Category Archives: Communication
July 22, 2015 “Don’t Buy Our Loyalty” (On Millennials and Altruism)
The next generation of leaders can’t be bought. In traditional business thinking, if you give an employee a raise every once in a while, that’s enough to keep him or her around. Not so for Millennials. According to Forbes Magazine, “They [Millennials] long to be part of something bigger than themselves… Millennials want to lead a balanced life. They want to be happy at home and happy on the job – money is somewhat secondary.”
Additionally, a recent study showed that a whopping 92% of those born between 1980 and 2000 (commonly known as the Millennial or “Y” generation) believe that business success should be measured by more than profit. They want to know that their company is doing good and they want to be a part of it.
I’ve written a past blog post about what motivates Millennials, but this time I’m going to narrow my focus and concentrate on one big motivator: altruism.
Simply put, Millennials care. They’ve been raised volunteering at church and community events, they go on Habitat for Humanity trips, they discuss issues like poverty and social injustice in their classrooms. When all that takes a back burner in the workplace, it can be a bit of a shock for them. They might ask themselves, “Where are all the people who care?” Or “Why doesn’t my company have a heart?” Or “Am I really doing the kind of work I should be doing?”
On the flip side, Millennials are attracted to companies that actively care. 88% of Gen Y women and 82% of Y men believe it’s important to be able to give back to community through work.
What are some things your company can do to engage Millennials (and other caring employees!) in altruistic activities? Here are some ideas:
- Create a program in your company that rewards good behavior (good attendance, outstanding leadership, team collaboration) with money that goes to a charity of choice.
- Sponsor fundraisers (such as a 5k run for charity)
- Create drop-off areas at work to donate used clothing or food items
- Allow your employees paid time off for charitable work (and keep a board that tracks and celebrates all the different organizations your employees are volunteering for)
- Promote green living:
- Provide incentives for biking, ride share, and public transportation
- Create an eco-friendly cafeteria with reusable or compostable plates, cups, and eating utensils; a compost bin; and locally/sustainably sourced food
- Provide water bottle refill stations next to drinking fountains
- Get an energy audit and make the recommended changes. Keep track of your energy savings on a chart that everyone can see
- Start team fundraising/volunteer work competitions
- Work on having an open line of communication with your employees so they can bring their altruistic ideas to you!
Margaret Smith is a career coach, licensed Insights Discovery practitioner, founder of UXL, and co-founder of the TAG Team. You can visit her website at www.youexcelnow.com
Tags: engage millennials, fundraising activities in the workplace, millennials and altruism, millennials and volunteering, retain millennials, workplace volunteerism
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- Posted under Better Business, Communication, Leadership, Organization, Teamwork, Thrive at Work
July 8, 2015 The Surprising Way Improv Comedy Can Help Your Workplace
When I first attended a class put on by the Brave New Workshop improv troupe, I was skeptical. How could improvised theater help me, a businessperson? Wasn’t it just for the ultra-creative types and class clowns? It turns out, my skepticism was hugely misplaced.
As I went through several different activities, I began to understand the value of such training for myself and everyone I was with—no matter the personality type. The skills we were learning through improv comedy helped us adapt to new situations, be creative, collaborate with others, and have the confidence to express ourselves, even if we weren’t entirely certain of the next move. These are all essential attributes of a good leader or confident team member.
One exercise especially stuck out in my mind:
We were asked to split up into groups of two. One person pretended to have a box filled with something useless or negative (worms, old gym socks, garbage, etc.) and they were supposed to give that box to the other person and say what they had. For example: “Here, Margaret. I have a box full of old banana peels for you.”
The recipient would have to take the box of useless items and respond in some kind of positive manner, such as: “Thank you, Susan. I will take these banana peels and use them as compost in my garden.”
This exercise works on a few useful skills:
- Turning a negative into a positive
- Quickly adapting to an uncomfortable situation
- Connecting in a positive manner with another person
After the workshop was finished, I felt energized, confident, and ready to take on anything that was thrown my way. I highly recommend using improv workshops as a way to boost your business (and life!) skills and help your team connect on a deeper level.
Contact me if you’d like to hear more about my improv experience!
Tags: brave new workshop for business, improv and business skills, improv and improved interactions, improv and teamwork, improv workshop
July 1, 2015 #WhatDoesItAllMean (Decoding Hashtags)
Last week, I attended an interesting and educational webinar on hashtags. The webinar was put on by members of the Insights® Discovery team. Through this session, I learned some valuable bits of information that I’d like to pass along to you. Here are a few of my key take-aways.
The Basics:
- Hashtags are your friends! Use them to make your social media posts more search-able and to connect with other people in your industry
- Do your research: Know which hashtags are currently popular in your field.
- #Don’tgooverboardwiththelength Hashtags that are too long are often overlooked
- Do get creative and have fun with hashtags in your social media
- Do connect with others in your online community who are using the same hashtags (i.e. #coaching #writer #workingmom)
- Don’t hashtag every word! It seems desperate and amateur.
- Know what’s trending and take advantage (some hashtags are used frequently like #tbt for “Throwback Thursday,” in which you’re encouraged to post an old photo)
Events:
- Create a specific hashtag for any event you host and actively encourage attendees to use it. Don’t be shy! Project your chosen hashtag on your powerpoint or print the hashtag on pieces of paper that you put at each chair.
- If you’re attending an event, see if there is a specific hashtag associated with it. (i.e. #AWP15 for the 2015 Assoc. of Writers Program conference)
- Live tweet (or use whatever your preferred social media platform may be) and use the given hashtag
- Connect with other people at the event by looking up the designated hashtag and starting an online conversation
My main take-away: Don’t be afraid of hashtags! They aren’t something “the kids are doing these days.” They are a useful way to make connections and network in your field. Do a little research and then dive in!
Happy hashtag-ing and don’t forget to #havefun
Tags: a guide to using hashtags, decoding hashtags, don't be afraid of hashtags, hashtag basics, hashtag insights discovery, hashtag webinar, hashtags and social media strategy, using hashtags effectively, UXL blog
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