StrategyDriven’s Personal Performance Improvement articles help relieve some of this stress by providing field tested methods and hard won insights that are immediately actionable to help improve individual performance effectiveness. These behavioral and mechanical performance improvement tools are divided into two categories:

Practices for Professionals: tried and true actions that enhance personal performance effectiveness and efficiency

Tools for Professionals: products and services that help professionals become more organized, connected, and efficient
 
 
 

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The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman   As the Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 2000) rapidly enters the workforce, their introduction into the workplace has been anything but seamless. In fact, you might have already heard one of these jaw-dropping stories: The mother who called HR to complain when her Millennial daughter got a mediocre performance review The new hire who dialed the CEO directly to tell him what the company could be doing better The young employee who revealed a confidential new product on her Facebook page before it was made public In The M-Factor, Baby Boomer Lynne Lancaster and Generation Xer David Stillman draw on findings from large-scale surveys and hundreds of interviews to identify the seven trends essential for understanding the Millennials: the role of the parents, entitlement, the search for meaning, great expectations, the need for speed, social networking, and collaboration. At once readable, humorous, and savvy, this book – the ultimate guide to Millennials in the workplace – offers valuable insights and practical, hands-on tips and solutions that Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen Xers, and even Millennials themselves can use to bridge generational gaps, be more productive, and achieve organizational success like never before.

Sure. Except for a few hiccups. Millennials (born 1982-2000) aren’t behaving the same ways Generation Xers did. They have a whole new set of attitudes and expectations when it comes to the workplace, and managers and recruiters are once again being called upon to see the world through a new set of eyes to get the most out of this challenging and influential generation. Take parental involvement. Instead of bringing their pets to work, Millennials seemed to be bringing Mom and Dad. Carmen Baas, a Recruiter at C. H. Robinson, commented: “We recently had the father of a candidate call one of our sales reps to talk about his son’s job offer so he could make a decision on whether or not his son should come work for us. I’ve also had parents attend career fairs in lieu of their children who had prior engagements.”

New generations bring with them new challenges, but also new skill sets and opportunities. In our new book, The M-Factor, we identify seven trends that have shaped this influential generation and that we believe will reshape the ways in which all of us work. Here are just three…

• The Role of the Parents. Boomers and Gen Xers have been intensely engaged in their kids’ lives from colic to college, and their consultative role doesn’t end when Millennials transition to work. In a Michigan State University survey of employers, 26% said parents had actively promoted their son or daughter for a position, 31% said parents submitted a résumé on behalf of their offspring, and 41% said parents obtained company materials for their kids. Millennials have figured out they have free access to some of the best and brightest consultants money can buy, and they aren’t afraid to use them. Managers can be caught unprepared, however, when Mom or Dad calls to get more information on the company’s sick leave policy or to ask about a poor performance review. Smart employers are addressing the issue of parental access with policies aimed at protecting employees’ privacy, but also at getting the folks on their side. For example, to cater to the Millennials’ preference to have their folks involved in the job-search process, C.H. Robinson created packets to be mailed to parents simultaneously with their child’s offer letter. The parental information packet includes marketing material on the company so parents can learn more about the organization, as well as information about the benefits package, so parents can review it for their child. By embracing this critical shift in parent/child relationships, C.H. Robinson has created a whole new generation of allies in the war for talent. You guessed it – Mom and Dad.
• The Search for Meaning. Millennials have been told by their Boomer parents, “If you’re going to work as hard as we have, do something you care about.” They’ve also been imbued with the idea that they really can change the world, whether it was giving blood after 9-11, raising funds via the Web after Hurricane Katrina, or donating to Haitian relief on their mobile phones, Millennials believe they can make an impact. The same is true on the home front. Millennials have been involved in family decision making on everything from technology purchases to where to go on vacation. No wonder they get frustrated when they show up in the workplace and the biggest decision they get to make is egg salad or tuna for lunch. Of course, not every new hire is going to be deciding the direction of the company. But they do want to feel their voices are being heard. For The M-Factor we interviewed a number of Millennials about their greatest satisfactions and frustrations in their jobs. One of our “Millennials on Record,” Dale Till, said this about working at the Institute for International Urban Development at Northeastern University: “At staff meetings I am asked for my opinion, which is great…I see my opinions listened to, considered, and some turned into actions. That keeps me here.” Millennials tell us they understand not all their ideas will be actionable, but they want to know they are making a contribution to the larger goals of the organization. U.S. Bank recognized this need and in 2009 created a new employee engagement project aimed directly at Millennials. The “Dynamic Dozen” is a hand-picked group of twenty-something employees from across all business lines who serve as a sounding board for new initiatives. U.S. Bank’s chief strategy officer Mac McCullough commented, “We are learning about this age group’s expectations as employees and consumers by seeing how they react to the questions we’ve posed.” At the same time they are connecting high potential Millennials to the meaning of what they do for the bank, and building loyalty in the process.
• The Need for Speed. The Millennials’ ability to master new technology faster than the other generations can master a new blender is legendary. But their need for speed goes far beyond the pace at which they text and tweet. Millennials want more frequent, faster feedback. And they want to progress in their careers at a rate that can make their managers’ heads spin. While the recent recession is buying employers a little time by making it tougher for employees to jump ship, that doesn’t mean Millennials are suddenly becoming the “patient generation.” According to an August 2009 Harvard Business article, a global poll by Catalyst of high-potential employees at corporations and professional firms found that 20% had switched companies of their own accord during the downturn and another 35% made lateral moves within their organizations. This is not a generation that likes to sit still and organizations will be challenged to keep them moving, or at least keep them learning. If you can’t offer a talented Millennial that next promotion right now, you might be able to offer them a new project, a connection to a special mentor, or cross-training in a new skill area. Another answer is to allow Millennials to have more control over the pace of their careers. Marie Artim, Assistant Vice President of Recruiting at the car rental company Enterprise, explained, “For the previous generations, we used to highlight that you would work hard and reap the rewards later… we found that with Millennials we had to talk more about career paths being about performance and not tenure. They seem to be interested in speed, and we tell them there is no set timeline and that it is up to them… .” Empowering Millennials to take a role in the pace and direction of their careers puts the focus more on what they achieve and less on arbitrary timelines, which seems a natural fit for this generation.

Millennials aren’t afraid to speak up and they are bound to challenge the way things have always been done. Or as Dale Till put it: “Our generation will leave its mark by being the generation that grew up with things like the Internet… We’ve gone from 28k to 56k to 128kbs dial-up modems, to DSL, LAN and fiber optics. We’re intertwined with the Web – it influences us, and we influence it – and we’re the next in line in terms of shaping the way the world communicates and does business.”

Whatever generation you’re a part of if you’re working with Millennials you’re in for an exhilarating ride.

Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman are nationally-known generational speakers, consultants, researchers, and the authors of the best-seller When Generations Collide (HarperCollins), and The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace (HarperBusiness/2010). Through their firm BridgeWorks, Lancaster and Stillman provide organizations with keynotes, training, corporate entertainment, and trainer certification. They have appeared on CNBC, CNN, and the Today Show. Learn more at www.generations.com.

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So many politicians lie (we don’t mince words here… if our children told such stories we’d punish them for lying) that we accept it as a part of the political game. And members of both parties are guilty as charged. These falsehoods cause harmful uncertainty that can be detrimental to businesses and the economy because they diminish business leaders’ ability to project, strategize, plan, and execute.

Some of these falsehoods can be easily recognized and dealt with reasonably. No one really expected politicians to reveal their back room deals by televising healthcare negotiations on CSPAN. Likewise, we can read a lot of lips but know that bigger government requires higher taxes. FactCheck.com aggressively identifies the factual errors politicians make; helping eliminate the uncertainty of their creative non-fiction.

Other falsehoods are not so easily dealt with. Businesses are hurt and significant uncertainty created when the government willfully breaches a contract. These are not broken campaign promises but legally binding agreements that those in power have decided not to abide by because the provisions have become politically unfavorable. Such breaches of integrity are materially harmful to businesses specifically and the economy and public in general.

Unnecessary Uncertainty in the U.S. Energy Market

Let’s briefly examine one government breach of contract in the clean energy market; a market vital to both national security and the reduction of carbon emissions.

Breach of Contract – National Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository

In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act; making the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) responsible for siting, building, and operating an underground disposal facility for high level radioactive waste, including the spent nuclear fuel from the nation’s 104 nuclear reactors.¹ In 1987, Congress selected Yucca Mountain as the location where this underground repository would be built. The Yucca Mountain facility was to be constructed and to begin accepting waste by 1998. While nuclear reactor owners faithfully pay their dues to the government in support of the repository, Yucca Mountain is currently little more than an access tunnel bored into the side of a mountain.²

Harry Reid
U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Nevada (D)

A 2007 statement on the continued pursuit of the Yucca Mountain project.³

Impact

Utilities involved have filed a total of 71 breach of contract lawsuits against the Federal Government. DOE estimates the government’s liability at $12.3 billion. Nuclear utilities estimate damages claims will total $50 billion. As of today, 51 of the 71 cases are pending in either the Claims or Federal Circuit Courts, 10 have been settled, 6 were voluntarily withdrawn and 4 have been litigated through a final non-appealable judgment.⁷

…there is, of course, the additional cost of litigation (courts, lawyers, etcetera).

In addition to the cost impacts, five states (Minnesota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Kentucky) currently prohibit construction of new nuclear plants in part because of a lack of a national spent fuel repository.⁸ This prevents communities in these states from realizing the benefits of the estimated 1400-1800 jobs created during the 4-5 year construction period and 400-700 workers needed to operate and maintain the plant thereafter.⁹ These numbers don’t account for the community services and business jobs created to support these individuals.

…there is, of course, the additional non-carbon emitting power these plants would provide the region.

Regardless of the arguments for and against the suitability of locating the spent nuclear fuel repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, this case and the judgments against the Federal Government clearly illustrate a breach of contract that has created significant market uncertainty and damaged businesses.

StrategyDriven Recommended Practices

As the single largest consumer of goods and services within the U.S. economy, it would be virtually impossible, if not undesirable, to avoid doing business with the Federal Government. And even if direct business activity can be avoided, the effects of government interaction with other organizations cannot.

The politics of governing and the willingness of some politicians to renege on their campaign promises and/or government contracts require corporate leaders to take actions protecting their organization from this unnecessary risk. While not intended to be an all inclusive list, StrategyDriven recommends those contracting or subcontracting with government agencies take the following risk mitigation actions:

• validate key government project assumptions and facts (timelines, resource availability/capacity, technologies, cost, existing regulatory structures, etcetera)
• identify ‘political will’ risk drivers in government project assumptions
• adjust risk estimates and associated contingency planning and funding accordingly
• verify project popularity with the general public and the likelihood such popularity will be maintained for the term of the project
• check for bipartisan project support
• establish contingency plans for government project delays and cancellations
• review government proposals against the past performance on similar projects
• monitor progress on government projects just as you would internal projects

Final Thought…

We used the nuclear power industry example because of the already litigated breach of contract lawsuits clearly supporting our assertion that the federal government does not always fulfill its obligations. Because we don’t believe this example to be either an aberration or the last time such a breach will occur, we encourage the practices presented here to be applied in all dealings with Federal, State, and local governments.

Sources

1. “The Nuclear Waste Program,” U.S. Department of Energy, http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/about/History_Of_The_Nuclear_Waste_Program.shtml
2. “The Washington Post’s distorted take on Yucca Mountain,” Hugh Gusterson, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, March 27, 2009, http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/hugh-gusterson/the-washington-posts-distorted-take-yucca-mountain
3. “Yucca Problems Mount For DOE: Transportation, Costs, Not To Mention Congressional Opposition From Harry Reid,” Johnny Gunn, The Nevada Observer, March 15, 2007, http://www.nevadaobserver.com/Archive/070315/Featurestory%201.htm
4. “The Washington Post’s distorted take on Yucca Mountain,” Hugh Gusterson, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, March 27, 2009, http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/hugh-gusterson/the-washington-posts-distorted-take-yucca-mountain
5. “Yucca Mountain’s death just a few steps away,” Lisa Mascaro and Stephanie Tavares, Las Vegas Sun, February 2, 2010, http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/02/yuccas-death-just-few-steps-away/
6. “Proposal would eliminate funding for Yucca Mountain,” Steve Tetreault, Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 1, 2010, http://www.lvrj.com/news/proposal-would-eliminate-funding-for-yucca-mountain-83230447.html
7. “Greenberg Traurig’s Jerry Stouck Discusses Nuclear Fuel Cases,” Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, September 25, 2009, http://wtlachannel.squarespace.com/the-wtla-blog-page/2009/9/25/greenberg-traurigs-jerry-stouck-discusses-nuclear-fuel-cases.html
8. “Another Major Setback for “Nuclear Renaissance”: Industry Goes 0-6 in 2009 Efforts to Overturn State Bans on New Nuclear Reactors.,” Leslie Anderson, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, August 27, 2009, http://www.nirs.org/press/08-27-2009/1
9. “Testimony for the Record [to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources],” Carol L. Berrigan, Director, Industry Infrastructure, Nuclear Energy Institute, November 6, 2007, http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/CBerriganTestimony110607.pdf

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Find out what Aberdeen has to say about sustainability.

This report serves as a roadmap for companies that are attempting to match environmental and social stewardship to clear, actionable, and measureable improvements to their bottom lines.

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Special Edition 29 – An Interview with Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X? examines generational relationships within the workplace and the actions Gen Xers should take to ready and position themselves to be the next group of corporate and civic leaders. During our discussion, Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want and President of The nGenera Innovation Network, shares with us her insights and illustrative examples regarding:

• who Gen Xers are and their shared characteristics and traits
• what Gen Xers uniquely contribute to the marketplace
• actions organization leaders should take if they face significant Boomer retirements and few Gen Xers in their succession pipeline
• key actions Gen Xers should take to remain relevant within their organizations
• how Gen Xers should prepare and position themselves for senior leadership positions

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Tammy shares in What’s Next, Gen X? and this special edition podcast are the additional resources accessible from her website: www.TammyErickson.com.   Tammy’s book, What’s Next, Gen X?, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider voting for us on Podcast Alley by clicking here. Casting your vote for the StrategyDriven Podcast improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community. Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!

Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X?, is President of The nGenera Innovation Network, a thought leader in enterprise collaboration; providing hundreds of global corporations with key insights and senior advisory services focused on collaboration strategy, enterprise engagement, and enabling technologies. Tammy’s compelling views of the future are based on extensive research on changing demographics and employee values and, most recently, on how successful organizations work. She is an award winning author; having coauthored five Harvard Business Review articles, including the McKinsey Award winner It’s Time to Retire Retirement and the book Workforce Crisis: How to Beat the Coming Shortage of Skills And Talent. To read Tammy’s full biography, click here.

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In each episode, our co-hosts present a richer and deeper exploration of the principle, best practice, and warning flag articles found on the StrategyDriven website. Their discussions identify benefits, define implementation methods, and provide examples to help leaders increase alignment and heighten accountability within their organizations.

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