What Does Flexibility Mean in the Workplace? The Answer Might Surprise You
“Young People Are Going To Save Us All From Office Life,” cheered the headline of a recent New York Times article that caught my eye. As the article explored, flexibility is often cited as the highest priority for newer professionals as they evaluate jobs. But I would argue that, in our current five-generation environment, workplace […]
3 Effective, Budget-Friendly Tips for Saying Thanks to Your Employees
Happy Thanksgiving! Today, I want to talk about how to say thanks to your employees without breaking the bank. It’s wonderful to add dollars to a holiday bonus, but money is rarely the top contributor to employee happiness. Acknowledgement and gratitude, however, go a long way in increasing employee production and long-term job satisfaction. So […]
Are You Offering the Benefits Your Employees Expect?
You might believe your benefits package is top-notch, but would your employees agree? Possibly not: A surprising 36% of respondents to Capital One’s 2019 Work Environment Survey say that their company offers none of the benefits they expect. This, of course, can have a major impact on your workplace morale and productivity. I promise this is […]
Stop the Generational Shaming!
Here is a quotation that I share in my training programs on generational diversity: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today.” In what era do you think this was written? This week’s Economist? A political speech from the 1960s? The Roaring Twenties? […]
The Great Generational Changeover: What It Means That Millennials Are Now America’s Largest Generation
I’m often asked why there is so much attention right now to generational differences. Haven’t people of different generations always worked together? The answer is yes, but the bigger story is that few people realize how dominant one specific generation has been for about the past half-century. Yes, I’m talking about the Baby Boomers. The […]
Mental Health at Work: Workplace Design Matters for All Generations
My speaking engagements frequently take me to college campuses, where I have the opportunity to connect with professors and administrators about the hot topics on their campuses. For the past few years, I’ve been struck by the number of times leaders at a wide variety of colleges and universities have talked to me about the […]
Gen X, The Forgotten Middle Child: Is it any wonder that our theme song is “Don’t You Forget About Me?”
If you want to know how Gen X feels, look no further than a recent news segment. As CBSNLive reported on generations, their chart looked…well, wrong. Hmmm…what could be missing? Just Gen X. Forgotten. Again. I promise this post is not a rant. Rather, it’s an explanation of who we (yes, I am a proud […]
5 Must-Read Books for Career Success
When I reached out to dozens of colleagues to ask what their favorite people management book was, The One Minute Manager received the most mentions. Consider this super-short book a “management for dummies” that’s really very smart. My all-time favorite book on networking. As you might guess from the title, Never Eat Alone is about why […]
Generation Z: What Every Leader Needs to Know (Updated for 2019!)
So, while decoding the Millennial mindset is still an important part of the work I do as a multigenerational workplace speaker and consultant, much of my clients’ attention is turning to the next generation, Gen Z, whose members were born starting in 1997 and represent the youngest of the unprecedented five generations in the U.S. […]
How to Manage Millennial Lawyers? Hint: Become a Better Manager, Period.
What is the secret to better managing today’s Millennial attorneys (the generation defined by the Pew Research Center as those born between approximately 1981 to 1996)? The answer is surprising to many: after more than 15 years of studying intergenerational workplaces, I have concluded that the secret to better managing today’s Millennial attorneys is not […]