Wednesday, February 25, 2015

TSBDC at Vol State - Lunch-n-Learn Series

Register for any of these Lunch-n-Learns by clicking the title of the workshop
(And yes, a lunch is included)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Volunteer State Community College, Building 300
Speaker: Jim Butera - ITS Techs
Fee: $15, payable at the workshop

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Volunteer State Community College, Building 300
Speaker: Mike Towle - Win-Win Words
Fee: $15, payable at the workshop

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Volunteer State Community College, Building 300
George Phillips - Bone McAllester Norton
Fee: $15 , payable at the workshop

Wednesday, May 13, 2015 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Volunteer State Community College, Building 300
Paul Winkler - Paul Winkler, Inc.
Fee: $15, payable at the workshop

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Generation Gaps in Your Business

Let us know which video you prefer in the survey above.




OR




 Recently, I had three different people come to see me about starting a new business (shocker, I know.)
  1. The first one, an older gentleman, wanted to meet weekly, work on the business plan in person, and wanted to make very good money.
  2. The next one, a woman that was my age, wanted to meet once or twice for some direction, worked on the business plan independently, and was primarily focused working from home so she could spend more time with her family.
  3.  The last one, a young whippersnapper fresh out of college, simply wanted to email me, collaborated with friends online to create a strategy (he refused to use the words business plan), and wanted to make a difference in this world.

   All three would-be-entrepreneurs had the same goal, but went about it for different reasons and with different methods.

Let’s consider the different generations each of them represent.

Characteristics

Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964)

Gen X (born 1965-1980)

Millennials (born 1981-2000)

Structure
They like a lot of structure and specifics

May be more entrepreneurial and less interested in structure

They are participative

Meetings
Are more apt to appreciate meetings and like to communicate face-to-face

Want immediate communication and fewer meetings

Want to communicate through technology, i.e email and social media

Rewards
They want to know they are valued and needed

Freedom and time off may be their best reward

Their reward is meaningful work and whenever they choose it

Motivation
They are motivated by money and titles and less interested in feedback

Want to do things their way and may not be worried about the rules

They are motivated by working with sharp and creative people
Work/Home Balance
Tend to be more focused on work, than family

Want a more balanced work and family life

Want a more balanced work and family life


There are exceptions to every rule of course, however, these characteristics tend to hold true in most situations. 

So take these characteristics into consideration when you are:
  • Training and rewarding employees
  • Negotiating with vendors
  • Communicating with customers


To work well with others, we need to understand generational differences and learn how to use them effectively in dealing with each person.