Issue 25

Word to the Whys

"I solemnly promise and declare that every customer that comes within ten feet of me, I will smile, look them in the eye, and greet them, so help me Sam."
~ Wal-Mart Pledge

"The revolution is going to happen. It’s just a matter of whether you’re with it or you’re behind it."
~ Fast Company

"It's the in-between boy. He's not into girls yet. And he's not thrilled with cartoons. He's gone from playing with G.I. Joe to lighting him on fire."
~ Jim Guerinot, producer of extreme-sports shows, describing his target audience [L.A. Times, 6/22]

"The individual is forcing change. People are shopping around, not only for the right job, but for the right atmosphere. This new generation in the workplace is saying I want a job that values me more than the gross national product. I want to work for a company that contributes to the community."
~ Anita Roddick, Founder, The Body Shop

“Young people are fitter to invent than to judge, fitter for execution than for counsel, and fitter for new projects than for settled business."
~ Francis Bacon

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Zig. Zig. Zig. Listen to the heartbeat of a typical day.

Zig. Zig. Zig. Get through the daily routine. Make it to the weekend.

Zig. Zig. Zig. Rely on what you know. Avoid uncertainties at all cost.

We know how to Zig. Although we promised ourselves that we would never succumb to an ordinary, routine existence, that’s what our work – and perhaps even our life – eventually becomes. Outside of our morning latte, we no longer feel the need for a daily adrenaline rush. In fact, change is no longer our friend.

Alas, we’ve become predictable. And unless it’s absolutely necessary, we certainly don’t want to rock the boat of predictability by infusing anything new or different into our businesses and organizations. Stay the course, right?

B-O-R-I-N-G! If there’s one thing Gen Whys cannot stand, it’s B-O-R-I-N-G! The same sameness we take comfort in, they find repelling. In fact, when surveyed, many young people respond that their fear of boredom is far greater than their fear of physical injury. This presents huge challenges for employers who need to fill routine jobs. Assign GenWhys to a mundane position or feed them a steady diet of routine tasks and you’ll create a motivation gap between them and your desired outcome that rivals the Grand Canyon.

In short, you cannot rely on the old Zig management style and expect to retain your Gen Whys, much less keep them motivated to perform at a high level. You must become a master of the Zag.

Below are three quick ways you can Zag to avoid becoming a drag to your Whys.

Zag the Atmosphere

Take a look at your physical surroundings in your workplace. If it’s been a while since you’ve put up a new poster on the wall or changed the station on the radio, it’s time. If you haven’t had a casual dress day – or a wear-a-goofy-hat-to-work day this year, consider it. Make a list of five things you can do to your environment that represent new, exciting, - or, at the very least, - different. You don’t have to completely redesign your storefront or abandon your dress code, but see what positive effect a fresh coat of paint in the breakroom can have on your staff. Don’t stay the course. Throw a change-up pitch and catch ‘em off guard.

Zag the Procedures

Replace the question you continually ask yourself, “Is there a better way to do things?” with the one that asks, “Is there a different way to do things?” Even if the change you implement doesn’t by itself - yield significant results, it could produce for you in other ways simply by stimulating the creative juices of your workforce and reengaging them to the job.

If you’re at a loss for new ways to do old things, ask your Whys. You might discover a new procedure that saves you both time and money while improving your overall quality in the process.

Zag the Outcome

Whys are great at breaking your code. They can predict the reaction to each action they take. They know what happens if they show up late, or if their drawer doesn’t balance, or if they forget to take their tongue ring out. They also can predict what kind of compliment or reward is waiting for them if they meet or exceed your standards. That predictability usually works against you.

Consider reenergizing your young workforce by going against their expectations. Instead of giving them a compliment – hand them movie passes, or call their parents with high praise for their son/daughter. Rather than send them home for a dress code violation, put them on K.P. and have them clean the storeroom.

While it’s important that your Whys realize that there are consequences for both good and poor performance, don’t let them think too far ahead of you. Keep ‘em guessing and keep their heads into your game.

Syntax or Salary

A survey of British companies finds that many businesses can't afford to give employees raises, so they're giving them stuffy-sounding job titles instead. A receptionist might be called the "Head of Verbal Telecommunications", a restroom janitor "Technical Sanitation Assistant", and a window cleaner an "Optical Illuminator Enhancer". An employment agency spokesman says such "up-titling" is helpful, since "people view a grander title as recognition of their contribution to the organization and feel more committed as a result." (Reuters).

Try this technique on a Gen Why and they’ll tell you that the concept is “bovine excrement” and that you’ve got a “rectal cranial inversion”.


Look All Around

Parents of students at Livingston (Tenn.) Middle School have filed a federal lawsuit against Overton County after they learned that the school had installed security cameras in both the boys' and girls' locker rooms. They say the computerized system housed in Assistant Principal Robert Jolley's office was connected to the Internet, and he hadn't bothered to change the factory default password. Thus, they say, photos of students aged 10-14 "in various stages of undress" were available online to anyone who knew about the system. Apparently a number of people did know: computer logs show access from several states. (Nashville Tennessean)

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