Issue 21
Word to the Whys
“We know who we are and we know what we do.”
~ Michael Dell, Founder and CEO, Dell Computer
“If people believe in the company they work for, they will form an emotional tie to it and buy into its dreams. Then they will pour their hearts into making it better.”
~ Howard Schultz,
Chairmen and CEO, Starbucks
Quick Funny
A teacher has been arrested in London for possession of compasses, protractors, and a straight edge. He claims to be a member of Al Gebra, a new organization bearing weapons of math instruction.
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dynamic presentation style.
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“Strategies, tactics, skills, and practices are empty without an understanding of the fundamental human aspirations that connect leaders and constituents.” - James Kouzes and Barry Posner - The Leadership Challenge
Last Thursday in the Netherlands, nearly two hundred Generals, Admirals and professors from the Dutch, German, Belgian, and British military academies gathered at a 13th century castle in the town of Breda. This meeting was called to determine weather young cadets should continue to be trained to think as officers, or if it would be more advantageous to train future officers to think more like managers.
As one of the meeting’s presenters, I had the opportunity to listen to different and varying perspectives and opinions. Although there did not appear to be a clear and decisive answer to the primary question posed that day, there was unanimous agreement that sweeping change was in order if European military academies were going to have success training a new – and very different – breed of recruit.
Obviously, the challenges Generation Why presents to businesses and educational institutions are not confined to US borders. European cultures are also wrestling with tumultuous change, and the emerging generation is rapidly forcing a shift in their traditional methodologies of motivation, management, and education.
This does not mandate a relaxing of discipline, nor does it mean that regimen has lost its place in the military – or in education. Quite the opposite is true, actually. Even in a country that is renowned for its liberal stance on controversial social issues, applications for acceptance into this strict military academy far exceed positions available. Studies show that Gen Whys have a healthy respect for tradition and for those who hold them accountable to fair and clearly articulated boundaries.
What continues to ring true, however, is that Whys are not loyal to “because I said so” logic, no matter who is barking the orders, or in what language the commands are given. The fear of a negative consequence won’t commit a young soldier to a meaningless ritual or routine any sooner than it will commit a student to perform a meaningless assignment. When it comes to getting a Gen Why to pledge their allegiance, they must be committed to the mission and believe in the purpose. And to get that kind of buy-in, the only currency they’ll accept is relevance.
In 2000, with an unemployment rate as low as 2.0 percent in some parts of the U.S., nearly any teen who wanted a summer job could find one without much effort.
This year, with unemployment more than twice that high, a faltering economy and government budget cuts, teens face one of the most competitive summer job markets in recent history. Even so, employers want and need the best and the brightest, and high school and college students on break still want and need good jobs.
So how can employers enter the summer maze and find the freshest cheese?
My friend and colleague T.J. Schier has written an exceptional article on finding and training Gen Whys for summer Jobs.
Here is a link to a PDF file of T.J.’s article for your reading enjoyment.
Click Here for Summer Jobs Article
You can reach T.J. Shier at tj@thepeoplepyramid.com
or by calling (972) 691-7378.
Irony in Full Bloom
As many as 60 accounting students from the University of Wisconsin were accused of cheating on a take-home midterm exam. The instructor allowed the students to take the test at home so they could attend a presentation. There was "overwhelming evidence of collusive behavior" said department chair John Eichenseyer. He says the instructor had been told there was cheating, so he gave a surprise quiz to the class after they turned in the exam. Many students failed on quiz questions they had supposedly just answered on the exam.
Oh, and the presentation they all attended? It was a speech by Sherry Watkins, the whistle-blower who brought the accounting irregularities at Enron to light.
What do your colleagues have to say about LIVE Generation Why Presentations?
"Your presentation gave new understanding and appreciation about Generation Why to the adults, while providing the more than 200 student delegates an opportunity to nod in agreement about who they are."
Assistant Executive Director for Communications
Pennsylvania School Boards Association
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