Next Generation Next Destination

GENERATIONAL LOOK AT THE CAREER NARRATIVE

Welcome to *Next Generation, Next Destination* Practice Development Counsel’s associate, Robin Ganek, who has provided this post from her Gen Y/Millennial view.

My organization said goodbye to around 15 administrative employees at the end of 2011 at a modest bon voyage ceremony with cake and a champagne toast.  The conference room buzzed with recounted memories and eagerness for sugar, until a tapped plastic cup hushed the room. The tribute was short but heartfelt, and it highlighted the contributions that this group had made throughout their time – an impressive average tenure of 20 years.  One had been with us for over 40 years, witnessing 8 different U.S. presidents in office throughout her career.

It was hard not to pause.  In just three months, I would celebrate my own milestone of four-years, the longest I have ever worked in one place.  Those four years went by quickly, but could I see spending another 16, or even 36?

It’s easy to see that the average time spent in a position is going down. Traditionalists and Baby Boomers may have expected to spend their career working at one organization, but Millennials like myself, and members of Generation X do not.  And while this dichotomy has some common and recognized consequences in the relationships between “resident” employees and more “transitive” ones, it also has ramifications for companies hoping to attract Generation Y into their ranks. One such ramification is a new emphasis on reputation.

One might expect that an employee who spends a relatively short period of time at an organization might not be as interested in that organization’s reputation, both as an employer and in their industry. Interestingly, we often see the opposite.  For Millenials, the mission, social responsibility, business standing and priorities - all elements of an organization’s reputation - are as important attributes of an employer.

The reason for this lies in storytelling. For Traditionalists or Baby Boomers who are defining their career and themselves in a single position, their work tells their story linearly, from their first project to their last, from their apprenticeship to their leadership. In 10 years, or 20, or 30 at an organization, your work literally speaks for itself—it defines who you are and what you do. For a member of Generation X or Y, the story contains flashbacks, jump cuts, side stories, and tangents.  Generations X and Y need to tell their own narrative, and that demands continuity from another source: a purpose, a goal.  The reputation of each organization on a Millennial’s resume speaks to this narrative.

When Millennials leave, they are not expecting a speech with a champagne toast and cake, but they are expecting to take with them the qualities that define that organization and to wear them proudly as they enter their next job.

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION: VISIONARY AND TIED TO REALITY

Consultant Alan Weiss wrote in his Monday Morning memo (1/9/12): “In corporate strategy, we paint a picture of the future and then "work backwards" to determine how to organize to reach it…. Why don't we start with a picture of future, productive work forces (knowledge-based, technical skills, globalized, working remotely, diverse stimuli, automated routine chores, etc.) and create both professional and trade education that will support it? Our current cookie-cutter concepts of curricula don't work now and aren't preparing students for the future. Organizations don't reach strategic goals by using techniques that led to old goals. They develop new techniques, resources, and ideas.”

Weiss was referring to education institutions, but what he wrote applies equally to most of the training provided by employers, even leadership and management education. With constant change in the marketplace and a disconnect between the skills of people looking for jobs and the types of skills in short supply, it is necessary for both employer-provided education/professional development and high school, college, graduate school and trade school education to be tied to future vision and global competitiveness needs. We need new definitions of “competence.”

What is being done in your workplace and in your profession to tie training to a strategic vision that will provide growth fueled by a workforce prepared to meet what the marketplace needs now and in the future, not in the past? Is your succession planning truly future oriented to meet the needs of rising generations?

 

 

2012 MARKETPLACE IS PREDATORS' PARADISE: BTI'S ADVICE

I recently attended a webinar by The BTI Consulting Group, Inc. providing an overview of corporate counsel survey results and advice for law firms desiring to compete favorably in what was called a “predators’ paradise” in the marketplace for services. In my opinion, the advice is relevant beyond the legal arena to any professional service or actually any business with which needs a strong client focus. So I offer this brief recap of salient points to my readers.  (For more details, contact me at pwhaserot@pdcounsel.com.) It is important information for members of any generation aspiring to attract and retain clients in the “new normal” economy.

• High client satisfaction rates are crucial to defending against predator competition.
• The more fronts  (practice or service areas) on which you can penetrate and serve the client, the more likely you are to keep the business.
• You must be strongly aligned with clients” marketplace objectives, thinking like them. Situation specific approaches garner higher fees.
• Start with identifying marketplace needs and work backwards to determine and develop what you will offer, with flexibility. The aim is to provide individual clients with semi-customized services and delivery, that is, customizing for each from processes and templates in place.
• Rapid change in external factors means processes and approaches may have to change every 18 months.  Firms that are static in their mindsets and offerings will only get commodity work, which pays on the lower end.
• Focus is critical. Have 5 or fewer strategic objectives in a 12-month period.
• Actively and specifically respond and anticipate clients’ changing needs and priorities.
• What clients said was most difficult to find is “commitment to help them” rather than focus on the service provider’s needs.
• The second most important goal for clients is to have providers who give the best value for the dollar. So they are looking for more value for less cost.

BTI’S ADVICE ON HOW TO THRIVE IN A PREDATORS’ PARADISE. 

ON TO THE NEXT NEW THING

In an interview in Adam Bryant’s New York Times “Corner Office” column, Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem Children Zone, gave his view that while many people in an organization are eager to try fresh new concepts and approaches, many of them forget to adhere to and reinforce ideas that already have proven to make the organization successful. He says to never forget the basics in order to stay great.

Yet we hear equally often that many people tend to resist new concepts and approaches.  Is eagerness to try new things and abandon the old to do something novel a generational trait or a matter of personal behavioral style?

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com

 

A NEW CORPORATE TREND? TRANSITIONING CAREER FELLOWSHIPS

Marc Freedman, Founder and CEO, Civic Ventures / Encore Careers, announced that Encore Fellowships have been established as a retirement benefit by the first company to embrace the idea in a big way, Intel.

Encore Fellowships – paid, part-time, yearlong assignments at local nonprofits – provide a new source of experienced talent to organizations solving social problems, while offering those who have finished midlife careers the chance to transition to encore careers in the nonprofit sector. Intel has become the first company to offer Encore Fellowships to all of its retiring employees in the United States.

Intel retirees who become Encore Fellows will get a $25,000 stipend and six months of health insurance coverage, both paid by Intel. “Retirement benefits are no longer just about retiring,” said Freedman. “Instead retirement benefits can help cover the costs of transitioning to a new, encore stage of work for the greater good.”

Forbes columnist Kerry Hannon wrote, “The end of corporate retirement benefits is an old story. The rise of retirement benefits, well that’s worth some hoopla.”

Do you think we will see this idea blossom into a real trend?  Should people be seriously thinking about this when they hit 50 or 55?

Do you have a story to tell to www.encore.org?

Phyllis Weiss Haserot     www.pdcounsel.com 

 

GEN Y RAISES THE BAR ON DIVERSITY

The Transformative Effect of Millennials/Gen Y

As a Cornell University Council member, I just spent 3 days on campus in Ithaca, NY at Trustee-Council Annual Meeting involved in a myriad of inspiring, intellectually stimulating, celebratory, and fun meetings, panels and activities. At least equally important was strengthening relationships with fellow alumni, faculty and staff and making new friends. When you have a strong community like that, you feel good and want to do good.

During that time, we heard so much from and about the positive attitude and amazing activities of the students. The one aspect I want to report here and now is the demand for diversity – all kinds. Just about every college in the U.S. is making efforts to recruit a diverse student population. As in the workplace, recruiting underrepresented minorities is easier than retaining them, owing to lack of critical mass and role models, unconscious bias, and insufficient supportive community networks and relevant, easily accessible information.

Both faculty and administrative staff reiterated their observations that confirm a significant attribute of the Gen Y/Millennial generation – the most diverse in history: diversity is expected; inclusion is a must. They said that students are pushing for diversity action and pioneering on their own. Students come to campus with both personal curiosity about people who are different from them and recognition that they need inter-cultural skills for their careers and their lives. They are not waiting for institutions to lead the way. Staff will step up to support them. University administrative staff expect a transformative effect on campus.

That is exciting. And beyond the campuses, employers must recognize the need to go beyond the existing steps to embrace diversity. Transformation is needed in the workplace as well to capitalize on the creativity and energy of the young generation as a competitive force. If not, they will not be able to retain the talent and engagement that increases productivity and innovation. 

Phyllis Weiss Haserot      www.pdcounsel.com 

LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS: How to Use the Intersection of Generations and Gender to Raise the Return for Everyone

Lately I find myself engaged in conversations, mostly raised by Boomers and the older half of Gen Xers about what might be called the intersection of gender and generations issues. Several women expressed the strong belief that women have actually made little or no progress in attaining leadership and management positions in the last 10 years except when it’s their own businesses.

At least a few women who talked with me believe that as a society we have adopted the habits of politically correct speech, and that has swept true attitudes under the rug and made it seem like women have reached a greater degree of equality in the corporate environment and media treatment than they actually have. They believe that we as a society have actually regressed. The other “symptom” is that having made some visible strides, men act as if the gap problem is solved, and there is less talk leading to action than there used to be 

On the other hand, my inbox continues to be filled with e-newsletters and updates from politically active groups, industry professional organizations and media watchdogs that persistently and energetically keep these issues in the forefront. Perhaps we are not getting the same mail and attending the same meetings?

Yes, I think we still have a long way to go. And I think the best strategy for achieving more success for everyone is to sincerely and substantively involve men in the solutions. Down with lip service. So here is one of the best opportunities to take advantage of the intersection with generational attitudes. The younger generations are not only accepting but also demanding all kinds of diversity. They see gender as less of an issue than their older colleagues do. 

Here are my reasons for optimism. (Yes, I am a born optimist, but one that doesn’t like being disappointed.) I emphasize that these are general patterns, not absolutes, and we need to recognize individual situation and avoid stereotypes.

• Gen Y makes smaller gender distinctions as to relationships, capabilities, ambitions, leadership and tenure than older generations do.
• Collaborative styles, which are comfortable for many women, are favored by the younger generations. Collaboration is necessary for solving ever more complex problems.
• With more women making purchasing decisions on the client side, more women and other diverse professionals will be designated to lead client teams and business development opportunities. Economic factors are strong attitude influencers.
• Younger men are about as focused on family (dual-centric) as women are and desirous of restructuring the workplace so it works better for people.
• Women are gradually learning the importance of rainmaking to their careers, the importance of getting sponsors, not just mentors, helping each other and learning to be more confident in negotiations.
• While unconscious bias is still common, a desire for rejuvenating professionalism among all generations (as revealed in the findings of the Practice Development Counsel survey soon to be released) will gradually shrink the gap in leadership and increase opportunities for women. Professionalism will increasingly trump gender biases.
• There is a growing awareness of the value of gender neutrality in producing organizational success.
• Everyone gets older – we can’t stop it – so more people with gender bias will be transitioning out of the workplace.

This is not occurring, and probably will not happen, fast enough to please women and accelerate the success of many businesses. But I believe it will happen faster if we take the focus off difference and involve stakeholders of all generations and genders in achieving common goals of productivity, client retention, succession planning and professional excellence.

This is a controversial subject, and we need to give it the attention it deserves. I urge you to send your comments, provocative or not.  Let’s keep a lively dialogue going.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com 

NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP - NAME THE STARS?

Should firms tell people they are “high potentials”? Most don’t. 

A recent report (October 2011) from Towers Watson found just 68% of 316 surveyed North American companies identify their high potential employees, but only 26% actually tell them they have been so designated.

Wouldn't letting them know be apt to inspire and motivate potentially star performers? The biggest fear is that labeling “high potentials” will alienate people who are not. Or it might create expectations the company cannot ultimately fulfill.

What do you think: to tell or not to tell? Please share your thoughts and comnents.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot     www.pdcounsel.com 

 

DO MERITOCRACY POLICIES WORK?

Sloan School of Management at MIT researchers found in The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations study that using a policy of meritocracy might do the opposite of expected results and result in management bias and disparate treatment for women and minorities.

Conventional wisdom suggests that if people perform better than others, they should be rewarded better. Instead, when study participants in what they believed was a meritocracy based company evaluated employees, they gave men an average of $50 more in bonuses than women in a study experiment. Further, women participants were as likely as men to discriminate against women according to the research reported in Human Resources Executive magazine (9/2/11). There was no evidence of bias when meritocracy was not mentioned. The study was co-authored by Emilio J. Castilla, an MIT/Sloan associate professor and Stephen Benard, an assistant professor at Indiana University. Castilla says the unequal treatment that he found in meritocracies could extend to minorities as well.

Despite the results of his survey, Castilla says that businesses should continue meritocracy -- after all, when it's implemented correctly, it's effective. "Although our findings identify the potential side effects of certain meritocratic conditions," he says, "businesses shouldn't abandon efforts to promote workplace fairness and equality [based on merit]."

How can managers avoid being too subjective in their evaluation decisions? Will using hard numbers solve the problem? Will hard numbers present the complete picture of factors that need to be evaluated? In addition to training for managers, giving a voice to employees being evaluated should help to bridge the gap and lead to better results. Please share your thoughts.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com   

 

"GENERATION 9/11"

Gen Y/Millennials are a generation that doesn’t like to be categorized. Nonetheless, they are – and we all are.

Last week (9/4/11) leading up to September 11, 2001 10^th anniversary observances, Joseph Kearns Goodwin was interviewed with his mom, historian (and baseball fan) Doris Kearns Goodwin, by David Gregory on “Meet the Press.” Joe had recently graduated from Harvard at the time and had enlisted in the military on September 12, 2001, motivated by the terrorist attacks.

Gregory asked him if 9/11 defines his generation. While acknowledging that the horrendous event and its aftermath was definitely an important formative influence, he doesn’t think it defines the generation. Rather, he said the Gen Y/Millennial generation sees what happens and goes on with their lives. That is his characterization of the generation. Nothing surprises them, and little shocks them.

There is resilience, he might say. Articles about the children of people killed on 9/11 point out their resilience, though there are many stories about the kids that are still coming to grips with how they were changed, still seeking recovery.

This generation, many with a great start in life and parental and other support, has been smacked in the face with 9/11, 2 seemingly endless wars and a relentlessly poor economy. How they will ultimately be defined is a work in progress.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com