A recent survey done by Monster.ca that had 1263 Canadians respond says that four out of ten said a multi-generational workplace ‘adds some challenges to their jobs’.

22% of respondents said taht having a multi generational workplace provided a learning opportunity while 27% said people at their workplace do not even notice the ages of others. 9% said their workplace was not multi-generational.

In a separate poll of 2182 participants, roughly 50% said younger Canadians, Generation Xers born between 1965 and 1980 and Gen Y’s have the most challenges dealing with baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964.

The key in this era of recruitment is for organizations to have a multi-generational strategy that includes flex time, flex hours, paid sabbaticals, parent care, child care and may other benefits that appeal to workers at various stages of their lives.  

Have you ever had something almost happen to you that if it had you would have been mortified? That happened to me recently and talk about a humbling experience. One of the messages in my writing, consulting and speaking is authenticity and I certainly was tested to see if I could be authentic while in a potentially mortifying situation.I won’t share all of the details with you but lets just say that I had a situation and handled it and after it was over the client was laughing, I felt vulnerable yet powerful and all went well. The point here is that it is good to get humbled every once in a while. It certainly caused me to laugh at myself and avow to not take myself much too seriously from here on in. I know, I know you are dying to know what happened aren’t you? That’s it for now.

A study involving 385 employees responding to a survey asking if their boss is a control freak with 68% of the respondents with a male boss and 32% with a female boss. The overall result was that 61% said their bosses were control freaks.

The study was conducted by Anna Johnson author of, “How to Manage People (Even if you are a Control Freak) published in July 2006.

Her study was revealing in that so many women managers were seen as control freaks. This might be because women micro manage by doing more and delegating less or because women tend to manage with a more hands on style.

The fact is that there are positive aspects of control such as controlling vision, providing direction, setting up structure and systems, communicating regularly these aspects of being a control freak are to be nurtured and seen as strenghts.

The negative aspects of control are when a boss is being overbearing, over crticical, not willing to delegate, gathering all praise for themselves, being non-flexible and a non team player.

I am gathering data for my book, The Control Freak Revolution- Make your Most Maddening Behaviors Work  for Your Company and To Your Advantage. Please send me an email with a story or anecdote in which you have experienced positive control by a boss or have worked with or are working with an extreme control freak.

I look forward to hearing from you: info@cherylcran.com