Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Sunday, 30 March 2014
“I, Management, take thee, Social Media, for the Betterment of my Future Workplace!”
For 50-60 years, “the way businesses are managed has hardly
changed at all”, according to Gary Hamel (Gary Hamel on
the Future of Management, 2011) . The principles, tools and methods that
currently exist were created for a different time in history, a socio-economic
structure of the past, which doesn’t work well in today’s world. This needs to
change.
Gary Hamel goes on to state that -
- We’re encountering new status quo where the “internet connections, data storage, mobile devices… are changing at an exponential rate”.
- Companies have to be innovative and creative all the time, every day to manage “hyper-competition” so they can stay in the game as barriers of entry come down. They have to defend their margins and position in the market place.
- Gaining knowledge advantage in a world where differentiation is getting harder, by focusing on people with the gifts of initiative, creativity and passion.
So how can this process be accelerated to gain a competitive
advantage?
- Put “employees first, customers second”, and implement “reverse accountability” where employees create internal tickets about their boss or about a project, when finding difficulties in getting answers.
- ”Challenge management dogma” which does not apply to today’s work style.
- ”Learn from the fringe” because the future happens on the fringe, i.e. web! The web is not feudalistic like management is. “It’s a global operating system for innovation.”
Management models were built to serve a century old purpose,
far removed from what today’s business world is about. Companies need to be
built for human being, and to be fit for tackling the ever changing future.
So while management works out the ‘kinks’ in their overall
model, and while the millennial’s future is really already here, what are they
to do if management autocracies, stemming from the late 1800’s, are yet to
change to an “egalitarian form of management and governance” to accommodate the
new world of “ubiquitous communications capability” (Changing Face Of Management, 2012)? Enter Entrepreneurship!
“Why Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now”
Mike Pugh’s article (Why
Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now, 2014) with the same title,
points out that the Working 9-to-5
status quo is not appealing to the millennials (as it did for Dolly Parton and
her generation!). They would rather work flexible hours or build their own
companies. In fact 54% of this generation is either wanting to or has started
their own business.
Here’s the rationale for this career path.
- “Mobile Technology, cloud computing, online tools for communication and collaboration” including WiFi and building a customer base using social media, are accessible to this “hyper-connected, hyper-informed” group, and allows for businesses to be conducted anywhere and at any time, to keep up with global demands. This infrastructure eliminates the need for physical space, making virtual office a reality.
- Marketing a product or service can be implemented effectively using a search engine optimized (SEO) website, social media services like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and advertising through existing off-line streams (budget permitting) and online services like banner ads and Google AdWords (budget friendly).
- Current job market isn’t as robust as before based on double digit unemployment among the youth and due to phasing out of traditional jobs.
Another example of working flexible hours is Kate Bruce’s
blog – Kate On-Air (Kate On-Air, 2014) , where this 25 year
old works out on her lunch hour, then checks email on her iPad and responds to
them, to then spend time reading radio and marketing articles, in addition to prep-ing
for her radio show. She indicates that her boss trusts her to permit this
working schedule, where she would stay late or work from home to make up the
time, without abusing the trusted relationship. This is indicative of work-life
balance that millennials seek as part of their career at any organization.
If you’re interested to know if the shoe fits, check out the
12 signs you could be an entrepreneur (12 Surprising
Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur, 2012) , and do go over the
comments too; they’re priceless!
Just remember MarkCuban’s pointers (Mark Cuban: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Starting a Business,
2012)
before starting a business -
- “Everyone has ideas.” You need to do the work to get the job done.
- “No sales, no company.”
- “Hard work and smart work has a greater impact on results than being passionate about something.”
References:
Gary Hamel on the Future of Management. (2011, May 20). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3-_IY66tpI
12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur. (2012, October 28). Retrieved from Entrepreneur:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224791
Changing Face Of Management. (2012, October 25). Retrieved from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS832rJSxN4
Mark Cuban: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before
Starting a Business. (2012, December
26). Retrieved from Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225357
Deloitte's Millennial Innovation Survey. (2013, January). Retrieved from Canadian
Millennials - An Abacus Data Practice:
http://canadianmillennials.ca/2013/10/28/deloittes-millennial-innovation-survey/
Digital Resurrection. (2014, March 29). Retrieved from The Economist:
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21599784-some-moderately-good-news-news-industry-digital-resurrection?fsrc=rss|ust&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Kate On-Air.
(2014, March 28). Retrieved from Blogger.com:
http://kateonairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/03/amanda-langs-power-of-why.html?m=1
Why Millennials Should Become Entrepreneurs Now. (2014, January 16). Retrieved from Entrepreneur:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230886
Monday, 24 March 2014
Accommodating Millennials in the Workplace
The three forces shaping the future of work are (The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd, 2012) (slide 4)–
- Globalization
- Demographics
- Social Media
In today’s world, 30+ years since the dawn of globalization,
no matter where people come from, demographics plays a key role in designing
the workplace blueprint. Dr. Karie
Willyerd (20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd,
2012)
stated that she, as a baby boomer, is more similar to a baby boomer in India,
than to a millennial (or Generation C) in North America.
Unique technology & social media traits of Generation C (connected)
Cisco (Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity, 2012) conducted worldwide
surveys in August 2012 across 18 countries (Canada inclusive), involving 1,800
college students and workers ages 18 to 30, and uncovered these interesting
behavioural patterns around technology and social media –
- The smartphone is the preferred device over desktop PC, laptops and tablets (slide 5).
- 60% use it to check emails, texts and social media updates (slide 4).
- It is a part of a morning routine before getting ready for work for 90% of them (slide 6).
- 85% of women are compulsive checkers while only 63% men fall in this category (slide 8).
- While 70% said that smartphone apps are important to them, only 27% use them mainly for work. Also, 60% use 1 to 9 apps regularly (slide 10).
- Almost 90% upload photos to share or store; 62% upload videos to share or store both on internet sites (slide 14).
- 87% have a Facebook account and 41% update FB at least once a day (slide 11). 56% have a Twitter account and 21% tweet at least once a day (slide 14).
- 90% shop online, 57% will share email addresses to get discounts and sale notices. 3 out of 5 rely on customer reviews for online shopping (slide 15).
While company policy forbids use of company-owned devices
for personal use, according to 40% of Millennials, 71% don’t obey the policies (Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity, 2012) (slide 16). This
could very well be a nightmare for organization’s IT departments, the guardians
of company networks systems and security of data.
More findings from Cisco (The Threat Landscape and The Next-Gen Workforce, 2012) uncovered a
fascinating perspective that 66% of Millennials did not agree with employers
tracking employee internet activities if using company device (slide 13). While
91% feel that the age of privacy is over (slide 12), 2 in 5 Gen Y believed that
internet browsing should be strictly private (slide 14), i.e. websites should
not track and share their online browsing information. Also, only 1/3rd
are not worried about the data that is stored and captured about them (slide
12). Here’s where companies have to create code of ethics surrounding social
media and technology proliferation, in order to avoid adverse outcome that
could cost the organization millions of dollars.
When it comes to convenience and security, the Millennials
are conflicted about their online privacy, according to Cisco (Infographic:
Convenience vs. Security: The Gen-Y Conflict, 2012) . 75% don’t trust
websites to protect personal information. However, they have no intentions of
changing their online behaviour, which raises alarm bells for IT departments in
companies where employees put networks at risk using corporate devices.
Does your organization have an employee code of technology & social media ethics?
References:
The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd. (2012). Retrieved from Center for Effective Organization: http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/Web_Workplace_of-the_Future_USC1.pdf
20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd. (2012, June 22). Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsvP8Klxzs
Gen Y: New Dawn for work, play, identity. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Solutions: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/enterprise/connected-world-technology-report/2012-CCWTR-Chapter1-Global-Results.pdf
The Threat Landscape and The Next-Gen Workforce. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Security Intelligence: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/enterprise/connected-world-technology-report/ASR_CCWTR_Summary.pdf
Infographic: Convenience vs. Security: The Gen-Y Conflict. (2012, August). Retrieved from Cisco Connected: http://www.cisco.com/assets/sol/ent/business_trend/borderless/ccwtr/Security_Fingerprint.jpeg
Sh!t Millennials Say...In the Workplace (@JBTSMillennials). (2012, June 15). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQC7YM4CFVU
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Here Comes The Millennials! Is Human Resources ready?
When we look at the age groups in the workforce in 2014, here are the main generations with whom we interact with at work, according to a YouTube presentation by Dr. Willyerd (20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd, 2012). The video is available to view at the end of this post.
Baby Boomers => 51-68 years
Generation X => 39-50 year olds
Millennials => 18-38 year olds
Back in 2005, the Baby Boomers comprised of 45% of the workforce, while the Millennials were at 25%.
In 2010, with the onset of retiring Baby Boomers, their workforce dropped 7% to 38%, while the Millennials’ workforce rose by 11% to 36%.
By next year, the Baby Boomers # will drop a further 7% to 31% of the workforce, and the Millennials will gain ground by an additional 11% to 45%.
It is in 2020 that the Millennials will comprise of 50% of the workforce, while the Baby Boomers absence will be felt with their presence at 22%, a tad above the Generation X workforce strength, which dipped slightly from 23% to 20% during these 15 years.
So what does this mean for organizations?
Just that there’s a huge demographic shift in the horizon and management needs to be prepared for the Millennial mindset and their expectations when it comes to the companies they want to work for, the managers they’re expecting to report to, their access to technology, and use of social media in the workplace and on the go.
However, Human Resources needs to first attract this growing demographic group and recruit the most talented stars from the pool.
Dr. Karie Willyerd (LinkedIn, 2014) and Jeanne Meister (LinkedIn, 2014) together wrote The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today (Amazon.com, 2010), after conducting three years of research into what Human Resources is going to look like in the future, by interviewing people and surveying HR professionals around the world.
Here’s what organization recruiters can expect from Millennial job applicants (slide 14) (The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd, 2012).
- 2/3rd will ask about social media during the interview.
- 56% will decline a job with a firm that does not permit social media.
- While a small number, it’s still raises eyebrows when 1/3rd prioritize social media access and use of mobility device over salary.
- 41% of companies leveraged their relaxed social media policy and use of device for social media
- 68% of Millennials expect to use corporate devices for social media and personal use.
- 70% prefer to work remotely instead of in an office.
- They spend less and less time using web-based email, year-over-year (slide 16)
- Their news source is Twitter (slide 17)
- Their search tool is YouTube and not Google (slide 21)
What can organizations do to get ahead? (slide 43)
- Fluency in the new business language.
- Access recruiting channels online to extend reach to potential employees.
- Ready existing employees for future workplace.
- Develop a clear learning & development strategy for the new Millennial employee.
- Work towards a mobile friendly HR system
- Internal social media technology tools with video conferencing for communication, learning and project collaboration.
- Train existing leaders for the 2020 workforce.
20-20 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd
References:
Amazon.com.
(2010, May 11). Retrieved from The 2020 Workplace book:
http://www.amazon.com/2020-Workplace-Innovative-Companies-Tomorrows/dp/0061763276/ref=la_B003297IT2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395509964&sr=1-1
20-20 Workplace - Karie Willyerd. (2012, June 22). Retrieved from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsvP8Klxzs
The 2020 Workplace - Dr. Karie Willyerd. (2012). Retrieved from Center for Effective
Organization: http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/Web_Workplace_of-the_Future_USC1.pdf
LinkedIn.
(2014, March 22). Retrieved from Jeanne Meister:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannemeister
LinkedIn.
(2014, March 22). Retrieved from Karie Willyerd:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kariewillyerd
Friday, 21 March 2014
Social Media and Education System
AS we
know social media is dominating our communication mode. It is not only
important in connecting and interacting with friends and family, but it is also
very beneficial in academic and education system. Teachers from primary
and middle schools to high schools and colleges and universities all make a
good use of social media in teaching.
Conventional
education system was very different. In past if we needed to do some research
and gather some data for a project, we needed to go to the libraries and refer
to books. But now everything is very easily and conveniently available anywhere
we are. In past teaching techniques required more work from the teacher and
more listening from students’ side. However, now it is more interactive and
hybrid. Teaching and learning have changed into a two sided conversation. Students can publish their own blogs, prezies
or they can use other channels of social media for their projects. Everyone in
the class can see and comment on each other’s projects. This creates a big
connection and motivation in young generations or we can say the “digital
generation”.
Learn Dash is showing some infographics of social media and blended learning which is intersting to look at.
According to an article by Learn Dash on growing use of social media
in education, “roughly 59% of educators agree that the interactive nature of e learning
and other mobile technologies create a better learning environment for
students”. (Ferriman, 2013)
Some
studies show that the use of social media has created more motivation in
students and kids who are shy and do not normally participate in class
discussions. There is no doubt that social media has brought facilities in different
aspects of our lives. Social media has many advantages for us being students or
teachers only if we incorporate it positively in to our system.
Teachers
should always try to be good role models by using social media platforms effectively
and efficiently. They should regularly educate students and young kids on the
safe use of social media and the outcomes that inappropriate use of social media
would have.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI4V3b2wRtmvR6JgGI3DnGw5BQPmupThC7xTYIobgI8HK3kUQ5iQ (gstatic.com)
Teachers no only use social media in
their teaching, but also in staying connected with the parents and guardians.
Compass Learning recently did a survey
and interviewed 30 educators including teachers, principals and superintendents
and prepared a you tube video that I want to share with you here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDeTlya9K0 (compass learing)
In past kids brought home letters from
teachers and there were times that the letter was either misplaced before getting
to the parents or it was forgotten in the backpacks for many days. But now parents get phone calls, text messages,
emails from teachers directly and also parents can be aware of their child
progress through the school websites and can communicate with teachers if
needed.
Some points for teachers to consider in using social media;
·
- Social media should always be used appropriately and within the teaching scope.
- No inappropriate comments, engagement or interactions between teachers and students using social media
- Do not use school tools and electronics for personal connections and interactions
- Avoid exchange of texts, photos , videos and personal messages outside the classroom
- Only use the established education platform such as school website or school texting platform to stay connected with students and their parents
- No connections and invitations to or from students out of teaching environment
- Use the social media platform in a professional manner
- Respect the confidentiality of students’ information
http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teacher-students-laptop-640.jpg (mshcdn.com)
Social media is
growing to be useful at present and even more in future. It will bring even
better facilities to future education system as new social media channels and new
technologies are introduced to users.
As the right use of
social media can help teachers with their jobs, the inappropriate use of social
media can create issues and even unemployment for teachers as well.
Here is the interview of a teacher who was fired over face book comments (teacher
fired over facebook post, 2011)
In summary, social
media is a useful tool only if it is used wisely and appropriately. The use of
social media is not limited to only few professions. Today social media is used
widely in any organization at any size and by any profession. And with this blog my series of 5 blogs come to
an end. I hope you enjoyed
reading my blogs.
Bibliography
teacher fired over facebook post. (2011, May 27). Retrieved from you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCsrx54dt08
compass learing. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDeTlya9K0
Ferriman, J.
(2013, November 11). learn Dash. Retrieved from
http://www.learndash.com/growing-use-of-social-media-in-education/
gstatic.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI4V3b2wRtmvR6JgGI3DnGw5BQPmupThC7xTYIobgI8HK3kUQ5iQ
mshcdn.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teacher-students-laptop-640.jpg
Sunday, 16 March 2014
The Looming Black Hole in Canada’s Aging Workforce. Are We Ready?
Let’s take a look at some projections made by Statistics Canada in 2008 (Some facts about the demographic and ethnocultural composition of the population-Aging-Figure 24 & 25, 2008) -
- There are potentially more people aged 55 to 64 years, who are leaving the workforce than people aged 15 to 24 years entering it.
- By the mid-2010s, people aged 45 to 64 years will comprise approximately more than 42% of the working-age population.
Proportion of persons aged 45 to 64 years in the working-age population (15 to 64 years) in Canada, 1956 to 2056
It’s apparent that the millennials need to build up on the work experience front, having acquired the education in their chosen fields, in order to take over from the baby boomer work force.
So how are they doing so far? These YouTube videos tell the story of some graduates’ plight with getting a foot in the door and how they've used social media to better their situation.
Video 1: "Millennials plug away in their chosen field and look for that ideal job online using email, Facebook and job search websites." A networking event requiring face-to-face interaction, the old school way, helped with building a network that kept this struggling graduate connected digitally leading up to an interview and a full time job in Public Relations. While a college degree is a best defence against a recession, President Barak Obama urged graduates to keep gaining new skills and new degrees, and to be prepared to adapt and take risks.
Another Architecture graduate lost his job due to the recession. His version of 'thinking outside the box' involved signing up for the military. While serving in Iraq, he took online courses towards a Masters in Exercise Science, to be a trainer, once his tour of duty was up.
(NEED TO KNOW | Generation jobless: 'Millennials' struggle with unemployment | PBS, 2010)
Videos 2 & 3:
A 25 year old Master’s Degree in Environmental Science created a vblog expressing what she has been facing in finding the job that in her field. She has since found employment the following year.
A 25 year old Master’s Degree in Environmental Science created a vblog expressing what she has been facing in finding the job that in her field. She has since found employment the following year.
(I Am Over-Educated and Unemployed, 2011)
(I Am No Longer Over-educated and Unemployed, 2012)
Videos 4, 5 & 6:
- Straddled with student debt for expensive university tuition
- Low credit scores
- Moving back home to manage poor cash flow
- Lower standard of living than their parents
- Less career satisfaction than that of their parents
Video 4:
(Student fears in 'jobless America', 2010)
Video 5: This graduate, in addition to being straddled with student loan debt, spends hours everyday filling applications and browsing the internet (job websites) for a job.
(American college grads can't buy a job, 2010)
Video 6: When credit scores fall, getting a job becomes harder. Companies looking to hire Millennials check their credit scores online.
(Student debt bubble about to explode, 2010)
It is evident that the plight of the youth unemployment is escalating and something needs to be done to keep their degrees effective while they are seeking employment, and skill set (those that have it) current.
Here, the Government of Ontario, along with the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has, as recent as January 2014, re-launched their 2013 campaign to help people under 30 with employment opportunities, building skills or starting their own business. It’s called “Ready.Set.Work.” (Ready.Set.Work, 2014).
Here, the Government of Ontario, along with the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has, as recent as January 2014, re-launched their 2013 campaign to help people under 30 with employment opportunities, building skills or starting their own business. It’s called “Ready.Set.Work.” (Ready.Set.Work, 2014).
The service specifically offers paid internships with the government, to gain hands-on experience in the field, gain mentorships and networking connections that would bode well in their future, career development and coaching.
The program also includes partnering with industries, institutions and not-for-profits with an impactful strategic plan (Making an Impact: Youths Job Strategy, 2013).
They can be followed via their Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel.
So, circling back, it is a known fact that our aging workforce will be retiring within the next 2-3 decades. In this economic turmoil and uncertainty, the millennials' employment scene is bleak, but will improve with time as jobs become available with retiring Baby Boomers. Not expecting them to while away the time waiting, the unemployed Generation Y can avail OPS plans to successfully connect them with their aspiring career jobs.
The program also includes partnering with industries, institutions and not-for-profits with an impactful strategic plan (Making an Impact: Youths Job Strategy, 2013).
They can be followed via their Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel.
So, circling back, it is a known fact that our aging workforce will be retiring within the next 2-3 decades. In this economic turmoil and uncertainty, the millennials' employment scene is bleak, but will improve with time as jobs become available with retiring Baby Boomers. Not expecting them to while away the time waiting, the unemployed Generation Y can avail OPS plans to successfully connect them with their aspiring career jobs.
Updated March 24, 2014
References:
Some facts about the demographic and ethnocultural
composition of the population-Aging-Figure 24 & 25. (2008, January 25). Retrieved from Statistics
Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-003-x/2007001/4129904-eng.htm
American college grads can't buy a job. (2010, January 15). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDqboEt1tx0
NEED TO KNOW | Generation jobless: 'Millennials'
struggle with unemployment | PBS.
(2010, October 12). Retrieved from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlrn3_G1ZQ
Student debt bubble about to explode. (2010, September 3). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAQBMRhVedI
Student fears in 'jobless America'. (2010, April 2). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ealPpxAV9zA
I Am Over-Educated and Unemployed. (2011, October 1). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVAj5LW7QA
I Am No Longer Over-educated and Unemployed. (2012, May 16). Retrieved from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DI6sd9Ahzk
Making an Impact: Youths Job Strategy. (2013, October). Retrieved from Government of
Ontario:
https://www.ontario.ca/jobs-and-employment/making-impact-youth-jobs-strategy
Ready.Set.Work. (2014, January 13). Retrieved from Government of Ontario:
http://www.ontario.ca/jobs-and-employment/employment-programs-people-under-30
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