FDX - Is ethical management important?
 

What Millennials Want in a Workplace Really Isn't So Crazy After All

NINA ZIPKIN
ENTREPRENEUR STAFF
Staff Reporter. Covers media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

FEBRUARY 19, 2015

Are millennials optimistic, socially conscious digital natives or coddled layabouts who can only communicate with a phone in their hand? Since different generations have been bemoaning the ills of the other since the beginning of time, it's probably not super productive to paint an entire group with such a broad brush, either way you slice it.

With that in mind, IBM released a study today called "Myths, exaggerations and uncomfortable truths: The real story behind millennials in the workplace," which aims to debunk the unflattering narratives that follow the young cohort around, especially when it comes to their attitudes in the business world.

In the summer of 2014, the company polled 1,784 working adults in 12 different countries -- millennials (21-34), Gen X (35-49) and baby boomers (50-60) – and ultimately found that across generations, most employees want largely the same things out of a work environment.

When asked what qualities were most important in a manager, having a boss that was ethical and fair topped the list for all three generations, with 35 percent of millennials and baby boomers and 37 percent of Gen Xers making that choice, with transparency and dependability ranked second and third in importance.

As for the belief that millennials were raised with a "trophies for all" mentality, 64 percent of Gen Xers thought everyone on a successful team should be rewarded while 55 percent of millennials agreed with that statement. And Gen X employees were also more likely than their millennial colleagues to want to get input from the crowd when it came to making decision (64 percent compared to 56 percent for millennials).

And when it comes time to leave a one job for another opportunity, all three generations were most likely (42 percent of millennials, 47 percent of Gen X and 42 percent of baby boomers) to say they would go if they had the opportunity to take on a higher-paying gig in a more innovative environment.

The company also held a panel yesterday at its downtown Manhattan offices to discuss the findings of the study. The talk featured Adrian Granzella Larssen, the editor-in-chief of The Muse, Erica Dhawan, the founder and CEO of Cotential and co-author of the upcoming Get Big Things Done, Dan Newman, founder and president of Broadsuite, Inc., David Burstein, founder and CEO of Run for America and the author of Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World, and Jonathan Yarmis, a senior analyst at the Skills Connection.

The overall theme of the panel was that the big problems we face can be solved more effectively together. Speaking to his own experience being a millennial CEO, Newman agreed.

"Are millennials different by the means in which they want to communicate? Yes. Having sat on boards with 10 CEOS who were all over 50 years old when I was 28 years old, they didn't want to text message me…but at the heart of it, the way these CEOs inspired an organization came down to the fact that they understood how to communicate with people…great leadership comes down to the ability to communicate values and vision."

Out of touch
 

FDX mgmt is out of touch with its employees. Business 101 sends questionnaires to its employees to find out what going on in the minds of the people that actually do the heavy lifting of the company. For those that sleep comfortably at night and sit in a cubicle by day have no idea how those that actually do the work view the company , it's managers, and it's policies.

There was a time when fuel vendors viewed FDX Express credit as worthless and required pilots for pay for fuel from their personal credit cards. Pilots at that time were motivated by the company and offered up their personal credit cards to fuel Falcons.

After years of manglement, no raises, no respect, pilots would view an opportunity to pay for fuel as an opportunity to return to the hotel room.

We should demand from our negotiators that if one wants to go to management, you must surrender your senority #. This would reduce the PC's and BM's of the world that bend their fellow pilots over in ALPA only to do it again in management suits.

There was a different atmosphere back then. ALL employees were treated with respect - even the pilots. Maybe - especially the pilots. The environment was almost cult like. The pilots did anything and everything to make things move. There wasn't any thought to getting recognition. Just get the job done. That go getter attitude was diluted and drowned by a slow drain of appreciation for what the pilots do, every day, that can't be measured. Ironically, I watched and learned that a company can pay employees well below what they are worth if they are stroked often and treated with respect. This management hasn't lost sight of that fact - they never knew it to begin with. The managers that DID understand how important respect is have long since retired or moved on.

Very, very true. I remember those days well, and I miss them.

No doubt about that. Look at some of the seniority holders over the years that have gone over to the other side and done major damage to the pilot group, and the trust that has been lost because of it. Maybe, contractually, after being in a management position for 18 months, the crew force could have a vote on whether the person should stay a member, followed by continuing votes every 18 months.

PC and BM have both quit the union. Maybe ... so that they wouldn't have to pay dues on big Management bonuses?

Weren't they both Negotiating Committee Chairmen? I've suspected ALPA officers of taking money under the table. Are these guys taking it "over" the table, in the open just to rub it in our faces?

Nice new car though ...


:eek:

I may be wrong...But, I don't believe PC was ever a member of FDX ALPA. He was the Neg Chair for the FPA. But, he was definitely a non-member(of ALPA) when we negotiated Agency shop into the contract. BM, on the other hand, is a non member subject to Agency shop. I would hope that we are making sure that he is paying his maintenance fee, as required by law.

PC was a founding member of FPA after being an active party in the "NO" Commitee and the "994" Gang during the FDX ALPA I debacle.

If you ever have the opportunity, ask him about his father's participation in the CAL 1983 strike...

Easier to just check the Jumpseat Protection List. That tells it all. ;)

New guy here....please educate me on this.