Last Tuesday, there was no shortage of networking events in the Tysons Corner area. The Emerging Leaders Council of the Tysons Regional Chamber had an engaging discussion on the converging of Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomers in the workplace. The title was “What can you do to position yourself for success and stand apart from the rest?”
Panelists were: Shira Harrington, founder and president of Purposeful Hire; and Kristen Walker and Rachel East, Certified Professional Coaches (CPC) and co-founders of Clarity on Fire Coaching, a corporate coaching firm. Stacy Bradford, Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, moderated the panel.
The meeting began with an overview from the panelists and a definition of the different age groups. The Greatest Generation or Veterans were born during the Great Depression and served in World War II; the Baby Boomers, of whom there are 80 million, were born between 1946 and 1964; Gen-X were born between 1965 and 1980 – they number 46 million; and Millenials, another 80 million, were born between 1980 and 2000.
The audience then divided into groups of two and submitted questions to the panelists. The questions led to some great discussions about how Millenials view the world. Harrington said, “There has been such a shift to technology. MIllenials work however and wherever they want to work.”
East said that Millenials “hate that they have to drive to work, work nine hours and then get a paycheck every two weeks.
Walker said that Millenials would “rather be rewarded for working more efficiently.”
One of the questions asked about how to keep Millenials from drifting. Panelists responded that you need to get people engaged. Once they get engaged, it’s hard to stop them. A recent survey said that only 23% of the U.S. workforce is engaged.
Another question asked about how to reach the Millenials – email, text, print, etc. East said that email was still the best way to reach Millenials; text is not appropriate for a first-time business connection. While many of them don’t read newspapers, print is not dead for this group. “We grew up on Harry Potter books, after all,” said East.
More companies are asking prospective employees, “What do you WANT to do?” instead of “What are you good at?”
“There’s a crux where passion and skill meet,” said East.
Harrington said that Motley Fool is very good at engaging their employees. Nobody ever quits because they are so engaged. Any employee can get involved in working on another employee’s project.
Across the street, the 2014 GovCon Symposium: Success Strategies for Surviving in the “New Normal” was held at the McLean Hilton. The GovCon Symposium focused on best practices and success strategies for surviving in the “new normal.”
Keynote Speaker U.S. Senator Tim Kaine spoke about the newly developed federal budget and the implications for the government contracting industry.
Two events were held in the evening. The Vienna Business Association held the February Mixer at the home of Susan and Kelvin Pierce, owners of Commonwealth Home Design. Their home is just one illustration of how the company uses their design/build partnership to transforming the ordinary into the exquisite. An incredible spread of chicken, stuffed mushrooms, ribs, cheese and crackers, desserts and more made the evening even more special.
Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Chamber held their Networking Mixer at the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Hosted by Bentley’s Restaurant, they served meatballs, wings, cheese, fruit, dips, cheesecake and beverages. Guests had a chance to learn about NOVA’s programs that help owners to grow their business.
And this was just ONE day – there are networking events just about every day during the week in the Tysons area. Did you know that VivaTysons Magazine offers an introductory package that includes trial membership to five business networking groups; ads; video; article in magazine; press releases and social media management? Call them today at 703-448-7323.
