Employee Evolution, Version 2.0

Welcome to the weekend!

We're really excited. Not only is July 4th coming up, which means a 4-day workweek, but we are also releasing the new and improved Employee Evolution site.

On Saturday and Sunday, we will be putting the new site out live, so bear with us. We will be down for a short while, but we promise the new site will be much more exciting than the original. We'll be highlighting "millennial friendly" jobs, as well as providing new opportunities for an interactive experience.

So if you have problems reaching the site over the weekend, don't fret. We'll be back soon with a new look.

Cheers!

-Ryan & Ryan

Update: Learn more about the new website here.

Tech-savvy youth can't beat efficient elders…or can they?

We may be more tech-savvy than our elders, but we certainly can't apply it as well. At least that's what Ranstad USA, a global workforce solutions company, has to say.

"The 2007 World of Work review finds that younger workers are the least likely to use communication tools in the workplace, including computers, faxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile and landline phones."¹

Ranstad's survey, which focuses on employee productivity, retention and morale, finds that the "power players," using technology to enhance productivity, are more mature workers. More than business youth, they value a challenge and the ability to have a more flexible work schedule. Conversely, young workers could have more flexibility if they just applied their know-how to their careers. And I'm officially confused…

Millennials are notoriously known for their ability to infuse technology into their day-to-day routine to make life easier. If given the chance, why wouldn't we do the same at work?

I think the answer comes down to exactly that – we're not given the chance in most entry-level positions. Sure, there's a handful of millennial-friendly companies out there that give their workers the opportunity and the technology to work remotely, but the majority don't present that level of trust right off the bat. They throw you in a cube and that's that.

I think it's absolutely possible, and probably, this survey failed to recognize that young workers lack freedom that comes with age and experience in a company. Not to mention, how many companies provide their entry-levels with a Blackberry on day one?

How can a survey make such a claim unless everyone is given the same treatment and the same "goodies" regardless of age and experience? You can't! Unless the survey itself is flawed.

I would love to see how the shift in productivity changes if you put everyone on the same page. My prediction is that it would prove twentysomethings to be just as productive, if not more. But what does everyone else think?

This survey is popping up all over the Internet and I'm wondering how anyone can be taking it seriously. Millennials are supposed to be technology gurus. Is it possible that we're just not applying it in the right way? Or maybe my millennial ADD is just leading me towards MySpace when I should be focusing on the workplace. Maybe I'm wrong, but it all sounds a little fishy to me.

Enjoy the weekend.

Tech-savvy youth can't beat efficient elders…or can they?

We may be more tech-savvy than our elders, but we certainly can't apply it as well. At least that's what Ranstad USA, a global workforce solutions company, has to say.

"The 2007 World of Work review finds that younger workers are the least likely to use communication tools in the workplace, including computers, faxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile and landline phones."¹

Ranstad's survey, which focuses on employee productivity, retention and morale, finds that the "power players," using technology to enhance productivity, are more mature workers. More than business youth, they value a challenge and the ability to have a more flexible work schedule. Conversely, young workers could have more flexibility if they just applied their know-how to their careers. And I'm officially confused…

Millennials are notoriously known for their ability to infuse technology into their day-to-day routine to make life easier. If given the chance, why wouldn't we do the same at work?

I think the answer comes down to exactly that – we're not given the chance in most entry-level positions. Sure, there's a handful of millennial-friendly companies out there that give their workers the opportunity and the technology to work remotely, but the majority don't present that level of trust right off the bat. They throw you in a cube and that's that.

I think it's absolutely possible, and probably, this survey failed to recognize that young workers lack freedom that comes with age and experience in a company. Not to mention, how many companies provide their entry-levels with a Blackberry on day one?

How can a survey make such a claim unless everyone is given the same treatment and the same "goodies" regardless of age and experience? You can't! Unless the survey itself is flawed.

I would love to see how the shift in productivity changes if you put everyone on the same page. My prediction is that it would prove twentysomethings to be just as productive, if not more. But what does everyone else think?

This survey is popping up all over the Internet and I'm wondering how anyone can be taking it seriously. Millennials are supposed to be technology gurus. Is it possible that we're just not applying it in the right way? Or maybe my millennial ADD is just leading me towards MySpace when I should be focusing on the workplace. Maybe I'm wrong, but it all sounds a little fishy to me.

Enjoy the weekend.

Surefire Ways to Live Out Your Mission Statement

Mike St. Pierre is a sought-after speaker and author. He hosts The Daily Saint, a productivity blog focusing on work-life balance. Visit www.thedailysaint.com for more information.

As I'm writing this, my wife and I are about to celebrate our 9^th wedding anniversary and we both laugh whenever I mention the phrase "mission statement??. There we were, newly married and steeped in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People methodology and of course I wanted to create a family mission statement. The only problem was that I wrote it by myself and hadn't a clue as to how one lives out a mission statement. Cary sort of tagged along, supporting my personal improvement kick. Now, a few years older and hopefully wiser, I can say that I have a better understanding of how to create and then follow through on a mission statement. What follow are my surefire ways for living out one's mission statement:

Start with your gut. As you begin to draft a mission statement (or edit if you already have one) it's important to listen to your gut. Where are you at right now in life? For example, if you're at a low point, your mission might be written with a hint of recapturing balance or control. On the other hand, if you're a top-flight performer, your mission might be more about getting to the next level or sustaining high levels of success. Start with your gut.

Write and then write again. No mission statement can take place solely through internal dialogue. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Be bold, putting down words and phrases that capture who you want to be. Write "me?? in the middle of the page and then write down every blessed adjective that describes who you are and who you want to be. Now, draw lines from "me?? to each adjective, forming a web of descriptors. Next, highlight or circle those words that really resonate with who you want to be. Let it flow as you continue in the discernment phase. I generally take about 5-10 pages of paper when I go through a major overhaul of my mission so grab a notebook and get right to it! Write and then write again.

Keep it simple. Can there be any better advice? It was Thoreau who said, in the 19^th century "Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.?? I believe that a good mission statement is simple to the core. It must be if it is to be clear and focused on results. While most organizational mission statements are complex and lengthy, we can learn from such success stories as Eddie Bauer who've managed to keep things rather brief, "To give you such outstanding quality, value, service, and guarantee that we may be worthy of your high esteem.?? Your mission statement should reflect the way that you think and should sound the way that you speak. Keep it simple.

Make it universal. Great mission statements apply to both work and life. Let your mission be one of universal application- work, home, community, etc. Rather than having one mission for work and one for my role as a husband and dad, I've whittled it down to one seamless mission statement that works for me and you can easily do the same. Make it universal.

Memorize and recite daily. Of course you'll want to memorize your mission and then recite it daily. You may want to order some free business cards from www.vistaprint.com and put one in your purse or breast pocket as you start the day. This will remind you of who you want to be and what you're all about. Create a recitation ritual where you say your mission in the same place and at the same time. I generally recite my mission at the end of my morning quiet time and before the day gets crazy. Memorize and recite daily.

Evaluate annually. The hard work is done and now all you have to do is evaluate on an annual basis. Why not take a day off to get away, by yourself and put down on paper the ways that you've found success (and maybe some failure too!) with your mission statement. Consider it a "missional retreat?? where you can be alone with your thoughts. This can be done around New Year's or at some other time of year that works for you. Your mission statement may last for five years or for only one but stepping back and evaluating keeps your perspective fresh and your mind clear. Evaluate annually.

Mission statements work as long as they are created with thoughtfulness and simplicity. Following through by daily recitation and evaluation then makes your statement concrete and gives it the space to guide you to higher levels of success. Go for it!

Want to know my mission? Send me an email or post a comment and I'll be glad to share my statement with you. You can email me at mike@mikestpierre.com

Is Your Boss a Nutball?

My boss came into my department one day and was trying to get us to hurry an order that was to be picked up by the customer. The time frame from when the order was taken and the time they were picking it up was not even realistic. Nevertheless, we were working as fast as we could. But he just lost it and starting jumping up and down. He then laid on the floor on his back and started kicking his feet in the air like a bicycle and yelling, "just go, go, go, go." His dad (the owner) was standing next to him and told him to get up off the floor and come outside for some conversation. He was about 34-years-old at the time.

-Help! My Boss is Nuts, StanleyBing.com

Every once and awhile, the corporate world can make me a little nuts. I guess in certain respects, it goes with the territory. The other day I noticed one of my crazy quirks as I left the office.

It was Friday and I was leaving for the weekend. I drove up to the exit, flashed my I.D. for security and before I pulled away, I started laughing hysterically. I casually closed my car window, hit the gas and began my much-deserved weekend retreat.

I never realized it, but I do this every Friday afternoon when I leave. The sheer excitement of a weekend's freedom makes me, for a brief moment, absolutely insane. I then began to realize…damn, that's pretty good. Some people can't even wait until the weekend. They're like this 24-7!

When it comes to office interactions, there are some total nutjobs out there. Dealing with these people doesn't make our day any better either. So what do you do if this person happens to be your boss? Turn to Bing for some much needed advice on how to deal.

"The Bully, "the Paranoid, "the Narcissist, "the Wimp" and "the Disaster Hunter" – I couldn't have summed them up better myself. Not only does this site provide the symptoms associate with TCBS (Totally Crazy Boss Syndrome), but it'll show you how to make the situation work to your benefit. All it takes is a little Psychology 101 and you'll have that crazy boss wrapped around your finger like a straightjacket.

If you don't have a crazy boss, check out this site anyway. I promise it will be an extra dose of "Hump Day Humor" to help get you through your Wednes-daze. If your superior does fit one of these personas, please share. Help the rest of us realize that we really don't have it that bad.

Happy Hump Day!

Enjoy.