Dear Event Planner, I Hate You. Sincerely, Your Speaker.

Dear Event Planner, I Hate You. Sincerely, Your Speaker.

Tips to Help you make your event a winner!  Collaboration, communication and  cooperation are the keys to getting maximum results from a speaker.

STRATEGIES TO BRIDGE THE GAP - Leading Millennials

Part two of a two part series.

Some of the effects of baby boomers having children later in life is the RAH RAH factor.

Millennials expect and need lots of praise because their Baby Boomer parents have been the biggest cheerleaders.  They are likely to mistake silence for disapproval and can easily become discouraged without verbal “strokes”.  Managers should make a special effort to tell Millennials what they are doing right; this doesn’t mean they need to be lenient on Millennnials but lots of feedback, positive and negative, is needed.

Expectations:

•          Millennials have expectations that the information they want will be provided in a timely, fast efficient manner. 

•          Feedback is important to Millennials and the more timely the better.  The use of technology will enable employers to measure employee performance, enable them to see how they compare with the others in the group, and Millennials will expect to know how they are doing instantaneously.

•          Communication, suggestions, feedback positive and negative needs to travel in both directions for Millennials.

How do you work with them?

•          Because they have grown up in a different world, it is critical to never assume that they understand even the most basic and common business “rules”  like:

–        You don’t want to talk to their mother when they are having problems.

–        You don’t get points for showing up or an A for effort.

–        The definition of plagiarism and cheating. “It depends what the definition is, is.“

–        They can’t use IM language in emails or reports.

–        It’s not okay to email the boss 10 times a day.

–        That when they email you at 3am, you’re not sitting on the other end waiting to respond to them.

–        The business office (and most others) closes at 5pm.

 Challenges faced when hiring and working with Milennials:

•          The level of technology in most companies. They expect the have the newest and latest gadgets. (phone, computer, tablet, etc.)

The lack of flexibility within most companies in regards to work environment.  “The day starts at 8 and ends at 5.” Historically this has been “The way it is” in the workplace and the baby boomer leaders must work to do creative things (telecommuting, split shifts, shared jobs, etc.) to keep them. When I say keep them it refers to both keep them at the company and keep them engaged a while at work. Most have seen and experienced little loyalty to a job. (look at today’s athletes hopping teams for more money).  The attention span is short and multi-tasking is the norm. (I don’t believe we can multi-task but ’ll address that in another venue)

Today’s new employee must be made to feel like they are doing “important” work and it will be a challenge for them.  They need to stretch and grow continually.  They have been taught to “get to the next level” (video games).  Training will be the biggest challenge that companies face. Can the company keep up with ongoing growth and training for their employees.

So the best way to lead and manage the new generation…
Learn how to communicate with them, understand they want to work but need to be shown how to work.  Mentoring works well as does coaching.  They understand the concept of a coach. We see too many young people coming into the workplace having always “won a trophy” for participation and not experienced loss or consequences of mistakes.  Let them make mistakes, it is how they will grow and mature. Its how the baby boomers learned, how their parents learned and their parents and…

 

Coach Rick Kolster is an executive coach who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be.

Rick@CoachRickkolster.com

www.CoachrickKolster.com
www.facebook.com/coachricksBALDTRUTH

 

 

 

BRIDGING THE GAP - Booomers to Millennials

Bridging The Gap:  Boomers to Millennials

We are going to look at the differences between generations and show what have been some of the major events that have impacted and shaped the way the millennial generation lives. Let’s view this from some distinct perspectives.

·         Societal Norms

·         Political Events

First it is important o know how we define the generations. As of today there are four generations that are still or are potentially still in the workforce as of today.  They are:

•          The Veterans (the Silent Generation or the Greatest Generation) 1922–1943

•          The Baby Boomers 1943–1964 (the largest generation) 84 million

•          The Gen Xers 1965–1982  (Lost generation, Half the size of baby boom)

•          Millennials/Echo Boom 1982-2002 (peak 1990 almost as large as the baby boom) 81 million

The largest part of the workforce today is the baby boomers, however they are steadily decreasing in numbers and being replaced by the Gen X/and Millennials. With the changing work force and workplace make up there comes a plethora of challenges. Communication style and methods, work ethic, life priorities, etc.  Some of the issues are the way that we connect as well as our expectations of the younger generation.

Generation Y -  follow Gen X  and are also known as the Net Generation - internet, cell/smart phones, computers, infinitely comfortable with technology. They are a part of the rebound or echo boom with baby boomers having more children that Gen Xers. There is an Echo Boom  “population momentum” happening as we speak.

So the question is how did this generation come to be? These so called Millennials.

First, the Baby Boomers started having a “bounty” of babies! Boomers chose to become older parents in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Then the next generation made a choice to look back at the “good old days” and chose to revert back to the earlier birth-age norm for women.

The baby boom is attributed to economic and military crises that caused GI’s to delay having their babies, whereas a cultural upheaval caused the Boomers to delay having their (Millennial) babies.

The ‘echo boom’ can be compared to the original baby boom in that most generations were having babies at what historically has been a typical age range. The shift came from the baby boomers being influenced by social changes, “free love, integration, Vietnam war, Peace movement and political activism in the late 50’s  and 60’s.  Basically they were allowed to speak more freely act more independently and forgo responsibility until a much later age. My father (b.1929) waited to get married until he was 29 years old and I am exactly 30 years his junior by 6 days.  Older parents having families like their parents.  We had 4 children over 8 years in my family. 

This is Part one of a two part article.  Check back for part two: Strategies to Bridge the Gap.

 

Coach Rick Kolster is an executive coach who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be. Rick@CoachRickkolster.com

www.CoachrickKolster.com
www.facebook.com/coachricksBALDTRUTH

VALUES

I speak and converse with hundreds of people each week.  Sometimes I get these amazing questions.  Earlier this week I was asked one of those great thought provoking questions that made me take some time and reflect on it.

The question was "Is it VALUE that gives someone SUCCESS or its SUCCESS that gives someone VALUE.?"

What a great question. Now the question it self can be interpreted in a number of ways. First are we talking about value as a measured thing or are we talking about VALUES as in Core Values?

Next let's assess the word VALUE.  What is VALUE and how can we define and measure it? Are we talking dollars?  Are we talking ROI? Just what is the meaning of value?

Then how about VALUES? Should we have them? Do you have them?  Are they clear? Do you use them as guides in your day to day decisions?

I'm going take this from a values perspective since this is a large part of my practice and what I help clients with each day.

So the question now asks:  Is it a persons VALUES that gives them SUCCESS or its SUCCESS that gives someone their VALUES.?"

Simple, the only place the success comes before values is in the dictionary.  You must know what you stand for and what is important before you will truly be successful.  Now that is not to say that a person cannot make a lot, and I mean a lot of money or have the material things most would consider when they are successful.  It's easy to acquire stuff, make money, look "successful".  The true test is when you can answer the question "When you look in the mirror, do you really love that person that is looking back?"

Do you love yourself or do you just love the image you have of yourself?  Success is intoxicating, money, fame fortune is intoxicating. Just look at professional athletes, well known actors, they all seem to be successful.  All very good at what they do.  At the top of their profession, only to end up in trouble, in jail, broke or worse dead. Were they successful?  I will say NO!  They were not!

They had stuff, fame fortune, people around them kissing their A** but inside they were most likely searching for happiness.  When your values are clear, your decisions are easy. They follow what is important to you, what you stand for and you will have defined as that "line in the sand" that you will not cross.  This allows you to have the money, fame, fortune, people kissing your A** and still be grounded having solid points and boundaries that will not be crossed.

So to live a life of success, first define your values, what is important to you, what is non negotiable, then you can base all your decision on the question: "Will this action violate any of my core values?"  If not, then DO IT!

That's The BALD TRUTH

Rick Kolster, CBC is an executive coach who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be.  www.CoachRickKolster.com
www.facebook.com/coachricksBALDTRUTH
 

Love Tough

LOVE TOUGH I believe in tough love. If you are a leader, manager, coach, teacher or parent, caring about someone often requires you to challenge and push them to improve, grow and reach their full potential. Even the best athletes in the world have a coach to push them. But for tough love to work, love must come first. We must love tough to bring out the best in those we lead! If people know you care about them they will be more receptive to you pushing them. On the other hand if you put tough before love you're more likely to face resistance. As Andy Stanley says, "Rules without relationship leads to rebellion." The old dictator tough, without love, style of leadership no longer works. Having spent time with a number of professional and college sports teams it's clear that even athletes who seem to have it all want to know that their coach cares about them. The best coaches love their players and their players know it and play harder and are more loyal to that coach. The same is true for education and business. Research shows that test scores go up when students have a relationship with their teacher. Numerous engagement surveys show that people are more engaged at work when they know their manager / boss cares about them. So keep pushing your people to be their best. If you are parent like me, keep pushing your kids to reach their full potential. Your team needs your toughness to grow! But remember to put love first. Make relationships a priority. Your love will create the right conditions for growth to happen! Love + Tough = Growth Originally posted by Jon Gordon in his blog. Visit himthere at http://www.jongordon.com/blog/

5 Ways to Stay Positive When Others Are Not

5 Ways to Stay Positive When Others Are Not

Destiny

Destiny is something we all wonder about.  What is it? what will it be? Is it preordained, and mostly can we alter it?  Our destiny is what we choose it to be.  Regardless of you belief system from a spiritual or religious perspective your destiny is your own and no one else’s.  You are in control of it.  If you see we are heading down the path that doesn’t meet with your vision of who you want to be or what you need/want to have it is your responsibility to change direction.  Each of us has the power to alter our destiny. 

Bottom line, it is a decision. Your decision. No one else can change your destiny. It is all you! The biggest challenge and  first step is simple (yea right) It's just making a decision. Deciding what your destiny will be.  This ties back to establishing goals and getting clarity with your goals.

 

Second is accepting that you have the potential to make your destiny a reality or even being great.  You have to want to be the best you can be.  For that, it has been said that it takes a commitment. Being the best is not a sometime thing, it is something you strive for all the time. It is not a part time job. It is a full time job and you must do what it take to be great.  It's doing the right things, all the time. Not a few of the right things some of the time.  You do the right things all the time. No excuses.

It is a decision to be great. You must say yes to greatness. Then and only then you can move towards becoming great.  It takes a decision first.  Once you have made that commitment, you have an amazing power of that commitment to drive you, it is in your mind.  Once you get this into your heart and mind it becomes a part of you.  The actions follow the commitment.

 

Vince Lombardi once said that “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

 

No matter what you do or hope to do, make a commitment to being the best.  Say yes to greatness!

Coach Rick Kolster is an executive coach who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be.

Rick@CoachRickkolster.com

www.CoachrickKolster.com
www.facebook.com/coachricksBALDTRUTH