Posts Tagged ‘generational’
May 31st, 2009 in Technology, Trends No Comments
In an ideal world, employees would eagerly anticipate each written company communiqué; spend their free time exploring the corporate intranet’s self-service feature and curl up with the detailed company newsletter. The reality of today’s workplace, however, is different. This article notes that employees now get instant messages on their cell phones on the bus to work while they’re reading their e-mail. They’re watching TV programs on their computer screens, browsing the Internet on their TVs and getting quick updates from friends while Facebooking, YouTubing and Twittering. New technologies have created new media trends “that are changing expectations for how, why and when employees receive information.” Companies are advised to keep up or risk their messages to employees will be left behind. (more…)
April 15th, 2009 in Trends No Comments
“In Times Like These, You Get A Chance To Show Your Strength.” As Part Of Our 30th Anniversary Issue, Inc. Asked Jim Collins, Author Of ‘Good To Great’ And ‘Built To Last,’ What We Might Expect In The Next 30 Years.
This article is in the form of a conversation between author and Inc. editor-at-large Bo Burlingham and Jim Collins, author of Good To Great and Built To Last. The discussion concerns Collins’ vision of entrepreneurship and what companies and their managers will become over the next 30 years. Readers must initially wrestle with a paradox: Business guru Collins is convinced that we are and increasingly will be facing a world of “big events, big forces, massive storms … ferocious” requiring the need to have a “realistic paranoia” and the ability to “be prepared for what we can’t predict.” At the same time we need an “unwavering faith” in our ability to deal with it all. The source of his optimism is his view of the younger generation beginning to assume leadership roles in business. In his own words, “They have a sense of responsibility and service and a lack of cynicism that is remarkable and wonderful and a collective ethos that is connected technologically.”
These future leaders are epitomized by entrepreneurs who have defined success on a grand scale – Steven Jobs is most often mentioned – and are not just in it for the money but to transform society. They build their business culture around responsibility and performance with “a laser-like focus on doing first things first” and the skill to “know how to sift through the blizzard of information that hits you all the time.” (more…)
October 11th, 2008 in Trends No Comments
The paperless office predicted by futurists decades ago never materialized. As the digital era emerged, people were exchanging ever more information but technology and behavior lagged behind as emails were printed for archiving and word documents for editing by hand. A 2001 book, “The Myth of the Paperless Office,” summed the situation up nicely.
This article notes, however, that the year this book was published was the very year when demand for office paper finally peaked and began its steady decline. A paper expert at Info Trends estimates that office workers in developed countries will continue to reduce their office paper consumption for the foreseeable future. (more…)
November 12th, 2002 in Culture No Comments
Companies are finding that it is becoming more and more important to capture the knowledge base of their key employees before they leave. Among the examples discussed is the mad search at Microsoft Corp. for their retired facilities manager when vital blueprint information couldn’t be found. To quote Bill Gates, “Here we were, the largest developer of office space in the Seattle area … and our entire knowledge base of crucial information was being carried round in the heads of just a few people.”
The article warns that as baby boomers retire in great numbers in the years ahead, a critical mass of knowledge may be lost. It is vital, the author argues, to create a system for capturing this employee knowledge.
One of the most effective ways to do this is in story form, and companies are urged to create a story archive, with retirees interviewed before they leave the company. The article advises companies to go beyond checklist-type responses to problems to capture the thought processes that went into policies and approaches. Among the suggestions offered:
- Videotaping key employees daily to get a sense of how they think;
- Mixing employees of different ages on projects or teams so they can learn from each other;
- Establishing a mentoring program; and
- Creating “best practices” models where a company identifies high-achieving employees and has them share their techniques with peers.
The article provides action steps to take to develop a “lore-keeper,” establish a repository of knowledge and create a system for spreading knowledge throughout the company.
Source: Steven Savides, Christian Science Monitor; Boston, Mass; November 12, 2002
