Age Versus Social Responsibility
0 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In Inter-Generational Issues , Strategic People Issues - Permalink -
It is often said that social responsibility is primarily a trait of the younger Generation Xs and Generation Ys, certainly not those Baby Boomers over the age of 60. They're the ones that polluted the environment and caused all those wars, remember? Here's a data set, though, that seems to fly in the face of that assumption. Continue Reading
Positive Deviancy
1 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In Culture , Innovation , Inter-Generational Issues , Strategic People Issues , , , - Permalink -
One of the worst things that can be said of any professional practicing in a professional service firm is "he/she doesn't fit in here." Career-wise, it's often a death blow. This is particularly true in the precision-based professions such as law and accounting (as opposed to creative/design professions, where deviancy is more tolerated and sometimes even encouraged.)
Herein lies a clue as to why these firms often experience such difficulty innovating or even changing. Probably without even realizing the impact of what they are doing, they positively stamp on anything or anyone that goes against the norm.
Continue ReadingPreparing for Generation M
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JP Rangaswami has a post titled More on Preparing for Generation M that discusses some of the implications of these highly wired, techno-savvy people who are currently teenagers but who will be entering the workplace over the next few years.
It seems that the generation gap between 'Baby Boomers' and 'Gen X's' is going to be nothing compared to that which is likely between 'Gen X's' and 'Gen M's.' A 'sound-byte' :
Continue ReadingOverstressed Law Firm Associates - A Solution?
0 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In Inter-Generational Issues , Specific Issues , - Permalink -
The issue of overworked and overstressed associates in law firms seems to be gathering momentum. Bruce MacEwen over at Adam Smith Esq has just blogged about it, quoting David Childs and Tony Angel, managing partners of Clifford Chance and Linklaters respectively. Certainly, there is no shortage of material on this. I blogged about it recently myself, here, following a winging email from an associate at a Magic Circle firm that was leaving because he couldn't take it any more. "Shocking place," he said, "I'm off!"
That's all well and good, I suppose, but juxtapose that with my friend and colleague Ed Wesemann's recent tale of the associate that kept an inflatable camp bed in his office because he found his work so cool that he was afraid that he'd miss something if he went home. Clearly there are many lawyers that thrive on a constant diet of intellectual adrenalin and pressure. The trouble is: there are not enough of them to populate the firms that need their lawyers to thrive on a constant diet of intellectual adrenalin and pressure....
Continue ReadingThe Dangers of MultiTasking
1 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In Inter-Generational Issues , , - Permalink -
Anastasia Goodstein's blog Ypulse, which provides "daily news & commentary about Generation Y for media and marketing professionals," has a posting called The Madness of Generation M, that references a Time Magazine cover story called The MultiTasking Generation. It makes important reading for anyone trying to understand the generation of professionals entering / poised to enter our firms; how they will view their work; and in this case, possible impacts on quality.
A key characteristic of Gen Ms (aka Millennials / Gen Ys) is an extreme ability to multitask. Or so we think. The article suggests that there is actually no such thing, because the brain doesn't work that way. When "multitasking," the brain actually focuses superficially on different things in sequence, back and forth, rather than simultaneously doing several things well. This has critical implications, especially in precision driven professions like law and accounting, where deep thought and accurate conclusions are paramount.
Continue ReadingHarnessing the Phoenix
0 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In "Off the Wall" Insights , Competitive Intelligence , Culture , Innovation , Inter-Generational Issues , Leadership , Strategy 101 , Tools for Strategists , , , , , , , - Permalink -
Surely the most dramatic mythological example of rebirth and renewal, is the Phoenix (or "Firebird.") It is found in ancient Egyptian mythology, various myths derived from it and, most recently, in Professor Albus Dumbledore's study in Harry Potter.
Said to live for 500, 1461 or for 12594 years (depending on the source), the phoenix is a bird with beautiful gold and red plumage. At the end of its life-cycle the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises. The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible.
Imagine, for a moment, that you were able to regenerate your firm in this way. Miraculously, you were able to instantly transform it into an organization of the highest performance with, what's more, that performance being sustained.
Continue ReadingMotivating the Next Generation of Leaders
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Over the summer of 2004, my Edge International colleague Karen MacKay surveyed partners and associates worldwide about what associates felt motivated them and also what partners believed motivated associates. The study was undertaken in collaboration with the member firms of Multilaw, a leading global network of independent law firms. The results revealed an interesting gap!
Continue ReadingThe Entitlement Generation
0 Comments - Posted By Rob Millard In Inter-Generational Issues , , - Permalink -
Graphic from Nicholson Cartoons
I mentioned in my previous post that Graeme Codrington is a guru of some stature when it comes to matters of intergenerational issues in the workplace. Here is a post on his blog TomorrowToday.biz, about those on the cusp between Generation X and Millennials, now apparently nicknamed the Entitlement Generation.
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