Becoming Our Best


I JUST CAN’T GET THROUGH TO THEM!

Having been in the workplace for more than one generation, I have interesting memories of the harsh comments the older guys sent my way as I started working summers in construction at age 15. Definitely politically incorrect and “abusive”, but their comments got my attention and I learned how to work effectively and efficiently under difficult conditions.

Fast forward to the present and I hear comments about the upcoming generation of workers. Things like: “Can’t seem to get them off their cell phones to do any work”, or “Flextime isn’t a right, it’s a privilege”, or “You can’t wear those clothes to work!”

If you think about it, this is the only group of youngsters we have to work with - this “different” generation. And they are our future leaders. We have to find ways to relate positively to them and get the job done. Here are some thoughts about how to do that:

• Make the requirements and expectations of the job clear from the beginning. More time spent here will pay big dividends later.

• Don’t compare what happened to you with how they are treated. It won’t help them or you.

• Show how the work being done has meaning in the larger picture. They need a sense of meaning to do their job well.

• Encourage productive behaviors more often than calling out poor behaviors. Young people are more used to praise than criticism.

• Try this guideline: 5 encouragements for each correction. It will help.

• Be creative in using rewards or awards frequently for incentives.

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