6

DEALING WITH THE “ME” GENERATION

And I know that the younger generation is doing things that are so ingenious. And for them it’s not a matter of a political belief or an environmental stance. It’s really just common sense.

Daryl Hannah, Author

Further to our discussions in Chapter 5, communication is central to an unstoppable organization, not just in frequency but in the value information shared has for employees in understanding how they can contribute to and add value to their customers. If you’ve ever invested any time in improving communications either within your team or across the organization, then invariably you’ve stumbled upon some challenges in finding the right mix and approach to communicating that satisfies all employees. As we’ve alluded to previously, it’s the individuality of employees that makes the task of communicating effectively such a challenge. In today’s organizations, age demographics can typically range from employees who are just starting in their career and in their early 20s to those nearing the end of their career, and often in their late 60s or even early 70s. With such a wide spread in age, for leaders to select a single approach to communication as their primary preference such as face-to-face meetings, e-mail, or texting, the result can actually be detrimental to the culture, creating conflict, barriers to collaboration, and in the worst case, unplanned attrition or departure. All of this occurs despite the leader’s best intentions in wanting to communicate effectively with their team.

Before we dive too deep into a discussion on generational differences and preferences, however, let me note now that neither this book nor what I’m about to discuss is meant as another “Let’s roast the Millennial generation” rant. In the speaking that I do around North America on the topic of generational differences, the one thing that audience members of all ages tell me they can relate to is that our preferences for how we communicate are influenced mostly by our experiences as individuals, and are not simply the result of what our generation suggests is the required norm. Recognizing the relevance of this statement sheds light on some of the “issues” or “complaints” I often hear from CEOs and executives about their people, such as:

Younger employees always want to text and never pick up the phone when something’s important!

There is too much e-mail floating around; why don’t people just pick up the telephone?

There are too many meetings that are absorbing employees’ time; why do we need so many meetings?

Our younger employees spend all of their time with their heads buried in their phones, rather than on their work!

Before we begin discussing the various idiosyncrasies and, in some instances, biases for each generation, let’s be clear on some terminology I’ll be referencing in this chapter, specifically understanding the range of dates in which each generation was born, and the significant events that occurred during these periods that influenced their perceptions, experiences, and values. For it is these very events, according to research by such organizations as the Association for Physiological Science¹, that have influenced and created the perspectives and ideals of each generation.

Considering the demographic of those still actively working today, let’s begin with a brief definition of the Baby Boomer generation, who are generally identified as being born between the years 1945 and 1964.² Events that occurred during the younger and more influential years of this generation included the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the first landing on the moon, and the fall of the Berlin wall.

Generation X are those generally born between 1965 and 1980, with significant events such as the rise in popularity of personal computers, the HIV epidemic, Y2K, and the dotcom boom which influenced this generation’s perceptions.³

Generation Y, otherwise known as Millennials, are those born between 1981 and 2005. They have been influenced by events such as 9/11, the rise in availability and influence of social media, smart phones, etc.⁴

Generation Z, those born after 2000, are still evolving as I write this book, and most are not yet in the workforce full-time. Notably, this generation has been influenced by technology and the continuing disruption of what have, in many cases, become recognized as long-standing institutions or practices. Consider, for example, that it’s more than likely this generation will not be as accustomed to using taxis, and are more likely to use ride sharing as a major form of transportation. As this generation is currently just entering the workforce, there have been few studies relative to generational influence or preferences.

There’s a reason I’m purposefully not spending much time defining each of these generations, and I will spend even less time discussing what might or might not be as a result of generational preferences. In my experience, the ability of an organization to become unstoppable has little to do with the generations that are working for it. The issues we perceive to be “Millennial” or “Baby Boomer” issues (Generation X seem to slide under the radar most of the time for some reason, more than likely because it is most versed with understanding and adapting to both Millennials and Baby Boomers) are in fact those that relate less to the age demographic and more to a lack of understanding people. It’s time that we learned to identify with these distinctions as direct biases, and recognize that the preferences that each generation have are simply individual differences that can differ between anyone of any age. For example, I’ve actually found some Baby Boomers who prefer texting, just like I’ve found some Millennials who enjoy picking up the phone or having a face-to-face discussion over texting. Instead, we need to focus on what we already know to be the case when it comes to our employees being effective in their roles, namely:

1. Engagement of our customers and employees results from communications that are in line with each individual’s preferences. Therefore, the best method to communicate with each person regardless of their generation is by offering and using a medium for communication that meets each individual’s preference. By doing so, you increase your chances that this particular individual will open up and have a dialogue with you. Generational differences are a component of our personal preferences, but are not the sole measure by which we can assess or value other people.
2. Communication preferences that individuals have include both personal and professional experiences and influences. A Millennial may be highly focused on texting due to how their parents, friends, and teachers have communicated with them, whereas someone else of the same age may prefer to use Snapchat or Facebook as a result of how their parents, teachers, and friends communicated with them. The commonality is technology, but the method and degree by which technology is incorporated will be influenced based on exposure, knowledge, and comfort. According to Pew Research, for example, 88 percent of Facebook users in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 29, 84 percent are between 30 and 49, 72 percent are between the ages of 50 and 64, and 62 percent are ages 65 and older.⁵ At face value (no pun intended), this would suggest that the older someone is (which is directly related to their generation), the less likely they are to engage on social media. However, in making this statement we are forming a generalization based on research and, while it’s quite possible that generational influences are at play, it would be ridiculous to suggest that anyone over the age of 65 isn’t involved in or understands Facebook.
3. Because we literally spend more waking hours at a place of work than anywhere else (when employed full-time), the workplace can actually have a significant influence on individual preferences through time. Therefore, it can be expected that, with time, the communication methods employed by and within an organization can reshape how we prefer to communicate. For example, my first cell phone was a Blackberry⁶ that I was issued as a “tool” for work use back in 2001. As I grew more comfortable with using the phone, I also began to explore the various ways I could use it, including sending messages and using some of the popular applications. Within a couple of years I purchased a Blackberry for my own personal use, eventually transitioning to an iPhone. Today, it is likely those entering the workforce already have a smartphone. But when the technology was first introduced and my employer at the time decided to adopt it for their employees, the result influenced how I prefer to communicate in my personal life outside of work.

Where to Find Your Customers

Understanding the generational differences as just described provides us with some context as to “why” there are different preferences for various ages in how they interact and communicate with others. Although the Millennial generation is heavily engaged in technology, and therefore consider it as key to supporting their ongoing communications (texting, social media), it doesn’t mean they are unable to use or adapt to face-to-face communications. In the teaching I have done in recent years as an adjunct professor at Humber Polytechnic College⁷, I’ve learned that the Millennial generation is one of the most engaged while in a face-to-face group setting. This generation has been raised with greater exposure to teams and encouraged more than previous generations during their education to collaborate with one another. Similarly, as I mentioned earlier, Aviva Leebow Wolmer, CEO of Pacesetter Steel, is herself a Millennial and she is leading an organization that consists of three different generations. During our discussions, Aviva said that the biases about how Millennials prefer to communicate are most often false: “Millennials are actually very engaged in the workplace and highly adaptive to a group setting, though only if those discussions are deemed by them as valuable, important, and inclusive of their ideas and feedback.” Building on Aviva’s point, the Millennial generation may actually be more productive and effective in a face-to-face setting than previous generations. Whereas the Baby Boomer generation grew up in an era where speaking up to share ideas was done at the risk of being interpreted as talking back or out of turn, the Millennial generation has been encouraged throughout their lives to share their ideas openly, which is a breath of fresh air for many executives and leaders.

Despite the fact that generational differences are a component of understanding the unique differences and preferences of our employees and customers, one thing is for certain. We are in the midst of a growing shift amongst all generations to be more involved and reliant on the Internet. Unstoppable organizations are keenly aware that their reputation and relationships online for both their existing and potential employees, as well as their existing and prospective customers, are becoming increasingly important to their success. Welcome to the “online generation.” To put this into perspective, let’s begin by considering the influence the Internet is having on today’s customers and, in turn, on our employees. Then we will discuss how unstoppable organizations are adapting to and capitalizing on these shifts. Starting with our customers, let’s look at some recent statistics across all generations relative to how many customers are moving online to inform or make their purchases:

• 72 percent of Millennials research and shop their options online before going to a store or the mall.⁸
• Two-thirds of Americans over the age of 50 buy from e-retailers online.⁹
• More than three-quarters of adults surveyed in the United States had ordered products or services online. And whereas Millennial adults (ages 24 to 32) are the most likely to have done so, Gen Xers (ages 33 to 46) spend the most.¹⁰
• Digital interactions influence 36 cents of every dollar spent in the retail store, or approximately $1.1 trillion total.¹¹
• 84 percent of store visitors use their mobile devices before or during a shopping trip, with 22 percent of consumers spending more as a result of using digital. Just more than half of these shoppers report spending at least 25 percent more than they had intended. And 75 percent of respondents said product information found on social channels influenced their shopping behavior and enhanced loyalty.¹²

I selected these statistics to shed some light on the points we’ve been discussing so far in the chapter; that customers of all generations are being influenced and choosing to purchase online is not a “Millennial thing.” This influence is driven by the availability of technology, as well as the ease of accessibility to the Internet, with Wi-Fi an almost expected norm by most people in North America today. In turn, this allows customers to perform more research at lightning speed before ever deciding to make a purchase.

There are a few important points we can derive from this research that unstoppable organizations have not only recognized, but repeatedly acted on to ensure they can keep up with and appeal to their customers, namely:

1. All companies, be they in retail, distribution, manufacturing, or services need to have a reputable presence online. Trying to figure out how to build a Website yourself, or having your neighbor’s kid who is apparently “a wiz at this stuff” build one, is not a wise choice considering the number of potential and existing customers who might visit it.
2. Having an online presence for the sake of “keeping up with the competition” is insufficient. If you are going to be online (and you should be!), then your online presence needs to be dynamic, not static. Simply having a Website or a Facebook page representing your organization without consistently and meaningfully engaging with those who come across your online presence can be more detrimental than helpful to your customer relationships.
3. When it comes to helping customers and employees find you, nothing outweighs the benefits of being omnipresent. There are so many ways for customers to find products and services online today; the key is to understand how your customers are typically searching for your organization’s products or services, and then be present, ready, and waiting to engage with them. You can use free means to gain their attention such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and press releases. Or you can gain their attention through paid means such as increasing your searchability by investing in SEO (search engine optimization) services for your Website, or using online advertisers such as Google AdWords. The key is to be everywhere your customers might be, and once you’re there be ready to have a conversation.
4. Facilitate an easy transaction. Allowing your customers to buy directly from you through the use of an online shopping cart only makes sense. At a minimum, you should offer a way for customers to obtain a quote without forcing them to contact you via your organization’s preferred means (for example, e-mail) in order to make an investment. If a customer is ready to buy online, then you should offer them the ability to do so.
5. Be responsive. Similar to allowing your customers the opportunity to buy directly from you, make sure that your online presence is something that is monitored and managed closely. There is nothing worse for a customer than launching an online chat feature, only to find there is no one on the other end or the wait times are excessive.

Several years ago, I did some consulting work for a large distributor of industrial supplies. At the time, the distributor was struggling to remain profitable (never mind grow!) and wanted help in assessing how they could right their “ship” and grow the business. They knew it was possible because their competition was continually capturing more and more of their market share. Initially, I met with dozens of employees and customers to assess the situation. Next, I reviewed their marketing material, which included their online presence. Although the company was highly reputable and had been around for decades, their online presence and related online marketing was dismal. Most alarming was the fact that although you could review in detail the specs for virtually all of their products online, there was no pricing presented, and you could not purchase any of their products online; rather, you must contact someone via e-mail to provide you a price and support your making a purchase. In interviewing several of their key customers, mostly plant and maintenance managers, interviewees kept mentioning that they preferred the competition’s Website because they could, when it was convenient for them, select what they needed and buy the product, rather than wait to hear back from an e-mail inquiry before buying. Time was of the essence and an online shopping cart helped key customers reduce the time it took to purchase products. It was put best by one maintenance manager of a multinational company who said, “Look, I do most of my maintenance planning after 4 p.m., which means I’m typically looking to order parts after 5 p.m. [The distributor] is only open until 4:30 p.m. daily, which forces me to make a list and e-mail it in, waiting on a response which often comes by around noon the next day. Instead of that, I could go to their competition, select the same products online, buy them online, and have them delivered by noon the next day. Which distributor would you rather use?”

Concerned, I took this information directly to the CEO and vice president of sales who had hired me, suggesting that an online shopping cart and pricing needed to be introduced on the Website right away if they were to stop their competition from taking business. The CEO wholeheartedly disagreed with me, saying, “As soon as I put my prices online, my competitors can see them or they can be shared. The risk is too high!” Needless to say, this distributor is no longer in business today, a mere five years later. None of my recommendations were taken. My point here is simple. Engaging with customers online is only going to continue to grow with time, as proven recently by a Forrester study which found that online retail sales are predicted to grow from USD $231 billion in 2012 to USD $370 billion in 2017.¹³

Customers: Get Online or Inline

To help you prepare for either moving some or more of your business activities online in order to satisfy your customers, here is an exercise I use with many of my clients to assess their online presence and its value to their customers, both existing and prospective. Ask these questions of five of your existing customers and five of your potential customers (or those of your competitor):

1. How do you search for (insert product/service) currently? If this does not include online sources, would the availability of such help make your research easier and better?
2. Of these means, which do you find most credible? If online is not on the shortlist, why not? What could we do to make your online search for our product/service more credible?
3. Once you’ve completed your research, how do you prefer to purchase the product/service? If online, how user friendly do you find our Website and social media page? If not online, would it being online make your decision easier?
4. What could we do to help us stand out from our competitors online (for example, our Website, social media, searchability, and chat features)?
5. How willing would you be to share your online experience with others through rating our product/service or providing a testimonial? What could we do to entice you to share your experience?

For bonus questions and other supportive materials, make sure you visit www.unstoppableorganization.com.

Feedback to these questions will help you determine the extent to which your current online presence, features, and functionality are attractive to your ideal customers, and will also shed some light on where you may want to invest more time or money to guarantee your online presence is appealing. It is also important to ensure you are engaging not just your typical customer, but also potential future customers. This is an opportunity to become crystal clear on what your future customer (or generations of future customers) is seeking in an organization that provides your product or services. Additionally, this ensures that any investments you make in time or money to further bolster your online presence is in fact directed by your customers, rather than based on feedback from your IT department.

Bob Nadon, President of Upper Canada Stretcher, a provider of custom-made stretchers for canvas and related products to support the art community, was faced with this daunting task upon launching his business in a small rural community. Bob loved living in the area, and wanted to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Bob realized, however, that in order to reach his end customer, artists, he needed to build and grow his online presence. Having launched a Website, Bob and his team recognized that to grow their organization they needed to support not only distributors of their products, but to reach and support their end users directly. Through several calculated changes, Bob and his team built an easy to use and highly functional Website, allowing end users multiple options to purchase custom or stock products, either in person (exchanging e-mails or phone calls), or directly online through an online shopping cart. By focusing on a direct route to his customers by incorporating technology at an early stage of his business, Bob has been able to ensure customers receive responsive service for their high quality products. A thriving organization with customers from across North America and overseas, Bob and his team have taken an alternative route to the typical manufacturer by offering online sales directly to their end customer, and as a result his business continues to grow on an annual basis.

Like Upper Canada Stretchers or other organizations I’ve mentioned thus far, what’s important for future success is to be where your customers are, and a growing number of your customers, regardless of their age, are online.

Preparing for a Growing Generation of Employees Online

Understanding how your customers are moving online, however, is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to building an unstoppable organization. The other piece includes considering that in order to attract and retain the best employees who will serve your customers online or otherwise, an organization must also appeal online to its existing and potential employees.

I recently validated this perceived shift during a lecture on career planning with a group of university graduates. When a student asked me how I suggested they go about finding a good job, I asked, “Tell me, what process are you following today?” The responses from the class of nearly 40 students were generally the same, in the following sequence:

1. Look at online job opportunities on Websites such as Monster and LinkedIn.
2. Research the company by reviewing their Website and presence on LinkedIn.
3. If the company and job appeared to fit the candidate’s desires for an employer (with skills being a secondary consideration), they would apply by e-mail or through a Website.
4. They collectively confirmed that at this point they would wait, sending the odd e-mail follow-up, eventually giving up after three or four e-mails sent with no response.

These responses suggest something similar to our discussion on customers moving online; that is, that the employees of today (and tomorrow) are seeking out jobs and planning for their career online rather than through friends, the newspaper, or physical job boards. Similarly, having an out-of-date Website, poor Internet ranking, bad Google reviews, or a weak social media presence can influence the potential employee in steps 1 or 2 just outlined. Moreover, these potential candidates were being selective about who they applied to, with the company’s values (what they stood for) and future vision (where they are going) being key identifiers of preferred versus undesirable employers.

The comfort level with using the Internet doesn’t stop with how employees seek out job opportunities, however. It also includes their willingness (and ability) to rate their employers online, providing a virtual “heads-up” to other potential job seekers as to what their interpretation is of their employer, its leadership, culture, or any other aspect they wish to discuss or rant about. Sites such as www.glassdoor.com, www.vault.com, and www.hallway.com are popping up all over the Web, allowing employees (and even prospective employees who have had an interview or interaction with someone at the organization) to anonymously post their experiences, perceptions, and beliefs regarding any company or person within a company that they so choose. Have an interview and you were impressed or ticked off about how the interview went? Just log in and post your thoughts on these Websites with no worries about being found out. Super happy about your boss and how she helps you? Just log in and post away. Frustrated you didn’t get a raise this year? Log in and talk about it. The options and opportunities are virtually endless, and what this means to employers is that monitoring and managing your online presence has never been more important.

But when trying to attract great employees, it’s more than just about managing your online presence. Unstoppable organizations recognize that in order to prepare for attracting and accepting their future employees, they must recognize what these employees desire or demand of their future employers.

Zappos, the former online shoe company purchased by Amazon but still overseen by the founder Tony Hsieh, bucks the historically popular methods of attracting and hiring talent. Instead, they allow applicants to become “insiders,” connecting with Team Ambassadors who get to know them before ever considering an interview or the possibility of hiring. As the relationship evolves, insiders are brought to Zappos headquarters, typically met by a driver who is, in fact, a Zappos employee. The employee reports back to the ambassador about their experiences with the insider, how they were treated, and details about the interaction. This approach is seen as the cornerstone of Zappos hiring. As Tony put it during an interview, Zappos “only wants to hire people that treat their co-workers with respect.”¹⁴

Alternatively, we could look at the hiring practices of Dyson, known best for their vacuum cleaners. A company highly focused on R&D, Dyson hires high school students rather than university graduates, placing them in R&D centers accompanied by lectures from seasoned professors. This work/study program not only provides students with an opportunity to learn in real life, but also the chance to earn a bachelor’s degree while they learn.

When it comes to unique and engaging means to attract talent, particularly future talent who have been brought up with different ideas on the value of collaboration and the role technology can play in communication, unstoppable organizations such as Zappos and Dyson identify unique ways to connect their needs as an organization with the needs of younger generations.

To satisfy and meet the needs of your existing and future customers and employees, consider the evolving preferences and values of today’s and tomorrow’s generations. Don’t get stuck in making decisions based on generational biases, but rather interview and interact with both your existing and future customers to understand what they desire of your organization, its products, services, culture, values, and leadership. Technology plays a significant role in this process, of course, but becoming aware of and incorporating customer and employee feedback is the first step toward becoming an unstoppable organization.