Don’t be that crabby old-timer when it comes to “these kids and their cell phones.” In the largest way possible, you need to stop thinking about how to change those millennials and instead start to work with them. They are taking over the world, you know?
I watch those people get a sleeping bag and camp in front of the Apple Store days before the next generation of iPhones goes on sale and I shake my head.
"Why? Do you really need the latest and greatest the minute it appears?"
Employees follow a boss who has earned credibility by doing things the right way, looking out for the best interests of the company and the employees, and always keeping an eye on the horizon for what's coming next.
Anyone who grew up in a cold climate probably remembers the thrill of a "Snow Day" that cancelled school. You couldn't wait to run out and play with your friends. But there was this person who stopped you and her name was Mom.
The oldest joke about modern technology is that when you get a new phone, find a 15-year-old who can show you how it works. The underlying message is that kids are so much more advanced when it comes to technology.
I challenge that assumption.
I love technology, but I am NOT one of those people who stand in line outside the Apple Store for the latest version of the iPhone. And when it comes to technology changes for your business, you should not be one of those people standing in line for the latest and greatest either.
There are different types of leaders. What kind of leader are you and what kind of leader do you like to follow?
In the great movie, “Philadelphia,” Denzel Washington playing an attorney brings the courtroom to a standstill when he pointedly directs a witness, “Now explain this to me like I’m a four-year-old.” Don’t you wish you could do that when you’re an innocent bystander listening to a conversation among IT professionals?
Maybe the most famous example of mentoring in the movies is Yoda’s relationship with Luke Skywalker. There is even a Top 10 list for wisdom Yoda imparts to the young Jedi. Your mentoring doesn’t have to take place in the Dagobah (but a lot of IT people probably wish it could.)
Have you ever worked right next to someone who – instead of talking to you – sent an email? I’m an IT person and I want to say that I think technology is a wonderful thing. But being adept at technology does not mean you are good at communicating.
I’m a mom. And I say, “Give me a break.” They say that “Necessity is the mother of invention.” But why wait until inventions are needed? Why isn’t your company always innovating? I’m a parent of millennials and despite what you’ve heard – they’re not all that bad. They have the answer to your innovation