: to make different in some particular : ALTER
: to make radically different : TRANSFORM
: to make a shift from one to another : SWITCH
: to become different
Ahh yes: “Alter, transform and switch, to become different’’.....these words resonate a lot in FIG’s evolution, we’re excited about a little bit of change (and a little apprehensive if we’re being honest!).
In her Wall Street Journal article: Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine, Dr, Lembke, a Stamford University professor and psychiatrist, talks about the scientific biological effects of addictions to our devices. It’s real folks. This is not FIG banging the drum of putting down our phones or any other technological apparatus and talking or connecting with our fellow human beings. No. This is concrete, physiological, measurable, science based fact that continuously interacting with our high-tech electronic leashes, gaming apparatuses and social media actually, physically, alters our brains to crave more of it, thereby de-incentivising us to engage with others on a human level.
Gasp, shock and awe!
Mistakes. We all make them, we’re human beings and by definition 99.9% imperfect (with apologies to those of you who think otherwise), which results in, guess what? Mistakes (we make them hourly at FIG)! That gaffes, miscalculations and oversights are a part of our collective experience on this earth. Why (on earth!) is it so hard to admit to making mistakes, take responsibility for these human aberrations and move on after making a miscalculation or error? Hmmmm?
We all have habits - some serve us well and some get in our way…...Google states: “A habit is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” Establishing a habit usually takes about two weeks to become routine and is subsequently supported and reinforced by practicing it daily.
Ever had a “Monday” on any day of the week? Ever had your day perfectly planned, scheduled and organized only to have all your intended “to-do’s”: meetings, calls, oh yeah, actual “work,” utterly blown up by an unexpected interruption, complication, interference? Ever had someone insert themselves into your day with their drama, troubles or lack of planning (real or self-inflicted), requiring you to shelve your carefully laid out day(s) and requiring you to stop whatever you’re doing for their fire drill?
Yeah, us too.
Culture is another one of those words that we throw around a lot, like “relationships” or “leadership” (more on those later); But what does “culture” actually mean? And what does it mean in business?
According to Merriam Webster, culture is defined as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.” Right…. but in business, what does that look like and how do we create it?
Does anyone out there feel overwhelmed with a seemingly endless firehose flow of emails? Texts? Social media requests? Solicitations? Phone calls? Picking up your phone to make a call, and seeing 3 text messages that you probably ought to respond to, completely forgetting to make the call you initially intended? Back to back video meetings? Phone calls? The occasional “in person” (socially distant) meeting, requiring planning for travel time - actually getting fully dressed, which is a practice we have not exercised consistently in a year?
Is anyone out there attempting to juggle all this with getting actual work done - important work like meeting deadlines, accommodating your clients, building your business through marketing efforts, networking and speaking engagements and, oh yeah, making money doing so?
These are ubiquitous experiences - AND there are a couple of solutions to these implied demands on our time and schedules.
Entitlement - it’s a loaded word and one we’d like to highlight as it seems to be thrown around a lot these days, particularly aimed at the younger generations. What exactly does it mean? In business, culturally, and societally?
Dictionary.com defines “entitled” as: “to give (a person or thing) a title, right, or claim to something.”
We’d like to focus this week on what’s “right” and who’s to say what’s right or wrong, particularly in the workforce.
At the risk of sounding bossy…..
We don’t get to complain about something we’re not willing to do something about.
Admittedly a bold call to action, but one we’d like to explore…..
Complaints are actually very useful tools in our daily lives. They can be valuable clues in identifying troublesome issues and they alert us to situations, interactions, circumstances and events that don’t sit well with us. They fall into two categories (I’m sure there are more but in the interest of brevity….): daily annoying irritations - like running out of milk for your coffee in the morning, traffic patterns and other drivers, daily interruptions in our otherwise well-scheduled days, social media interactions etc.. - and the larger, more existential varieties like “am I happy?” At work? With our professional or personal partners? Are we exploring our professional callings, enjoying the journeys and moving in a direction that will lead us to professional and personal self actualization? Big questions indeed…..Complaints are also useful in identifying patterns; if we’re repeating the same grievances ad nauseum, there’s probably an issue that ought to be addressed, which is hard; Things should go the way we want without any effort or thought - right?
One of the fundamental principles of our work at FIG is that every experience - every single one - is illuminating, instructive and valuable. Every interaction, every situation, every exchange, every person who enters our lives, every economic, social or business challenge, every hurdle or success: they’re ALL teachers. Even a pandemic.
There’s an interesting and slightly alarming sociological trend, which has slowly and not very quietly begun to emerge in the past 10 years: we think we know everything. We argue, and sometimes rail, against scientists, doctors, professors, political officials (no, I’m not going THAT particular rabbit hole!), clergy, journalists etc. People who have toiled, often for decades to become experts in their chosen fields, and who have years of study, research, institutional knowledge, historical knowledge and involvement in their area of expertise. However, if they aren’t saying something that comports with each of our own world views, they are suddenly stupid, whackjobs, and idiots. SO, why do we think we know more than they do?
There’s a Reason for Everything...
Bold statement but true - especially regarding human employee interactions at work. However, most issues, struggles, and conflicts in the workplace are human in nature. So where is the overlap between human beings and employees?
Professional protocol is a necessary component in any organization and needs to be universally adopted by employees in order to have a cohesive expectation of performance and business. Agreed-upon standards like work product, conduct, wardrobing (dress codes) and mission statements provide an overall unified expectation of “professionalism.”
However, having these protocols does not mean we stop being human beings when we become employees.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through understanding the different generations. Over the past month or so, we’ve covered four of the five generations currently in the workplace - Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y (Millennials) - and how their respective experiences and cultures influence how they create personal and professional relationships and function in the workplace. With that….we’ve reached our youngest!
Welcome back to the Future Image Group’s exploratory series on understanding the five vastly different generations in the workplace. So far, we have delved into the cultures, customs, and expectations of Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, and Gen X , and how they affect each’s ability to build relationships professionally and personally. Next up, a hot topic - Millennials.
Ah yes, Millennials! The word alone sparks intense reactions both from within and without this particular generation, and I’ve heard most of them (going forward, I’ll refer to them as Gen Y, as the term “Millennial” has become so offensive and comes with so many connotations for this generation).
The cover of Time Magazine, summed up the general perceptions of Gen Y in 2013: “Millennials are Lazy Entitled Narcissists Who Still Live withTheir Parents”. Ouch.
