In this follow-up to my previous “Don’t Judge Me” blog, we explained why millennials (and for that matter, people of any age) really do want to be judged… as long as they are being judged favorably. (No one is offended when they’re told how good they look, right?) This post will take this topic deeper…
Messages about individuality have hit today’s youth nonstop from all directions. They’re constantly reminded that they are perfect just the way they are, that they have to be their own brand, and to never surrender their personal identity. No wonder your young workers arrive in the workplace thinking, “This is how I choose to look…
Two of my five adult children (millennials in their thirties) are avid users of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. Even though I’m writing this advice to them, it’s intended for the masses. Hey guys – it’s your old man here with some “unsolicited advice.” If you read it without bias, it could really help you. If you…
$1.5 Billion is a whole lot of loot. An almost unfathomable amount. It is, by far, the largest jackpot in the history of any Powerball or any type of lottery anywhere on the planet. While it’s hard to imagine being the winner, try to imagine that the winner turns out to be the top performer on your…
My appointment was scheduled for 9:50am and I had arrived 5 minutes early. At 10:20 I was still seated in the waiting area growing more frustrated by the minute. (Full disclosure: I’m what you might call a “Type A++”). At 10:16, I was ushered back to the dental chair and was welcomed by the dental assistant…
Just about every company in existence was started by someone (or several people) who saw an opportunity to make money in the marketplace. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. But one company – a high tech software firm based in Minneapolis – was started by three guys (who each self-identify as ‘nerds’) with the singular goal…
A great workplace culture does more than merely share timely and relevant information with its employees; it goes to great lengths to listen to them and digest that feedback. Employee surveys can be useful tools, but by themselves they’re not enough to truly know what your people are thinking. There’s no survey, assessment, or digital app…
In Western cultures, the transition from school-to-work-to-career generally happens between the ages of 16-to-24. This is a period of explosive personal growth when an individual crosses over from a dependent child to an independent adult who no longer relies on their parents to provide food, clothing, shelter, laundry services, and gas money. (This transition is not happening as early…
Regardless how they obtain the skills they need for the job, employees worth their paycheck have the desire to get better at what they do. They want to acquire and develop new skills, talents, and abilities that will help them increase their value to their present employers and other prospective employers. To ignore your employees’ need…
It’s astounding how often it happens… You’re in a conversation with a sales person, service representative, or an associate of an organization and you ask a question or make a passing comment about something that’s happened within their company — something interesting that made the headlines or the evening news — and they look at you as…