What do you think?  Where do you stand?  If you post a comment on the blog I will send you a download of The CEO of YOU: Leading YOURSELF to Success by Marsha Petrie Sue.

If you are really serious about taking control of your job and making more money, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything.  The first step in turning yourself and your job into the perfect situation is to dump any thinking about what others “owe” you. “Why do my employees have such an entitlement mentality?” is a question often asked in business today? And I’ve learned it is not just the Generation Y’s who create this image.  The Baby Boomers and Gen Xer’s are as much at fault as any other workforce participant.

I think many people have become spoiled brats. Some blame it on generational differences, others say it’s society gone soft and still others claim there is a disappearance of the work ethic.  It is a combination of all of these.
And companies and employers can blame themselves:
•    They have not set clear connections between job performance and compensation.
•    All employees are rewarded the same.
•    Automatic raises are given because of tenure.
•    Companies have poor or inconsistent communication.
•    Come-and-go-as-you-please work schedules are acceptable.
•    Dress codes are not enforced.
•    Annual raises of 10 percent to 20 percent of base salary are automatic.
•    Regular grant of stock options are expected.
•    Full coverage health insurance costs are part of the entitlement.
•    Employer-subsidized soft drinks, bagels, coffee and more are expected.

I was speaking to Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers on Monday.  The president of the company agreed with an analogy I had been told by another company leader.  The group was whining and certainly displaying difficult behavior when he chimed back with this:

•    So, when your numbers are terrific it is because you are such a fabulous sales person and so good at your job?
•    And when the bottom fell out of the Real Estate Market and many of the financial markets, it was the economy’s fault for your numbers tanking?
•    Then why did 20% of the team continue to make their numbers and succeed?

My belief is that a certain percentage of people have learned to be resilient in their jobs and make the decision not to be spoiled brats.   The toxic behavior of a whine and cheeser (see Toxic People) is easy and is reserved for the lazy that don’t take the time to figure out what does work and what they should leave behind.

What is your perspective?  Do you fall into the Spoiled Brat frame or have you figured out how to pull yourself up and move forward no matter what?

Remember Vilfredo Pareto and the 80/20 rule? I also think this is why 20% of the investors today are investing in the financial markets and 80% are whining because they overextended themselves and often times because of their greed!

What do you think?  Where do you stand?  If you post a comment on the blog I will send you a download of The CEO of YOU: Leading YOURSELF to Success.

Are you ready to turn your thinking from Generation Y as difficult people to great corporate citizens? Generation X and the Baby Boomers have not had this kind of press because they remained within a “norm” of others expectations. Gen Y do not consider themselves to be difficult or toxic people.

The good news is that Generation Y learned the importance of balancing work and life from watching their overworked parents. So here are some ideas of what they bring to an overworked, entitlement driven work force.

1. Hold Only Productive Meetings
Email will be the medium for information that just needs to be shared. Thirty minute meetings will pull everyone to the same page while motivating them to get the work done. They bring to the table efficiency, focus and definitive expected outcomes.

2. Training obsessed
And they will determine what they need to learn by engaging great mentors. So if you are a Gen X or Boomer, learn to mentor. This is where the online “social” networks will play a role. Want to learn new skills and polish old ones? Visit http://www.marshapetriesue.com/Successstore.html and enter code BACKTOSCHOOL08 and save 50% on everything including Marsha Petrie Sue’s Toxic People book.

3. Hire Administrative Assistants
Gen Y constantly ask themselves, is this the best use of my skills? If not, someone else needs to do it! They can find over 500 extra hours a year by not doing tasks that don’t maximize their talents. Interestingly they are willing to pay for this themselves because it give them more “free” time.

4. Shorter Work Days
Maximizing technology to get more work done in less time is the name of their game. Already the workplace is watching Gen X take eight hours to accomplish the same work a Gen Y can do in six.

5. Gen Y won’t retire – they will reinvent
They do demand 401K’s and excellent benefits. Every few years they will take time off to enjoy life, then come back with new vigor and ideas on how they want to work and live. They have a new attitude!

6. Emotional Intelligence Promotions
Generation Y will force the Gen Y’s and Baby Boomers to promote them because they do an excellent job. Not because of tenure, seniority, paying your dues or office politics. They will hone their people skills to they lead people more effectively.

7. They value their Helicopter Parents
Parenting comes with a license to hover over the Gen Y kids. Because of this, Gen Y’s respect their parents because of the undying interest in the kids growth and success. Some companies have already designated a “parents waiting room” used while their Gen Y is interviewing for a new position!

8. New View on Performance Reviews
Since they expect constant feedback because of the model set by their Helicopter parents, they will expect the same from their leaders. Frequent feedback, and spot reviews will move Gen Y to quicker improvement and this really matters to Gen Y.

9. Higher Starting Salaries
Gen Y look out for themselves and do their homework. They know the value of their talents and what the supply and demand is in their field. They will use Monster.com, Jobing.com and Payscale.com for salary information.

Actually these 9 elements are good lessons for everyone that wants to be successful. I would recommend reading them again and replace the Generation Y reference with your name. Just a suggestion! If you want the Ten Commandments of Cooperation please email me at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com – and I REALLY enjoy your comments. If you post a comment on this blog I will send you a down loadable copy of my book, The CEO of YOU.

Cheers, Marsha

I do think the reason the Y’s are getting so much attention is because there are so many of them, we have over 94% employment rate, the Boomers are retiring and the X’ers have fit in so well and are doing such a great job that the attention never was about them! Y’s ARE different and if businesses today want to succeed with their contigency plans, succession planning and growing their profits they must pay attention.

There is a wide range of perspectives. USA Today says that Generation Y is looking for Fame and Making Money. One of the posts/emails said that they do not bring difficult behavior, are easy to work with and add a new dimension to the work place because of their mastery of using technology as a resource.

I plan to address the problem of working for Generation Y in the near future. In the meantime, here is some interesting info on Gen Y in the workplace.

Let me know if you posted and didn’t get your free listening download too. Just email me at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com – or if you did not receive your Generational Divide spread sheet!

Cheers, Marsha

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Your company deserves the best of the best! Many surveys say the number one issue facing business is finding and keeping good employees. Not only does this help the bottom line, it builds morale and motivation. For example, it costs a law firm approximately $200,000.00 if they lose a law associate within the first two years of employment. This figure does not take into account what the loss of a colleague does to morale and the drive of people remaining.

The process of keeping employees is easy if you apply the following strategies to overturn turnover.

• Selection: Improve staff and sales force retention by helping individuals make better choices before you hire. This begins with the selection process. In this environment of low employment, it is often tempting to hire the first applicant that seems to fill the bill. You can no longer just hold a mirror under their nose to insure they are alive and then hire them! Stop falling into the “hurry up and hire” syndrome. Poor hires feed turnover.

Include questions in the interview process to help you understand their strategic thinking, and problem solving process.
1. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
2. How do you make yourself indispensable to a company?
3. What’s your greatest strength? Weakness?
4. Tell me about a time when your workload was heavy. How did you complete all your work?
5. Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult person.
6. How do you accept direction and, at the same time, maintain a critical stance regarding your ideas, ethics, and values?
7. What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivate you?
8. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a problem with no rules or guidelines in place.

• Career development: For employees to manage their own career is often a daunting process, especially for Gen X and Gen Y. Develop a system that helps them move toward what they want and to what they aspire. Email Marsha at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com to receive your complimentary copy of Generational Differences. Gen X and Gen Y expect you to understand what they want as far as growth and promotion. Exceptional open communications is the key. On-going casual conversation will help in the process. Knowledge Management studies indicate that important information in an office is transferred in casual environments, for example; over the water cooler, rather than in structured meetings.

In addition, an important part of career development is the role of the performance appraisal. They have to be on going and honest. Too many times people provide employees with “performance appeases” because they are afraid to tell the employee that the expected work outcomes are not being achieved. Improved communications, heightened listening and learning to give appropriate feedback will immediately resolve this dilemma. Another issues is that the appraiser has no clue what kind of performance has been the standard for the appraisee so they give a “gold star performance review to a sub standard employee.

• Create an environment that eliminates gossip, and office politics. The reason there is gossip and office politics is the lack of information. People use these “tools” to fill in the informational black hole that is developed from poor communication and little information. Keeping an open door means you will answer any questions, anytime for anyone. If you don’t have time for an “open door policy” tell your group that they can schedule time (in person or by phone) anytime. Only change these appointments in extreme emergencies, for an example if your hair is on fire.

• Eliminate “shocks” – unexpected events that cause employees to begin thinking negatively about their job. The shock might be an industry change, resource supply interruption, or an international business event. These incidents can initiate the turnover processes because most people “what if” themselves into “I am going to lose my job” disorder. Town hall meetings, news briefs, or whatever mode works for you must be done. And don’t slack it off – people want information and to know how a situation will affect them.

• Help even the most lack-luster employee become a star. Use either in house or external coaching services. Bring in an accomplished speaker to ignite your group. Using assessment tools, the advisor acts as a liaison between the company and the employee. They become a “different messenger” indicating the concerns of the company and can:
1) Help the company to rectify a “performance issue”
2) Help the employee develop self-awareness that will improve them both personally and professionally.
3) Create solutions for the issues at hand.
The results of this connection with the employee can quickly improve performance and help the employee make different choices.

• Apply the “turnover calculator” to determine the effects on your bottom line. The center for community and economic development at the University of Wisconsin has this handy tool on line.
http://www.uwex.edu/CES/cced/economies/turn.cfm#calc

Fact: Businesses of all sizes are facing tremendous challenges on a global scale and know that maximizing their employee’s human potential is the answer to reduce turnover and improve retention.

Apply these simple ingredients to create emotional connections by cultivating an environment that generates resonance and lets people flourish. Apply these time-tested keys to allow you and your company to thrive amidst chaos, turbulent change, and turnover. Create a climate that fosters creative innovations, all-out performance, and lasting client relationships. Overturn turnover today.

Email Marsha for your copy of the Ten Commandments of Cooperation. – Please visit www.MarshaPetriesSue.com or email at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com.

As a professional speaker and author, Marsha Petrie Sue is the Mohammed Ali of communicators। She can dance and look pretty, and she uses the entire ring, but she knows how and when to land a knockout punch. Get the smelling salts! Her presentations are charm school with live ammunition. She is the author of The CEO of YOU and the soon to be released Toxic People: dealing with difficult people in the workplace without using weapons or duct tape.