Engaging the New Generation

With the number of younger colleagues coming into SMR, I was intrigued to read Marcus Buckingham, an authority and author on discovering and maximizing your strengths.

His comment about Generation Ys tending to be employees who show up at work thinking “I’m here; now entertain me.” certainly got me reading more about his work.

Younger people are exceptionally talented. I spoke to an audience of about 450 young people recently. The talent overwhelmed me. They were bright but very different. The question on my mind like just about on every manager’s mind is - how do you engage them, develop their talents and make them superior performers?

The fact that they are much more optimistic, entrepreneurial, tech savvy and ambitious makes them very different from Generation X. Buckingham explains that Generation Ys got prizes for graduating from first grade, for coming eight in a race or just for showing up. They are exceptionally well rewarded, recognized and the most praised generation in living memory. So, they have this feeling of massive entitlement. After six weeks on the job, they expect a promotion.

Buckingham says that Generation Ys needs can benefit today’s organizations. He says their needs and sense of entitlement match perfectly with the needs that companies have for employees who are creative, innovative, resourceful, resilient, persistent and engaged. His advise to Generation X managers - engage them constructively and help them channel their energies towards their strengths. It is about a self-management of expectations. He uses the acronym SIGN - S for Success, I for Instincts, G for Growth, N for Needs.

New Technologies

An article in the PC Magazine Malaysia, September describes the 10 coolest technologies that we have never heard of. Let me describe four out of the ten here. I will outline the other six in the next month’s Learn & Perform E-News.

1.	Stretchable Silicon - It will expand current use and enable people like surgeons to wear them.
2.	Chaos Computing - The principles of chaos are being explored to build revolutionary computer chips that will be far more flexible than traditional designs.
3.	Unreal tele presence - researchers at Calitz in San Diego are using super-high definition projectors, wall sized screens and extreme Internet connections to relay images and sounds that are barely distinguishable from reality. This enables full “tele presence”, the illusion that another person is physically present when he/she is actually in another location.
4.	Nanocrystal displays - nanocrystals, tiny materials that emit coloured light, are on track to drive sweeping changes in the world of manufacturing and efficiency of large screen televisions to portable electronics through cost advantages.

SMR News

1.	Accredited Competency Professional (ACP) Subra, our Head of Consulting has just completed the Accredited Competency Programme (ACP) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The approximately 20 participants went through a highly intensive grounding in Competency Concepts and learned to use HRDPower™. The next ACP programme is scheduled in Kuala Lumpur (20th - 25th November 2006). For more details, email karen@smrhrd.com.
2.	Certificate in Training Practice (CTP) Fast Track for Trainers Karen and team will be launching a CTP Fast Track International Programme for 10 days (27th November 2006 - 8th December 2006). For more details, email karen@smrhrd.com.
3.	Tele seminar - Making Innovation Work For You We have very successfully conducted several tele seminars. The audios are available on our e-Store for a nominal price. So are the E-Books. This month’s tele seminar on “Making Innovation Work For You” will be scheduled for 30th October 2006. For more details, please click here. Tele seminar Title: Making Innovation Work For You Date: 30th October 2006, Monday Time: Malaysian time 3.00pm - 3.30pm Duration: 30 minutes Registration Fee: USD 10.00