The Cranky Middle Manager Show #48 The Coming Demographic Crisis- Robert Morison

Posted on 24. May, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show #048

This show was suggested by a listener, Michael Specht, from Australia. He wanted to know about managing different generations in the same workplace. Well, this isn’t QUITE that show, but we do touch on it. It’s about the coming problem of Baby Boomers retiring and not enough new talent to pick up the slack.

Our guest is Robert (Bob) Morison, one of the authors of “Workforce Crisis- How To Beat The Coming Shortage of Skills and Talent”. Remember when all we had to worry about was Bird Flu killing us all?

Show NotesÂ

 0:00 This week’s show is dedicated to the Legendary Celtic King Conary. Some people knew how to pass the baton between generations better than others.

3:15 Ralph Waldo Emerson has it right… we’re reformers when we’re young, we’re conservatives when we get older. I love Emerson, check him out. You can also read a bit about him in my book if you’re interested.

4:34 Welcome Robert Morison, one of the authors of Workforce Crisis. Is it real or is the Y2K all over again?

 6:24 Doesn’t all that retirement mean lots of opportunity? Sounds like a good thing especially for those of us…. you I mean….. waiting for your boss to get out of the way.

9:24 Do companies get it or not? Most aren’t feeling the pain yet and might wait til it’s too late.

10:30 the book divides workers into 3 camps: Mature Workers,- the oldest boomers or those 65 and above, Mid-Career; 35-54 which is some boomers and some Gen-Xers, and Younger Co-horts.

13:00 Not surprisingly the youngest are least engaged. Check out The Conference Board Study. Why are the Mid-Career types so grumpy and, dare we say, cranky?

• 40% say they are burned out
• 36% say they are in dead-end jobs
• 97% are not surprised by this fact (okay that’s MY number)

16:45 Why are the young so disengaged? Turns out they deserve to feel that way.The whole deal has changed.

19:45 So how do you manage each group differently?

• The Younger Workers need to be involved- coaching, put them on projects. Long shadowing terms and lengthy training don’t work! Some of these folks WILL leave,but leave the door open for them to come boomeranging back.
• Mid-Careers struggle with Work-Life Balance. It’s usually a combination of things that lead to burnout. Offer chances to move around in the organization
• Mature Workers really ARE worth all those big salaries and benefits (most of the time).

28:45 What can managers do about all this? Try a Retiree-Return program. Keep older workers where you can, match them up with younger workers, and find ways to keep the blood flowing- new experiences keep people connected.

30:47 You can look up the numbers at your national Census Bureau or Labour Ministry depending where in the world you are.

What do YOU want to hear? Obviously I listen to a degree. Subscribe, leave an Odeo message, send me an email (check out the Other Links For Wayne box at the side here….)

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Check Out Learning Woonerfs!

Posted on 24. May, 2006 by Wayne in General

Even the ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) admits that instructor-led training is only one path, that’s one thing. But when they actually help me give that path a name, I’ve gotta give them props.

Check out this article on Learning Woonerfs. What’s a woonerf? Well it seems it’s the Dutch word for “living street”- there are many ways to navigate the road. You just have to find one that doesn’t get in anyone else’s way.

So, you’re not wasting time listening to the Cranky Middle Manager Show- you’re navigating your own personal Training Woonerf. Does the Training Department at your company use podcasts ( like, for instance THIS ONE?). Do they even know it’s available? We’re happy to let anyone who wants to use the show for training purposes do so, just drop me a line and let me know how, when and where you’re using it! 

 

 

Leadership and Communication Trump Knowing Stuff

Posted on 24. May, 2006 by Wayne in General

Okay, maybe that’s not what this article says. Still, Folks, it’s becoming more and more apparent there’s a screaming need for good managers and book learnin’ and technical competence are only parts of the big picture. Here’s the start of an article that was on Management Issues this morning: 

 Leadership Skills Rated More Highly By City Than Qualifications

 Getting ahead in the cut-throat world of financial services requires excellent communication skills, attention to detail and leadership, but professional qualifications are considered less important, a survey by a British recruitment consultancy has found.

A poll of more than 300 financial services staff by Badenoch & Clark found those were the top three qualities required to progress a career in the City.

Excellent communication was considered the number one factor by 34 per cent of those polled, with more than half placing it first or second out of the eleven qualities they could choose from.

A total of 47 per cent ranked attention to detail in either first, second or third place, with leadership scoring 45 per cent.

Technical competence was put in the top three spots by 39 per cent of those polled.

The least important qualities were a mixed bag of soft and hard skills as well as other factors.

Strong networking and a propensity for good self-publicity were deemed less important factors in advancing careers.

Being politically aware, contrary to many surveys which suggest “who you know” as crucial to securing an internal step-up, was also not given value by those polled either.

Honesty and cultural fit were only averagely ranked too, with most placing them 6th or 7th.

More surprisingly, perhaps, 41 per cent of respondents believed that achieving professional qualifications had little or no impact on career growth, placing this as 9th, 10th or 11th place.

You can read the whole article here

Why do I tell you this? Because that’s what we try to do at The Cranky Middle Manager Show; talk about the 4 disciplines of Management that really make an effective manager and leader. 

What can we do on the show to help prepare you and your team better? Let us know and we’ll oblige.