Generation Integration: Roberta Matuson Unites Boomers, X-ers and Millennials in the Workplace

Is Your Boss Making You Sick?

According to an article in today's Boston Globe titled, Heart Attack, Eh? Boss May be the Cause your life may very well be in your bosses hand. That is if you let him or her control your fate. Toxic bosses have been around for years. Only recently has it been proven that what doesn't make you stronger will indeed kill you.

Tell us about your toxic boss and the plan you have in place for getting yourself out of this situation. Yes, the economy is bad. But it certainly isn't worth dying over. Opportunities are still out there. You just may have to dig a bit deeper. 

Rough Patch for New Grads

Harvard B-School Student Elana Berkowitz seems to have captured what is happening to job seekers all across America. And yes, even at Harvard. You can click here to read her piece that appeared in the WSJ  Nightmare on the Charles .

Here is how I see it. You have two choices. You can walk around in circles saying "Oh woe is me," or you can accelerate your job search to limit the time you are unemployed. 

I just launched a Job Search Mentor program geared towards those interested in really helping themselves. I will post more details about the program in the next few days.

If you can't wait, e-mail me at Roberta@yourhrexperts.com and we can assess if the program is right for you. Or, you can do nothing.

Going back to College

Roberta Matuson receiving degree from Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

You are never too old to learn! Last week, I graduated from the Million Dollar Consulting College ® presented by  Alan Weiss. Ph.D.  Only a handful of people are selected for this very prestigious program. The week was spent learning, interacting and practicing consulting techniques with other world-class consultants.

Here are just a few of the many learning points I took away from this experience:

1. Innovation is the key to improving organizations that are interested in raising the bar.
2. In this economy, it is not enough to be good. You must excel to compete.
3. If you are not failing, you are not trying.
4. To continuously improve, we must all take chances.
5. It is much easier to place a band-aid on a problem than it is to implement preventative measures. That's why so many initiatives fail to fix the true problems.

Over the next several months, I will be contacting former clients to share what I've learned during this incredible week. I will also be working on new product offerings that will dramatically improve the condition of my clients. Feel free to reach out to me as well.

Graduating from college again has given me a new zest for learning. If you have been putting off plans to increase your learning, I would encourage you to move forward in 2009. The timing will never be perfect, but as Alan Weiss says, "We are after success, not perfection."

Another Prediction Comes True

Earlier this yearI blogged about Circuit City's ridiculous "strategy" of firing their best sales people because they were making too much money. I predicted this company wouldn't be around much longer and my prediction has come true.

Today, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy. We can talk about how this company was just another victim of the economy or we can put the blame where it really belongs. Poor (okay, I'm trying to be nice here) leadership.

I suspect more companies will become "victims" of the economy if their leaders don't start making some drastic changes. So what are you waiting for? Do you really want to be tomorrows headline?

Students Pick Pay over Job Satisfaction

According to a recent article in HR Magazine, half of all U.S. college students would be more likely to accept a job that offers higher pay, but less career satisfaction, in order to repay their student loans. So what does this mean to your organization?

If you want to lock in young talent, then consider offering competitive salaries, and benefits that ease the student debt burden including scholarships, loan assistance and tuition reimbursement,so Millennials can continue their education while working for your firm.

Or, if you prefer, you can plow this money into hiring and training replacements that are exiting faster than you can bring them in the door.

Get Ready for the Millennials (and Meet Rebecca Corlis)

I just came across this blog posting by Social Media Expert Ari Herzog. I especially like the table he included in his post from the Learning Cafe. Enjoy! Get Ready for the Millennials blog posting 

As always, I welcome your comments. 

How Schools are Preparing Our Young for the Future

The other day, my daughter came home and proudly shared her Job List for Third Grade. I thought I would share it with you so that you could have a window into the future. This is how our schools are preparing young people for the workplace.

October-Pinch Hitter (or Hiter, if you go with "best spelling.") This is the person who substitutes for anyone that is absent. This means you have to be prepared to do anyone's job at a moment's notice.

November-Supply Caretaker  This person takes care of all the supplies.

December-Class Representative 2 These people are the line enders. They end the line, whereas Class Representative 1 are the people who begin the lines. As some of you may recall, there is a lot of lining up that goes on in third grade.

January-Horticulturalist. Responsible for watering the plants.

February-Debris Remover. Politically correct name for garbage men and women.

March-Roll Caller-These people take care of the attendance. Lots of power in this job.

April-Slipper Wiper #2. These are the people who are responsible for wiping the tennis balls on the bottom of the chairs. Given that there are four tennis balls to a chair, you can see why this job requires two people. This task is the first of many team building events that young people will be involved in before they hit the corporate world.

May-Recycler-This group takes the recycling to the school recycling center. A place that didn't exist when I went to school.

When asked which of these is her favorite job, my daughter responded by saying "Pinch Hitter, because you don't always have to do a job!"

Many of you may be laughing, but one day you will be managing my daughter and her friends. When that time comes, we will see if you are still laughing!