Freedom

"Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude"
- Harvey "Joe" Henderson

This quote resonated with my friends and I as we pumped Public Enemy on our way to our favorite skateboarding spot. It was a Hilti distribution center outside of Detroit, MI - just off Freedom Road.

I've opposed the trend of Generational Diversity because I find it confining. But, I can't seem to get away from it. I guess my hypocrisy keeps life interesting.

Today on the Howard Stern show. The elder statesman host gave a young upstart some advice. John Suscovich is leaving the staff at the greatest show on Earth to ride his bike around the world. Mr. Stern advised the young man that this idea was "ape shit crazy". John being grateful for the sage-like advise from the King of All Media nodded, smiled, and thanked Howard for the opportunity. Well played John!

What Howard doesn't understand is that the world doesn't work the way it did in when he was holed up in a Detroit Motel room waiting for his next radio show. John Suscovich appreciates the opportunity but he is not bound by it. I love the old school work ethic of the baby boomers but the angst comes from generational miscasting. I am of Generation X and even when I got out of college I rushed to the first company that would employ me....grateful for the opportunity, ready to work my way up the ladder.

Times have changed - Deal With It!

There is a pivotal scene in the movie "The Social Network" when the Dean of Harvard advises the Winklevi that at Harvard they create their own careers. That is inspiring advice. I wish someone would have given me that perspective. I didn't know I had the option of creating my own company and selling it to Google. Howard Stern, at the time he graduated BU, simply didn't have that option. So...we look upon the young with a sense of jealously and say - "there is no future in riding a bike".

"It's not about the bike"
- Lance Armstrong

I wonder if my grandfather wishes he didn't spend every day of his working life in the Iron Ore mines of upstate Minnesota? I bet he would have shaken his head at my pink shirt. He probably would have been in disbelief that a social network would be worth 20 billion dollars as well.

We have to be honest with ourselves. If we worked at our own pace, maintained our health, did not have to punch a clock, and made twice as much as we did today ~ that would be awesome! Freedom of schedule and work/life balance are nothing to be envious of. There are something to be admired.

If you ground your hands down to put food on the table, that is something to be proud of. If you came up with an idea and were given a million dollars for it, that is something to be proud of.

We are free to live the life we wish to. Some of us just choose to do the safe thing!

Don't Forget to Remember

Dave

When You Were Young

Last night I watched the Fab Five documentary on ESPN. It was a tear jerker. I went to High School in Michigan during the University of Michigan's greatest recruiting effort. These five basketball players were our age, they were amazingly talented, and they were not taking any BS from anyone. Fresh out of High School they got on to the hard court and beat the crap out of the Seniors who had been on the big stage for 4 years.

For the first time in our lives, My friends and I had comrades who were changing the world. If they could do it, we could too. We, like them, were cocky and full of life! It was an amazing time in my life....young and full of hope!

And so we revisit the Generational Phenomena in the workplace: The tired generalization that Gen Y is an entitled group without discipline. The Fab Five were held to similar stereotypes of Generation Y...Full of Talent, lacking discipline.

I teach Human Relations courses through Dale Carnegie University. My latest group of students includes a Fab Four entrepreneur group in the Computer Programming world. I am enamored by their uncompromising drive to conduct their professional lives by their own rules. They navigate their careers with a chip on their shoulder with the same confidence that the Fab Five had when they took the court. I remember that point in my life and how great it felt to be untethered by the regulations of the 'more senior' workforce.

The questions surface:
Do You Wish to Lead your Millennial Superstars to Success?
or
Do You Wish to Regulate the Motivation of your Millennial Superstars?

Allowing Awesome
At Harvard, MIT, and other elite educational institutes; the purpose is to create a career not qualify for a job. These institutes have empowered the young upstart geniuses who grew up with their heads in computer monitors. The premise: why would you want to work for someone who you are smarter than? Awesome Question and one that fuels the motivation of the young.

Why not change the world instead of fitting into it?

The Leadership Perspective
Most organizations have a logical formula for success. Put people in positions to navigate a system that will produce results. Makes sense.....to those who are of the stability mind frame. However, the systematic development model is a prison to the creative minds that will soon run our country. Bless Them!

If you wish to curtail energy...you are a Manager not a Leader!

Generation Y is not an entitled generation! They simply have greater potential than we do...end of story! They are less programmed for predictability. This should be celebrated!

Let's Celebrate!
You know if you see the 'new girl' as a threat and she knows that you wish to categorize her motivation..."slow down, your making us look bad". Lame!

When I was young I thought I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I did what I was told, made my numbers, and completed every task on time....only to receive more tasks. I was miscast in an organization that lacked the ability to utilize my strengths. I wanted to do everything....they wanted me to do nothing. I wish someone, anyone, would have told me to create something instead of advising me to 'slow down'.

I hope I never stop moving forward. I hope the youngsters in this world keep me practicing. I am 100 times more motivated by the young than the old. My direct and extensive experience has given me no reason to think otherwise. Sorry....

Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Hsieh and Blake Mycoskie have shown us that motivation does not need a predetermined system of efficiency. That if we choose to categorize, we limit ourselves. That the gift of creativity is what makes companies great.

The Age of Predictability is Over! Generation Y will take over much quicker than Generation X has. Your position at the negotiating table may change much quicker than you think...

You Better Get on The Bus!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The A Word

"we don't use that word"...the young man across the table from me retorted as if I had insulted his family. This, a response from the Generation Y upstart who had asked me for 'career advice'. His encouragement halted when I told him that he needed to develop a 'system of personal accountability'.

Generational Motivation has been a hot work place topic of late. At times unfair in it's generalized presentation and beaten to oblivion on the conference circuit.

Today we will simplify Generational Diversity down to one word:
ACCOUNTABILITY

Otherwise, know as The A Word....

There are two sides of Accountability:
1. The offense at the binding nature of The A Word
2. The offense at the offense of the distaste of The A Word

We don't like that word...
As our conversation evolved, the young man explained to me that his distaste for the A Word was a result of uninvited entitlement. Since he came into the workforce he had been barraged by company veterans cornering him with advice about 'how things are done around here'. He didn't ask for the advice, he found the nature of the advice to be binding, and he thought those giving the advice were trying to regulate him rather than encourage him.

Can you blame him for having a distaste for the word every elder statesman presented as a right of passage?

Uphill both ways in the snow...
As time endures, facts become more distant and legends grow. Every 'more experienced' team member will tell you one of the following things:
* I was number 1 in the company in (pick a date)
* Back in my day, we didn't choose our benefits, we were thankful to have a job
* You cannot win without having a system of accountability

Everyone gets to a point in their career (and life for that matter) when they want to give back. They see young people and are inspired by their energy and optimism. Often, the advice they choose to give is in an effort to help young people avoid making the mistakes that they did.

Can you blame a 30 year company veteran for wanting to share her knowledge in an effort to extend a legacy?

Are we really so different?
If I hear another speaker tell me that Gen Y is tech savvy and entitled I am going to puke!

Business is evolving through technology. Having a more efficient operating system means we commute less and spend less time at the water cooler. We get things done faster and we have more time to do things we actually enjoy. Because of this we enjoy work more!

Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game!

We are all distinctly great at certain things. Our age is not of consequence. What is of consequence is the Corporate Culture that we grew up in. There was a time when micro-managing was more prevalent, employees were held to strict hours and professional attire was not optional. That time has gone and we are no less productive.

The 'kid' who sat across from me listened to my advice. He felt better about asking for it than having it force fed to him. He also knows that his expectations for himself are far greater than those of his company.

In Conclusion:
a. Don't go assuming tenure gives you license to spread your industry knowledge.
b. Humbly accept guidance when it is given.
c. You can be accountable without being threatened (if only to yourself).

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Benefits by the Numbers

In October of 2010 I took to LinkedIn to engage the top producers in their respective fields. The intent being to discover what top talent is
looking for in an employer and what said employer needs to retain said
talent.


The survey includes a generational perspective of:
* Benefits
* Pay Scale
* Expected Tenure
* Opportunities for Advancement
* The Importance of Recognition of One’s Achievement

The results clarified some forgone conclusions and debunked others.

Study Summary:
1. Google remains the Employer of Choice
2. Cash is still king, but a fun loving work environment is more important
3. Lack of pay is the last reason for leaving an employer
4. A Bad Boss is the number 1 reason for employee departure
5. Recognition from Senior Leadership is significantly more important than recognition from one’s peers
6. Top performers are seeking long term employment
7. Pay by performance is equally important as salary
8. Employees need to be recognized for their achievements at least once a month

The glaring facts
Our ability to conduct our work day at our own pace, to have a company vision we believe in, an opportunity for advancement and the need to 'have fun' at work are now the driving factors in the job search of those who have options.

What we didn't consider
Money is less a driving factor in employment than it used to be.

Generation Y has been categorized as the validation generation...our survey debunks these stereotypes in indicating that everyone wants to be recognized for their effort (at least monthly).

Despite the 'job hopping' categorization of today's workforce, our survey shows the majority of Top Performers are seeking long term employment (10+ years).

A Bad Boss can drive anyone from any company.

Statistics and case studies are everywhere. The default to many surveys is who is conducting them and what do I stand to lose by being honest.

It is my conclusion that this random survey of the Best of the Best gives us dependable data.

Note to Employers:
Big pay checks and generous benefits do not make up for lack of leadership
Everyone needs to hear Thank You!
Your company culture is what drives retention

Listen and implement requests from the field. Validate effort in a genuine manner. Create fun and a vision to believe in....Lead by Example.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Gen Why?

The shelves are filled with books about Millennials (written by people born in the 50's). Internet sites have case studies on managing Gen Y. Every publication has a benefits strategy for 'a new generation of workers'.

The characteristics of Generation Y listed as:
Impatient
Entitled
Opinionated

Have we become that simple in business management that we have to categorize everyone and put an according label on them?

I have news for you: the aforementioned characteristics are not unique to Gen Y. The people who write books about Millennials possess these seemingly frowned upon points of motivation. Everyone gets impatient when company goals do not fit their pace for advancement. The best companies are able to foster a purpose driven culture that encourages people (of all generations) to carve a career path that fits their level of commitment.

So instead of criticising the young, let's focus on what companies can do to encourage them (and everyone else):
Say Thank You!
Don't Mask Your Insecurity by Regulating Others
Stop Micro Managing
Foster a Purpose Driven Environment

The Validation of Thanks
You can pay more, afford annual sabbaticals and offer free gym memberships; but if you suck the rest of the time, I am out of here. Fact: I will not need a vacation if I love my work. There is only one thing I need to love my work....to hear Thank You for my effort; every day!

We all need validation to keep us moving. We don't need our balls busted to remind us to work harder. When the purpose of motivation is positive we all strive for a common goals. When staying employed is a daily battle we compete internally, screw one another over, politic and create an environment of self-preservation.

Just a Little Patience
Let's look at the time line for High School Sports -
Year 1 - Freshman team
Year 2 - Junior Varsity
Year 3 - Varsity
Year 4 - Team Captain

With a clear cut 4 year scale, evolving into another 4 year scale (college), can you blame Millennials for being impatient when they achieve their quota their first 2 years at your company and receive no extended career track to encourage their results?

Take time to understand the scale mentioned above when managing Gen Y-ers. Help them navigate a 30 year career scale as opposed to dismissing their frustration as malcontent. Allow young people greater opportunities, allow them to fail and be willing to put YOUR butt on the line accordingly.

Leadership vs. Management
Let's look at the numbers......let's not!

If as a professional you have a system based on checks and balances that you plug people into, you serve no purpose. Anyone can look at salesforce.com to measure activity, anyone can look at a call log to see in-office time utilization and anyone can collect business cards from the fishbowl at Chilis.

Leaders take the necessary metrics for success and translate them into a personal strategy for every worker based on his/her goals. Take the activity report and help your people tell a story beyond the numbers. When asked what the purpose of filling out TPS reports might be....have an answer.....that makes sense!

I'm not frustrated..I'm just more motivated than you are
Don't tell your employees to slow down, keep up with them!

Embrace the energy of the young professionals that surround you and put a system in place that moves with them:
* Tell them the 'Why' behind directives
* Recognize their effort and help them turn time spent into results
* Let them know it is OK to laugh
* With Purpose and Intent comes Results...with results comes happiness in the workplace.

Our age matters not. We all want to see something at the end of a 12 hour shift. We all want to know that the countless hours spent in the office mean something to the world in which we live. We want to win and to be celebrated. We want to be encouraged to try, not discouraged from volunteering. We want to know you know who we are and that that is part of our company culture.

Within 7 years the people you are managing will be managing you. Think about that now and Lead accordingly.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Speak for Yourself

I just attended another seminar where a Baby Boomer explained the work dynamics of Generation Y. I just read another book authored by a Baby Boomer advising how to manage Generation Y.

Generation Y and their emerging place in the workforce has been a continual hot topic in Human Resources. What is lacking is the direct voice of the Millennials. The speeches given by Moms and Dads of the emerging workforce are filled with stereotypes. The articles written advise entitlement and the liability of Millennial communication methods but seldom mention their thought leadership.

It's Getting Old!

Here's a thought: If we really care about the Generation Y perspective in the workplace why don't we ask them what they think:
* A panel discussion...?
* Presentation by a Young Professional...?
* Seminar on the benefits that Gen Y brings to the workplace...?

The control of content and the unqualified perspective of those who author and speak to it is a smoke screen not a compliment. The red flag management perspective is defeating not empowering. The transparency of the Baby Boomer grasping the conch is masking control not liberating ideas.

Where do we get our facts? Why is it fair to present assumptions as facts?

How about not defining metrics of employee behaviors by generation, gender or race and putting a less categorical bend on organizational strategy.

I have personality traits that are 'girly' and I share the professional ambition of 'Old People' & 'Young People'. It is ever confusing that the most politically correct department in any organization relies on pre-supposed metrics to define behavior.

Here's What Matters:
* Big Ideas
* The Strategy to Support our Organizational Culture
* How we carry our Organizational Philosophy to our Customers

Let's Move On....

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

In Commencement

To the High School Graduates of 2010 -

The last four years were likely the best or worst of your life. Either way, the next four will most assuredly take on the latter of aforementioned distinctions.

It is time for you to truly establish your identity as a person. You can wake up when you want to, watch what you want to, accept advice from who you want to, study at your own pace, fall in love and you might even drink a beer for the first time.

Where ever the next four years takes you, know that this last chapter of your life is closed. Put a bow around it and savor it for what it is. You will not have a close knit group for the extended period of time that you have experienced living in this town with the people you sit next to right now. You now will lead a transient life...people will walk into and out of your life with bolder objectives and shorter attention spans. Be adaptable, step out of your comfort zone, embrace change, & innovate.

We live in a time where any idea you have can make you a fortune. You need to decide what that idea is, if you are willing to dedicate your life to it, and if happiness is the end game. You have the opportunity at this moment to decide who you want to be and to make it happen. Two things to consider:

• Will you be truly happy in pursuit of your chosen career?
• Never make money the driving force behind that decision!

Do not choose a career path predicated on who your parents want you to be. Do not follow your boyfriend to college for the sake of familiarity. Do not choose a course of study because you got high marks in those classes in high school.

Be Yourself! Take the next four years to find yourself and who you truly are:

• Take Walks
• Find the Extended message in everything you read
• Make new friends
• Remember your old pals
• Know that there is a song to lift or transcend any mood
• Always heed the advice of your elders
• Always be willing to listen when a friend is in peril
• Prioritize based on your passion
• Bow to No One
• Allow No One to stick a finger in your face

There are no hall monitors in college, you can bring your lap top to class with you and you set your own study hours. You make the rules now...accept this as a privilege and act accordingly.

Know that you will have more than enough time to study, so study first. Know that the love you have now will endure if it is strong enough and if it does not the world will not end.

When you leave class, the movie house or the gym with a feeling that you could fly...that is what you should pursue. If you want a career bad enough, you can make it happen. There will come a time when you must consider your spouse and children in every decision you make...that time is not now...you are bound by nothing.

Allow no one to distract you from what is genuinely important, dedicate yourself with purpose to what you truly love. Now is the time to pursue what you genuinely love...you have the opportunity to try and fail several times. Don't try to be someone you are not, find your horse on this merry-go-round and set out to make the world a better place; every day.

I leave you with this: Every morning you will go through a series of exercises that can distract you back to bed or propel you into your day. Choose to focus on the positive aspects. You are used to achievement based on a four year cycle...your career will be 10 times longer:

• Focus on the positive
• Be willing to try and fail
• Learn from your mistakes
• Be propelled by what you are good at
• Don't accept advice from anyone who does not have your best interest at heart

Go now and find love, develop a path for your life, establish your rules and do not compromise your pursuit of happiness!

Allow yourself to believe you can change the world for the better and you will!

Don't Forget to Remember

Dave

references: http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich

The Seventh Rule of Awesomeness

The story of Great Expectations transitions when Finnegan Bell has moved beyond his roots to the big city and found a new group of friends. His uncle Joe brings his doc worker's demeanor to a big city Art Show and Finn becomes embarrassed of him.


As Fred Sanford once said, "the same people you see on the way up, you gonna see on the way down"

The seventh rule of Awesomeness is: Even a Broken Clock is right twice a day!

In Human Resources we have been overwhelmed with the changing Generational Landscape of our workforce and how to scale our company directives in an inclusive manner. The idea relevant, the underlying masquerade transparent.

Fact: There are people over 80 that use Twitter
Fact: There are 25 year old's that don't use Facebook
Fact: There are Gen Xers that don't have cell phones

In short, one cannot categorize another based on their age, organizational tenure or technical skill. It's getting old......(no offense Baby Boomers)

The greatest Human Characteristic is Grace. I like people who are confidently calm....I dislike people who are arrogant out of insecurity. Confidence and arrogance are different forms of socialization. People who pretend are always exposed. People who are genuine live through their own validation, they do not wait for it from another.

Here are a few tips to keep you in your britches:
* Everyone has something to teach
* Innovation is only part of the puzzle
* Human interaction is still the gateway to everything
* No idea is completely unique
* Those who project insecurity really just want to be your friend
* Listen before you preach


Most importantly, when your Uncle Joe comes to visit you at college, remember where you come from. Allow him to share his moonshine with your dorm mates!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich

To Be Young

It seems a recurring theme in the world of Human Resources:

"...Generation Y, The Entitled Generation..."

I remember when I was in college and Matthew McConaughey accepted an MTV Movie Award noting that the young people in the world "impressed the hell out of (him)" and that he was amazed by us every day. For the first time in my life I felt like part of the world: empowered to take the baton and run with it.

In high school, I spent 4 years competing as a wrestler and rose through the ranks. In college, I spent 5 years in a fraternity and ended up President. When I was released into the professional world something strange happened: 4 years became 40. You see, our careers last significantly longer than a wrestling season or fraternity presidential term, so it takes longer to validate our achievements. Could it be that Generation Y is not entitled or impatient but used to receiving recognition in a more expedient manner?

It seems the case studies, industry articles and seminars put Generation Y not in a position of empowerment but rather throws them a 'wait and see' warning. As a young professional, I received some of the worst advise I ever have:

"slow down, you're making us look bad"

"it will take time, you have to be patient"

"if you keep this up, people are gonna start talking about you"

I am not sure why we see fit to wrangle young people's motivation and deter it. In fact, the aforementioned is not a characteristic of sage-like advice but a sign of insecurity.

In the workplace I see young people with energy, ambition and open ears...what more could you ask for as a leader?

I propose a workshop not on how to control Generation Y but on how to keep our immaturity in check:

A. Stop worrying about being replaced

B. Feel good about teaching young people to succeed

C. Help young people channel their motivation

D. Determine the difference between manic effort and a guided foundation for success

Leaders,

If you discourage the young people in your organization from using their energy for good: your time is limited, not theirs!

Lead with the intent of a legacy carried on by people who want to act and to be rewarded for their effort. Let your legacy be carried by your teachings, your actions and your intent to make the world a better place by empowering the young and ambitious.

So that when that door swings shut for the final time...you hear tears dropping not cheers from the rafters.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

references:

http://www.earlyengagement.com/

Never Stop Working

Generations X & Y have been characterized and often criticized for redefining the scope of the Global Business World. In the dawn of the 90's, suits turned to jeans and casual sweaters, punching the clock turned to lap top logging and cutting out of the office for a lunch time martini turned to cutting out for a mid-day work out.....oh, and smoking in the office is pretty much foe paw everywhere.

The one thing more mature generations cling to is a tireless work ethic and motivation without benefits. "In my day....", is a term that was heard by every Thanksgiving fire from Granddad's and Gramma's alike. There was a time when people walked to the office uphill both ways in the snow, punched a clock without breaks, wore uniforms and were not permitted to leave said office until their checklist was complete.

At some point, working hard was replaced with working smart. But in these seemingly unending times of economic challenge the new buzz phrase is "more with less". Strangely enough, a new generation of workers seems to be accepting the challenges of the modern economy not by reverting to presupposed professionalism but by simply working hard. No longer does looking busy seem to be popular so much as holing up in one's apartment over a lap top until the project is complete.

Technology has created three distinctions:
* Endless virtual office hours
* Comfort of work environment
* A free landscape for mind expanding idea generation

This Holiday Season, when your grandfather mutters under his breath as you walk in with full Bon Iver beard, pose three questions to him:
1. Did you ever work a 20 hour day?
2. Was that suit comfortable?
3. How many of your 10,950 days at Widgets Inc did you actually enjoy?

After which he will tell you to pound and send you off for another pint of Old Grandad.

Sure, the Holidays would be no fun without stories of the old glory days. But let's agree on a few points:
* True motivation has nothing to do with ones wardrobe
* Long hours seem shorter when you are genuinely engaged in your organizational cause
* Grandpa and Gramma Rule!

Happy Holidays!

- Dave

References:
http://www.earlyengagement.com/