Recently, a  friend who happens to be a Gen X’er sent me an article regarding Gen Y’s. Knowing that these are the two generations which get along the least I eagerly read the article.Turns out while the issue stated in the article is attributed to only Gen Y’s we at FutureDecisions know from personal experience  that while the problem stated may be most prevalent amongst Y’s it is also an issue with X’ers and Baby Boomers as well! My Gen X friend is very insightful and no doubt knew this when she forwarded the article to me…. even if she has no love for Y’ers!

According to a recent article in the WSJ several companies in Silicon Valley have instituted a concept being referred to as “topless meetings”, no it is not what you may think.

Many companies, in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, are experiencing an increasingly vexing problem during work related meetings. Specifically, many in the younger generation are logging onto Facebook, checking email or utilizing their IPhone to surf the web during meetings. It is easy to imagine that this can be quite disruptive to those conducting the meetings and the other participants!

So, they have implemented “topless meetings” which means that laptops, IPhones etc. are banned from meetings. As you know we at FutureDecisions conduct workshops and consultation regarding the generations in the workplace so naturally we have our own opinion on the subject. From our standpoint it appears that this action is a bit of a band-aid for an underlying problem, that is, boring meetings! If it is so difficult to keep participants attention then one should start to examine the meetings themselves, are they crisp and to the point or better yet, are they  even necessary?

Finally, is logging into Facebook or surfing the web on your IPhone any different than doodling, something we in the “older” generations have been doing for a very long time as we have sat through endless boring meetings…

Wow, we are so pleased to announce that our new book on workforce/succession planning is finally available! We have been working on it for a long time and are so proud to now be able to announce it has finally been published.

The book is a comprehensive guide to workforce/succession planning in an easy to read format. When you purchase the book you also are provided the opportunity to download all the worksheets in the book in a standard 8.5×11 format.

To learn more about our newest member of the family check out our book page for additional information and ordering instructions. If you are involved in workforce/succession planning for your organization this handy book is a must read.

As you already know FutureDecisions LLC is involved in leadership/executive coaching. In the past we have discussed benefits of coaching for those being coached. What about the organizations that are often paying for the coaching, what is in it for them? Well here you go:

Any company that is looking at investing in executive coaching wants to make sure that it is worth their investment.  All you need to do is take a look at a study that was done by Manchester Consulting Group that proved that companies saw a return on their investment in executive coaching worth 5.7 times what they paid. Here are a number of other benefits organizations gain.
•    Strategic Thinking – The organization has a better grasp on risk management and strategic planning and thinking so that they are able to more creatively and effectively communicate company goals and visions.
•    Commitment and Loyalty – When employees feel as though they are of value to the company it establishes an increase in loyalty and commitment to the company. Even when demands and responsibilities are increased, executives focus remains on improving the company.
•    Interpersonal Skills – any organization that takes advantage of executive coaching also reaps the benefits of having executives that are more adept to use their personal power more effectively. Which means they are able to motivate their teams and accomplish more tasks successfully.
•    Trust and Responsibility – executive coaching also helps to improve the culture of the company whereby enhancing trust in the company and personal responsibility.
•    Team Effectiveness – an executive and a company that has gone through coaching is able to better develop team spirit and unity, working together to help others see their strengths and use those strengths to break down barriers and embark on new possibilities.
•    Learning and Development – an organization also benefits from executive coaching because it allows that company to recognize new competencies in their executives which will make them more effective leaders.
•    Systemic Learning -  One of the greatest benefits of executive coaching is that it also opens the eyes of the organization so that they can see where their weaknesses are and also if they are able to strength those weaknesses.
As you can see there are numerous benefits to an executive and an organization for executive coaching. Companies that truly want to move to the next level and make sure that their executives are able to help them get there will make the investment.