Into the Woods We Go

In August our new start up, Myndsparc, took residence at the Thunderbird Global Entrepreneurship Incubator on the campus of the internationally recognized Thunderbird School of Global Management. As a new company we are committed a new corporate norm. One that is Gen Y friendly. This includes virtual offices, cloud computing and the flexibility of schedule that ensures that as we grow our employee base we are able to help our employees effectively balance work/life.

One of the benefits we receive as a resident of the Thunderbird Incubator is a student intern on the business side of the company. We are working with other local educational institutions for other intens on the technical side. It's a harrowing process, interviewing interns. At the undergraduate level many are so nervous its difficult to get a real sense of who they are and what they can do, at the graduate level, we've encountered many who do not view the process as a "real" interview process.

These are some of the things we've discovered through this process:

1. We only work with interns from schools with formal internship/externship programs. We want to know its a part of their learning process and not just a job to kill time.
2. We have discovered that email communication works better than phone calls for original contacts. This works well for our corporate model as well so it has become the adopted norm for scheduling interviews (remember we are tech company).
3. By the time they get to the face to face interview we know their qualifications, if they have any. We are more concerned about whether they will fit into the corporate culture than if they know the skills we will need in advance. We embrace the training component of the internship and welcome the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough.

In early childhood we used to teach the importance of "the process" over "the product". Seems everything grows up.

The Gift of Time

Today I hired a new pool man. He's a college student who was working for another pool company and decided to go into business for himself. He wanted to be his own boss. I think we are going to see alot of young people opting for Entrepreneurship as they clash with old guard management. Why? Because their concept of what is good enough in the workplace isnt necessarily our concept.



This is one of those aspects of millennial behavior I can't directly tie to a teaching or parenting practice. I'm not quite sure why young people don't view things the way we do. Perhaps its the fact that they view their time as more valuable that we do. We overscheduled so many of them that they didnt have a moment to breath, so now they guard their personal time as a priceless commodity. Perhaps its that they see the forest and we see the trees. In any case, sometimes their work ethic isn't ours and we see that as a bad attitude.



Again, it is simply a communication issue. Millennials need to understand how what they do fits into the big picture more than prior generations. These are the kids who did the math on their overall academic performance. A poor grade or two isn't of concern because their overall GPA would still warrant honor roll or principle's list. These are the kids who were spoon fed standardized tests with no measurable impact on their lives. Only when someone took the time to explain that higher standardized scores meant "cooler" classes and "cooler" classes mean a better college and that in turn means a better job. And yes, these conversations are happening with fifth graders.



So what does that mean for us. Well, the "Do it because I said so" is not going to work. You need to take the time to show how each individual effort affects the overall outcome and almost more importantly how it will impact the employee. "This project is a good stepping stone, its the first step on the management track. Complete this then do that and that and you'll be prime for promotion."



Yes it sounds selfish but its not as egocentric as it appears on the surface. Milliennials value the time they invest. They want to make sure its not being wasted, that it fits into the overall plan for their lives. Don't resent them for this behavior simply because we have lost that value. Our identity is now integrally tied to our work, theirs isn't. It's not bad, its simply different.

Competition

Today my second grader got in the car excited because she got a blue star in her behavior folder. We attend a "Make Your Day" school. "Make Your Day" is a comprehensive citizenship program designed to encourage accountability in our youngest children. Between you and I, it kind of drives me nuts in the younger grades but really pays off as the kids get older. Well today, she had made her day, which she does most of the time (no one is perfect) and she got a star on her "Make Your Day" tracking sheet. They are always different colors so I didnt understand the signficance of getting a blue star. It turns out blue stars are special.

Blue stars indicate that each student in her class made their individual days today. Enough blue stars and, wait for it, a popcorn or cookies and milk party. The pinnacle of childhood bliss apparently. Needless to say it benefits everyone to help your friend not screw up.

This my dear friends is the perfect example of the collaborative model of education that have been evolving in our schools for well over a decade. We began the mantra of noncompetitiveness in the mid-eighties when we were concerned about self-esteem. Its evolved into dynamic systems in and out of the school setting.

My son runs for fifteen minutes in gym. Its not the fifteen minute mile, its simply everyone runs for fifteen minutes. Remember when you had to complete that mile in fifteen minutes to pass that part of PE? My daughter plays on a city soccer league. Its advertised as a noncompetitive league. There are no scores, no team rankings even up into the older age groupings. The registration fee covers the uniform and a trophy for participation at the end of the season. Competitiveness is no longer a soft skill taught in schools. The PE class of today is dramatically different from the PE of a generation ago, if schools even offer it now. The mantra is collaboration not competitiveness.

Now this collaborative aspect is beneficial to your company. You're not as likely to see territorial behavior over ideas, teams communicate and work more effectively together, and your new employees aren't as threatened by evaluations as your older employees. The younger set view it as a way to grow instead of as criticism. The drawback is your probably not going to be as successful at initiatives that pit peer against peer. Cohort and cohort can work with limited success, but the fight to be the top dog just isnt in this group mentality anymore.

Instead of survival of the fittest its more we are only as strong as our weakest link so lets figure out how to strenghten it.

It makes me wonder if we'll begin to see a resurgence of employee loyalty to companies, assuming corporate america responds in kind. Of course that would take some strong relationship building and recognition of the individual needs of each employee. Think about it.

Snack Time

Today was one of those days that reminds me how much our lives have changed in the past couple years. It was the last show of the play I have been working on and immediately following the show we had strike. A few years ago, the idea of hearding resistant kids to the car to go to the theatre to do something other than watch a movie wouldn't have entered my mind. Now its a common experience. Today's strike was an easy one. The theatre was less than a mile from home and I knew we'd be done in about an hour. Of course, this didn't deter the 13yo from his passive aggressive attempts to avoid participation. Something we've totally taken to bribery to combat and feel no pangs of regret at it. Teens are ..well ...teens, LOL. Anyway, in this case as Jon firmly coaxed the boy to get his shoes with a mix of gentle conversation and firm "You're going" statement. Jon then pulled me aside to ask me if i'd consider stopping off at circle K afterward to get the kids a drink as a thank you for their help. While we didn't advertise this fact in advance, I did reward them for helping me with ICEE's afterward. This simple act got me thinking about the issue of food, rewards and the whole millennial generation.

Snack time. The warm cookies mom had waiting for you after school. The feeling of belonging that the cookies and milk brought to you. The first thing my eight year old says when she gets into the car after school every day is "What's for snack?". She skips into the house, picks up her snack and settles in to complete her homework. Even the kids in the after school programs have snack before they do homework. Food and productivity are integrally tied together for us from the time we are very young.

The key difference between today's workforce and those in the past is that this process never stopped. Today's teachers incentivise classrooms with pizza parties and ice cream socials. Good citizenship, attendance and achieving personal goals are among the categories of behavior rewarded with free certificates provided by fast food and pizza companies in the community. These expectations have permeated into family life.

Food before productivity begins young and continues with you. What is increased employee satisfaction, higher employee output worth to you? Perhaps all it takes is a pantry stocked with microwave popcorn, bottled water and a soda fountain. Perhaps its a weekly company sponsored lunch or coupons to local restaurants employees can use on their own if they meet certain goals. Take a cue from childhood, feed your employees.

Lack of Eye Contact is Not Lack of Attentiveness

This afternoon as Jon and I were struggling with answering questions for a proposal I turned to the children. They think outside the box and if you can translate what they are saying they sometimes have some incredible insights. Our oldest, 13, was playing WOW in the family room where Jon and I were brainstorming. Now bear in mind he's 13. It's an age of passive agression at its best. An age that isn't into contributing to the family collective at all. However we still engage him as an exercise in inclusion. When we were completing the NASA RFI for their new online game, he was asked to answer the questions as we brainstormed them. I'll save his responses for his adulthood when he can appreciate the fact that he was part of the process. But I digress. Today we asked for his input. We wanted his insight on new media. It was an interesting vignette. He sat at his computer, typing away, ear bud in one ear, talking to his mother pacing behind him. Not once did he make eye contact. Not once did he turn around. And I didn't expect it. You see my son is quite effective at multitasking and I don't question his attentiveness based on his body language.

Millennials don't operate in the same mind set we do. My son wasn't being rude because he wasn't making eye contact. It was a casual conversation and I didn't ask for his full attention. It wasn't needed. Lack of eye contact does not mean lack of attentiveness. Not stopping to focus entirely on a speaker isn't intended as rudeness. Its most likely multitasking. You may consider it rude, and perhaps in some ways it is, however it is the way millennials operate.

My mind was still in brainstorm mode so I figured I'd engage our eight year old in the discussion. New media isn't something she "gets" but a discussion on how a pretend movie called Pretty Pretty Princess might end up on Club Penguin made perfect sense to her. We discussed the issue for a bit and after some struggles with defining space she basically decided it would be best to have a county fair on club penguin that would showcase movies. While we had our discussion she was playing nintendogs on her DS and watching Icarly on Nickelodeon. She did make eye contact with me but only as I paced in front of the television screen. I figured special event programming to showcase new content seemed a pretty good idea for what we were discussing so I took the idea to Jon.

My daughter's behaviors aren't a great deal different than some of your new employees. As children they played video games, watched television and texted one another. Its a skill you'll come to appreciate. They juggle multiple prioritites really well. However, something has to give and that something is eye contact. Don't expect them to stop what they are doing to carry on a conversation with them. Don't be offended when the text while in a meeting. I've seen young people in ER with head injuries text faster than most of us oldies will ever hope to. If you want their attention ask for it. They won't be offended. Just remember being idle isn't in their nature so if your are asking for extended periods its akin to hearding cats or preschoolers.

Its About Who You Are Not WHO You Are

When they were young they were taught to keep themselves safe. They were taught that they had the right to say no to an authority figure. It made sense. We wanted to protect them from child predators and the best way to do that was to ensure that as children they didn't blindly follow authority. They were taught to question it. They were taught respect was earned.

This is the key to truly being successful with the new workforce. It doesn't matter if you are in the mailroom or the boardroom, your authority will not be respected because of your title. This generation is managed in the context of relationship not the org chart. Its about who you are not WHO you are.

In practice this can be a challenge to accepted management practices. It means stepping outside the box that views employee socialization as counterproductive to efficiency. Opportunities for connection aren't team building in the old terms of corporate retreats and company picnics. They are instead daily opportunities for human connection. Its about building relationships. It can be as simple as encouraging the water cooler conversations that have been discouraged for so long. However, some companies have gone further. They have embraced the playfulness of their employees as a benefit by hosting weekly video game tournaments, providing onsite basketball courts and giving managers the opportunity to take their teams to the opening of blockbuster films. The resources available to support employee relationship building vary based on the company. What is universal is a committment to allowing employees to build genuine relationships with on another and with the management team.

Sure, there will be those who take advantage. There will be days when, just as their parents did, you wonder if you haven't allowed it all to go to the dogs. There will be times when you question whether you are crossing a line. Their parents struggled with how to be a parent and not a friend; and you'll struggle with how to be a manager and not a buddy. However, you'll gain their respect and that's what is necessary to create a productive workforce in the era of millennial employees.

Gary Gygax Dies

Gary Gygax, died on Tuesday and while it has very little to do with topic of this particular blog, I feel compelled to say goodbye.

Gary Gygax died Tuesday. You might not know his name, but I'm certain you are familiar with his legacy. Gary Gygax was a co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons. Some might say he was the father of role playing games. He definately made a mark on an entire generation. Without the framework created by Gygax and his peers we wouldn't have the video game, the online game, the MMO.

Gygax left another legacy as well. One not so easily quantified. Dungeons and Dragons created a generation of critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. Those who played his games learned the importance of teamwork, the ability to see a project through to the end and the dramatic difference between short term problem solving skills and long term problem solving skills. In some ways it was a workforce development tool for the unknowing. Within the context of the game, participants learned many things--the value of negotiation; a keen sense of how our choices reflect our inner moral core. I doubt Gygax and his friends ever considered the soft skills development inherent in the game.

D&D spawned an entire cottage industry. Specialty stores, conventions and publications created jobs and outlets for enthusiasts. My first retail sales experiences were related to D&D, when I'd cover the small game store I frequented in exchange for product instead of a paycheck. The first Magazine I published was focused in part on the cottage game industry of the 90s. The first fundraiser I chaired a game marathon for children's charities.

The game industry have given me some of my fondest memories. A phone call from Tracy Hickman asking if he could attend a little convention we were chairing in Flagstaff. Meeting Peter Atkins, the founder of Wizards of the Coast, on his driving tour across country to introduce Magic: The Card Game at Gen Con effectively creating a whole new game genre. Beta testing the very first set of life action role playing rules for White Wolf. The little experiences that define a lifetime.

Thank you Gary, you will be sorely missed.