What are your plans for all that leftover Halloween candy?
Here's an idea, send someone a sweet message.
How will you use yours?
One man's trash is another man's treasure
This is true on the job as well. Everyone has different interests and preferences.
Here's an idea. Take time to ask team members what they enjoy. Make a list of these interests and then get creative, play Match.com with your tasks. If you are lucky, what one person finds engaging is something that another person finds tiresome.
- Do you have someone who likes to teach? They could be your internal trainer.
- How about someone who enjoys a sense of completion? They could take on some reorganization projects.
- Maybe you have a social convener in the mix, they could plan the next staff outing or meeting.
The more you tap into people's personal interests, the greater the team's overall success.
What's your favorite part of your job?
How do you define work?
Older generations say “Work is a place you go.”
Younger generations say “Work is a thing you do.”
Hmmm. What friction might that cause?
Younger generations in the workplace are challenging dress codes and office hours. They say they should be judged on their skills and output, not on their business suit or start times.
Older generations were raised to get a competitive edge with the original face time; parking by the door to show their dedication, showing up early, staying late and dressing to impress.
What are we to do with these differences?
Flex.
Young, innovative, tech savvy workers would do well to respectfully inquire about processes and procedures. Wise, experienced workers should aim to catch themselves before saying “but we’ve always done it this way” and instead be curious about new ideas.
Celebrate good times, Come On!
It’s not just a fun song, it’s a good idea if you are trying to engage Millennials in your workplace.
But celebrating means different things to different generations. Try these ideas to bridge the gap.
Celebrate Performance – Reward Baby Boomers with title changes and raises. Reward Millennials with feedback, swag and gift cards.
Mentorship Programs – Tap into Boomers’ wealth of experience, let them share their knowledge as a way to pass along advice to those who are just starting out. Feeling valued for their knowledge is motivational. Tap into Millennials’ desire to learn and share their tech, social, global savvy. Making projects move faster is rewarding.
Smaller Teams – Less people = greater productivity = more value and more recognition.
Challenging Assignments – Baby Boomers thrive on challenges, and clear goals. Millennials thrive on collaboration, and efficiency. Give Boomers the tough stuff that calls upon their vast wealth of experience and knowledge and pair them with the Millennials who can offer a new perspective.
The first project might be deciding on what and when to celebrate in the office!
Kool and the gang had it right…
There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you…
Number 5 is Alive!
Do you remember that line from the 1986 movie, Short Circuit? It was uttered in reference to Johnny 5, the adorable, input-seeking robot who was brought to life by a lightning strike.
What’s my point? Like Number 5, Millennials like input. Why? They were given so much input and feedback while growing up that they’ve come to expect it in the workplace.
This is good news! If you’ve got workers who are under 32 years old, tell them what they are doing well, tell them what they are doing wrong, keep it casual and tell them often. It will engage them and it will educate them.
Missing Link
President John F. Kennedy was visiting NASA headquarters for the first time, in 1961. While touring the facility, he introduced himself to a janitor who was mopping the floor and asked him what he did at NASA. The janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”
What would your team say if you asked them “what do you do?”
We’ve been busy delivering workshops on Maximizing a Multi-Generational Workplace and one important technique is to make a clear link between the young employee’s job and the company’s purpose.
But wait, the story above is from 1961! Oddly enough, many of the techniques that help engage Millennials work for the rest of us too.
Moral of the Story: We all want to know that our work is important and that we matter.
So go ahead and ask your employees what they do, or what would happen if they weren’t there.
If it’s not powerful, help them shoot for the stars. Even if they miss they’ll land on the moon.
Words of Wisdom
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." - Mark Twain
Don't wait for someone to make your day, make theirs and enjoy the feeling.
