Note to job-hunters: Keys to making a good impression remain unchanged

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On September 26 the UFV Career Centre invited recruiters and employers from around the Fraser Valley to a breakfast meeting and asked them about the qualities they hope to find in recent graduates. Some students and a couple of instructors from the university were also invited to provide their perspective.

I was present mostly to hear what employers are saying about the job applicants they’re seeing these days. In particular I paid attention to their comments about the role communication plays. What struck me, to be honest, was how much the concerns voiced at the event echo the conventional wisdom around the employment search. The basic principles appear to be the same.

Mistakes on a cover letter (errors of facts, typos) immediately wreck the applicant’s chances

Obvious errors sink your application not so much because the reader is particularly finicky, but because they suggest the writer’s ability to get it right – to pay attention to detail when it really matters – is deficient. Or, perhaps, sloppy writing in a cover letter or résumé simply reveals the applicant isn’t all that motivated to gain the advertised position. Either way, a carelessly-crafted application is an immediate red flag for recruiters and employers.

The right attitude can open doors

Several voices around the table expressed frustration at generic application letters and résumés that didn’t address the actual position. Evidence that you spent time crafting a specific application for a job opening and informed yourself about the organization prior to an interview counts for a lot, as such steps immediately suggest enthusiasm, interest, and curiosity – traits everyone agreed are desirable. As one recruiter put it, someone with the right attitude can be trained, but without a willingness to rise to a new challenge, it’s very unlikely they’ll be a good “fit” for a new organization.

It’s important to be professional even in situations where you decide not to accept an interview offer. One recruiter commented on the amazing number of people who are invited to an interview and then fail to show up without any explanation. Not only does that behaviour close the door to future opportunities with that contact, it might get communicated to all the other potential employers and recruiters in that person’s network.

You have 8 seconds to make an impression (no pressure!)

In an interview the initial few seconds are critical. People – including interviewers – are wired to make snap judgements and subsequently rationalize their initial impressions. Even though this is recognized as a problem, recruiters and employers around the table admitted they came to conclusions about potential hires very early in the interview process.

Relevant volunteer experience is taken seriously

The “how do I get experience when I have no previous experience?” problem was raised by a couple of the student participants. Consensus around the table was that volunteer opportunities are everywhere, and in a volunteer capacity you are often given a chance to do real, important tasks like keep the books, maintain a computer system, develop an information campaign or lead workshops – all tangible demonstrations of skills that can find their way into a résumé and cover letter. Creativity, initiative and a willingness to learn: a person who can show to a prospective employer they have these qualities can compensate for a lack of direct work experience.

Social network sites are not your friend

The most contentious topic was the use of internet research to dig up background on an applicant. Recruiters and employers at the table disagreed on the potential upside of an applicant’s use of Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media. Some pointed out that, depending on the job, it might be necessary for the person to show familiarity with these popular services. Others argued that although it might be an important part of someone’s social network, a Facebook profile could do nothing positive for a new graduate seeking employment. Everyone agreed on two things, however: 1) It is increasingly likely a recruiter or potential employer will use the internet to look for information about an applicant, and 2) Images that show you using drugs or alcohol, or comments linked to your online profile that suggest prejudice or poor judgement will NOT do you any favours. Is that fair? Probably not. Is it true? Those at the table all agreed that finding such online material would influence their perception of a job candidate. The message to recent graduates was simple: be aware of what you’re making public when sharing comments and images on sites like Facebook!

On a final note, there was agreement that new graduates tend to overestimate their potential worth to an organization, and may have unreasonable expectations for salary and responsibility right out of the gate. Employers continue to value demonstrated experience over aptitude and potential. A bit of humility, and recognition that your colleagues and supervisors will grant trust and respect after they’ve had a chance to see you in action, should temper your sense of initial worth to a new employer.

In short, nothing unpredictable came out of this most recent round-table on employment. While the expectations voiced by the participants seem familiar, it’s reassuring to know the process of finding employment after graduation hasn’t changed dramatically. In addition to the basic background skills required for a particular position, there’s strong demand for people who can communicate enthusiasm and a positive attitude towards new challenges.

Stay in school

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Now that the fall semester is underway anyone second-guessing their decision to return to school might want some reassurance. Post-secondary education is expensive, after all, and it represents a real opportunity cost if you are sitting in a classroom instead of out in the workplace somewhere getting paid.

And yet – it turns out the economic benefits of a post-secondary education are big. As Felix Salmon, a writer for the Reuters news agency put it recently, “[T]he only thing which has been rising faster than college tuition costs is the wage premium that college graduates receive over those without a degree. A degree is becoming more important, not less, in our digital economy. And so while the cost of going to college is rising, the cost of not going to college is, arguably, rising even faster.”

US employment by education level

Salmon is writing about the US situation, but it’s almost certainly the same on this side of the border. And it’s not just the wage premium upon graduation. Employment rates for those with a post-secondary education are much better than those for workers with a high school diploma or less. Canadian figures from 2009 indicate that “82% of the adult population aged 25 to 64 with a tertiary [post-secondary] education were employed, compared with 55% of this age group with less than a high school education.” Not only are college or university graduates more likely to be employed, they’re most likely paid better to boot. So relax and enjoy your time in the classroom. It’s time (and money) wisely invested.

Bull Head Book Launch

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bull head book coverCommunications instructor and polymath John Vigna will launch his short story collection Bull Head (published by Arsenal Pulp Press) at The Bourbon in Vancouver on September 19. Come help John celebrate and, if you’re up for it, ride the Mechanical Bull. The party gets underway at 7:30 PM.

From the blurb: “A line-dancing aficionado visits his brother in jail in hopes of mending their relationship, and instead discovers his own unwitting role in his brother’s failed life. After the death of his wife and children, a logger tries to survive the Thanksgiving weekend on his own. A delinquent teen’s life is changed forever by a work-camp placement with a violent older boy. A truck driver seeks sanctuary from his abusive wife in a fantasy world of strip clubs and personal ads. Bristling with restlessness and brutality, the eight linked stories in Bull Head catapult readers into the gritty lives of rural male characters lost in purgatories of their own making. Vigna tempers raw and at times cruel rural masculinity with graceful prose and breathtaking tenderness to illuminate the plight of men who belong neither to history nor the future. A startling homage to the great Southern Gothic tradition, Bull Head is a dazzling debut that heralds a powerful and exciting new literary voice.”

This stuff matters

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Sometimes the material we read in academic textbooks can seem, well…academic. Take for example the ethics of writing. It’s a standard topic in virtually any introductory text in Communications texts, but is it really that important to us as individual writers? Isn’t that stuff just common sense?

In the last month or so a couple of high-profile stories have reminded me that we really do need to be continually aware of the consequences of our words – especially in the era of digital communication, when anything we write can be circulated and stored in ways we never intended or even imagined.

1. You are always writing for posterity (potentially).

You just never know what random email is going to leak out and make you look good/bad. The ongoing legal battle between Samsung and Apple has resulted in the disclosure of many internal documents written by a small group of Samsung employees without much concern for how they might appear in the future. Did the people drafting the memos ever think they’d be seeing their words again as part of a court case? If they’d known in advance, you can bet they would have phrased their thoughts differently.

 

On the other side of the coin there are examples of “internal” communications written with a much wider audience already in mind. One well-known example that sheds a lot of light on the inner workings of a company is Microsoft CEO Bill Gates’s 1995 “Internet” memo. Up to 1995 many felt Microsoft was ignoring the Internet, hoping perhaps it was a fad that would simply die away, like CB Radio. After this memo Microsoft’s strategy shifted to deal with the Internet, beginning with the bundling of Internet Explorer and the creation of MSN.com later that year.

 

Though it was sent initially to only a handful of senior executives, the contents were written to be distributed widely as they called for a major shift in focus at a company with tens of thousands of employees.

2. Dishonest writing can be very costly.

Plagiarism may seem like an academic transgression rather than a crime with real-world consequences, but few people can survive the loss of credibility that comes from being discovered as a plagiarist. Here are three recent examples of dishonesty or sloppy ethics by professionals that led to their dismissal or resignation:

 

Especially in roles where your integrity stands as a model for others, it is imperative your words really are your words.

 

3. Reputations are hard to earn and easy to lose.

At the public as well as the personal level it is wise to view integrity as a currency. Like all modern currencies one’s integrity is backed by public trust and faith in its value. Once trust in a currency is undermined it’s a far harder task to rebuild. Businesses are right to worry about their “brand” and must guard their image with the public. Maintaining a consistent and credible image in the public’s eye is easiest when an organization’s public statements are reflected by their actions. Even attempts at positive acts, ill-considered, can backfire: witness the lamentable trend towards “Greenwashing” and the subsequent consumer backlash experienced by businesses.

 

The above examples are fairly high-profile examples, but the same dynamics are at work in every communication situation. Words are a form of action, and actions have consequences. The textbooks are right to make a big deal out of ethics in communication, not just for the moral obligation we have to communicate ethically, but also because of the legal, personal and public repercussions of behaving unethically in speech or print.

 

 

Uniting generations in the workplace using the appreciative inquiry approach

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garden

[Republished blog assignment for my CMNS 380 class from Winter, 2012]

Uniting Generations in the Workplace Using the Appreciative Inquiry Approach

By: Erin Hailstonegarden

Picture a bright, colourful and well established garden. Visualize pink and yellow roses, purple lavender and fresh spring daffodils. Notice how each and every plant lives together symbiotically to create this garden. The new, young green shoots stand side by side with the older more seasoned bushes and shrubs.

Here every plant feeds from the same nutrients in the soil, the same water from the earth and the same bright sunshine. The garden plants all require positive attention- fertilizing, watering and tilling of the soil- to grow to their full potential.

Now imagine your multigenerational workplace as the same garden. It contains older, well established members who have built a solid foundation of “roots” within the workplace. They have weathered the seasons holding together the “soil” of the establishment through policy and procedure. It also contains new less established workers…some who may only last a season or two. Bringing with them vibrant color and changes to the structure of the workplace garden.

In this picture workers appreciate that everyone adds value to the workplace garden. They all understand the strengths of the organization…they continually focus on “what is working” in the workplace garden and not “what is missing”. This vision-of what is working-acts to create growth and success for the workers.

The caring gardeners, or workplace leaders, provide positive essential “nutrients” to assist the workplace garden in achieving its success. Never hacking and chopping at problems, criticizing and destroying delicate possibilities in the process.

The Appreciative Inquiry Approach

What if we decided to focus our energy on “what is working” instead of “what is missing” in the workplace? We would no longer have a deficit-focused approach highlighting failures and invoking criticism but an inquiry that appreciates the positive.

What if we, as the members of an organization, also believed that an emphasis on negative thinking can dampen opportunities for creative resolution?  Recognizing that believing it should be “fixed” implies that it is “broken”. That paying attention to the “problems” simply amplifies them.

This is the Appreciative Inquiry Approach, or AI, and it was developed at Case Western Reserve University in the 1980’s by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva .  The basic premise of AI is that “organisations change in the direction in which they inquire.’ So an organisation which inquires into problems will keep finding problems but an organisation which attempts to appreciate what is best in itself will discover more and more that is good” (Seel, 2008)

How Will Appreciative Inquiry Assist in Uniting a Multigenerational Workplace?

“Not only do we see what we believe, but the very act of believing it creates it.” (Bushe, 1995)

Appreciative Inquiry is an asset-based approach that focuses on the value contributed by each and every person within the organization-regardless of age.  The AI approach does not focus on changing people. It allows people to be involved with building the kinds of organizations they want to be a part of.

AI creates collaboration between multigenerational workers by building consent within the system about “what can and should be?” So although there may be differences in the communication styles and attitudes, within the multigenerational workplace, AI can help to unite organizations by allowing people to inquire together using the “4-D” approach:

  1. DISCOVER: The identification of organizational processes that work well.
  2. DREAM: The envisioning of processes that would work well in the future.
  3. DESIGN: Planning and prioritizing processes that would work well.
  4. DESTINY (or DELIVER): The implementation (execution) of the proposed design*

AI shifts the focus of the multigenerational workplace away from the differences that exist (the deficit) and toward affirmation of the benefits and strengths of the group…a valuable approach in today’s multigenerational environment.

“Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them.”(Cooperrider & Whitney, 1995)

 

References

Cooperrider, D.L. & Whitney, D. (2007). Appreciative Inquiry: A positive revolution in change. In P. Holman & T. Devane (eds.), The Change Handbook, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., pages 245-263.

Richard Seel, 2008. “Appreciative Inquiry.” http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/Appreciative.htm

Bushe, G.R. & Coetzer, G. (1995). Appreciative inquiry as a team development intervention: A controlled experiment. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 31:1, 19-31.

Gamification and motivation

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[Republished blog assignment for my CMNS 380 class from Winter, 2012]

Gamification and Motivation

By: Trevor Kavanaugh

The emerging workforce is a gaming workforce. Gaming now surpasses the movie industry for popularity and revenue. People get bored and uninterested in the workplace, but can game for hours on end. Companies are starting to develop systems in the workplace with elements of game thinking and game mechanics. This process is called Gamification. Growing up, games were usually based on simple hand-eye coordination and timing. Pac-man, Asteroids, Super Mario Bros… But the model of gaming has changed and it is starting to be reflected in the workplace. Modern games are socially connected, creatively open, and brimming with multitasking.

An excellent example of Gamification is a program called RedCritter Tracker. This free project management application combines rewards and social connectivity. After a project leader assigns tasks, RedCritter helps motivate staff by rewarding them with badges and points upon completion. There are even badges that can be stolen back and forth between employees in the spirit of jolly competition. For example, a ‘marathon’ badge could be offered to the employee who logged the most hours writing code in the last week. If another employee surpasses the hours, they steal the badge. There are even Facebook-like RedCritter Tracker profile pages for each employee that lets them compare stats, badges, and stories with their colleagues. This also allows them to communicate about their tasks and brings a visual element to the communication.

The company can choose to offer points for each task or badge. The employee can then spend the points on real-life prizes. These tangible rewards paired with the satisfaction of badges and checking tasks off as completed (and sharing it on your RedCritter wall) motivates workers.

“The motivation to persevere [in games] is the brain seeking another surge of dopamine – the fuel of intrinsic reinforcement.” (Judy Willis, MD)

Gaming is addictive. Bringing this system of achievement and sharing that achievement with your friends/coworkers can motivate employees and boost productivity in a company. But there are also some down sides to this system:

  1. The points given must match the task size. Otherwise, employees might complain about unfair point distribution. This would be highly dispiriting for staff.
  2. The project leader can observe employees’ work and progress more closely. This may be good for the employer, but it may lead to more pressure and stress for the employee.

For employers, using this method of game thinking and game mechanics can motivate and engage their employees. Systems like this reflect a changing workplace model as we engage an emerging gaming workforce.

References/more info:

Is there such a thing as young and old humour?

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age gap

[Republished blog assignment for my CMNS 380 class from Winter, 2012]

Is There Such a Thing as Young and Old Humour?

By: Jacky Kim

So how many times have you been asked a dry “Knock knock” joke? Some may think they’re lame (to be honest that would include me) or childish. Or what about the time your “older” co-worker refers to an idiom or an “old saying” as a joke. Again, I would be the one who would let out that awkward laugh and pretend it’s funny. As a Generation Y, what do I find humorous? Definitely, that hilarious “Laughing Baby” viral video making hits on YouTube! Or that amusing clip on Asian vs. White parents. Now would other generations, especially the older generations, think the same? Of course, there will be some who find it funny, while some would think it’s inappropriate or immature. Does this mean there is a division between different generations on humor? Now personally, (correct me if I’m wrong) I think this is not the case. Just like any other situation, it TOTALLY depends on the person we are talking about, is it not? Generally speaking, we would believe that the older generations would feel uncomfortable with some topics such as racism or sexist jokes. Why do you ask? Well let’s go back in time, way before the inventions of Ipods, Imax movies, and the internet (yes that would include Facebook and Twitter). Life was much tougher for some people, especially women and coloured individuals. They couldn’t vote, apply for certain jobs, or do certain things. These people had to fight for their freedom and rights. Now, let’s come back and think in their mind set. Would they find the Asian vs. White parent video funny? If they did, would they feel that they SHOULDN’T find it funny as they remember it being a sensitive topic and grew up knowing it was inappropriate to make fun of or let alone mention it at all.

Now before you get offended and think I’m too blunt and general about this topic. I AM. Let’s not forget this is a BLOG not a history book. I’m just touching on this topic, and it IS about humor so let’s not get TOO SERIOUS.

cartoon 1

To change things up a bit lets discuss about the younger generations. Humor, is much more crude these days, don’t you agree? From, sexually active cartoon characters on TV, to extremely violent humor, its just over all vulgar. Every trend on the news, whether its a world crisis, or politics, they are all made fun of in the most insensitive way possible. And guess what? Us youngin’s are LOVING it. Well not all of us, but MOST of us. Now why would that be? Well some might say its due to us not actually having to experience the impact of the situation. Do we actually know what it’s like to be stripped away of certain abilities and rights? Not really. So this could be a reason why we deal with such crucial issues so lightly. We also happen to have something called the internet, where we can bash and criticize all we want and get away with it. Racism still exists, but we can now play around with it without the punishment. Social media has played a great role in easing the intensity of serious topics and turning them into humor. Did I mention one of the most successful comedians today, became such a hit for joking about not only his nationality but others as well.

age gap

So to sum things up, the older generations DO have a sense of humor and possibly find crude jokes humorous but express as it being inappropriate due to what they know from the past. While the younger generation, aren’t immaturely or inappropriately humorous but are just joking around with what is considered funny in today’s world.

Now how does this all tie in with the work place?

cartoon 3

In a cross generational workplace, or in any type of workplace, humor plays a big part on stress relief. Laughter, a reaction to humor, releases endorphin that reduce stress as well as creating a sense of wellbeing and making you feel more alert. Now who wouldn’t want that in their work life?

The problem is, it CAN backfire. Humor is PERSONAL so what one person thinks is hilarious, could be offensive to another. So how do we avoid this?

1) GET TO KNOW THE PERSON AND ATMOSPHERE

– Before you start joking around, get to know WHO you are communicating with. Whether they are older or younger they are ALL different and have different senses of humor. Don’t assume that a certain someone will appreciate your silly joke just because they are from a younger generation. Also, that “awkward silence” moment might be due to YOUR joke NOT being funny and rather offensive, instead of you thinking that they don’t get it.

2) BE SENSITIVE and AWARE

-This is referring to both sides. We all must be sensitive when we are SHARING humor as well as when we are RECEIVING humor. By being sensitive, I mean being aware of WHAT and WHOM you’re sharing to, and when receiving being open minded and thinking of WHY and WHOM it’s coming from.

3) BE CLEAR

-If you feel strongly offended by certain humor that is being told to you or is being said, clearly state that what they are saying is uncomfortable to you. On the other hand, if someone finds something you meant to be humorous as offensive immediately apologize and explain that your intentions were different.

4) BE CARING and ENJOY!

-Humor is essential in the workplace. Don’t be intimidated to joke around because you are extra concerned for others. Be yourself and just be cautious.

Think before you post

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i see you

[Republished blog assignment for my CMNS 380 class from Winter, 2012]

Think Before You Post

By: Daphne Cockerill

It’s time to spiff up my Facebook page if I want to land a great job. Fifty-two percent of Canadian employers do background checks using Facebook to confirm a job candidate’s qualifications. A percentage of employers also are checking social media sites such as “…LinkedIn (39%), followed by personal blogs (25%), MySpace (23%) and Twitter (11%)”.

i see youI began to think about my own information on the internet. Are there drawbacks to having my personal information available online? How do I feel about posting my personal information on the internet? Have I ever posted and wished I could immediately reclaim the words? Do I believe everything I read on the internet?

Emailing your resume to a potential employer may not be enough to defeat your job competition. Job seekers now post their credentials directly online. Employers request pre-taped or live web-based videos as a replacement for traditional face-to-face interviews. Using Skype and a web camera people can video call over the internet for free. Recruitment agencies like Meet the Real Me focus on providing online interview services for companies.

Employers and candidates are happy using digital interviews as it saves both time and money. Job seekers can rerecord videos until they perfect their skills. Employers can replay videos instead of relying on hand notes. One human resources director says video interviews allow, “…people to stand out from paper and you can assess cultural fit and the way that somebody actually comes across on screen in terms of your values.”

Connecting to people in your career field? LinkedIn is used by almost two million Canadians to help them advance in their careers. Generation X professionals go to LinkedIn to connect, exchange, and post job information with past and present coworkers. Recruitment agencies then go to LinkedIn and search for job candidates. “Just remember, if you decide to create a LinkedIn profile, keep your information professional. It’s best to save your personal information for the other social networking websites.”

Young and older generations are also actively engaging in social networking. Recent Generation Y graduates use MySpace to post personal information about themselves in the hopes of being hired. Controversy surrounds MySpace as some believe it exposes young people’s information to criminals. Baby boomers working past retirement telecommute with work using social networking sites. “Thirty-seven percent of Canadians 65 and over have visited Facebook in the past month.”

Gaining immense popularity is Twitter, an information network where people can share real-time messages (called Tweets). In 2011, Twitter announced, “…it now boasts 100 million active users, half of which tweet to the site on a daily basis.” Twitter helps companies and professionals to create immediate interest and to quickly connect. Twitter demands attention so tweet regularly and be honest about yourself. With no Twitter privacy settings, everyone will have real time access to your information.

Some social media posting tips include:

  • Setting your software’s privacy settings to control who shares in your information.
  • Being wise in what you choose to post.
  • Posting when you are in a positive mood.
  • Using proper grammar and spelling if posting to a business website.
  • Posting information relevant to the job you are applying and not your entire life story.

Remember – think before you post as your potential future employer might be looking.

 

 

Millennial generation rule breakers are the new rule makers

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kick back at work

[Republished blog assignment for my CMNS 380 class from Winter, 2012]

Millennial Generation Rule Breakers are the New Rule Makers

By: Tammy MacAdams  CMNS 380, 2012

Perhaps you have heard of the Millennial Generation invading the office with their flip flops and their Flicker breaks? The millennial generation are rule breakers in the workplace, but will they soon be the next rule makers?kick back at work

The teenagers and 20-something’s that make up  the millennial generation are rapidly entering the workplace. According to SocialCast.com, “By the year 2015, the youngest millennials will be of working age, while the oldest will be entering the prime of their careers, and they currently comprise roughly 35% of the U.S. workforce, but by 2014, are projected to be 47%.” This generation is driven, tech-savvy, relationship-oriented, socially responsible, and they will change how we communicate and do business.

With their tattoos and body piercings the millennial generation have unique ways of self-expression that are not typical of orthodox Ivy Leaguers, but don’t let that fool you. An

article on U.S.A Today.com reports, “The most detailed study to date of the 18 to 29-year-old millennial generation finds this group probably will be the most educated in American history.”  With education under their belts, they will be quick to gain experience and fill senior roles. As they take the lead, their desire for real-time information along with their ability to stay connected will result in increased efficiency and collaboration in the workplace. In addition, being wired and connected almost from birth, this generation understands how to manage social media. As more companies embrace social media, the millennials will be playing instrumental roles in taking it to the next level.

When millennials are calling the shots, there will be flexible work environments and shorter work days. Friends and family are important to this generation so staying at a cubicle for eight hours a day won’t work. Millineials understand that work must be done and deadlines need to be met, but you are more likely to find a millennial working on the annual report after hours at Starbucks, than at their desk on a Monday afternoon. Their unorthodox views of working when most are sleeping, or Skyping in instead of driving to meetings may be seen as being unproductive to some, but rest assured millennials will figure how to get as much done in five to six hours as most people do in eight.

With Baby boomers retiring en mass, you may notice an influx of new hire announcements in your inbox, and it is a good bet that many of them are from the millennial generation. It is clear the millennial generation’s loud voice is being heard by decision makers. They will soon gain the experience to move up the corporate ladder and change the workplace for the better.

Gen Mixing: Teaching in a cross-generational classroom

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group blog

During the winter 2012 semester I taught a course (CMNS 380) called The Cross-Generational Workplace: Closing the Communication Gap. group blog

I designed this course to provide students with the skills needed to interact and communicate effectively within a day-to-day workplace environment and build on the potential that a cross-generational workplace can have.

The workplace now has at least four generations of employees. Gone are the long held stereotypes of generational level expertise. Younger people are bringing technologically advanced skills to the workplace; and experienced older people are working well past traditional retirement age to contribute their intellectual capital.

The course turned out even better than I planned. You have to love it when that happens!

The classroom mirrored the cross-generational phenomenon occurring in our workplaces.  There were students from every defined generational group: the Traditionalists, the Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials (also known as Gen Y).

As a class we even had a great debate about how we felt about the new labels being given to the generation just about to enter university.  Depending on what you read you will see this new group of students being called Gen Now, Gen Net, Gen Z, the Internet Gen – and even Gen 911.

It will be interesting to watch which of these labels will stick!

So what is it like teaching a cross-generational class?

I like to think of teaching this course as “gen mixing.” This meant that my teaching and learning strategies needed to be just that :  a mix!

There were print materials, formal lectures, online discussions, visual student lead presentations, creative group collaboration assignments, student lead online presentations and social media engagement.  The course was delivered as a hybrid; some weeks we met face-to-face and sometimes we held the class virtually.

We mixed it up!

One of the class’s favourite assignments was the course blog.  This was done instead of a formal paper.  What the students appreciated about this assignment is that they got to see each other’s writing, and learn from each other.  And for those students without techno-literate skills – they had the chance to embrace a new communication avenue.

Each student created a blog posting on a topic related to cross-generational communication that interested them. Though the course blog was erased at the conclusion of the course, over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing with you five student blog contributions:

  • Tammy MacAdams, “Millennial Generation Rule Breakers are the New Rule Makers”
  • Daphne Cockerill, “Think Before You Post”
  • Jacky Kim, “Is There Such a Thing as Young and Old Humour?”
  • Trevor Kavanagh, “Gamification and Motivation”
  • Erin Hailstone, “Uniting Generations in the Workplace Using the Appreciative Inquiry Approach”

My thanks to Tammy, Daphne, Jacky, Trevor and Eric for permission to share your insights!

As Carolyn Martin and Bruce Tulgan put it in Managing the generation mix, “The most successful people in the twenty-first century will be true Gen-Mixers, people of all ages who bring to work every day their enthusiasm, flexibility, and voracious desire to learn.” My students in CMNS 380 showed just these traits in making the course a success.