Monthly Archives: July 2013

Thanks for this John…I know it’s very hard for some Boomers and X’ers to understand, but you’re right about the Y’s.
I find if funny that Mr. Konopaske is a consultant for Millennials but has no ways to follow him? (twitter, linked in, fb)

The article reminds me of an old allegory.

4 generations of women are in the kitchen preparing a Thanksgiving meal. The youngest great-granddaughter watches her mother cut the ends off a ham and place it in the pan. “Mother,” she says, “why do you cut the ends off the ham?”. Her mother answers, “That is the way we have always done it. Your grandmother taught me.” The girl goes to her grandmother and asks the same question, and gets the same answer. She was taught by the girl’s great-grandmother. So the girl goes to her great-grandmother who is dozing in a chair by the window. She wakes the old woman and asks why the family cuts the ends off the ham. Her great-grandmother answers, “I do not know why your mother does it, but when I was growing up our pan was too small.”

Great post John…

Face to face communication is essential. It helps to ensure “buy-in” from the team. No one liked to be be given instruction from their parents “because they said so”. Memos or emails can give this impression. Face to face communication gives the team the opportunity to understand the “whys” of the new change and enhance team buy-in.

Nothing, but nothing, replaces face to face communication. Our company engaged in regular appraisals ensuring that it was clearly understood that it was for the benefit of both parties and that salary reviews were not a part of these meetings. At these face to face get together’s both parties had to submit and exchange items for discussion in advance. I used these meetings to update the person with the company plans and aspirations; this not only ensured they were in the loop and felt valued but they in turn passed on to colleagues the correct information. From the outset we would both agree that the meeting was personal and confidential and also what subject(s) could be shared with other our team members. We also held a yearly company meeting at which each director presented a report concerning their sector of responsibility, the past, present and the future. We rarely encountered subsequent misunderstanding – if there was any, we reminded ourselves that the fault always lies with the sender of the message, never the receiver. We also walked the building at least once a day and visited branches once a week.

The whole field of hiring and applying for a job has relegated itself primarily to an electronic process. I think it is very interesting that the “final decision” ultimately requires the “human touch”.

Great article. Now get some sleep!