The article dates back to January of 2007, but it’s relevance is still quite strong:

Keeping Leadership and Research at Home

“Nine leaders offer their opinions on what the U.S. should do to hold onto its braintrust and stay on the cutting edge of innovation”

Even though the article discusses strategies specifically for the United States, the focus on education and continuing education is something that I find many seasoned leaders take for granted in their organizations.  There seems to be an assumption that people are “skilled enough” or that training offered one time a year will keep employees inspired and competitive.  Quite frankly, I don’t believe this position is going to get anyone very far into the future.  Ongoing education (both formal and informal) is not only going to be required for employees, employers are going to be asked to develop a first in class ongoing training and development program which keeps members of the organization one step ahead of the rest of the world.     This article shares some very cutting edge suggestions (Example:  “Open Source Education”).

As we move into the next 3-5 years, this article is a must read for any leader in any corner of the world.

Jena McGregor posted a question on the Management IQ blog for Business Week.com today asking for suggestions on the topic of time management and requesting “secrets you’ve learned trying to keep Monday morning away from Sunday night”.

To begin with, I cannot personally give advice on this topic. I am one of those Boomers who works really hard, and as much as I try to “relax” on Sunday, I am always busy doing something.

However, her question has had me really think about how Generation Y would respond to this question. You see, I believe that Gen Y holds the key to this ever pressing question. In the interviews we have conducted over the last 18 months, we are learning that Gen Y is dedicated to living first and working second (hence the book Live First, Work Second by Rebecca Ryan), getting paid according to the task/not time and taking off to kick back daily. I believe that the traditional M-F work week is changing, and that Gen Y will help to redefine the amount of time we dedicate to work, and our work week may look very different as we move through the next 3-5 years. It is already changing, and employers are responding by allowing much more flexibility in the way work is done.

So…for Baby Boomers…if you are reading this, the best tip I can give you on how to start cracking this “take time off” code is to spend the week with a Generation Y adult (this means someone who is under the age of 30) and pick up some of their “kick back” and “take time off” strategies.

Millennial Leaders

The article, Job Hunting In A Downturn, which appeared on Forbes.com on 03/04/08 points out that even though the economy is a bit sluggish, this is probably not going to affect Gen Y’s ability to land a job (of course, the question is always Will Gen Y be able to find the job that they want?)

Based on everything we are learning, it appears that the need for this young, tech savvy, entrepreneurial minded generation is going to only get stronger in the future. We will watch and see how all goes over the next few months.

Millennial Leaders

There is a great site to introduce young career people to exciting careers and the education and training needed to claim these careers: Dream It. Do It.

Because I have two Gen Y’s who are in college and one starting in Fall ‘08, I know how overwhelming it can be to make a career choice. This site is really fascinating (and some of the salaries mentioned are quite healthy).

Millennial Leaders