THE NEW NORMAL

If you ask ten people for their perspective on how to get promoted,you will probably get ten different answers. The most commonanswer will more than likely be a generic "just do your job well,"followed by a confused "I don't know." Those responses do notprovide much clarity. Many professionals have implemented a trial-and-errorapproach or outdated approaches to getting more fromthe workplace. Neither option yields the best results.

Happy Careers = Happy Employees

This statement is going to shock you: Employees with promisingcareers are happier than employees who do not see a path tocareer growth. Not really breaking news, is it? In 2009, 76 percentof respondents said career advancement is important or veryimportant to job satisfaction (US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2009).This staggering statistic leads to the question, why is careeradvancement so important to us?

I often say a career is not community service. Community serviceis something we do for others, while pursuing a thriving careeris something we do for ourselves. Does that sound selfish? Thepursuit of a career does have a selfish element, but there isabsolutely nothing wrong with that. We do not go to work everyday without expecting adequate compensation. Our time, effort,and passion are not free. We must get something of value out ofour work experience.

What would you do if your boss called and said your companywould be withholding your salary but would still expect you to reportto work? Would you go to work or start updating your résumé? Thebottom line is we want to be paid so we can make a living. Themore promising your career, the better chance you have to drawthe salary that will support your desired standard of living.

A good salary is one of the many reasons that we wake up everymorning and trek to the office. Here is a list of the most commonreasons that my survey respondents said they go to work everyday:

• earn a good salary

• enjoy the work

• support my family

• enjoy challenges

• sense of accomplishment

• establish college funds

• living my passion

• like my coworkers

• need the benefits

• don't want to sit at home

Why do you go to work every day? Are your reasons listed above?Circle all of the reasons that motivate you to get up early, battletraffic, and deal with your least favorite coworkers. If you have otherreasons that did not make the list, write them next to my list. It isimportant to understand and acknowledge the value that a thrivingcareer brings to your life as you read this book.

It is obvious that our careers do a lot for us. That is why it is sotroubling to see 45 percent of survey respondents say they areonly somewhat satisfied with their careers (US Bureau of LaborStatistics 2009). I always wonder about the adverse impact that anunfulfilling career can have on other parts of a person's life. Whatimpact does an unfulfilling job or poor career outlook have on yourpersonal happiness? How does it affect relationships with yoursignificant other, your children, and your friends? I don't want topaint a gloomy picture, but it is important to be honest about thedownside of an impotent career.

I remember when I first left Bradley University in 2003 and relocatedto Charlotte, North Carolina, because I ran out of money. You mayknow people who have faced the same set of circumstances.College is expensive, so this is an all-too-common reality forthousands of students every year. With my incomplete collegecareer behind me, it was time to venture into the adult world ofjobs, bills, and responsibilities. Starting a career is tough, but it'seven more complicated when you don't have a bachelor's degree.

The first two years in Charlotte were very difficult for me. My friendsfrom college graduated and began promising careers, whileI struggled to find the right prescription to heal my sick careerprospects. It became difficult for me to talk to my friends abouttheir successes when I couldn't contribute to the conversation.Don't get me wrong: I was happy for them, but my own careeraccomplishments remained elusive. I used to be ashamed ofmy lack of progress. Especially considering that I knew I hada lot of unrealized potential. There were important needs in mylife that were unfulfilled. I wanted to do something meaningful,earn a decent salary, establish some savings, and find a robustintellectual challenge. All of these things could have been satisfiedby a productive career.

A deficient career can cause anyone to question his or her abilityto do great work. I often wondered whether I would ever pull it alltogether. That uncertainty dogged me. I am a fairly intelligent guywith a solid work ethic but did not have much to show for it.

Finally, after a lot of hard work and persistence, things began to fallinto place for me. I stumbled upon a sales career that slowly gainedtraction. Talking has always been pretty easy for me. (My brotherChris always told me I'd end up doing something that allowed meto talk because I never let him get a word in. I guess he was right.)It was a liberating feeling.

As my career improved, so did other parts of my life. I was ableto reconnect with friends and share my stories of progress andsuccess. In addition, I was able to finally complete my bachelor'sdegree 5 months prior to the printing of this book.

How does your career affect your life? Is your behavior differentoutside the office when you are unhappy in the office? This is animportant question to consider as you read this book.

Things Have Changed

The baby boomers used to control everything. Boomers, bornbetween 1946 and 1964, total 80 million people, and the sheer sizeof the generation made them an important force. They developed areputation for being hard-working professionals who lived to workand did not care about work-life balance. The boomer perspectiveon career management has been the rule because they have beenat the helm of the corporate ship. A large part of the workforce, theyhold senior positions across all segments of the corporate world.

In 2010 this generation began to hit retirement age at a rate of 3,800people per day, and by 2020 the rate will almost triple (US Bureau ofLabor Statistics 2013). The Great Recession's impact on retirementaccounts caused a number of boomers to delay their golden yearsof relaxation, but this massive exodus from the workforce is stillinevitable. The baby boomer generation will eventually retire, andthe country will need competent, capable professionals to fill themassive void they leave behind.

The workforce is expected to grow by 10.4 million workers between2010 and 2020. While the number of workers aged 16–24 willdecrease by 2.6 million, the number aged 25–54 will increase by1.6 million, and the number aged 55 and older will increase by11.5 million (US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012). We don't needto worry about a shrinking workforce; the concern is the aging-outof the most experienced group in our workforce. What cohortof professionals is ready to backfill the boomers' roles at the topof the corporate world? Generation X (1965–1980) and millennial(1981–2000) professionals have to pay close attention to the impactof the boomer retirements on the workforce they will inherit. Howwill the rest of the workforce respond? What are the key issues toconsider during the demographic transition? How will this impactfuture personnel decisions? These are all important questions withwhich serious gen X and millennial professionals must grapple.

Thriving careers aren't created in a vacuum but exist within therealities of the current workforce. Some professionals will choosea reactive response to the pending workforce changes and wanderaimlessly from opportunity to opportunity without a coherentstrategy. I wouldn't have written this book if I thought that wasan effective approach. Professionals who make the decision tomanage their careers proactively and strategically in this newenvironment are the ones who will ultimately win.

Knowledge Gaps

Many organizations learned to rely on the impressive skill andperformance of the boomer generation. This relationship grewcloser as the boomers displayed an intense sense of loyalty andcommitment to their employers. Many boomers don't understandthe idea of switching companies every four to five years, and it isnot difficult to find boomers who have worked for one companyfor their entire professional careers. My in-laws each worked morethan 25 years with the same company. This deep sense of loyaltyto a company is a hallmark of the boomer generation. Their longrelationships with their employers allowed the boomers to learna great deal about the human, social, cultural, and structuralcomponents of their companies, information that allowed them toperform at high levels in their roles for a long time. The depth of theirexperience allowed them to identify cross-functional synergies intheir work and increase productivity.

If you were the CEO of a company, would you find value inan employee base that understood the ins and outs of yourorganization? Do you think that would help you reach your strategicgoals? I certainly can't see a problem with such a scenario. Manycompanies have taken the boomers' loyalty and experience forgranted. So what happens to that wealth of information—andloyalty—when the boomers retire?

Many companies, particularly industrial ones, see the loss ofdeep organizational intelligence (Harrison 2008) as a significantorganizational development challenge. Employees need to explainthe company's culture, unwritten rules, and organizational structure.These are critical roles that can't go unfilled. Organizations nowhave a competitive imperative to transfer this knowledge to youngeremployees. Someone has to confidently guide departments,business units, and divisions as they execute company strategy.

A 2006 Knowledge Infusion survey collected responses from nearlyfour hundred human resources professionals from both small andlarge enterprises, revealing that over 50 percent of the respondentsknew that the retiring workforce will cause a knowledge and skillgap, but less than 30 percent of them had a formally prepared,viable retention plan (Harrison 2008). A number of knowledge-retentionstrategies have been deployed throughout the corporatelandscape. Some of the more common strategies involvecomprehensive talent-succession planning, mentoring programswith experienced staff and young high-potential employees, andflexible work options like telecommuting and part-time schedulesfor boomers.

Companies everywhere continue to take steps to hedge againstthe boomers' retirement, and this workforce change provides anextraordinary opportunity for the right person. You can be the rightperson. Great things happen when preparation meets opportunity.You can use this book as a tool to jumpstart the preparation process.

The Talent Vacuum

It is time for the younger employees to step up. Organizationsare in the process of activating their succession plans to identifyprofessionals who are ready for their next assignment. Executives willmove into C-level positions, middle managers will join the executiveranks, and first-level leaders will become middle managers. Ofcourse, I made that transition sound neat, orderly, and seamless,but things don't always happen that way in the workplace. Themore important point is that there will be organic organizationalmovement, and the next generation of leaders has an opportunityto fill the talent void caused by boomers' retirements.

Gen X, with 40 million members, is dwarfed by the 80 millionboomers. Millennials account for 72 million Americans, but many arestill in the very early stages of their careers. This means gen X andhigh-potential millennials must answer the call, creating an amazingopportunity for the young professional. Timing is everything, andthere could not be a better time to be in the workforce than now.

We are still recovering from the Great Recession, but it is only amatter of time until everything returns to normal. Will you be readyto capitalize on the wide array of advancement opportunities asthe workplace demographics change? Be honest with yourselfwhen you answer that question. The prepared professional hasan opportunity to thrive, but the unprepared employee's lack ofpreparation is a meager down payment on an unfulfilling career.

Before we continue, let me add a disclaimer: Members of ageneration share some characteristics because of the similarsocietal environments in which they are raised. However,generational characteristics are not absolute.

For example, I am a member of the millennial generation, but Ishare many values with baby boomers. As you read the followinggenerational summaries, remember that some of the characteristicsmay not perfectly match your individual behavior or values, butthese generalities reasonably describe the most common traits ofeach generation. This information is based on the highly reputablework of Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of WhenGenerations Collide at Work (2002) and The M-Factor (2010).Taken together, these books offer a comprehensive analysis ofthe workplace traits of the baby boomers, generation X, and themillennials.

Who Is Generation X?

Generation X, those born between 1961 and 1980, number roughly40 million members. This group is defined by their childhoodexperience as latchkey kids. Increased divorce rates and workingmothers caused this group to find themselves home alone, fendingfor themselves. They did their homework alone and cooked theirown dinners. They navigated their adolescent years with minimalsupervision. Generation X's unique set of characteristics can betraced back to the structure of their childhood.

Work Values

Pragmatic and practical in their approach to work, gen X wants toeliminate the task. Self-reliance and independence, two criticallyimportant values to gen Xers, stem from their experience as latchkeykids. They have been independent all their lives and are easilyfrustrated by work environments that don't provide independence.Gen X also appreciates a laid-back work environment. Theyappreciate simple structure but detest excessive structure andhierarchy. The flat organizational structure with reduced levelsof hierarchy that has gained popularity in recent years is nocoincidence, considering that many gen X members are movinginto prominent organizational leadership positions.

Communication Style

Gen Xers value direct and immediate communication and don'tlike the organizational structure that leads to nuanced, politicalcommunication. They place tremendous value on task execution,and direct communication complements that strategy. Pragmatismis critical to a strong workplace experience, and gen X says whatthey mean and mean what they say. (Sometimes this approach rubsboomers the wrong way because they tend to appreciate hierarchyand apply it to their communication style.) Gen X also valuesimmediate feedback on their performance, which is attributed totheir task-oriented sense of urgency about getting their work doneand receiving feedback.

Work and Family Life

Baby boomers live to work, so their careers are paramount, andthey work entirely too much. Gen X had parents who missed toomany dance recitals and basketball games, and they realize that toomuch career loyalty can adversely impact family life. Therefore, genXers work to live, not the other way around; work is a tool that allowsthem to live better, more fulfilling lives. Work-life balance becameincreasingly popular as this generation grew in the workplace,and flexibility and freedom became the best way to reward goodperformance. Work-life balance is a nonnegotiable right, so it iscommon for a gen Xer to ask for more vacation days during salarynegotiations for a new job, while boomers would ask for higher pay.

Career Expectations

For gen X a career is not a one-stop proposition; it is a journey withmultiple stops along the way, each providing a different area ofskill development and experience. Gen X wants a portable career.

Gen X rose in the workforce during the proliferation of leadership-developmentprograms. Jack Welch pioneered this strategy duringhis tenure at General Electric, rotating his high-performing leadersthrough different business units in order to provide them with adiverse set of skills and giving himself the flexibility to plug a strongleader into any area and see success. Gen X built upon this strategy,seeing little benefit in a one-company career. They saw their parentslaid-off and dealing with job insecurity, so they expect to work formultiple companies over the course of a career. This doesn't meanthey aren't loyal. Gen X members work hard and are loyal to theirwork and team. They just aren't willing to commit to a companyfor a lifetime. It is important to them to keep their options open sothey aren't casualties of corporate downsizing and restructuring.They've seen that movie, and it gave them nightmares!