No Lack of Workers, Just Lack of Talent
| Faithful readers of this blog will remember that a chronic workers shortage in the U.S. is unlikely. But now we know what the real problem is when baby boomers finally leave the workforce gradually. Can you guess?
A. Generation Y workers will ignore what the Boomers try to teach them
B. Generation Y workers will not have been trained enough, so will not be able to perform
C. Generation X workers will not pass on what they learned from the Baby Boomers
D. None of the generations will pass on anything to each other at any time
The only choice that is even close to the truth is the last one. A recent study (registration required) finds that there is little interaction between the generations in the workforce. There does not have to be any formal training according to the researchers. They recommend that organizations facilitate the collaboration of multiple generations on projects.
Think long term. Make sure your workforce is developing - in your projects if you have to. |
Posted on: August 19, 2008 09:50 PM
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Avoid These Executive-Style Communication Mistakes
| Communication is so important for leaders yet the same mistakes are seen again and again. Ronald Crossland lists four assumptions executives make when they communicate that unfortunately – gird yourself for this – are wrong. Executives know this common situation as “the workers are too stupid to understand what I’m saying.”
You have experienced this. Remember the time you listened to the executive make a presentation rife with financial jargon that flew over workers’ heads? Remember the time when the executive used high-level motivational diagrams that did not clearly link to worker actions?
Are we just whining about this? No. We are building up to our point. You have to avoid falling in to the same trap as these executives. Tips in my next post. |
Posted on: August 12, 2008 10:07 PM
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The Pinch That Costs You - Dearly
| We are looking at the business of project management this month, and that means getting down and dirty with details in some areas. You won’t believe what a new study by Spherion Corp has found about thievery in the workplace.
One in five workers report they have stolen office supplies and 74% feel it was wrong. But only 22% feel guilty about it. The items that are taken most are pens, pencils or rulers. Rulers? Who needs rulers? It’s got to be for young students. (Do they still use rulers?) But now workplace thieves have graduated to more expensive items. Up is the number of workers who have taken higher priced items such as PDAs, cell phones or laptops. Laptops! They might even be thinking that, with all the hours they are putting in, they deserve these freebies.
The business angle? Office supplies are a significant expense for your project. Explain early on that stealing is not acceptable. Evidently you will have to specify that electronic devices are included. Better yet, start a rigorous inventory tracking system. |
Posted on: August 07, 2008 10:09 PM
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Who Will Be Staying in the Workforce?
| Now we have data from Denmark, real numbers that prove what I have been suggesting for a long time. Potential retirees will not be retiring. According to Denmark’s Economic Council of the Labor Union, The number of employed people 60 and older has jumped by 45,000 since 2004 unexpectedly. Two phenomena are behind this:
We should expect the same “ah ha” phenomenon to occur elsewhere. Well, elsewhere where there are baby-boomers at any rate. Those who are trying to raise a panic over this issue are missing many subtleties in the situation. Now we have real data to prove it. |
Posted on: August 05, 2008 10:48 PM
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How Distractions Stifle Innovation You Need
| This blog has often dealt with the issue of distractions on workforce performance. Here’s an interview with someone who studies distractions, which leads to the question: where do you get grant money for this kind of work? She’s timing technology workers to the second as they go through daily tasks. What’s next, ranking obnoxious cell phone ring tones for workplace impact?
Anyway, a key point Gloria Mark (the researcher) makes is that, with distractions, workers are prevented from thinking deeply about a task, an issue, a solution. As she puts it, a worker cannot get flow. In your project, you want workers to efficiently and effectively perform a task. You want them to correctly characterize and resolve an issue. You want them to think creatively to realize solutions to difficult problems. You want them to innovate.
So what have you done in your project to create an environment to get what you want? Have you reduced distractions? It would be a huge improvement. Think deeply about it. |
Posted on: July 31, 2008 10:31 PM
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