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I am right in the edit phase of my new book, “101 Ways to Make Generations X, Y and Zoomers Happy at Work” and I am quite excited about this book.
In it there is research and practical ideas on how to create a workplace that appeals to all of the generations. Happy generations means more productivity, more innovation and ultimately gaining a more competitive advantage.
I was interviewed by Can West media last week and the full story about the positive future for Gen X is here:
In the USA Today October 14th issue they did a quick poll asking organizations whether their company’s professional development programs changed compared to 12 months ago- here are the responses:
45% said there has been no change
26% said yes reduced
28% said yes expanded
1% said don’t know
The good news is that a combined total of 73% of companies saw the need to continue professional development and a percentage of that actually spent MORE money on professional development. Fantastic news!
This shows that progressive companies recognize that training and development were areas that needed continued funding in order to be competitive post-recession.
It would be interesting to do a follow up survey a year from now asking the same companies how they are faring. My guess would be that the 26% who reduced their professional development will not have as high a competitive advantage as the companies who continued to invest in the education of their people.
There is a need for more learning, training and education in a fast changing and fast paced global economy and it’s great to see that companies see the value of investing in their people.
The well known trend site http://www.trendwatching.com always has fabulous information but a few things struck me as relatable to leaders and business owners that could make an immediate difference in client perception and in profitability.
#1- Free is the new expectation
Savvy customers today are ‘expecting’ something for free- not because they are entitled or are from a certain generation but because ‘free’ allows them to test your brand, use your brand and then speak your brand. An few examples:
Fed-Ex has been offering free printing of 25 resumes for job seekers
The luxury market is offering sample sizes through vending machines
A new website is rewarding brand ‘communicators’ with Amazon points
#2- What Is Your Motivating Reward?
What does your company offer and how can you leverage free or reward?
The new economy is about sharing resources and sharing in profits. The old model is that if someone gave us referral business we would graciously thank them and that would be it. It used to be enough- not anymore. Now the companies or individuals that are rewarding referrals generously are realizing the power of ‘paid word of mouth’.
An example is an event we were putting on- my team decided that we would generously pay referrals 20% and we would do it with gratitude. A measly 10% or a token of appreciation would not be enough of a reward and so we wanted to ‘go big’ with our thanks. This worked tremendously and the good will from those who referred business to us was incredible.
A not so favorable comparison is a recent promotion I received promoting a pretty pricey event which of course offered high value. There was no mention of a referral incentive- I though I would ask- and the answer I got was less than motivating. Now when I believe in a product or a person I will shout it from the rooftops BUT if you want to motivate me to mention or refer you from a top of mind standpoint then a referral reward that speaks to me will definitely help.
I am not alone in this- its no different when motivating sales the higher commission or the sweeter prize will become the sales professionals focus. If we want others to sell for us we need to find out what is important to them, what would be incentive for them and how we can ’share resources’ to increase value.
Welcome to the new economy!
I recently spoke at the MPI Mid America Conference in Lexington, KY and one of my presentations was on working with the generations in the workplace in turbulent times.
I was in the elevator coming down to set up for the presentation and I was joined by a gentleman who would be considered to be a Zoomer ( a modern Baby Boomer). I introduced myself and told him I was going to be presenting on the generations. His immediate comment was:
“Those Gen Y are having a reality check right now aren’t they? Now they know what it feels like to be in a recession.”
It got me to thinking and asking myself, “Is it possible that because Gen Y has not had experience with past recessions they do not have a context for this one?”
That thought then led to the next question to myself which was, “Is it also possible that the fear and cynicism of those of us who have been through previous negative experiences is causing us to ‘project’?”
We simply cannot compare ‘recessions’ and we also cannot ‘project’ our fear of past experiences on to the current generation. First of all they don’t believe the hype. Yes some of them may have lost their jobs and yes that is a wake up call at any age- but their concerns are not about the same things that would concern a Gen X or a Zoomer.
Gen Y’s have a natural born social structure supported by social media that as quick as they may have lost a job they have a friend who is telling them about another opportunity!
Zoomers who are using social media (FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Plaxo etc.) at varying levels are recognizing the benefits of being ‘connected’. If as a Zoomer you are choosing to remain a lone wolf or to figure things out for yourself then indeed YOU are in for a harsh reality.
It is easy to be more optimistic when you are connected and socially supported. It is also easier to be pessimistic when you are disconnected, wishing for things to return to the way they were and unwilling to change.
So in the end are Gen Y’s more optimistic than Zoomers?
Well the next time you drive by a high school, college or university take a look at the ‘mood’. You will likely see fist bumping, hugging, laughing, texting, and talking on cell phones. 
