| |
|
|
Lindsay Lohan and other Gen-Y Workers May Work Harder if Flowers are
Present
by Wesley Berry
Published on this site: September 11th, 2006 - See
more articles from this month
Lindsay Lohan is a bonafide member of Generation Y (Gen-Y for short),
which is comprised of those individuals born after 1978. While being young
and full of fresh ideas and unlimited energy is a wonderful thing, Baby
Boomers don't always find Gen-Yers quite so endearing in the workplace.
In fact, it seems they just naturally butt heads.
In today's workplace, Baby Boomers typically are in the power positions,
like managers and supervisors. They've worked hard to get there and, according
to HR magazine, they're sometimes offended by the way Gen-Yers seem to
think they know everything. And, in return, Gen-Yers don't understand
why their bosses treat them like "newbies." However, since those
in the Gen-Y group number more than 80 million, employers will just have to find away to
make their working relationships, well...work!
Sommer Kehril, a consultant at The Centre for Organization Effectiveness
in San Diego offered several tips to make things run more smoothly in
the article she wrote for HR magazine, had these suggestions to offer
to Baby Boomer bosses:
- Rather than putting Gen-Yers through formal training programs that
they sometimes find demeaning, offer on-the-job training through "informal"
but sincere mentoring. Tell them about situations you've encountered
personally and how you overcame them. But, beware, Kehril says, "They
have a discerning eye for the difference between 'fake' mentoring and
genuine interest."
- When giving instructions to Gen-Yers, ask them to respond by confirming
the directions you just gave in an email or voice mail message. Keep
in mind that Gen-Yers were raised with shorter articles, television
programs, and news reports, so their attention spans can sometimes suffer.
- Assign some authority and responsibility to Gen-Yers. Giving them
some responsibility helps to instill a sense of pride in a job well
done and keeps them engaged in the business at hand.
Those are definitely great suggestions, but those of us in the floral
industry would like to offer one more-use flowers and green plants to
decorate your workplace. In a recent study conducted at A&M University,
flowers and plants were scientifically proven to boost the productivity
of employees.
Participants in the study were divided into three categories:
- Those working in places with no decoration;
- Those working inoffices decorated with sculptures; and
- Those working in buildings decorated with flowers and green plants.
At the end of the study, those who worked around flowers produced more
ideas, were more innovative, and were better able to creatively solve problems.
So, if Lindsay Lohan's increasingly publicized inability to get along
with her coworkers is to be solved, perhaps her employers should consider
following the tips offered in HR magazine and send Ms. Lohan some flowers
to decorate her dressing room. Gen-Y or not, flowers are always a pleasure
to have around, even for big movie stars.
Wesley Berry - is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF)
and President of Wesley Berry Flowers (http://www.wesleyberryflowers.com),
a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established
in 1946. As a member of the Henry Ford Hospital Community Relation Board he has contributed
to the community at large (http://www.hospital-locator.com).
He owns both a brick and mortar and an internet flower delivery business.
Visit Wesley Berry Flowerson the web at http://www.800wesleys.com
|
|
