Helicopter Parents in the Workplace: It Happens and It Needs to Stop
The concept of helicopter parents buzzing around the workplace, just like they hovered and swooped on the elementary school soccer field, sounds like a joke. No doubt you’ve heard of this phenomenon — parents sitting in on interviews or calling to re-negotiate a child’s compensation package. NBA recruit Lonzo Ball has recently received a ton […]
Managing Millennials Q&A: What Benefits Do Millennials Really Want?
Note to readers: This is the fifth post in my new series based on questions I frequently hear about managing millennials — those ongoing management challenges that can really make or break workplace relationships. Each month I’ll tackle a question and provide some advice for managers and millennials (and, of course, millennial managers). I hope […]
Generation Z: What Every Employer Needs to Know
While millennials in the workplace have dominated our thinking about generations for years, we are learning more every day about their successors: Generation Z. Now is officially the time to get serious about Gen Z (the generation born approximately 1998 and later), especially if you hire interns or entry-level employees. The good news is that […]
The One Conversation That Can Instantly Improve Your Career
Do you generally prefer emailing, texting or talking on the phone? Do you love it when people write their whole message in the email subject line or does it make you cringe? How do you feel about voicemail? Emoticons? Infographics? What these types of questions reveal is commonly known as your “communication style,” that is, […]
Lazy. Selfish. Financially Flighty. 5 Millennial Myths Busted
We’ve all heard so many myths about millennials. And, of course, they’re mostly super negative. If you’re a regular reader of my blog (thank you!), have heard one of my presentations or have watched my TEDx talk, you know I spend a lot of time trying to dispel millennial myths, especially among different generations at […]
The End of Voice Mail and the Future of Work
I recently led two corporate training sessions for millennial professionals struggling to engage with their Gen X and baby boomer colleagues. While we discussed several macro issues – such as the millennials’ desire for more feedback and training – we also dealt with some of the small issues that cause friction between the generations. The […]
Generation vs. Generation: How Can We All Get Along at Work?
You probably just think of yourself as you, not part of a massive demographic group. But seeing yourself as a member of a generation is valuable, because it can help explain why your motivations, preferences and work style may seem different from those of your colleagues. Below is a quick primer on each of the […]
SHRM Foundation Report Offers Insights into Millennials and the Evolving World of Work
An aging workforce is leading to the departure of many high-level and experienced employees, leaving a huge void of expertise and established skills. At the same time, the Millennials, the youngest generation of employees in the workforce has been found to be restless and hard for employers to retain, according to the Society for Human […]
When Baby Boomers and Millennials Become Colleagues: An Interview with Lauren Stiller Rikleen
Lauren Stiller Rikleen is a nationally recognized expert on developing a thriving, diverse and multi-generational workforce. As president of the Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership, Lauren conducts workshops, speaks at conferences, retreats, and professional events, and provides training programs focusing on: unconscious bias; strengthening intergenerational relationships in the workplace; and women’s leadership and advancement. Lauren […]
Are Millennials Really That Different from Other Generations in Today’s Workplace?
One of the questions I hear most often when I give presentations on managing generational differences in the workplace is: Are Millennials really that different from previous generations entering the workplace? In other words, haven’t older employees been bemoaning “kids today” for generations? My answer: Yes. And no. Yes, managers have always worried about their […]