Did you know – for the first time in history – we have 4 generations in the workforce at the same time? What an opportunity to build real team strength by appreciating and understanding our differences!
The slides below are from a presentation I gave last month at the Vancouver chapter of the BC Human Resources Management Association.
Sitting in the foyer of a local high school brought me back a few years. Although my high school is a 7-hour flight from here (and many years in the past) the sights and sounds are familiar: parents rushing in to sign forms or pick up students for dental appointments, office workers busily filing documents and answering phones, and the school bell that instantly mobilizes an entire building. Just one thing gives away the current era: mobile phones. They’re everywhere.
Waiting for the session bell to ring gave me plenty of time to realize I was nervous about teaching my first Junior Achievement class. I’m adept at presenting to professionals and executives – but how would I relate to tenth graders in a way that would provide value to them? I couldn’t help but remember the Sidney Poitier movie “To Sir With Love” where the girls are snarky, the boys look dangerous, and hormones abound.
At the sound of the bell I was met by my assigned teacher, Lorena. It quickly became evident that she cares for her students. I loved watching the way she brought them all in, got them in order, and explained what would take place for the next hour. Throughout the class she watched closely to ensure the students had what they needed. At one point when she offered clarification on an exercise instruction I had given I was reminded that good educators share a competency with the best business leaders: delivering clear expectations. We could probably learn a thing or two about clarity from teachers.
The students could not have been farther from the images in my imagination. They were quiet and mostly soft spoken. It was challenging to get them to participate but by the end of the class more than half of them did. They easily grasped the concept of making buy, sell, hold decisions. In fact, they seemed to like the decision making part. And they certainly understood the appeal of investing. I can’t wait to see what they do with the stock market simulation over the next few weeks.
I wonder what it is like for an experienced teacher to turn her classroom over to a newbie. That might make an interesting future post.
In honour of teachers everywhere, here’s a recent remake of Lulu’s famous song “To Sir With Love” (from Glee). Click the link for a redirect to YouTube.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson
Vancouver is working hard to grow its reputation as a green city (pardon the pun). There are many ongoing initiatives – one of which is the green building program. The latest is a mission to China where Mayor Gregor Robertson and an entourage of 22 local businesses will seek to leverage good relationships begun during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“The purpose of this business mission is to land investment and jobs for Vancouver companies in China’s growing market” – Mayor Robertson
Read the full story: Vancouver Mayor, local firms head to China to court green-business deals
It’s 4:00 p.m. on a sunny Friday afternoon in August. It’s been a great week and you’re proud of what you and your team have done for clients. Things are in order. That’s when the phone rings and you find yourself listening to a high-strung voice at the other end of the line telling you they need 8 people for a last minute production shift due to start at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday. This client is counting on you to get the right talent in place so that he can achieve his objectives. What do you do?
Or try this one on for size. During a regularly scheduled service review you learn that your client is working on a new marketing campaign. She is asking you to source 30 customer service representatives with superior communication skills to man the phones for six months. You have two weeks to complete the project and help this client drive a winning campaign. What do you do?
Or this… Your office has 11 data entry operators working on temporary assignments at a client site in the city. Their work is nearly complete and they are counting on you to find them further work so there is no interruption in pay. You have no assignments lined up for them yet. What do you do?
Would you…
a) Rally the team, gather ideas and move into execution mode
b) Explain the limitations of your office and say you’ll try your best
c) Create a project plan and assign accountabilities
If you picked “c” – that could work provided you have great depth in the industry and your people trust you.
If you picked “b” – that’s a very honest response and if you really feel that it’s okay to try, the staffing industry is probably not the right place for you at this time. Once we commit to a client we simply have to make it happen.
The ideal response is “a”. Successful staffing offices are dynamic, loud, fast-moving and collaborative. No one succeeds on their own. It’s a team approach toward taking on big challenges and producing solutions that helps clients win.
Readers who find this compelling are welcome to contact me for an informational interview about working in the staffing industry. You can either post a comment below, or use the “contact me” page from the menu above.
Access Pro Bono is once again seeking volunteers for three open-air legal clinics to be held in Kelowna, Victoria and Vancouver during the month of September.
More information about the events may be found at the advice-a-thon site. Or, to ask if you qualify for free legal advice and book an appointment at one of the three open-air clinics, phone 1-877-762-6664.
This event is operated by Access Pro Bono (formed by the merger of the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and Pro Bono Law of BC) and the Salvation Army.
