Myths About Millennials

It is difficult to define an entire generation as having the same traits.  People are the ultimate variable which leads to vastly different traits amongst millions of people in a generation. Some of the early descriptions of Millennials may not be entirely accurate. There are a handful of findings from this Human Resource Executive article that cut against the conventional wisdom regarding Millennials.  Some things are timeless while other factors are somewhat surprising. The desire to advance within a company is well documented with the younger generations.  The Millennials often start a new role with their eye already on the next promotion.  However, they seem to have an ulterior motive… Read More

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Emotional Intelligence Of Leaders

What are the keys to EQ?  This post from TTI provides great insight into the entire topic.  A couple traits to consider: 1. Possess self-awareness Before someone can be effective interacting with others, they need to have a conscious knowledge of their own character, feelings, motives, and desires. The “feelings” part of this equation is very important. When those feelings are not positive, having the ability to control emotions is paramount to managing interactions successfully. When a person is self-aware and able to employ self-regulation under stress, they tend to have more successful outcomes (and less regret). Personally, I believe all EQ flows out of self-awareness; without it, the person is unable to… Read More

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The Leadership Revolution of Gen X

We’re at an interesting place in our country’s generational gap. The large Baby Boomer generation is flowing out of the workplace daily while the largest generation, Millennials, are ascendant.  However, before we turn the leadership keys over to the Millennials, there is a generation with something to say…Gen X. Gen X now accounts for 51% of leadership roles globally according to this CNBC article.  In fact: With an average of 20 years of workplace experience, they (Gen X) are primed to quickly assume nearly all top executive roles. Now isn’t that interesting?  The forgotten generation will be in charge so what does that mean for everyone?  Here are some highlights… Read More

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The Gen Y Workplace

From CollegeRecruiter.com: Generation Y a/k/a Millennials promise to: Hold only productive meetings. Hallelujah! Shorten the workday by focusing on productivity. Bring back administrative assistants — even if Gen Y pays for them out-of-pocket and even if they’re virtual. Redefine retirement by taking multiple mini-retirements. They’ll find real mentors by teaching older workers about technology and in return be guided through office politics. Put human back into human resources. Promote people to management based on their managerial skills, not their seniority. Continue to value what their parents have to offer because Gen Y respects their parents and their parents respect their Gen Y children. Trade off potential raises and promotions for… Read More

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