Competency and Performance Solutions

CPS hears both sides of the “Managing the Millennials” debate.  www.ManagingTheMillennials.com/survey brings us many candid snapshots of the world of work from the GenY perspective, to add to our research, focus groups, interviews and workshop-based knowledge. Our VP is, of course, a Millennial too.

CPS now has permission to publish a highly entertaining MiIllennial’s perspective. Paul exemplifies many of the characteristics of the 21st century GenY knowledge worker: massive technical knowledge, a graduate education, and a history of entrepreneurship. Born in Tampa, he is an experienced, multi-lingual global traveler and married to a physics PhD student.  Enjoy!

Then go on www.glassdoor.com (or something similar) and see whether your organization also needs to think seriously about collaborative management, collaborative thinking, and the competitive and innovative edge your Millennials bring to the table.. Continue reading »

It’s common to hear complaints about GenYs, but the Millennial Generation has its own frustrations. There are far too many to list here, but a common one is that they are full of innovative ideas which are ignored. Every cohort has new ideas, but this one thinks in a dramatically different way from the generations before them, even when compared with GenX. And they often have the “Mouth” to say so.

But your Millennials are finding out a great truth about business - that risk takers and innovators are a good thing in theory, but in practice they usually receive a very cool reception. Continue reading »

1 Everyone needs to maintain or increase organizational profit in a time of economic slowdown
2 One proven route to profitability: build the financial and business intelligence in all your employees

In a time of economic weakness, it’s especially important to make sure that all your key people are financially intelligent.

And not only key people - all your people. Back in the Age of Industry, only managers were expected to understand revenue and expenditure. Now everyone needs to ask:

1) How can we increase the numbers above the line?

You can simplify this into four starting points:

a) How can we sell more of our existing products or services to our existing customers?
b) How can we sell more of our existing products and services to new clients?
c) How can we sell new products or services to existing customers?
d) How can we sell new products or services to new customers?

… and what can I, personally, and my team, do about it?
Continue reading »

The Suncoast ASTD OD Sig met with Lisa Jacobson, from Univ. of Pennsylvania, who is working with Dr. Martin Seligman, Chairman of the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center.

Lisa’s presentation focused on how the hard science of positive psychology research can help to create:
a. better thinking, judgment, deductive reasoning and creativity
b. durably strong personal and interpersonal climates.

She emphasized that some people still think of positive psychology as “fairy dust and rainbows”, instead of the science-based psychological equivalent of creating good physical health, and taking research-proven preventative measures to maintain it.

Continue reading »