Category Archives: Organization
March 22, 2023 Why Young Workers Quit (And how to retain them)
A version of this post was first published in September, 2019
I often hear people complaining about the “new generation” of workers as being disloyal to the company. They change jobs like gym shorts and can’t commit to a single business for more than a few years. While that may be true, have you ever stopped to think about WHY that’s the case?
1. Stagnant Wages
For many young and not-so-young (the oldest Millennials are in their 40s now) people, the workplace landscape is MUCH different than it was when Boomers and Gen Xers began their careers. Wages have stagnated and benefits aren’t what they used to be. In many cases, the only way to get a raise is to negotiate one by switching jobs.
Solution?
Make sure your business is competitive. Offer fair wages, and regularly give raises that account for cost-of-living increases. In addition, make sure your list of benefits is attractive and competitive in the industry.
2. Boredom
“But what about their short attention spans!?” you might say. “We can’t seem to capture their interest.”
Sure, job boredom may play a role in Gen Z and Millennial job-hopping, but this is often a preventable woe. If more than one or two of your staff seem bored or distracted, it’s probable there’s something systemic going on. It may be that…
- They are not well-suited for their role.
- They are so efficient that they complete their workload much faster than previous generations of workers.
- They have checked out because they feel like they don’t fit in in the workplace.
- They have checked out because they don’t think they have a voice.
Solution?
In all these scenarios, communication can help prevent boredom. Regularly check in with your staff and make sure they are feeling engaged and supported. Give them the space to express how they are feeling and vocalize what they’d like to see changed. Then, work with them to strategize ways to make positive changes.
If your young workers are checking out because they feel like they don’t fit in, counter that by encouraging team-building workshops (consider Insights Discovery as a starting point), after-work outings, or collaborative projects. Pay attention and make sure your seasoned workers are giving the newer workers a voice.
3. Feeling Lost
According to a study of 6,900 young people, Gen Zers are actively seeking mentorship at work. The vast majority (82%) want a boss who cares about them and can “relate to them on issues beyond work.” They also crave guidance during this early and formative stage of their career.
Solution?
The guidance this younger generation is seeking can come in the form of mentorship or sponsorship. Establishing a mentorship program does not have to be terribly involved. Rather, it can be as simple as aligning experienced workers with less experienced workers, advising them to meet once per month, and (if you’re a leader or HR rep) checking in with them every once in a while. I’ve talked about how to start a mentoring cohort in a past blog post, and have also provided steps to find one’s “perfect mentor.”
4. Lack of Freedom
Nobody likes it when others look over their shoulders to supervise their work. It conjures images of elementary school, when teachers had to keep a classroom of rambunctious youngsters in line in addition to teaching multiplication tables. Such treatment in the workplace could induce anxiety and the feeling of being hemmed in. No one works well under that kind of pressure.
Solution?
Your staff are not elementary children and should not be treated as such. It’s a good idea to demonstrate trust in your team by giving them a long leash when it comes to projects, minimizing your involvement, and being open to different styles of working and different solutions.
Another thing: consider allowing your staff to occasionally work from home. We live in a time where technology enables many people to work remotely on at least some of their projects. As long as the work is being done, who cares if they work in their pajamas?
If you have a retention problem, ask yourself if any (or all!) of these four factors are coming into play, and then DO something! I’m here to help.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE.
Tags: better workplace for Gen Z, margaret smith career coach, Margaret Smith Minneapolis career coach, retain Gen Z workers, retain Millennial workers, retain young workers, why young workers quit
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- Posted under Better Business, Leadership, Organization
January 18, 2023 How to Capture Your Best Ideas with Note-Taking Apps
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea? Or thought of something you needed to do as soon as you stepped into the shower? Or had a poignant thought in the middle of a Zoom meeting, but didn’t want to interrupt the flow?
And then…the thought left your head. No matter how hard you tried to recall your brilliant idea, you could not.
This happens to me, and I’m guessing we’ve all experienced something similar. One way to capture these fleeting ideas is through note-taking apps.
That may sound simple (and it is), but the trick is getting into a note-taking habit. If this isn’t something you’ve done, you’ll have to train yourself to recognize when you’ve had a poignant thought, pause, and jot down the note. Tiago Forte, author of Building a Second Brain, says that it helps to view ourselves as “givers of notes to our future selves.” In a three-minute interview by Daniel Pink, Forte describes the benefits of note-taking apps and suggests a number of different apps to try, including:
Another advantage of note-taking apps is that they can keep all your thoughts organized in a single place. Instead of sifting through folders, documents, emails and tabs to find information, everything can be collected into one central hub. Plus, you can use the search feature to quickly identify what you’re looking for.
In a nutshell: using note-taking apps can help capture ideas and keep you organized. It’s a great way to grab ahold of those momentary flashes of brilliance and record them. You never know when your next big idea will strike!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE.
Tags: advantage of note-taking apps, best way to use note taking apps, capture ideas with note-taking apps, Daniel Pink note taking apps, Margaret Smith life coach, Margaret Smith Twin Cities
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- Posted under Changing Your Life, Organization
December 21, 2022 10-Minute New Year’s Planning
You might be immersed in holiday stress right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a few minutes to ponder the year ahead. After all, it is right around the corner, and it’s better to be at least a little prepared than to have it sneak up on you. By putting in even 10 minutes of planning, you can add a little focus and direction to your year, rather than having it lead you around by the nose!
Take charge of your year by sitting down (perhaps with a nice cup of tea or a glass of wine), pondering the year ahead, and going through the following 8 steps. You could undertake this activity in about 10 minutes, but I encourage you to take all the time you need.
1. Write down all your goals
Jot down whatever comes to mind. Don’t edit; don’t pause. Just write down everything (big and small, personal and professional) you would like to accomplish next year.
2. Rate your goals
Once you have your list, go through it and consider which items are the most crucial and which are not. You could give each entry a 1, 2, or 3 rating with 1 representing your most important goals/aspirations, 2 being goals of middling importance, and 3 representing less important goals.
3. Focus on your “1” goals
Take a look at your most important goals (i.e., the “1s”). Hopefully you only have two or three “1” goals (if you have much more than that, consider relabeling some of them) so you can place your focus on these particular objectives. You can still accomplish your 2s and 3s, but they might not be the center of your focus.
4. Work backwards
For each of your top goals, set a specific date for when you’d like to accomplish them. From there, work backwards on your calendar. How can you break up your goal into bite-sized pieces? What are some of the major milestones you need to accomplish? Fill in your calendar accordingly, working backwards from your deadline.
5. Highlight important milestones
Once you’ve completed step 4, consider your important milestones. What needs to be done by certain dates to accomplish each milestone? Starting thinking about the support/resources you’ll need, the tasks you’ll have to accomplish, and the time you’ll devote to reaching each milestone.
6. Create a derailment plan
Life happens. If you don’t happen to meet one of the deadlines for your milestones, what will you do? What’s your derailment plan? Will you sit down and rethink your schedule? Will you commit to working one evening each week (or part of the weekend) until you get back on track?
7. Think of an accountability partner (or several)
List a few people who would make good accountability partners—people who could occasionally check in to help keep you on track. Be sure to list people who will not necessarily let you off the hook if you miss a deadline or are getting sidetracked. Rather, choose people whom you respect and do not want to let down. Once you have your list, reach out to one person at a time until someone agrees to be your accountability partner for the year. If they ask, be sure to return the favor.
8. Set a “go” date!
You have a plan. You’re ready to blast off into the New Year. Now, all you need is a “go” date—a time to begin your launch. This could be the first of the year, or it might be a date further down the road—whatever makes sense with your plan.
Too many people get bogged down by day-to-day life instead of stepping back and taking a bird’s eye view of their work or personal life. It can be immensely helpful to see the forest, instead of staring at the trees. By planning the year ahead, you partake in big-picture planning. You chart your course through the forest, instead of getting tripped up by the roots and brambles that everyday life tends to deliver.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE.
Tags: 10-minute activity for new year, 10-minute new years planning, efficient new years planning, margaret smith career coach, Margaret Smith professional speaker, planning the year ahead, quick new years planning
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- Posted under Better Business, Goals, Organization
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