Video: Why "Family" Workplace Is A Bad Idea

This week, let’s take a look at the concept of trying to build a “family” in your workplace or imposing “team-building” on your people. The truth is, most of your staff have nothing in common with each other except where they work. So don’t force them into becoming a family or a team. That just creates a disconnect.

Why "Leadership" Fad Will Die in 5 Years

In 2015, 75% of the workforce will be comprised of people over 50 years of age and under 30 years of age. That's 75% who will either be a Baby Boomer (Zoomer) or a Generation Y (Millennial).

Here's what you need to know about each generation:

• The Baby Boomer has only ever known Management. It's how they've worked their whole lives: for a manager. As a generation, they've never really put much stock into the latest fads and corporate trends (see their uptake-ability on technology) but instead prefer to work within a hierarchical chain of command. That chain of command gives an organization order, structure and makes people accountable. Boomers prefer managers who manage. Don't make the workplace seem too new-agey or you are likely to lose your solid workhorses who think work is for work and home is for personal.
• The Gen Y is entering the marketplace with one question for everything: Why? Hence the name, Gen Why. Everything is questioned. Everyone is equal. Everyone is a peer. It's brains and decisiveness over seniority and tenure in their world when it comes to being promoted. They want to know how to be promoted, what they are being measured on and how to achieve the quickest way to the boardroom. They will question why they should be following when they have just as much right to lead. Therefore, they want to know who their boss is and how to become the boss as quick as possible. They are looking for a seat in the manager's chair because of their talent - not because they are most popular in their network. Gen Y is a collaborator and bring their entire network with them - because everyone is equal - theirs is not a world of leaders and followers.

Consensus amongst peers is order for Gen Y - not "follow me for I have a vision." Tangible, measurable and touchable is how Boomers like to work. 

Boomers will respect the title regardless of the personality of the holder of the title. Gen Y will respect the person who holds the title giving little regard to the title itself.

If you want to engage both of these generations, promote your natural coaches - those who can coach, inspire, motivate, problem-solve and are not afraid to get their own hands dirty - to positions of management. Train them solidly in how to manage people, problem-solve, run efficient meetings, build solid relationships and communicate directly with their team-members. Because no matter what new fad is happening in the market place, you are always going to need to have good, solid managers to keep it all on-track.
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Kevin Burns - Management Attitude/Culture Strategist
http://www.kevburns.com

Creator of Filter-Free Fridays™
Creator of the 90-Day System To A Greatness Culture™

Coming Soon Kevin's 8th Book - "Your Attitude Sucks - Finding Your Excellence In A Wasteland of Mediocrity

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Why Teamwork Is Not For Everyone

Is teamwork a bad idea? It can be if the 20 - 60 - 20 rule applies in organizations, companies and teams. What the 20 - 60 - 20 rule applies to are the percentages comprising most workplaces. The top 20% of employees will be go-getters and high performers. The bottom 20% will be low performers and slow-getters. The remaining 60% in the middle will be the mediocre and average performers.

Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip says, "To mediocre minds, a brilliant idea and a dumb idea sound exactly the same. Every team will vote out the best ideas and the worst."

Forcing a high performer to work with a low performer simply for the optics of teamwork may be counterproductive. For the sake of workplace harmony, well-meaning but ill-informed managers trot out the "we're going to work in teams" philosophy because he or she once read an article touting the benefits of teamwork. But that same manager did not bother to explore other options and opinions.

Forcing your high performers to sit as equals on a team with slow performers is the most expedient way to irritate a high performer. As well, the low performers become increasingly frustrated by how quickly the team is attempting to move forward even though the "slow-getter" isn't up to speed yet. That one person feels rushed on this team. Meanwhile, the collective average in the middle simply sits by and watches as both the high performers and low performers battle for power on the team.

Unfortunately, the most influential people on the team and the most powerful are not necessarily the high performers. Because teams are all-inclusive, a team will not move forward without all of its members. Therefore the person who holds the team hostage becomes the most powerful person in the team. That is usually the person who doesn't get it the most.

Before you go thinking that teamwork is the answer and spend large sums of money on team-building exercises, maybe you should consider whether your place of business needs teams at all. Perhaps more would get done by leaving your people alone to do what they already excel at. Forcing people to join teams simply for the sake of inclusion is a bad idea.
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