Are You Using Analog Training Methods on Digital Employees?
Driving back home from a long family vacation trip this summer with boat in tow, it was my new son-in-law, Chris’s, turn to drive. Before turning over the wheel to him, I opened the road map to point the way home. He politely replied that he had no need for a map or any directions, and simply pulled a Garmin out of his bag and keyed-in our home address. The voice commands of his portable GPS told him when to turn right and left, when to merge, and even showed him where to stop for gas and grub. I got the feeling that Chris put me and my atlas in the same category in which I had placed my dad and his slide rule back in the seventies.
The difference between Boomers/X'ers and Gen Whys isn’t merely one of technology, but rather psychology and, perhaps, even biology. My analog-functioning mind is always seeking to balance coordinates between where I’ve been, where I am and, more importantly, where I am going. But Chris’s brain functions digitally, and his only need is to know what he must do at any moment to achieve the ultimate goal at hand. He is far less interested in a topical perspective and seeks only pertinent and relevant information to his objective.
The Take Away
Consider the daily knowledge transfer taking place in your organization between your aging veterans and your rookies. While it may be part of your culture to throw the book (i.e. an employee training manual) at your young emerging workforce, you certainly don’t want them to duck and miss the important stuff. Whereas, an analog mind (us) feels it necessary to complete the entire training program before being asked to produce any kind of measurable results, a digital thinker (them) wants only to know where to go to access the information that is needed; anything beyond that, to them, is as useless as a map of Duluth when they’re lost in Detroit.
Don’t overload them with too much upfront information, but rather, provide them with easy access to the answers and information they need to perform. This way, the training is ongoing and applicable and gives them the confidence to perform up to their capabilities.
Introducing Whys Perspective
A recent article appearing in The Denver Post offered the perspective of the school-to-work transition from the eyes of a Gen Why. The 22-year-old writer came across as brash, bold, unforgiving, and even accusatory; but, he also made me think. Ironically, his article referenced me and one of my books, so I took it as an invitation to try to connect with him in person and see what he was all about. He accepted my offer and we met over coffee.
I must confess, the way his article was written, I was expecting TJ to be an edgy-looking kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of a redwood, but I totally missed the mark. (I should know by now that with Gen Why, you can’t judge a cover by its book.) TJ is low key, polite, intelligent beyond his years, well-groomed and, above all, very honest. He’s held a variety of entry-level jobs, traveled internationally, and is an alumnus of famed Columbine High. However, his worldview radiates more than his own experience, and he chooses his words carefully. I found TJ to be a more-than-capable representative for today’s teens and young adults entering the workplace, so I asked him if he’d like to contribute his thoughts and opinions to my work in the form of a blog.
Timothy “TJ” Wihera has agreed to be the leading contributor for Whys Perspective; in fact, he’s already posted two blogs. I’ve agreed not to edit or censor TJ’s blogs in any way, so it goes from his mind to your eyes without any interference.
You might not agree with him, but I encourage you to see things through the eyes of Generation Why.
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Whys
Cracks
Crack Attack! - If you wear saggy pants in the south Chicago suburb of Lynwood, you’d better have deep pockets. Village leaders have passed an ordinance that will fine anyone showing 3 inches or more of their underwear in public.
Mayor Eugene Williams says young men walk around town half-dressed, keeping major retailers and economic development away. The American Civil Liberties Union, however, claims the ordinance targets young men of color, and is planning legal action. (Associated Press).
Can’t you just visualize a squadron of police officers armed with rulers for measuring protruding underwear lines? “Sir, that’s 2-7/8 inches, so I’m going to issue you a warning this time!”
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Blog
Check out Eric's latest blog - always insightful and inspiring; sometimes humorous. Read it here.
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We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. |
Lee Iacocca |
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The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. |
Groucho Marx |
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Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. |
Kurt Vonnegut |
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Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you’re wonderful.
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Reputation is the shell a man discards when he leaves life for immortality. His character he takes with him. |
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| Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher. |
Japanese proverb |
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It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information. |
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You might think that the favorite plant of the porcupine is the cactus, but it’s thinking like that that has almost ruined this country. |
Jack Handey, Author, Deep Thoughts |
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