Missouri vs Memphis Overturned!

by Don Harkey

In a surprise move today, the NCAA has announced that it is going to intercede and overturn the results of the Memphis vs. Missouri basketball game last night. Missouri beat Memphis 102-91 in Sweet 16 action last night ending Memphis' 27-game winning streak.

"These are clearly unusual times which call for unusual measures.", quoted one NCAA Official. "First of all, Memphis has won the last 27-games in a row. This type of long history of success cannot be ignored when determining a National Champion."

The unprecedented move by the NCAA represents the first time in any major sporting association that a game outcome was overturned to protect a team generally believed to be superior. "Memphis is simply too good a team to allow them to slip out of the tournament. An NCAA tournament without Memphis is simply unacceptable. If a team that wins 27 games in a row isn't qualified to win the National Championship, who is? The credibility of our whole system is at stake."

When asked how the remaining tournament would be structured, another NCAA Official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, admitted that their would be some hurdles to overcome. "We don't want to penalize Missouri for playing Memphis, so we now have 9 teams playing for one spot and that presents us with some obvious challenges. We are exploring all options on the table including looking at some other teams that have lost to inferior teams as well as looking at teams that were unfairly excluded from the tournament in the first place."

"These actions are absolutely necessary to preserve the future of the sport of basketball and really all sports in this country", commented the head of the NCAA. "When a team's future is decided by a few shots, we all lose. Starting today, we are going to examine extensive policy changes in the NCAA regarding all sports. We are going to develop a comprehensive solution to this problem to ensure that all sporting events are fair and that no team falls pray to a random loss."

Members of Congress have been quick to applaud the actions of the NCAA. "I think the actions taken by the NCAA are very appropriate!", commented one Congressman from Tennessee. "Memphis deserves better and the American people deserve better. We are actually watching the NCAA plan with great interest as a possible model for restructuring future congressional elections."

Missouri officials were not reached for comment.


The above story is true, although the names and faces have been changed to protect the... well... to protect the author.

Old Dogs and New Tricks

by Don Harkey

I want to start today by first apologizing for not writing yesterday and then to apologize for today's title. I don't mean to call anyone a dog and I don't mean to call anyone old. That's my disclaimer for the day!

When I was little, my parents got me our first video game system, one of the old Atari systems. I immediately went to work playing games like Space Invaders, Combat, and Canyon Bomber. My Dad was certainly the best at these games when we first started playing but over time (about an hour), I quickly lapped him in my video game ability and never looked back.

Fast forward almost 15 years... I'm in college living in a rental house with 2 roommates. The Mario 64 games is on and we're having great fun with the first person 3D gaming experience generations beyond the days of Combat. I thought I was getting pretty good at the game until my roommates cousin, who was roughly 8 years old, came by and showed us how to really play. He didn't have to pause and think before jumping from cloud to cloud (or whatever we jumped on).

Today, if I have a question the computer, I will go to the youngest person I can find (I can still outdo my 6-year old, but he is gaining on me fast). I think I stay up on computer and internet technology fairly well, but it is amazing how my abilities pale to those who grew up using the internet.

These observations lead to a lot of the discussion on the differences between generations. When we are young, are brains are actively making new connections. As we get older, we have more existing knowledge from which to draw, but our new connections are much more difficult to put together.

I once read about a study of NFL quarterbacks and how they have to "hardwire" their brains to do their jobs. Think about it. "Hike". You now have just a few seconds to drop back, look at receiver #1, look at receiver #2, look at receiver #3, and throw, all while watching the blitzing linebacker and acknowledging the defensive end who dropped back into coverage. Studies show that for a normal person, this process is simply too fast. The only way it can be done well is to do it so many times that the brain becomes literally hardwired to assess the situation quickly and make the decision. The greatest quarterbacks in the game are successful because of practice. I'm not talking about having a great summer training camp... I'm talking about having a career where you get to play A LOT of football. The best current example is Peyton Manning, who started 4 years at Tennessee and was immediately the starter with the Colts who put up with a few horrible years (and lots of Interceptions) before enjoying their more recent success.

Within an organization, leaders must work hard to create an environment where their people can be successful. This means learning and practicing new skills as well as utilizing skills that have already been "hardwired".

For example, when I am giving a seminar, I am constantly reading the room. I know who is engaged in the discussion and who is getting lost. I know who is skeptical about the information presented and I know who is really absorbing the information. I can tell when the room is energized and I can tell when the room really needs a break. I adjust the tone, content and style of my presentation accordingly. I can do all of this without consciously thinking about it. It is hardwired into my brain from years of experience in performing and speaking in front of people.

Now take someone who has never spoken in front of a group before. I could coach them and tell them to watch individuals and body language and adjust material accordingly, but they will struggle with that. They might be focusing on some more basic speaking principles like talking loudly enough, using good inflection, and remembering what material is coming next.

As a leader, you must identify the strengths of different people. Generational influences are often times just issues of what type of experience people have. Generational differences is a hot topic today because of the acceleration of technology. I am perfectly comfortable communicating with text messages, "tweets", and emails. Others are less comfortable. Some are more comfortable.

Consider the experiences of your people and put them in positions to be successful. Remember what skills require "hardwiring". Give the "old dogs" opportunities to use some of their "old tricks"!

Leave it to Beaver

by Don Harkey

Are you imaging the opening theme of "Leave it to Beaver"? I am more than imagining it right now. What a different time! Even though it was just a TV show, it does highlight a different view people had on the life of an American family. Compare that to a relatively modern view of family presented in the show "7th Heaven". Now imagine a workplace where you must work with both Reverend Camden and Ward Cleaver.

A couple of years ago, I saw a speech by Dr. Cal LeMon, of Executive Enrichment Inc, entitled "Ending the Generation Wars at Work". The presentation focused on the differences between the generations and how each should be managed. In short, this is what he said...

Baby Boomers believe in growth/expansion, enjoy being 'on stage', are optimistic, have a developed social conscience, practice teamwork on the job, pursue their own gratification, are too political, and are workaholics. According to Dr. LeMon, the shrine to the average Baby Boomer is a Country Club. How do you "motivate" boomers? Listen to their stories, give them public recognition, provide perks, remind them of the power of their name recognition, and involve them in decision making. (Remember from past articles that motivation is driven by a person who feels competent, autonomous, and related to a given task)


Generation X people are what Dr. LeMon calls the "Xterra Generation" (after the SUV). They want to balance their career and family, don't want to "pay their dues", are materialistic, are cynical, are impatient, interested in lots of things, and are not committed to their jobs. How do you "motivate" a Generation X person? Give them constructive criticism, allow them to have fun at work, use technology, utilize mentoring and give them lots of things to do (they can multitask).

Generation "Next" or "Nexters" are called the "Best Generation in 100 Years". They have a rare combination of being technically savvy and have great verbal skills. They spend lots of time reading (video games actually replaced TV time, not reading time according to studies), are optimistic, passionately ethical, goal oriented, and work well in teams. They are "motivated" by being given plenty of orientation, ignoring typical gender roles, working in strong teams, good training programs, and mentoring.

Perhaps just as telling as the above information are the photos Dr. LeMon chose for each generation when summing up the presentation. The Baby Boomer shows a well dressed professional woman sitting in a nice symmetrical office at a nice desk with her hands crossed neatly on the desk. The Generation X person stands with a scowl on his face, arms crossed in defiance, starring intently at the camera. The Nexter is smiling and listening to an MP3 player while looking off camera as if looking to the future.

I think there is some interesting information and insight in this analysis, but overall, I think it is a Baby Boomer view of the generations. Imagine the domesticated hippy evaluating the life of the grunge fan who grew up watching Ronald Reagan. If you look at the "motivating" factors for each generation, you will see a pattern. Competence, Autonomy and Relatedness. Of course the issue is "what is a generation competent at?" and "what does a generation relate to?".

A good friend of mine who happens to be a Baby Boomer, recently left me a message on my phone. In my voicemail greeting, I ask the caller to leave their name and a brief message and offer the option of sending a text message for a potentially faster response. He joked on his message, "I'm surprised you ask people to 'Tweet' their response to you" (using Twitter, an online social networking application). This isn't really a generational thing, its more of a competence thing.

I grew up with computers. In grade school, our classroom had an Apple IIE and by junior high, we were taught to program in Basic. By college, I had my own computer and began using email. Today, not only do I blog, I also use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (follow me at http://twitter.com/donharkey) as well as the full suite of Google products. I own an iPhone and text message regularly. I do these things as tools for my work and as a way to balance my life.

As we grow older, we tend to stick with the things that have always worked for us and learn new technologies a little slower. I don't think Baby Boomers are anti-technology, I think they just haven't been submersed in it. In fact, I know a few Baby Boomers who use Facebook and Twitter... they see the value in it.

The point here is that generations do have differences based on the world they grew up in. They have different experiences that give them a variety of competencies. However, they are motivated by the same things... competence, autonomy, and relatedness... just in different ways!

...and just for the record... I think Generation X gets a bad rap!

Generations at Work

by Don Harkey

You hear a lot about Baby Boomers, Generation Jones, Generation X, Millenials, and the current "yet to be named" generation. How does society impact the social and work habits of each generation? As a professional, how do you deal differently with each generation?

What about the apparent existence of "micro-generations"? Its a fact that many of the most influential computer pioneers were born within a year of each other (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, James Gosling, and Bill Joy were all born within 11 months of each other). Its also a fact that of the 75 riches people to have ever lived, 14 of them were born within 9 years of each other in the United States (in the 1830's). Both of these examples come from Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers: The Story of Success".

What about the book "The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy" by William Strauss and Neil Howe that suggests that there is a pattern to history that cycles with various generations?

In the workplace in 2009, there are workers who keep calendars on their walls and still send out handwritten letters to people. There are also workers who communicate through Twitter, text messaging, instant messaging, email, and Google calendars. Technology certainly highlights generational issues.

What about the end goal of each generation? Does the view of the "perfect life" vary between generations? Is it true that the younger generations demand a more balanced life? Is our society getting lazier?

All of these issues will have a huge impact on the world as the largest generation ever to walk the planet nears retirement age and the younger generations begin to take the reigns. What differences will be seen in this transition?

This is the subject of this week's articles. Again, my goal is to apply the universal principles of organizations to the concept of generations and see what applies and what doesn't apply. Are different generations motivated differently? Should different generations be managed differently? Stay tuned!