Gallup Q12

I was raised and taught that everyone has a job to do, and that he should do it to the best of his ability, and by doing so he has earned the praise he deserves, but shouldn't expect praise everday for doing what he was paid to do. By doing what he was paid to do, keept him (or her) from being fired. What is your commet to this? I Worked in a sawmwill from first light to setting sun, for five dollars a day, and was glad to get it! I Have worked in the fields from break of day to setting sun, just so my mother would have food to feed us kids! Today the younger generation acts like we owe them something, and that we should be honored that they are working for us (my son top of the list.) I beleive that when I hire someone to do a specific job, this is the job that they should do, and not be standing in line ever day wagging their tails for a pat on the head, like my dog! Any return comments welcome; William Johnson

William,

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

I do believe that your observations are quite accurate and that the world is changing very rapidly around us, both from a technological and a behavioral perspective. I'm a Baby Boomer and it's a very different environment we're trying to manage people in than the one that I (and from the sound of it, you) were raised in.

Every generation is shaped by the events, leaders, developments and trends of its time as well as by their parents (who were shaped by the impactful events that occur during their formative years as well.)

My parents, the Silent Generation or Traditionalists, were shaped by WWII and the Great Depression. They understood that the rainy day does indeed come and that you'd better prepare for it by working hard and setting something aside.

Baby Boomers were influenced by the Cold War, Vietnam, Watergate, the Equal Rights movement, credit cards, the moon landing, and one of the greatest periods of abundance ever experienced by any generation.

Gen X was impacted by the fall of the Berlin Wall, AIDS, MTV, the OKC bombing, Clinton/Lewinsky, Desert Storm, the emergence of the home computer and Internet, the rise of video gaming and a continuation of abundance.

For Gen Y/Millenials Columbine, 9/11, Katrina, the second Iraq war, the current financial crisis, email, texting and social networking have helped shape their behaviors. This is also a generation that largely was rewarded for simply participating. They've seen their parents toil and sacrifice for middle class security that is now in some jeopardy. All of these events have shaped them.

There's no doubt that the Millenials are a handful, particularly for us Boomers. They are extremely peer oriented and seek instant gratification. For them it's all about lifestyle and friendship. On Sixty Minutes, Morley Safer referred to them as "narcissistic praise-hounds."

But there are two sides to every coin. This is also a generation that is incredibly resourceful and creative. They are phenomenal multi-taskers. They have excellent technological tools in a time that rapid technology advances are leaving many Boomers by the wayside (not too unlike when I'd have to drive to my mother's house in the 80's to reset the blinking 12:00 on her VCR on a weekly basis).

And they will outnumber Boomers in the workforce at some point in the next 18 months.

My point is that we won't get this Genie back into the bottle. We can either see it as a problem or find the opportunity. As leader's we are tasked with getting results. That means that we Boomers will have to adapt our style to the needs of our employees. In this case we must focus on coaching more and bossing less...we must become half shrink, half diplomat...and yes, we must give more frequent "pats on the head."

None of us really like change, but as former US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki said, "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less."

I believe that making these shifts in thinking and behavior is the difference between thriving and irrelevance.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Shane Smith