Kent Blumberg

Leading Millennials

Lately the issue of how to motivate and lead the newest crop of college graduates (the millennials, I believe they are called) has been top of mind for some of my baby boomer clients.  And I've had the chance to talk with a few 20-somethings who are struggling with how to work with us older folks.

This is an important thing to get right.  There are far fewer of these young workers than there were when we baby boomers graduated from college.  Competition will be stiff for the really good ones.  If you want to attract and retain the best, you will want to know more about what floats a 24 year old's boat.

Wanting to learn more myself, I turned to LinkedIn and asked, "If you are 20-something, what would you advise a 50-something manager about how to help you engage in the organization, flourish and contribute?"  Here's what I learned.

Know when good enough is good enough

Sometimes we don't know when to stop.  We keep revising an idea, a blog, a plan and are never satisfied enough to actually push the button and release our work.  Why and when should we settle for "good enough," why do we sometimes get caught seeking perfection, and how can we find the right balance?

My sister and brother-in-law appear on MSNBC this weekend

For those of you in the US who are up early on Sunday morning:  my sister and brother-in-law will appear on MSNBC's Your Business. The show airs at 7:30 am Eastern time on Sunday.

“Your Business,” hosted by JJ Ramberg, focuses on the world of America's small business entrepreneurs, featuring profiles, news, advice and tips.  Here's what they say on the website about this Sunday's show:

This week the Your Business panel of experts will take a look at a business that's dealing with some major problems, and provide the owner with creative strategies to help him grow.

Don Dominguez runs K & F Select Coffees, a 25-year-old, family-owned coffee company that made its name primarily as a private-label product supplier. He also runs two coffee bars and sells a line of organic coffee. Don is concerned that the private-label business may have gotten as big as it can. The coffee arena is getting more competitive and product costs are rising. He's at a loss as to how he should market his organic coffee, since his retail exposure outside his own stores is very limited. Don hasn't spent much money on independent marketing because cash flow is tight. The company's revenues have leveled off, and he has already made changes to avoid losing money. Don will talk with the panel and find out how he can further adjust his business plan.

Panelists
Simon Sinek, CEO & Founder of SinekPartners Corp., a consulting company. Sinek also teaches graduate level marketing at Columbia University's Strategic Communications Program.

Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO & Chairman of SBTV.com, the first television network on the web dedicated to small business, and author of "The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business."

And here's more about Wendy and Don's business.

Filling your skills gap

If you are in business, at any level, chances are pretty good you are suffering a skills gap.  This is the gap between the skills you and your organization have now and those you need in order to flourish. 

The gap is caused by rapidly changing jobs, by demographic changes (aging and retiring workforce, fewer new workers), by educational systems that aren't producing people with the skills needed to thrive in today's business world, and by a lack of investment in training and development by businesses.

Do you use what you sell to others?

Image by Eric Ward on Flickr

Do you use what you sell to others?  It strikes me that many of us - perhaps particularly in service industries - forget that the service we sell can benefit us, too.