Category Archives: Professionalism

Why Your Teenager Must Have a Job this Summer

Teen girl car hop

A close friend of my wife invited us to a celebration of her daughter’s high school graduation. Jenna’s a great kid who did very well in school and was involved in several extra-curricular activities. But at 18, she’s never had a real job.  She applied at several boutiques in the mall but never made it…

When Managing Millennials, Don’t Lower Your Expectations; Change Them

RotaryPhone Latino Teen

A customer service manager of a regional banking chain recently told me about a challenge her managers were having in getting young tellers to handle incoming calls when they were assigned phone duty. “It’s astounding how many will answer our business line by just saying ‘Hello’ or ‘Yo. Wat up? This is Monique.’ It’s almost…

Have We Lost Sight of What it Means to “Be a Professional?”

Sagging Pants

Every company that employs teens and young adults wrestles with the boundaries of professionalism. How do you get the emerging workforce to set aside, if only temporarily, the supposed “personal right of individual expression” in favor of representing you and your organization without completely zapping them of their enthusiasm, creativity, and energy? Sometimes their personal…

A Free and Easy Way to Reform Public Education

When you think back on your days as a high school student, you’ll recall that the majority of the faculty and staff who interacted with you did so in an authoritative and controlling manner.  If there was a disagreement or a point of contention, you were quickly reminded that they were the adult and you…

Does Your Company Rate High in Work Ethic?

pic-refrigerator-repair

I’m shopping for a refrigerator to replace a custom built-in model that is in my home. Always looking for a bargain, I went online and found a great deal on one through a major retailer. This particular fridge had been marked down because of a scratch on one side, and the way my kitchen is…

Even Tebow Haters Gotta Love his Work Ethic

tim-tebow-practise

I’ll freely admit it; I bleed orange. I’ve loved the Denver Broncos with all my heart since my dad took me to Mile High Stadium when I was only seven to see them play the evil Oakland Raiders. (The Broncos were trounced, but I’ve been a fan ever since.) I say that at the risk…