Message of the Day - The collision of generations

Good Morning,

 

Last night I finished “When Generations Collide” by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman. In today’s world we have four generations of workers in the offices in America (Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Generation X’ers and Millenials. The book had many examples of ‘clashpoints’ or value conflicts where these generations collide with each other. These areas include work ethic, giving reviews, feedback, presentation, communication, job advancement and more.

 

Traditionalists have paid their dues and worked up the chain of command in their offices and look for everyone else to do the same. All communication is to be professional and given in a professional environment. Traditionalists have a lot to offer the workplace of today due to these qualities. They believe in the company and that it will take care of them. Traditionalists are very patriotic and believe doing a job well is its own reward. Feedback should come when it is necessary, and usually only when things are wrong, otherwise, assume you are doing a good job.

 

Baby Boomers had to compete with 80 million other Boomers to get into the workplace, so they enjoy being recognized for their hard work and drive to individuate themselves. They also believe in paying their dues and look forward to mapping out their career paths. Boomers are not so beholden to their companies as Traditionalists, but they believe in professionalism and following procedure. Boomers work hard to establish their career path, and are proud of those accomplishments. Feedback should come annually and be well documented.

 

Generation X’ers grew up in the sea of divorces, emerging technologies and seeing Traditionalists and Baby Boomers working themselves into an early grave for unappreciative companies. As a result, this generation, nearly half the size of the Boomers, is generally untrusting of companies and job security. They do not seek a career path so much as create their own themselves, which often involves job hopping every two to three years. Gen X’ers are not sticklers for policy and they question pretty much everything. They do not believe in paying their dues, rather they feel their experience and knowledge should trump tenure. X’ers want immediate feedback.

 

Millenials never had a time in their lives without computers, video games, cell phones, cable TV near instantaneous news. They have seen waves of new technology coming out every year of their lives. The Millenials are born and bred multi-taskers and are well equipped for the fast paced lives we live today. With career paths, Millenials generally look for meaning and purpose to drive their attention, and will leave job should they find it crimps their style. Millenials want answers now, and also question convention and policy. Millenials look for constant feedback. Millenials are often boomerang kids, staying with their parents after high school and college.

 

After reading this book, I was able to see a lot of these behaviors from the folks from their respective generations. Remember, though, these are guidelines and not everyone fits into the above molds. For me, I am somewhat of a cusp’er myself. That is someone born on the cusp of two generations. Born in 1967, I am part boomer and part Gen X’er.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - David did not whine about Goliath

Good Morning,

 

I am reminded of a time back in the 90’s when working with a team to convert a private property into a church pre-school, we were putting in a chain-link fence and we needed some hardware for it. We were in a small town, which had four hardware/lumber stores (Ace Hardware, True Value, Seecamps Lumber and a local lumber/hardware store). The town was a 20 to 25 minute drive from a small city in the area, with a new Home Depot which recently opened.

 

During the day, it was Friday, we had run out of chain link hardware and we needed to finish up the fence for the weekend. I was sent out to get the needed hardware. I went to True Value first (I had worked at two of these stores in my high school and early college days). They did not have the hardware I needed, but they asked me: ‘please don’t go to Home Depot’. I thanked them and went to the next hardware store, Ace. They also did not have the right hardware, and they also asked me not to go to the Home Depot. Next I went to Seecamps and guess what? They did not carry the parts I needed and they also asked me not to go to Home Depot. So, I drove off to the final possible store in town, and I ended that visit four for four. So after driving around town for an hour, and getting nothing accomplished, I drove off to Home Depot, got the parts and was back to work after another hour. I really did not want to drive to the next city, but I had to get that fence finished that day.

 

The four stores in the small town all cried out to not use Home Depot, but they did not take the steps they could have taken to keep their business. The could have communicated with each other and through the efforts of all four, they could have carried similar stock to the Home Depot. Sure it would cost more, but the gas to drive the extra hour round trip would often justify the price. Instead of whining, they could have done something.

 

Pointing to a large competitor or obstacle and crying about it will get you nowhere. You may get some sympathy, some help, but often you get ignored.

 

If you want to overcome a problem or face a challenge, then find the best way to do it. Be creative if necessary, and then roll up your sleeves and get to work.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - A Double Dose of Customer Service

Good Morning,

 

This past Saturday, Karen and I went out for breakfast after dropping her car off for some routine maintenance. We first thought of the Irish Rover, and drove down to that restaurant, only to find them not open at 8:30 AM. We decided to head down a bit further Frankfort Avenue and saw that Jenny’s Diner was open. Jenny’s is famous for their Sweet Daddy Burger (1.25 Pounds of it) and Frickled Pickles (battered and deep fried sliced pickles). We went in and were the only customers. Our hostess/waitress, Michelle, was very pleasant and accommodating. She explained the menu and made frequent stops to our table to make sure everything was fine. While we knew we would get better service by being the only customers; that is the point. Often when you are the only customers, you get ignored; your one tip or purchase does not mean much so the staff often continues to set up for the morning and does other things. Michelle did not do that. She shared her philosophy of customer service, how she learned to do what she does, and how different people at Jenny’s helped her learn all she knows and got her through some difficult times. The food was great, and our little breakfast turned out to be a fun, filling and fulfilling experience.

 

After breakfast, we headed back to Shelbyville Road and visited Whole Foods (Fresh Market) for some bangers (for Bean and Banger Soup). While shopping around we stopped in the cracker isle as Karen remembered we needed some. We looked at all the choices, none that we had ever tried. Then a new employee came up to us and offered some help. After talking with him a bit, he saw Karen gravitated to one type of cracker. He pulled out one of the boxes, and took a marker and wrote no charge on the UPC code and said, “try this one and see if you like it’. WOW. We kept that box separate as we went through the rest of our shopping.

 

At the register, we handed the box to the cashier, partially wondering if he would charge us for it. He took the box, saw the note and put it right into our bag, no charge. WOW. I then asked him about this program and he smiled and said it was their most popular program. He said Whole Foods has empowered their employees to give X amount away every day to help customers get to know their products better. Empowerment! I love those words, and even better, I love seeing it in action. Whole Foods is on to something! While we are not looking for free stuff, we love the ability to try new things, and this would definitely help that interest. Also, even though we came in for just bangers, we ended up with a full bag of groceries, and smiles on our faces.

 

It was a double dose of customer service. The first course was caring and community and the second was empowerment.

 

What a great experience!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - It is a great day, if you choose it to be

Good Morning,

 

What a day for weather around the United States!! It is times like these that we often hope for the schools to close or the businesses to close and to just go back into bed and curl up under warm covers.

 

I think that these are the times to, in fact, make your next move or start your next plan, or read your next book, or achieve your next goal. Days like this can be an inspiration rather than a let down. Remember, from Victor Frankl, we choose how we face the situations handed to us in life.

 

Sure it is gloomy, stormy and dangerous out there, and I am not suggesting we throw caution into the wind and drive out without any preparation or put ourselves in danger. Rather, I am suggesting that we look at this day as a chance to up our adrenaline and focus on what we want to achieve.

 

In a game I once participated in, there was a feature we called ‘Adrenal Focus’ where the character who successfully employed this skill could choose one item, one job, one task and do nothing but that task, and do it many times better than normal. It was as if the world around them ceased to exist as they did their one task.

 

Why can’t we turn our blasé feelings on this weather into productive thoughts and drive to help us get along to where we want to be. Get that book read, clean that room, organize those shelves, call a relative you are overdue calling, or write a few letters.

 

It is a great day to get what we want done.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - The Universal Solvent

Good Morning,

 

This past Monday I attended my first Toastmasters meeting, and yesterday I attended my first day of training for ITIL (IT Service Quality Improvement) training and my current read is “When Generations Collide” by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman.

 

In all three of these different places, there was one message that rang out between all. Communication is vital to everything. One of the speakers at Toastmasters, an 83 year old WWII Veteran who does this for a hobby, told me that everything in the world relies on communication, and he loves learning how to do it better.  At the ITIL training we are being taught that for framework of service to be at its best, there needs to be strong communication between all of the parts, in fact, a free flow of communication. In the book, “When Generations Collide” the main premise is that the four different Generations in the workplace today (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X’ers, and Millennials) all have different values and have problems communicating these to each other, causing all sorts of conflicts and stereotypes.

 

I find it amazing that the message of how important communication is can be so plainly seen in such divergent sources.

 

Take time to understand communication, which the outcome is “Understanding”. If you want, I will resend you my prior message on the mechanics of communication.

 

If you take time to understand those you interact with. Please realize that there are not just cultural, language, business field barriers to clear communication, but also generational and business process differences which can trip up others.

 

Take the time to understand, and you will find you can solve pretty much any problem.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Weathering the Sea of Interruptions

Good Morning,

 

As I am writing this email, my two cats have come up to me, one at a time demanding attention. They feel that petting them is more important than sharing ideas with….sorry, I am back, sharing ideas with you.

 

Interruptions can short-circuit our short term and long term memories. Wait, Karen is asking me a question…. Okay, what were we saying? Oh yes, interruptions and how they can shake up our routines.

 

In the mornings it is really bad for me, as I work on autopilot, and anything out of the ordinary tends to skew my entire agenda. Wait, another cat, no that’s my cell phone, I am on call this week. Just a minute… Stream of consciousness work, like this email tend to get decimated by interruptions as your mind is forced to look in different areas or come up with different ideas as the new situations present themselves. Wait, another cat… Okay, so for today, no wait, we are talking about interruptions.

 

Anyway, I found the best way to withstand interruptions (as some cannot be avoided) is to keep focused on the task at hand. And if you are to be pulled away, leave yourself a quick note or something to remind you what you were working on when you get a chance to come back.

 

With practice of leaving yourself notes, written, or even mental, you will be able to get back on track quickly.

 

I don’t have to remind you of how busy life is today, and how many interruptions we face daily.  Best we plan to weather them well.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Practice for the Unexpected, not Perfection

Good Morning,

 

This weekend I finished my 200^th book. It was a book on the German Philosopher: Arthur Schopenhauer, who had a very pessimistic view on life and society and believed life was driven by a dark uncaring overarching Will. I can see his point in the coldness of some of today’s darker world events, but I chose to see the goodness in everyone, whether they see it or not.

 

Anyway, my current read is a book that I had passed several times in the library which kept catching my eye. “Peanut Butter and Jelly Management” by Chris and Reina Komisarjevsky is a book which combines tales of parenthood and how these relate to lessons for business life. The author’s family has 10 children from two marriages and a whole range of experiences from the comical to the very sobering.

 

One lesson from the book which stood out to me was about practice. We all have heard that practice makes perfect, and we know that perfect is not always obtainable. By practicing some activity over and over again, you may get good at that activity, you may get great at that activity. But, if you practice variations of that activity, and prepare for all situations, then you are preparing yourself for success. Not because you what you have practiced, but because of what may happen which you have not practiced for.

 

When something unexpected happens, we can fall back on all of the practice we have taken to help us get through. True, we may not have practiced for that specific situation, but if we vary what we study and practice enough, we will have a clue how to respond. When I first started driving in the early 1990’s I drove down country roads in Upstate New York. I practiced fast turns down winding roads and avoiding deer, visible potholes and reacting quickly to constant changing environment. I probably drove a bit too recklessly in my early driving days, but it did pay off. While driving home from Buffalo, New York in 1996 the hood of my car opened and flipped up and over the windshield. My copilot and I quickly maneuvered the car from going 60 Miles an hour on Interstate 90 to safely moving off to an exit ramp. While I had never practiced for a car hood flipping open, I did practice keeping my eyes open and being prepared for all sorts of change. Practice did not make perfect, but it practice prepared me for the unexpected.

 

Remember, practice, it could save your life!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Hitting Rockbottom May Not Be About You

Good Morning,

 

A very good friend of mine, Howard, who is like a brother to me, is having some hard times. He is seeing more and more of his life being stripped away, one piece at a time. Over the past few months, he has endured hardship after hardship, loss after loss, and each time when he thinks he hit a new low, something more happens and brings him lower. I pray for him, and try to help him several times a week over the phone, as Howard is in New York and I am in Kentucky.

 

Two days ago, Howard’s car broke down and caught on fire, a new low. When the tow truck came to pick up his car and bring it back to his home/office, he thought he recognized the truck driver. A few months back, there was another person who was at a low point in their life. This man decided to end it all by going out onto the Tappen Zee bridge over the Hudson River and jump. The bridge is about 40 miles north of New York City, and it was shut down for hours while the local and state authorities brought this man back from the brink.

 

Now this very same man, one who had seen the lowest of the low in his life, now came to help Howard, who was also at a very low point in his life. When Howard recognized the would-be suicidal bridge jumper he took it as a sign of how low his life is now. Howard shared this story with me yesterday and asked me to put it in my message of the day.

 

During this same conversation, Howard and I also spoke about others and some of the issues they are facing. At each incident, Howard immediately offered help and information. Even at our lowest point, so long as we can help others, we have value and something to look forward to in life. My friend is going through some tough times, and the challenges facing him are pretty stiff, but when others need help, he is there.

 

Whatever your beliefs are about what life is about, if it is scripted or free will, know that life has purpose so long as you can help others. And through helping others, life gets better. Life is often not about us, it is about others and what we can do to make the lives of others better.

 

In his lowest times of his life, my brother Howard, sees that and helps others. And through this, help will come to him.  I love you Howard! Hang in there!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - So, Its Not Your Job

Good Morning,

 

Happy Valentines Day everyone!! 

 

Just the other day I was given a book by a friend, thanks Caryn!!! The book, “Flipping The Switch” by John Miller, is the follow up on the wonderful book ‘QBQ’ the Question Behind the Question, a book about personal accountability. John talks about how we can ask the right questions and take action ourselves to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others. I love these books. You can find out more at www.qbq.com. In reading through Flipping the Switch while ‘stranded’ at the hotel on Monday, I remembered a time from my freelance writing days where I had to ask myself what I could do to fix a problem others were causing.

 

I was working on a writing project back in the 90’s and I had to deal with two editors. The first was the editor of the game line that I was writing a supplement for. The second editor was the creator of the line itself. Over time, I found that information I gave to one editor never made it to the other and it put my project in jeopardy, and frustrated me. I decided that I needed to make a change, so I asked myself what I could do. So I started by calling one editor and giving them an update of the project and get their feedback. Then I made another call to the other editor and do the same thing. As part of every call, I would fill the first editor in with what the second editor said, and sometimes visa versa. Not very efficient, but it got the job done.

 

You could imagine my horror when I finally visited their office and found these two editor’s desks literally five feet apart from each other!

 

If I did not go through the motions, the editors would not both be on the same page. While it was not my job, I decided to go the smarter route and rolled up my sleeves and took on the responsibility myself. The end result was a published book, a paycheck, and a great lesson learned!

 

Remember, just because it is not your job, or your responsibility does not mean that you should just turn your back or walk away. Practice the QBQ!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Surviving the Storm

Good Morning,

 

Sorry I could not send out a message yesterday, the snow storms which came through on Monday kept me from getting home. The roads were bad by the end of my day, and our company reserved rooms at the hotel next door for those who could not make it and were willing come back to work early and help cover those who would not make the next day.

 

Monday evening I had to finish a college paper for a college class, due that evening, and had other to does as well. I had a choice of what to do. I could have tried to brave the drive home, a normally short ride of some 35 minutes, which was taking others over two hours, and risk damage or worse, or I could stay at the office and help coordinate the evening. After deciding to stay, with help from Karen, I had my daughter email me my work in progress paper, and I had dinner and finished the paper before retiring to the hotel room.

 

This evening could have been a disaster, but it was my choice in how I faced it. I chose to take charge of my situation and make the best of it. At the end of the second day, I was a bit overtired, and a bit loopy, but in all it worked out well.

 

Remember, no matter what happens to you, you can still decide how you will face any situation. Rarely in life are you ever truly powerless. You may have limited options, but you still get to choose.

 

You can all survive the storm.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

502-533-9336

 

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