Zap the Gap

I want to introduce Meagan Johnson to y'all.

Meagan was one of the speakers at the tour directors' symposium I attended this past January.  I was very impressed with her; not only with what she had to say, but the way in which she presented it.  This woman is funny, articulate and intelligent . . . a pretty awesome combination for a professional speaker, doncha think? 

During the symposium, I signed-up up for her "Zap The Gap" email mini-course.  The course was delivered recently, and I would like to share those emails with y'all, here, while we're Dancing with Moose.  

I have obtained Meagan's permission to copy her emails here, and I have not edited the actual information in any way.  (The only difference is that Meagan's mini-course was over a 5-day period, and I am only sharing 4 days with y'all; the first day was an introductory email reminding me of the mini-course  Additionally, I am only reprinting her "intro" at the end of Day Five; not at the beginning of each segment as was delivered via the online refresher course).

In addition to her emails, I would also like to share her website address and her phone number with y'all:

www.meaganjohnson.com    1-800-836-6599   

If you're ever in need of a professional speaker, I highly recommend her and encourage y'all to consider contacting her.

OK . . . the next post will be the first installment (Day Two) of "Zap the Gap"

Y'all enjoy, and be blessed.

Sharon-Marie

Sharon-Marie Jordan © 2010 - All rights reserved.

Zap the Gap; Day Two

DAY TWO

Zap the Gap
Solving the Multi-Generational Puzzle

Now is an exciting time. We have four generational flavors in the workplace:

The Traditional Generation
raised in the Great Depression, listening to Fred Allen
Baby Boomers
raised during Viet Nam, watching Ozzie & Harriet
Gen Xers
raised in single parent homes, imitating Beavis & Butthead
New Millennium
raised on the internet, living in Southpark

If you do not understand these examples then you definitely need to ZAP THE GAP!

Each generation brings to the table their own set of expectations and hopes. In each generation there is an opportunity to learn new perspectives and get fresh ideas. With each generation there is an opportunity to grow frustrated, upset, angry and have a disaster on your hands.

Let's start with the Traditional Generation. It is sometimes referred to as the Silent Generation. Some people do not like the use of the word silent to describe this generation.

Silent seems to imply the generation did not contribute anything to society, they remained silent. This is the opposite of the truth. The word silent comes from some of the significant Generational Signposts of this generation.

Signposts like the Great Depression and WWII taught this generation to postpone immediate gratification for a greater good. By postponing immediate gratification and working toward a common goal, this generation was successful and rewarded. Big business and government rewarded this generation by helping them to improve their quality of life.

The Traditional generation withstood the great depression, was successful in WWII, rebuilt Europe & Japan, and staved off the spread of communism.

This generation created the consumer products we use everyday: washers, dryers, televisions and microwave ovens. Big business took these products and through mass production made them available to the many rather than the elite few.

The homes we live in today were influenced by this generation. This generation built the neighborhood homes outside of the center of the city. With the help of VA and FHA loan, more people could afford homes than ever before. The average cost of a first home for this generation was $7,000.00. (Many of us have spent more on a used car.)

According to Mallow's hierarchy of needs, we have a set of basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. In addition, we have a set of higher needs, such as the need to feel loved and accepted, and to be self-actualized. As human beings, we will not try to satisfy the higher needs until the basic needs are taken care of.

For a generation, the basic needs were not being satisfied. However, when this Silent generation pulled together, they were able to satisfy the basic needs.

The long lasting impact of these Generational Signposts for the Traditional Generation is loyalty to the country and the company, tenacity, and hard work.

It is no surprise this hard working generation has not wanted to fade into retirement. Advances in medicine have left a generation of older workers who are healthy and able and willing to work. This generation has come out of retirement looking for a new place in the workforce.

One of the benefits of hiring retirees is that  they are typically not looking to climb the corporate ladder. They are looking for a place to use their skills.  Often, they do not want to work full time but just part time.  This is a labor source that is too valuable to be ignored.

When you walk into a Wal-Mart the first person to greet you is the Greeter. The Greeter is someone typically of retirement age who stands at the front door of Wal-Mart, greets the customers and gets you a shopping cart. One of the biggest differences between a Wal-Mart and a Target is the Greeter.

Ironically, Wal-Mart did not create the Greeter to give a senior citizen a job. Wal-Mart discovered that when someone stood at the door, looked people in the eye and greeted them, shoplifting went down.

The point is that Wal-Mart did not do what some people do when they work with someone from the Traditional Generation: stick them behind a counter because they needed a warm body. The number one complaint from this generation is that we do not take advantage of their skills and experience. Wal-Mart made the Greeter part of the Wal-Mart team.

When you hire or work with someone of the Traditional Generation, there are six things you can do:

Communicate traditional values- Let them know you appreciate them being on time and working the extra shift.

Let them know their age & experiences are highly valued-The number one complaint from this generation is we treat them like they do not know anything.

Pronounce words clearly/Look them in the eye/ 'Use Please' and Thank you-especially, if you have teenagers working with someone from the Traditional Generation. (Give your teenagers some communication training.)

Take plenty of time to train- Rationales are jumping onto the internet in larger numbers then any other age group right now. They are learning to use the Internet at home with the help of their kids or grand kids. When you are teaching a new skill to someone from the Traditional Generation, try teaching her one on one. They may be more likely to ask questions and try the new skill with just you vs a large group of people.

Stress the long haul- Communicate with them about the history of the company, their position, and your history with the company.

Reward with a personal touch- Rewards like certificates, plaques or a picture with the company president are significant. Give them something they can take home or hang in their office

IN THE NEXT SESSION LEARN HOW THE BABY BOOM GENERATION BOOMED ONTO THE SCENE AND BECAME OUR MOST MEMORABLE GENERATION! 

written by Meagan Johnson; copied here

(in "Dancing With Moose") with permission

Zap the Gap; Day Three

DAY THREE
Zap the Gap
Solving the Multi-Generational Puzzle
5 day Mini-Course

Baby Boomers

After returning from WWII, the Traditional Generation, began to have children – lots of them  Between the years of 1946 and 1964, we saw the birth of the biggest population bubble in our country to date. There were 77 million children born during this time period.  We call this population bubble the 'baby boomers.'  The effects of this boom continue to echo in our country.  For example, in the next ten to fifteen years, as Baby Boomers reach senior citizenship, the number of seniors in the U.S. is going to double over current numbers.  The number of seniors will be equivalent to the number of people who live in California and the New England States.  And here's something even scarier: They all will still be driving!

As a country, we had never seen anything like the Baby Boom.  We were not prepared for the sheer number of bodies.  We built hospitals and schools to accommodate the numbers of Baby Boomers. Sometimes we could not build them fast enough.  (Some baby boomers might remember sharing a desk at school.  There were not enough for everyone.)  The Baby Boom generation was the first generation to be graded on a report card for 'WORKS WELL AND PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS.'  Before the Baby Boomers went to school, working and playing well with others was not a big concern; teachers were easily able to handle the small number of students in a classroom.

One lasting impact of the emphasis on 'working and playing well with others' is the emphasis of this generation on cooperation, both in and out of the work place.  The Baby Boomers have started and fueled the idea of teams, teamwork, co-operation, community, synergy, quality circles, and hootenanny love fests in and out of the workplace!

There were lots of firsts for the Baby Boomers.  This generation was the first generation born into families whose first concern was not merely survival.  The Traditional Generation had fulfilled the basic needs of Maslow's pyramid.  Baby boomers were born and raised during a financially prosperous time in the country.

Baby Boomers were the first generation for whom education was ordinary rather than extraordinary.  For previous generations, it was not unusual for people to take their children out of school to work on the family farm.  Times had changed; we were no longer an agricultural society.  School was the norm for Baby Boomers, and for many, this meant college in addition to grade and high school.

Baby Boomers were the first to be teenagers.  There had always been people in their teens, but the idea of the teenager as a generational force became increasingly popular with the Boomer generation. Pre Baby Boomers, there were two categories: too young to work or old enough to work.  Boomers became the first generation with both leisure time and leisure money to fill that time outside of school.

My grandmother is from the Traditional Generation.  One evening I came to her house to pick her up for dinner.  My grandmother was having her evening cocktail when I arrived at her house.  I was in a hurry, and impatiently said to my grandmother 'Come on, let's go.'  (You can probably almost hear the snappish tone in my voice as you read this!)  My grandmother replied, 'Let me finish my drink.'  I said 'Throw it out, we will buy you another one at the restaurant.'  She said, 'I will not waste my drink by throwing it out and I will not waste my money by ordering a drink at the restaurant.'  'Don't worry,' I said, 'I will pay.'  'You Can't afford it.'  she said.  'Save your money!'

I know this behavior makes sense to my grandmother.  She survived a level of poverty during the Great Depression that I can not even imagine.  Her behavior still seems slightly odd and a little funny to me.

Some of you may be familiar with this syndrome on another level. I call it the 'tin foil influenza.'  A participant one of my seminars  told me that in secret she and her brothers and sisters call their grandmother the 'Tin Foil Lady.'  Anytime after her grandmother has visited, the refrigerator is full of little pockets of food wrapped in tin foil.  She refuses to throw any amount of food away.

The Traditional Generation had created a set of rules to follow and live by.  These rules made sense to the Traditional Generation and the Traditionalists were frequently successful following the set of rules they had created.  The Baby Boom generation did not have the same signposts in place to make the rules of the traditional generation relevant or nearly as significant.  As the Baby Boomers reached their late teens and early twenties, they began to question and challenge the rules, and their success was often embodied in their challenges to the Traditionalist rules.

In downtown Phoenix, Arizona, (the city I was born in) there is a building that once was an all black high school.  As late as 1950, this school operated as a segregated institution.  Baby Boomers questioned school segregation and as a result of Brown vs The Board of Education, the casual acceptance of segregation was gone forever.

During the 1950's, if you were a woman and you were going to have a job, the available jobs were few and strictly circumscribed. Some of the acceptable jobs included teacher, nurse, hair dresser, or telephone operator.  I use the word 'job' judiciously: women did not, by and large, have a career.  These jobs were not considered a career: It was something you did until (hopefully) you were married and had children.  The women's movement changed all that.

Baby Boomers continue to be the largest generation in the workforce.  With advances in medicine and plastic surgery, the Baby Boomers continue to challenge our preconceived notions when it comes to things like living, aging, traveling, politics, the environment and our communities.

Here are six things to consider when working with a Baby Boomer:

Want a challenge -  Baby Boomers see themselves as change provokers.  They make change happen.  Think of when Baby Boomers were in their 20s and 30s: they forced great changes in our society.  They continue to challenge our preconceived notions about success and aging as they move through the timeline.  Where can they make great changes in your organization?  Baby boomers coined the phrase “leave it better than you found it.”  Where are there challenges in you company or team?  Tell the Baby Boomer where the challenges are, get them involved in the vision, and they can probably devise a plan to get there.

Show them where they can make a difference- As Baby Boomers have aged they have become a little nostalgic for their altruistic past.  In the late 60s and early 70s, this meant working toward a common good.  Charitable donations from this generation are at an all time high.  Baby Boomers are looking to make a difference beyond the bottom line at their companies and organizations.  Every year, Xerox selects a handful of employees who are able to take a year off work to work with the charity of their choice.  They receive full pay, full benefits, and a guaranteed job upon their return. Target Stores gives back a portion of profits to in the communities in which they operate.  Other companies let employees get involved in fund raisers with local charities or allow so much time per month to donate to the local school.

Tell them what role they can play in the future- Where is the company going?  What role can they play?  As Baby Boomers move closer to retirement, they are becoming more concerned about healthcare and retirement packages.  How will the company help them meet their retirement goals?  Is there a 401k or stock options? What is the healthcare benefits package?  Is there a workout facility on site or nearby?  A rising concern for some Baby Boomers is an aging parent.  What is your company doing to meet the needs of this Boomer employee?  Is there flex time? Telecommuting?

Baby Boomers value personal relationships - Get to know each employee individually. We always benefit when we get to know people on an individual basis.  The Baby Boomer is known as the Team Worker, but don't let them get lost in the team.  You do not have to be a manager or supervisor to know a little bit about the people on your teams.  This is especially important if you are a Gen Xer managing a Baby Boomer.  Gen Xers tend to be more independent and may think no news is good news.  Remember that this is not true for everyone: your team members may need to have some more quality time with you.

Give public recognition - Assist them in getting name recognition. Even though they are team members, they want their individual efforts to be recognized.  If you manage Baby Boomers, can you get them invited to meetings to which they would normally not be invited? If you do not manage the Baby Boomer, you can still help them get recognition for their accomplishments by getting their name in an industry journal or writing something about them in the company newsletter or bulletin board.

Baby Boomers see themselves as learners - Coach rather than direct them.  Baby Boomers have fueled the self-help industry. They tend to be very savvy when it comes to management techniques.  You may find yourself customizing your approach with each of your different Baby Boomers

COMING NEXT!  X MARKS THE SPOT. GENERATION X MAKES ITS MOVE AND ITS MARK.

written by Meagan Johnson; copied here

(in "Dancing With Moose") with permission

Zap the Gap; Day Four

DAY FOUR
Zap the Gap
Solving the Multi-Generational Puzzle
5 day Mini-Course

Generation X

There are four generations in the workforce today: Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and New Millenniums.  The demarcation between each of these generations is determined by their respective birthrates.  When there is a significant change in the birthrate, it marks the end of one generation and the beginning of another.  For example, the Great Depression and WWII caused the national birthrate to decline.  Given the times, people were not inclined to have large families.  When the GI's came home from WWII in 1946, however, the birth rate took a dramatic jump upward hence, 1946 marks the boundary between the Traditional Generation and the Baby Boomers.  Likewise, as the Baby Boomers came of age in the 1960;s, the advent of the pill, the women's movement, and a variety of other social pressures led to many Baby Boomers to delay the starting of families.  Consequently, the birthrate dropped significantly, marking the beginning of Generation X, the smallest generation in recent
 history.

Every generation experiences signposts, both cultural and personal that influences its attitudes and behaviors.
For the Traditional Generation, the two big cultural signposts were the Great Depression and WWII.  On a personal level, it was having a sense of family upon whom you depended for survival.

For Baby Boomers, the prosperity of the 1950's, the war in Viet Nam, the Pill, and Watergate were large cultural signposts.  On a personal level, it was living in households where both parents were there, you were expected to go to college, and there was great peer pressure to dedicate yourself to some greater cause.

For Generation X, the cultural signposts that affected them included Watergate, the Iran Hostage Crisis, and the 1987 Stock Market Crash.  On a personal level, they were the first generation to have, in large numbers, both parents working.

Consequently, many Generation Xers came home from school to an empty house.  The term latchkey child emerged to describe this generation. Though not having a parent there when you got home from school sounds lonely, being a latchkey child had its advantages.  Upon arriving home from school, there were usually a list of chores waiting for them.  The rules said the chores had to be done before mom or dad got home, and the chores had to be done to an acceptable level of quality - much like work in the real world today.  It was up to the latchkey kids to decide when to start the chores and in what order they should be done.  Consequently, Generation Xer's today often have a powerful ability to work independently and to manage their time efficiently.

Generation X was also the first to have more than half its population live in a single parent household.  Fifty percent of Generation X comes from divorce.  Children of divorce often spend many hours alone waiting for a parent to come home.  Not fun to think about, but again, it contributed to Generation X's ability to work independently and alone.  In fact, they often prefer working solo to working with a team.

The down side of this preference for independence is that it often conflicts with traditional office paradigms.  Earlier ideas, like “you are only working if you are sitting at your desk,” and “everyone must work together as a team,” often fall flat with Generation Xers.  What matters most to the Gen Xer is the end result.

Generation Xers often prefer independent assignments, where they can set their own schedules, choose their own places to get the work done, and take care of the details themselves. This can seem very un-team-like.  Even the sports they choose tend to be non-team oriented: skiing, snowboarding, roller-blading and mountain biking.  Sports that can be played with others or alone. Sports that do not depend on others to win.

Television was a signpost for Generation X.  Baby Boomers had T.V. while growing up, but it was just ONE BLACK AND WHITE T.V.  To a Gen Xer, that is not T.V., that's torture.  Television for Baby Boomers was an information source that the family watched together.  With the advent of cable T.V., television became an entertainment source for Gen Xers, customized to their individual tastes.  In addition, a household with only one T.V. was not a household worth visiting in the mind of a young Gen Xer.

With entertainment and independence being two strong signposts for Gen Xers, there was bound to be conflict in the workplace, where one is expected to do the same thing day after day.  If you are working with a Gen Xer, be prepared for them to ask you, “why?”  when you give them tasks.  “Why?”  does not necessarily mean why do they have to do the task so much as “why are we doing it that way in first place.”

Your best defense to the 'Why?'-asking Gen Xer is to know why and explain.  We sometimes fall into the old answer 'because that is the way we have always done it.'  This answer does not cut it with a Gen Xer.  Remember, these folks are used to operating independently and figuring out the best and most efficient way to get those chores done.  When you work with a Gen Xer, be clear as to which old rules, policies and procedures are important to adhere to and be able to explain why they are important. Then, be open to updating or changing other policies and procedures.

One area where it would be easy to give power to Generation Xers is titles.  A seminar participant told me she loved her job but hated her title.  I asked her what it was.
 'Space Manager,' she replied.
 'What does that mean?'  I asked.
 'I don't really know.'  She said.  'I think it's because I am responsible for seeing that our products are placed on the shelves of our retail outlet customers and making sure we don't lose space to our competition.  But I think it's a stupid title.'

It would be so easy and fun to let choose her choose own title. It costs the company nothing and goes miles with the employees in creating good will.

If you work with or manage Gen Xers here are six things you can do to find the best ones and get the best from them:

1. In the interview before hiring, include the phrase “we want you to have a life” at least three times.  It doesn't matter if you are in an actual interview or just working with a Gen Xer.  Show respect for their outside life.  Baby Boomers more than any other generation have made their career their identity.  For Gen Xers, career and work are a means to have a fulfilling life outside of work.

2. During the interview and afterward, include the phrase “'hands off supervision” at least three times. Generation Xers like to be allowed to figure things out.  This does not mean you throw them into a hole without any resources.  Just give them the tools they need to get the job done, make sure they are capable of doing the job, and then give them some freedom to get it done.

3. Establish a meritocracy.  Xers want to know their ideas are valued on merit, not seniority. If you want to alienate an Xer and have them quit in two seconds, promote someone because they have been around longer, or are the boss's pet, rather than because their work is superior.

4. Tell them the industry or company is going to change. Xers see change as an opportunity.  Xers have been living with change all their lives.  They experienced changing cities, schools and families. In an Xers mind, when a change occurs, the door of opportunity opens.  Many Xers are looking for experiences in the workplace that will benefit them in future positions.  One way to feed Gen Xers' desire to learn new things is to have them job swap.  Another is to provide lots of opportunity for lateral promotions.  If you can give a Gen Xer the opportunity to learn a new skill or have a new experience that will strengthen his or her resume for future work, you've just given her or him a reason to stick around and contribute more.

5. Words like “warm” & “humane” are important to Baby Boomers. Xers, on the other hand, respond to words like 'fun' & 'relaxed.'  A study commissioned by Deloit & Touche found that the top two words an Xer would use to describe the ideal working environment are  “fun”  and “relaxed.”  Ask your Xers what could be done in the work place to create a more fun and  a relaxed atmosphere.  The answers could be very easy and inexpensive.

6. Give them a list of people to call if they have questions. Let them know who else is out there that could be of help to them.  Do not make one person their sole contact for information. A variety of information sources gives the Xer an opportunity to have a big picture view of the company.

NEXT SEGMENT
THE BABY BOOMERS ARE NOT DONE YET! THEY CREATED THE SECOND BOOM IN THE BIRTH RATE WITH  THE NEW MILLENNIUM GENERATION. THIS GENERATION DOES NOT HAVE TIME FOR THE MICROWAVE, PITIES YOU IF YOU ARE ON DIAL UP AND THEY DON'T READ A NEWSPAPER. 

written by Meagan Johnson; copied here

(in "Dancing With Moose") with permission

Zap the Gap; Day Five

DAY FIVE
Zap the Gap
Solving the Multi-Generational Puzzle
5 day Mini-Course

Day #5 New Millennium

As Baby Boomers have aged, they have become nostalgic.  If you look at advertising campaigns, you see successful advertisers using icons from Baby Boomers' youth to sell them products today. Mercedes Benz played Janis Joplin's Lord Won't You Buy Me A Mercedes Benz.  Microsoft played the Rolling Stones during their commercials, Nike used the Beatles to sell shoes and Cadillac used Led Zeppelin to sell their new SUV.  Part of the nostalgia for Baby Boomers is fueled by the families they are starting after they postponed them in the 60's and early 70's.  After 1980, the birth rate began to climb again.  This is the New Millennium Generation, or the Echo Boom.  There are 72 million New Millenniums.  (Remember, there are 77 million Baby Boomers.)

There are similarities to this generation and the Baby Boom generation.  Both generations were born during a time when it was extremely popular to have children.  Right now, the Stay at Home Parent is becoming as popular as the dual income family was during the 80?s.  Both generations were born during a time when their families and the workplace wanted them.  Even with the slowdown in the economy, minimum wage jobs targeted to this generation are still in abundance.

Ten percent of this generation comes from a single parent family. The majority of the New Millennium generation comes from Baby Boomer parents.  Some parents have gone to extreme medical and financial expense to have children.  Advances in medicine have allowed people to have children later in life.

Although this generation is similar in size to the Baby Boom generation, there  are .  Employers call them  the “group thinks generation.” Many parents see their children as safer if they are participating in activities with friends.  High school principals have seen a rise in popularity of kids going to prom in a group, rather than as couples.  Employers find themselves faced with the dilemma of wanting to hire one teen, but the condition for employment is to hire the teen's friends too.
Baby Boomers have taken some of the energy and time they dedicated to their careers and are focusing that time on their families.  We do not refer to this generation as latchkey.  We use words like Soccer Mom and Stay at Home Dad to describe the New Millennium Generation's home life.

This is a generation that is scheduled to the hilt.  They have pre-school groups, after school activities, clubs, parties, college prep and volunteer participation to attend.  (Some parents schedule so intensively for their children because it's their perception that as a result, the university application will look well rounded.

Most Baby Boomers learned to use computers at work.  They became familiar with computers and how to use them in the workplace and then brought the computer into the home.  Most Gen Xers learned to use computers in school.  The New Millennium Generation grew up with the computer.  As a result, the computer is about as challenging or impressive as the toaster.  We turn to the NM's for advice on how to make our computer program go, move and sing. We take them with us to the computer superstores to help us navigate through all the cables, monitors, speakers and wires. For something as indispensable to us as the computer, it's funny to think that we depend on a pierced, tattooed teenager whose main concern in life at the moment is deciding between fries and onion rings to give us advice and take care of us and our computer needs.

As a result of turning to the N.M. Generation for advice regarding the computer, this generation has become part of the family decision making tree.  Advertisers are now targeting this generation to sell adult items.  The Dodge van used a tag line about how much the kids will love the back seat.  Cruise lines use Disney characters to sell cruises to the youngest members of this generation.  Hotels are putting together comprehensive activity packages to entice people with their children.  Ten years ago, Club Med appealed to the single person.  Look at a Club Med ad today, and you will see pictures of families on a beach.
Employers struggle with this generation.  They often expect to receive the same peer to peer treatment they get at home, at work.  Here are six things you can do differently when working with or managing someone from the New Millennium generation:

Give moral support
They are easily intimidated by difficult customers. Everyone knows that babies cry.  But until you have your first baby, you don't really KNOW babies cry.  This is analogous to The New Millennium Generation in the workforce.  They know a job will not always be fun and exciting, but they do not KNOW it until they start working. Give them a shoulder to lean on through some of the challenging times.  After a while, most of us develop a thick skin but we occasionally still let that very irritating customer or co-worker get to us.  Think about the New Millennium Generation. They do not have the thick skin or the tools to deal with that pain in the butt customer or co-worker.  Give them moral support when a customer yells at them, and give them advice on how to handle 'Bizzybody Bob' from across the hallway.  If you do not take some time to give this generation a hand, they will think it is the company that is the rotten place, and that another job wouldn't have the difficult custo
 mers and co-workers.

More structure & supervision

NM's have had a more structured upbringing than a Gen Xer. (Structured does not necessarily mean disciplined.)  A family fun park I worked with created a set of red rules and blue rules.  (A family fun park has rides and video games.)  When an employee is first hired, they wear a red T-shirt and all rules are red rules. Red rules are very specific and typically deal with safety and employee etiquette.  An example of a red rule would be that all customers must wear a safety belt on a ride.  Another example of a red rule would be that employees are not allowed to spit.  The manager explained the spitting rule this way:
 “This is the first job for many kids and they just do not know they are not supposed to spit while on the grounds.  I do not think they are being rude or disrespectful; they just do not understand.  If it is in the rule book that we read to them and they sign on the first day of employment, they at least have been told.'

Once employees prove they can follow the red rules, they get a blue T-shirt.  Once they are at the blue level, they can break blue rules.  Blue rules are judgement calls.  An example would be a family's request to extend their time on a ride.  Technically, the ride should be over, but there is nobody waiting in line for the ride.  Can the employee let the customers ride a little longer?  A red t-shirted employee can not make that decision but they can call over a blue t-shirted employee to make the decision.  This blue rules/ red rules system ensures that the employees who will be making customer service decisions have a grasp of the basic groundwork rules and regulations.

Create a clear picture of what is acceptable and what is not
If dress code is important, be very specific what is expected. Be clear about what time work starts and what behavior is expected when they are sick or late.  Explain the consequences and follow through.  If the employee can not follow these basic rules, get rid of them ASAP.  If you keep making excuses for the weak player, the strong, reliable employees will resent it.

Frequent rewards
This is the generation who stood in from of the microwave and said 'Come on!  I don't have 30 seconds!' Organizations spend money and time trying to recruit new employees.  After romancing the new hire, they put the new hire on PROBATION for the first 90 days.  What a happy word!  Once probation is over, the new hire may get a review and then probably does not get another review for 6 months to 1 year.  If the average job stay is two years managers are giving employees feedback 2 - 4 times during their entire employment.  There is no surprise that New Millenniums find reviews a waste of time.  Give the N.M. more instant feedback.

Learn their goals
Why are they working?  If they are still in high school, they probably are earning some extra money for an extracurricular activity.  Get to know their interests. Team them up with them. According to Teenage Unlimited Research, the New Millennium Generation names the Traditional Generation as the one they respect the most; so team your NMers with your Traditionals.  This is another great way to tap into your Traditional Generation's experience.

Help them have FUN at work

According to the Wall Street Journal, we spend 90% of our waking hours at work.  Shouldn't some of it be fun?  Ways to make fun at work include: Treasure Hunt - a cable company periodically puts people on teams and creates a treasure hunt.  The treasure hunt can be goofy and it can be useful.  One employee said after the treasure hunt: “I never knew where we kept the copier paper.” Life Board a communications company put up a pushpin corkboard in the break room.  Every week the board is assigned to a different employee.  The employee can put things on the board that represents his or her life outside of work. One manger commented, 'This is a great way to learn about the outside interests of our employees.  It provides a connection.'

The New Millennium generation is our opportunity to battle our signpost myopia and put our thumbprint on the future, Good Luck.

Your generational guide,
Meagan Johnson
Meagan@MeaganJohnson.com

Meagan Johnson
Bright, funny and delightfully obnoxious, Generational Humorist!
Bright, funny and delightfully obnoxious, Meagan is known as the Generational Humorist!  If you think you have heard all there is to hear about the four different generations in the workplace, you have not heard Meagan's hilarious spin on how to attract, train, market, manage, and retain people from every generation and not strangle someone in the process. You get to laugh while acquiring tools you can use immediately to improve your multi-generational relationships with clients, customers and co-workers.

written by Meagan Johnson; copied here

(in "Dancing With Moose") with permission