Bruce Tulgan's Blog http://www.rainmakerthinking.com Founded by Bruce Tulgan in 1993, RainmakerThinking, Inc. is a management and employee training firm. We help managers get better at managing and help employees work better with their bosses. Tue, 15 May 2012 13:48:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Customer Mentality of Today’s Young Workers http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/the-customer-mentality-of-todays-young-workers/ http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/the-customer-mentality-of-todays-young-workers/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 13:47:32 +0000 Bruce http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/?p=1523 Text posted Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Geneneration Yers and Gen Zers think like customers.

Why? The marketplace has extended its reach beyond malls and into their homes through the Web. At the same time, because Gen Yers and Gen Zers have had more buying power at a younger age than any previous young generation in history, marketers have [...]]]> Text posted Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Geneneration Yers and Gen Zers think like customers.

Why? The marketplace has extended its reach beyond malls and into their homes through the Web. At the same time, because Gen Yers and Gen Zers have had more buying power at a younger age than any previous young generation in history, marketers have targeted them more aggressively than any new consumer markets in history.

Once they reach school, don’t Gen Yers and Zers think of themselves as students as opposed to customers? Yes and no. As the so-called customer service revolution has reached across the private and public sectors, institutions ranging from hospitals to universities have sought to incorporate the logic and practices of customer service into their standard operating procedures.

Playing the customer or consumer role is usually Gen Yers’ and Zers’ primary experience in the public sphere prior to arriving for their first day of work as employees. Many have little or no experience on the other side of the marketplace transaction, as vendors. ‘It carries over into their entire way of being,” said a senior loan officer in a large financial services firm. ‘They come in the door with this expectant look on their face, like, ’Are you ready to give me a good job experience now? What’s going to happen to me first? What is going to be done for me?’”

For their part, Gen Yers and Zers tell us they are ready to do their part, work hard, and do whatever is asked of them, within reason. They look at their own time, dedication, and best efforts as a kind of currency. They bring to the table their ability and willingness to work hard, and they want to know what they can buy with it. What kinds of success and rewards can they buy from your organization? What kinds of interesting experiences and conditions can they earn with their currency? They are on the edge of their seats, expectant indeed.

Stay strong,
Bruce

]]> http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/the-customer-mentality-of-todays-young-workers/feed/ 0 Why are Gen Yers So Confident and Self-Possessed? http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/why-are-gen-yers-so-confident-and-self-possessed/ http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/why-are-gen-yers-so-confident-and-self-possessed/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:31:18 +0000 Bruce http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/?p=1519 Video posted Monday, May 14, 2012 Transcript of video available by clicking here. NOTE: This is a SAMPLE LESSON from the forthcoming Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y program in our new subscription based training web site, talkaboutthework.com.

brightcove.createExperiences();

[...]]]> Video posted Monday, May 14, 2012
Transcript of video available by clicking here.
NOTE: This is a SAMPLE LESSON from the forthcoming Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y program in our new subscription based training web site, talkaboutthework.com.


]]> http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/why-are-gen-yers-so-confident-and-self-possessed/feed/ 0 Stories From the Front Lines of Managing Today’s New Young Workforce (Part 5) http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-today%e2%80%99s-new-young-workforce-part-5/ http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-today%e2%80%99s-new-young-workforce-part-5/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 15:58:52 +0000 Bruce http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/?p=1511 Text posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 Another experienced manager, this one in a retail organization, told me an even more striking story. This manager was trying to correct a young associate who had just spoken rudely to a customer. The young man turned to his boss and said, ”You know what? I’m thinking about buying this place. And the way [...]]]> Text posted Thursday, May 10, 2012
Another experienced manager, this one in a retail organization, told me an even more striking story. This manager was trying to correct a young associate who had just spoken rudely to a customer. The young man turned to his boss and said, ”You know what? I’m thinking about buying this place. And the way you are going, you are going to be the first one out of here!”

Stay strong,
Bruce

]]> http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-today%e2%80%99s-new-young-workforce-part-5/feed/ 0 Stories From the Front Lines of Managing Today’s New Young Workforce (Part 4) http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-todays-new-young-workforce-part-4/ http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-todays-new-young-workforce-part-4/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 13:21:26 +0000 Bruce http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/?p=1508 Text posted Tuesday, May 8, 2012 A group of executives in the U.S. Peace Corps reported that program administrators receive e-mails on a regular basis from parents making suggestions and requests about the living accommodations and work conditions of their children stationed on missions around the world. One of the Peace Corps executives told me, ”I just got [...]]]> Text posted Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A group of executives in the U.S. Peace Corps reported that program administrators receive e-mails on a regular basis from parents making suggestions and requests about the living accommodations and work conditions of their children stationed on missions around the world. One of the Peace Corps executives told me, ”I just got an e-mail from a parent saying the meals being provided don’t meet his kid’s dietary needs. Could we get this young man on a nondairy diet?” The funny thing is that generals in the U.S. Army have told me similar stories about the parents of soldiers.

Stay strong,
Bruce

]]> http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/posts/stories-from-the-front-lines-of-managing-todays-new-young-workforce-part-4/feed/ 0 Uncertainty is Gen Yers’ Natural Habitat http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/uncertainty-is-gen-yers-natural-habitat/ http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/uncertainty-is-gen-yers-natural-habitat/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 15:02:44 +0000 Bruce http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/?p=1503 Video posted Monday, May 7, 2012 Transcript of video available by clicking here. NOTE: This is a SAMPLE LESSON from the forthcoming Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y program in our new subscription based training web site, talkaboutthework.com.

brightcove.createExperiences();

[...]]]> Video posted Monday, May 7, 2012
Transcript of video available by clicking here.
NOTE: This is a SAMPLE LESSON from the forthcoming Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y program in our new subscription based training web site, talkaboutthework.com.


]]> http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/videos/uncertainty-is-gen-yers-natural-habitat/feed/ 0