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 2. BABY BOOMERS VS. GEN XERS IN THE
WORKPLACE
It
sounds like the making of a great boxing match: in
this corner, those loyal, dependable, team-loving
Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1962); in the
opposite corner, the Generation Xers (born between
1963 and 1982) often stereotyped as self-absorbed,
pampered, tech-loving, job-shifting slackers.
According to a new book, "Bridging the
Boomer Xer Gap," by Hank Karp, Connie Fuller and
Danilo Sirias (Davies-Black Publishing, 2002)
these two generations can work and play well
together. However, each generation needs to let go
of some commonly held myths about the other:
Boomers need to give up the notion that
Xers are slackers, not committed to their jobs,
uncaring about the quality and importance of their
work, unwilling to put in the time and effort to
produce a quality product and only concerned about
when and where their next vacation will be. In
fact, Xers can be very loyal, hard workers.
However, their commitment must serve a higher
purpose than filling an 8-hour workday or gaining
a paycheck. They are always looking for the next
new and interesting thing to do.
Xers need to let go of the myths that
Boomers are old geezers who are resistant to
change, tightly locked into a traditional way of
doing things; that they yearn for the good ole'
days and are only concerned about seniority and
pension plans. While some Boomers may not be as
technically savvy as Xers, the Boomer generation
has always valued learning and personal
development. What Boomers generally don't like is
unnecessary risk. If something is working, they
see no reason to change it. Click http://www.amamember.org/management/index.cfm
for advice on how organizations can create
environments where both generations can flourish.
3. WHO'S ON THE NET? TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
If you're doing business online,
you should know who's surfing and who's buying via
the Internet. Rate your online knowledge. Correct
answers appear at the end of this newsletter. (The
complete self-assessment appears on AMA's Members
Only website at
http://membersonly.amamember.org/self_assess
1.The United States has about one-third of
all Internet users. What two countries are in
second and third place?
a. United Kingdom and
Canada
b. Japan and China
c. Germany and
Russia
2.In
the United States, do more people
access the Internet from home or from
work?
a. Home
b. Work
c. About the same
3.What
cities in the United States have the
highest percentage of households with
home Internet access?
a. Portland and Seattle
b. New York and Los Angeles
c. Dallas and Atlanta
4. USING EXECUTIVE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
TO PROMOTE YOUR COMPANY
Here's an excellent, cost-effective
way to enhance your company's reputation
and generate new business: develop
an effective speaker placement program
for your top executives. There are
many public forums which provide opportunities
to spread the good word about your
company -- conferences and seminars
held by independent event organizations,
associations, professional and industry
trade groups, academic institutions
and think tanks. Here are some first
steps an organization can take to
develop a program to take advantage
of these public relations and marketing
opportunities:
- Decide which products
or services the firm wants to promote.
- Choose the right speaker-- experienced
executives and, preferably, talented
speakers. Small-to medium-sized organizations
should nominate their CEO or other
senior executive. Large organizations
can also choose staff at the director
or manager level.
- Speak to the right audience. Thoroughly
research events before you commit.
- Decide on the geographic area you
want to target--locally, regionally,
nationally or even internationally.
- Create high-impact presentations.
A solid, informative presentation
includes actionable information the
audience can take back to their organizations--it
is NOT a sales pitch for your company
or its products.
5. STEPS TO SUCCESS
Still
struggling to pull your company, your division or
your team out of the downturn? Here's some
"uncommon common sense" from management consultant
Rob Wilson on how to succeed in business:
-Find
your intrinsic competitive advantage and leverage
it. Create a one- or two-sentence statement that
differentiates you from the competition.
-Begin
with the end in mind. Ask tough questions: what do
I hope to accomplish by pursuing this strategy,
executing this tactic or even having this
conversation?
-Think strategically, not
tactically.
-Do something meaningful yet
achievable. Begin with small steps and then build
on them.
-Get a checkup from the neck up. As a
leader, are you saying and doing the things that
your people need to hear and see to believe in
what the company is doing, and to give their best
efforts to help you get there?
6. HOW TO CREATE TACTICS THAT BRING
STRATEGIC PLANNING TO LIFE
Marketing 101
teaches us to first formulate marketing
strategies, then come up with the tactics to
achieve them. Richard Czerniawski and Mike
Maloney, co-authors of "Creating Brand Loyalty,"
maintain that while strategies are important, they
are ultimately useless--even counterproductive--if
the company lacks the ability to successfully
execute them.
Where to start?
-Identify key business
and marketing objectives.
-Brainstorm tactics
available to you and assess the potential of each
in enabling the brand to achieve its strategic
objectives.
-Identify the key drivers for
success and competitors' capabilities in these
areas.
-Determine the degrees of strategic
freedom open to your brand through your company's
capabilities in both the absolute and relative to
competition.
-Create strategies you can
successfully execute, that will permit you a
competitive advantage and lead to achievement of
your key objectives.
UPDATE YOUR MEMBER PROFILE
Recent
changes in your job title, company, or e-mail
address? Be sure to update or modify your personal
member profile.
Just click on
http://membersonly.amamember.org/my_account/index.cfm
7. HEADS UP ON TWO UPCOMING AMA
CONFERENCES:
CORPORATE BRANDING
2002
When: November 13-14, 2002
Where:
Marriott O'Hare Hotel, Chicago
Highlights: Top
Marketing experts from BMW, Kinko's, Xerox and
other leading firms will provide proven strategies
and tactics for building powerful brands. Early
Bird Discounts: Register and pay before August 1st
and save $100 off the already reduced member rate!
10TH ANNUAL
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE
When:
October 28-30, 2002
Where: Caesars Palace, Las
Vegas
Highlights: Trail-blazer Erin Brockovich,
motivational speaker Dr. Traci Lynn, trainer Keith
Harrell, change expert Sheila Murray Bethel plus
five learning tracks and much more. Early Bird
Discounts: Register and pay before August 1st and
save $100 off the already reduced member rate!
8. TWO WAYS TO SAVE BIG $ ON AMA
SEMINARS:
*Members Only: Save up to 50% off the current
member price when you register for select AMA
seminars.
*Register for any AMA seminar held between now
and December 31, 2002 and bring a colleague
or friend for up 25% off the applicable member
or non-member price.
Call 1-800-262-9699 for details.
9. RESULTS OF 2002 SUMMER VACATION PLANS
SURVEY
Nearly 98 recent of managers plan to take a
summer vacation, but many will remain in contact
with the office while away, according to last
month's AMA survey of 645 business executives.
Nearly 62 percent of those surveyed will check
in with their offices at least once a week and
as many as quarter of them will be in daily
contact while on vacation. Thirty-six percent
plan to conduct some office-related work and
16 percent will in touch with clients or customers
at least once a week while away.
CORRECT ANSWERS TO NET KNOWLEDGE QUIZ:
1-b According to the Computer Industry Almanac's
rankings at the end of 2000, Japan and China
were in second and third place behind the U.S.
That count was for all Internet users, however.
If instead you count those who go online at
least weekly, China gets bumped to seventh place
and Germany takes over in third place.
2-a According to a Nielsen/NetRatings study,
during one week in April, more than twice as
many Americans accessed the Internet from home
(75 million) than from work (34 million). But
those who did go online from work did it more
often (averaging 11 sessions compared to six
from home) and viewed more sites (14 compared
to 6).
3-a In Portland and Seattle nearly 70% of households
have Internet access from home, according to
a Nielsen/NetRatings study. (Do you suppose
they all work for Microsoft?) New York and Los
Angeles may be big, but only about 55% of households
have home Internet access. Atlanta and Dallas
rank in between, at about 60%.
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EXECUTIVE MATTERS is a monthly
newsletter created exclusively for Executive
Members of the American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, New York
10019.
Editor: Florence Stone (fstone@amanet.org)
Copyright 2002: American Management
Association. Material in this issue may be
quoted free of charge provided the following
reference is given: 'Source: American Management
Association, http://www.amanet.org/,
800-262-9699.
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