determine the next 10 years for new hires. To Each His Own Try these generation-specific actions to ensure that new hires of each generation remain committed: Millennials - Provide a buddy and a social network. Fill them in on the "unwritten rules." Generation X - Describe the performance expectations and measures. Answer the questions "Where do I fit?" "What will this job do for my skills portfolio?" Baby Boomers - Describe where their experience fits. Provide introductions to senior leaders; build the new Boomer’s visibility. The Silents - Share the organization’s history and mission. Let them know why people are proud to work here.   THE PERFORMANCE COACH This critical role empowers employees in the Learner stage and guides them to the Performer stage. The Performance Coach is responsible for reinforcing positive behaviors and correcting negative ones. As the performance coach, you provide career insight and on-the-job feedback to assist in development; you prepare your team members for future positions and are not afraid to have realistic career conversations; you are their advocate, cheerleader and the voice of reason on a daily basis. Development is everywhere - you just have to commit to helping your team members grow!  To Each His Own Manage members of different generations in ways that are meaningful to them: Millennials - Explain the importance of seemingly routine tasks. Expect a lot, give a lot of feedback. Generation X - Build their skills portfolio (change it up, job rotations, job swaps, management training). Candidly discuss reputation. Baby Boomers - Freshen up jobs with lateral moves. Keep their skills up to date; fight skill obsolescence. The Silents - Discuss retirement/transitions. Have them mentor others.   THE ENGAGEMENT EXPERT The Engagement Expert is tasked with fostering one-on-one connections to keep the talent you fought hard to get and grow. Performers who are inspired, motivated and challenged will continue to contribute at high levels. While the other managerial roles listed here focus on the success of the group, the Engagement Expert needs to hone in on individual needs and be very deliberate about creating a strong, trusting relationship with each person. You must let each person know he or she is valued and successfully motivate each to achieve organizational objectives. To Each His Own Try these techniques to engage members of each generation: Millennials - Personalize their work. Create a collegial work climate. Generation X - Resist micromanaging. Offer flexible work hours, flexible work. Baby Boomers - Offer work-life balance (take all that vacation!) and new challenges that match their skills. The Silents - Create significant mentoring roles. Appreciate and acknowledge.   THE LEGACY CREATOR Last but not least, the leader as Legacy Creator ensures that the know-how of employees doesn’t get lost in transition. This managerial role assists Legacy Leavers in sharing their knowledge with others in the organization. As the Legacy Creator you are responsible for creating a talent foundation that is necessary for your organization to be successful in the future. You foster resilience, continuity, knowledge sharing and teachability, and equip your team for whatever may lie ahead. To Each His Own Need ideas on how to effectively capture the knowledge of Legacy Leavers from each generation? Try these: Millennials - Reverse mentoring / adopt-a-Boomer. Ask them to document critical knowledge of highly skilled employees and use creativity (documentary film, YouTube clip, story, desk guide, etc.). Generation X - Ask them to be a subject matter expert on a specific topic/be a resource. Baby Boomers - Use their experience to lead critical initiatives, implement change. The Silents - Redesign their jobs so they have the time to teach.   The Ball Is in Your Court Just as the wheels on the bus go round and round, so does the cycle for employees and managers alike. The challenge is for you to recognize what role best suits each of your employees, and engage the multigenerational workforce accordingly. You never know—you might just be investing in the success of the next Steve Jobs.    

When assembling a plan for recruiting the most promising Millennial candidates, keep in mind that some universities may have already laid the foundation. There are several programs out there offering targeted education in industrial distribution, which are full of young people who are not only learning the skills distributors seek, but also full of enthusiasm for the field they are studying.

We are on the cusp of yet another generation entering the 4-generation workforce. Demographers have noted that, beginning in 2015, we will have 5 generations in the workforce.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT FOR EACH GENERATION IN EVERY SEASON Just as the "wheels on the bus go round and round," so does the engagement cycle for employees and managers alike. The challenge is to recognize what role best suits each employee and engage the multigenerational workforce accordingly.

"I do not like them Sam I am, I do not like Green Eggs and Ham… You do not like them. SO you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may I say…" Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham It seems as though every parent has used this story to expand their children’s horizons (or at least to get them to eat their broccoli) and yet the principle seems to get muted as soon as the doors to the workplace are opened. We challenge our kids to be open-minded, to be eager to learn, to try new things… yet the office is a place where things are done as they always have been. We know better, we know it doesn’t have to be this way. Some organizations are moving away from traditional learning methods and leading the way in innovation, while others are (not to be too offensive) stuck in the mud. What follows is meant to challenge some misconceptions you may have about training managers in the workplace and to explore the power of modular learning. Misconception #1: Not Enough Hours in the Day The passing of time enhances the quality of many things: wine, cheese, beef… but not all things benefit from more time. Milk sours with age, getting caught in traffic creates delays, and learning can fall on deaf ears if too much time passes. Time is something that needs to be invested wisely. Managers often shy away from training because of the investment of time. But training does not have to span days or weeks, it can be broken into smaller chunks for easier digestion. In fact according to a recent article by Sebastian Bailey, quoting research from the Journal of Applied Psychology, "a distributed approach to learning can increase transfer by 17 percent." Misconception # 2: Money, money, money… MONEY! Money makes the world go round… or at least it feels that way. Companies invest thousands of dollars every year measuring the ROI of training initiatives - as well they should. Even though people might like to think of training like a MasterCard commercial - priceless - the truth is the results have to impact the bottom line. Often modular learning is dismissed solely on financial investment, but little consideration is given to the time participants spend in traditional training. If time is money, then modular learning can save bucket loads.  Misconception #3: A Day in a Desk Keeps Disaster at Rest For decades the classroom has been the epicenter for learning. We spend twelve+ years behind a desk receiving mountains of information. It is natural to assume that this is the most effective way to transfer knowledge. However, merely sharing information through lectures and slide presentations requires participants to passively absorb and retain large amounts of content. And just like a sponge, there is only so much information one can absorb at a time. In order to build skill, participants need opportunities to connect with the content and apply it to their work - less passive listening, more action, application and practice. Modular Learning CAN Create Instant Experts Front line leaders never know what new challenges each day will bring. Their days are busy and unpredictable. They hire, orient new employees, coach, and manage performance. In their high-speed work environments, they only have time for training that is fast and targeted. They do not (always) have time for traditional approaches to knowledge sharing like "telling" someone the things they need to know, and "insisting" that they engage with that knowledge in a predetermined manner (as addressed above). The power of modular learning is in the discovery, conversation, and collaboration to "invite" learners to build meaning themselves. When we "invite" learning, we strengthen our ability to locate the resources we need to learn and to direct the course of our own learning. Understanding the principles that guide adult learning (according to Malcolm Knowels) is a great first step to instantly becoming an expert manager: People need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their training. Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities. Adults are most interested learning about things that are immediately relevant to their job or personal life. Adult learning is problem-centered ("How do I…?") So perhaps it’s time for you to venture into unknown territory, take ownership of your own learning and dive into a world of training that power packs content into bite-sized pieces.   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Instant Expert Manager Series Overview The Best and Worst of Bite-Size Learning by Sebastian Bailey

Your organization invests a lot of energy and dollars into recruiting… but how can you ensure that your investment pays off in hiring top talent? Companies today are looking at every component of the recruitment process, trying new technologies and more web presence, but they may be overlooking a key element: interviewing. Hiring the best possible people requires topnotch talent scouts who can mix old-school interviewing with fresh, cutting-edge practices. It’s in a company’s best interest to make sure each interview counts-but how? "Questions & Answers,"  published in a client’s publication, offers a fresh look at this age-old component of recruitment. The article is a quick read, but should help you rethink how you approach candidates and impress top talent.  

Mentoring helps new employees of all ages stick around What does mentoring have to do with retaining your company’s most valuable employees? A lot, as it turns out. Sources show that 35% of employees who do not receive regular mentoring are likely to look for another job within 12 months. This key ingredient of retention is easy and inexpensive to implement, with the added bonus of helping to strengthen relationships across generations. We offer some basic tips to get you started in our recent article "Teach Employees to Stay: Talent retention and mentoring create a winning combination." We encourage you to give mentoring a try. Whether you pair up employees in a formal program, mentor them yourself, make open suggestions on mentoring, or—ideally—all of the above, you will not only be strengthening your organization’s retention rate, but also creating happier, more engaged employees of all generations. And that’s a win-win!