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In
this issue:
Word to the
Whys
"The children
now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they allow disrespect
for elders and chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants..."
Socrates
"The choices
that make a significant difference in our lives are the tough ones. They're not
often fun or easy, but they're the ones we have to make, and each is a deliberate
step toward better understanding of who we really are."
Alexandra Stoddard—author and lecturer
"Take a seat,
young man. Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. You just might learn something."
Mr. Davies to a 16-year old lost kid named Eric
Sow a thought,
and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
Unknown
"Life is a
sort of splendid torch which I've got hold of for the moment, and I want to make
it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."
George Bernard Shaw
"Don't concern
yourself over whether or not you will make a difference; you will. The question
is, what kind of difference will you make?"
Mark Sanborn—author of The Fred Factor
"If you define
cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, crying and screaming and
begging for mercy... then yes, Mr. Brave Man, I am a coward."
Jack Handey—author of Deep Thoughts
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Generation Why
 by
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I Quit! (Anyone Really Feel Like Working Today?)
I don't feel like
writing this article.
I don't feel like
wearing a coat and tie. And to be honest, I don't really feel much like working
today. I'd much rather be snowboarding at Vail or at an afternoon matinee.
Just the same,
here I sit, writing material, answering email, making calls, booking presentations
and working deals. I've got so many piles sitting on my desk; I'll probably work
right through the lunch hour—again.
Somehow it's been
engrained deep into my psyche to work when I feel like it, and even harder when
I don't. I'd like to think this is encoded into the DNA of all baby boomers, but
I know a lot of people my age who don't share this predisposition. Further, there
are many people—both older and younger—who work even harder, and many more hours
per week, than I do. So obviously, generational boundaries are not the sole determiner
of a person's work ethic.
I do know, however,
who taught me to work. My father was a depression era baby who took nothing
for granted and never took a day off from working. As his only son, whenever I
was not in school, I was his steadfast assistant and trusty "gopher."
When I got to high school, I enrolled in a vocational business program where I
learned the principles of free enterprise, marketing and management and where
I was also given school credit for applying this knowledge as a salesclerk in
a retail clothing store.
Through the consistent
coaching, counseling, prodding, and mentorship of my dad and my high school business
teacher, Brent Davies, I developed a solid work ethic. So much so that if a crisis
struck tomorrow forcing me out of business, I'd be delivering pizzas or driving
a cab by the end of the day. I simply don't know how not to work.
Today's teens and
twenty-somethings are smarter, more street-wise, and much more tech-savvy than
I ever was back in the day. Yet surprisingly, the most common complaint business
owners and managers have when talking about their young front-line workforce is
their lack of work ethic. Somehow in the process of getting them through to adulthood
with a lot of talent and skills, we've failed miserably when teaching them how
to work.
Should we place
the blame on parents, many of whom no longer take the time to apprentice their
children and teach them the value of a full day's work for a full day's pay? Should
we castigate our schools—many of which have cut vocational programs in favor of
teaching every student how to fill in the correct corresponding bubble on a standardized
academic achievement test?
The short answer
is yes, but the buck doesn't stop there. And while we try to sort it all out,
the old-fashioned roll-up-your-shirtsleeves, keep your nose to the grindstone,
give your all—even if you don't feel like it work ethic that made
this country great continues to erode.
My latest book,
Getting Them to Give a Damn—How to Get
Your Front Line to Care About Your Bottom Line (Dearborn, 2005), is
being released May 1. I wrote this book to provide employers with insight into
the mindset of their young emerging workforce and to give them the management
tools to instill within their young charges a solid work ethic—buy-in,
if you will. I'm confident that it will turn the lights on for boomers and Gen
X business leaders, but that only addresses one side of the equation.
That's why I'm
equally proud to be in the final stages of editing Bring
Your 'A' Game to Work, a video-based training program that will help
teenagers develop and commit to a set of seven workplace values that will impact
their careers, regardless of what path they may choose. This program is very humorous
and entertaining, but more importantly, it will impart to teens the fundamental
work ethic values that they need, and every employer desires. (Visit www.TheAGame.com
for more information.)
You work hard everyday,
even if you don't feel like it. It's a part of who you are. And I bet you can
name the people who taught you how to work as a teen. Call them and thank them
before it's too late.
I lost my father
eighteen months ago. And just last week, my high school business teacher, Brent
Davies, an extraordinary educator and mentor to thousands of young people over
his distinguished 32-year career, passed away. I don't know if he ever knew how
much I loved, admired, and appreciated him. I was humbled when Mr. Davies' family
asked me to deliver the eulogy at the funeral. While this was incredibly difficult
for me and I really just wanted to grieve with the others, I knew it was something
I had to do.
Even though I didn't
feel like it.
Whys
Cracks
Chill, Baby,
Chill: An unnamed worker at the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center in Salt
Lake City, Utah, admits he slipped a tranquilizer into the coffee of an unnamed
female employee because she was "too hyper," he says, and it would "calm
her down." The woman had a bad reaction to the drug and was off work for
two weeks. When confronted about the seriousness of slipping drugs to unsuspecting
people, the 22-year-old man is said to have replied, "At least she would
have already been at the hospital." He was arrested and charged with "surreptitious
administration of a substance," a felony. (Desert Morning News)
At least he was already at the jailhouse when his crime
finally dawned on him.
It's, like,
totally bogus, Dude! Bay County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office say John Douglas Sheetz,
18, and Misty Ann Holmes, 17, called them to report a theft—of their marijuana
stash. They let officers search their house for evidence—and were then arrested
for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. "They're America's dumbest
criminals," a sheriff's spokesman said. (AP)
Yeah, maybe. Or perhaps someone secretly slipped a tranquilizer
into their morning coffee.
The
Buzz
What
are THEY Saying?
What do
your colleagues have to say about LIVE
Generation Why Presentations?
"Your keynote
address at our annual convention of 30,000 attendees has received tremendous positive
feedback!"
~ Eamon Conner, Education Manager, International Association of Amusement Parks
and Attractions
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