From Rasmussen Reports – Younger Workers Want More, Connection That Is. Not really a surprise here, but a reinforcement:

On top of everything else, Generation Y employees also prefer more frequent social interaction with their managers. One-quarter (26 percent) would like to socialize with their boss at least monthly. This is compared to 21 percent for Generation X, 16 percent for Baby Boomers and 17 percent for Traditionalists.

That seems to be a strong trend towards socializing amongst the younger workers. If you have a retention problem at your company, this survey provides a good place to start correcting it.

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In the last few of weeks I have been in a doctor’s office numerous times for different procedures. On one of these visits, I read an article in a dermatology magazine but I cannot recall specifics or find it on the web. I did find the the study which was conducted by American Academy of Dermatology. The article stated that 48% of American workers between the ages 18 to 29 have a tattoo or a body piercing other than in the earlobe.

In my prior life I worked in corporate America and remember the issues we ran into with tattoos and tongue piercings. I remember at one point that neither tattoos nor piercings were permitted by the company at all. If someone wanted to work for the company, they had to cover any visible tattoos and/or (usually and) remove any piercings other than in the earlobe. That was years ago and some of those rules were relaxed. But as you search for younger workers, or as they move up in your organization, you may wantto review your corporate dress code.

Do your employees present the desired image for your company in the marketplace and specifically to your customer base? On the other hand, are you losing potentially strong employees due to a dress code policy that stifles the younger generation’s style?

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I never thought I would write this, but you may be too rich if you need a “Santa Gifting Service” – Santa’s ‘Gifting’ Helpers Handle Holiday Shopping for the Wealthy. I read this article and was laughing and mildly disgusted all at once. Here’s why:

To some people, hunting for the perfect gift is more of a hassle than a holiday. Some of the wealthiest consumers across the country turn to consultants to find ultra-exclusive, money-is-no-object gifts from around the world.

First of all, spending money is one of my specialities. I like to say I didn’t earn it to save it. It is usually at that point I realize how blessed I am to have the wife I have (she is a saver). At any rate, I hate to see Christmas reduced to a gift-giving task that is categorized as a “hassle.”

Donum is the company that provides the shopping service to the wealthy. I have never heard of them which is probably a testament to my income. In case you were wondering, here is the pull quote from the founder:

“Donum stands for cutting-edge luxury,” brags Amy Frankel Nau, who founded the company more than a decade ago and is now a consultant to the company. “We are the most exclusive department store in the world, without the four walls.”

This quote got me to thinking, who sells their services? Better yet, what would the ideal salesperson look like in their world. Without profiling the sale, I would have to guess their most successful salespeople are a blend of two specific motivations – Utilitarian and Aesthetic. This is a difficult combination to find due to the relative scarcity of the Aesthetic motivation in sales.

Let me define the Aesthetic motivation so you can see its importance in this role:

• Driven by a passion for form, harmony and beauty
• Appreciate the finer things in life and strive to get them
• Empathetic to the feelings of others
• Aware of fashion and trends
• Susceptible to purchasing the newest and latest products

I think you can easily see why this motivation, tied to the Utilitarian drive for sales success, would be a tremendous fit for this type of sales position.

And one last trivial point from the article, “Donum” means gift in Latin.

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