WhenMTVGoesCEO教学文案

1、Good is good, but better carries it.精益求精，善益求善。WhenMTVGoesCEO-WhenMTVGoesCEObySusanM.KeaveneyAsprofessorofmarketingattheUniversityofColorado,Keaveneyteachesmarketingmanagement,internationalmarketing,andservicesmarketingforthegraduateSchoolofBusinessandExecutiveMBAprograms.Shehasalsoworkedinretail,fin

2、ancialservices,andhealthcare,andhasbeenactiveinthe“internationalization”ofbusinessschools.Inthefollowingarticle,SusanKeaveneyprovidesabroadofGenerationXers,underheadingssuchas“latchkeykids”,“life-balancers”,and“freeagents”.Sheconcludeswithanumberofquestionsabouthowmembersofthisgenerationwillbehaveby

3、themiddleofthemillennium.ThisarticleistakenfromActingonWords.Whathappenswhenthe“unmanageables”becomemanagers?“Whowilltakethehelm?”isonequestionthatwillkeepCEOsawakeatnightinthenextmillennium.Mostwonderwhatcorporatecultureinservicesfirmswilllooklikewhenthe40millionGenXersintheworkforcenowtwenty-andth

4、irty-somethingemployeestakeoverasmanagers.MuchhasbeenwrittenaboutGenXemployees,mostofitnegative.Earlystudiesaccusedthemofbeingarrogant,uncommitted,unmanageableslackersdisrespectfulofauthority,scornfulofpayingduestattooedandpiercedyouthswho“justdontcare.”Recentinterpretations,however,offersomenewands

5、omewhatdifferentinsights.ArroganceorIndependence?GenXershavebeencharacterizedasthe“latchkeykids”ofthe70sand80s;oftenleftontheirownbydivorcedand/orworkingparents,theseyoungpeoplebecameadeptathandlingthingsontheirownandintheirownways.Manybecameself-motivating,self-sufficient,andcreativeproblem-solvers

6、.Theirindependence,whichbaby-boommanagerssometimesinterpretasarrogance,mayalsoreflectaneedtofeeltrustedtogetajobdone.Asemployees,GenXersenjoyfreedomtomanagetheirownschedules.Theydontwatchaclockanddontwanttheirmanagerstodoso.Whetherworkisdonefromnine-to-eightathome,intheoffice,oroverlattesisirrelevan

7、ttothisgroupbecauseGenXersareresults-oriented.Theyseekguidance,inspiration,andvisionfromtheirmanagersbutotherwiseprefertobeleftalonebetweengoal-settinganddeliverables.ManyGenXersexcelatdevelopinginnovativesolutions,butneedclear,firmdeadlinestosetboundariesontheircreativefreedom.Theyhavebeenknowntobr

8、istleundermicromanagementbutflourishwithcoachingandfeedback.Techno-BabesGenXgrewupwithrapidlychangingtechnologyandtheavailabilityofmassiveamountsofinformation.Manydevelopedskillsatparallelprocessingorsortinglargeamountsofinformationquickly(whichissometimesinterpretedasashortattentionspan).Mostareski

9、lledatunderstandingandusingtechnologies,adaptquicklytonewplatforms,andarepracticedatlearningthroughtechnologicalmedia.Theyvaluevisualaswellasverbalcommunication.GenXemployeesexcelinatechnologicallyadvancedenvironment.Theydemandstate-of-the-artcapabilities,suchastelecommuting,teleconferencing,andelec

10、tronicmail,inordertoworkefficientlyandeffectively.Tobaby-boommanagersthismayseemtobeapreferenceforimpersonalmeansofcommunicating,livingandworking,butGenXersdonotseeitthatway;forexample,theyhavemodifiedelectroniclanguageandsymbolismtoexpressemotionssuchassurprise,angerandpleasure.GetaLifeGenXemployee

11、sdontlivetowork,theyworktolive.Theyplaceahighvalueonprototypicalfamilyvaluesthattheyfeeltheymissed.Havingobservedtheirparentstradepersonallivesfor“thegoodofthecompany,”thisgroupwantsbalanceintheirlives,demandingtimeforwork,play,family,friends,andspirituality.GenXemployeesareskepticalofforgoingthenee

12、dsoftodayforalater,uncertainpayoff.Whenonthejobmarket,GenXerswillopenlyasklife-balancequestions.Thiscanbeaturnoffforunpreparedinterviewersusedtoclassicbaby-boomerscriptsfeaturingsuchlinesas“HowcanIbestcontributetothecompany?”and“MygreatestweaknessisthatIworktoohard.”Incontrast,GenXerswanttoknow“What

13、canyoudotohelpmebalancework,life,andfamily?”Theyexpectcompaniestounderstandandrespecttheirneedsasindividualswithimportantpersonallives.Thisfocuson“gettingalife”causesometolabelthemasslackers.Viewedfromanotherperspective,however,GenXerscouldbeseenasbalancedindividualswhocansetprioritieswithintimelimi

14、ts.JustDoItGenXgrewupwithscandalsinpolitics(Watergate,Whitewatergate),literature(TheEducationofLittleTree),journalism(JanetCooke),business(IvanBoesky,MichaelMilliken),entertainment(MilliVanalli),professionalsports(PeteRose,TonyaHarding),andreligion(JimandTammyBakker).Itsnotsurprisingthattheyrecynica

15、laboutauthority,irreverentabouthierarchy,hatebureaucracy,loathehiddenagendas,anddisdainpoliticking.Theydemandhonestyandclarity,andrespectsubstanceoverstyle.GenXemployeestendtofocusonthebigpicture,toemphasizeoutcomesoverprocessorprotocol.Theyrespectclear,unambiguouscommunicationwhethergoodnewsorbad.G

16、enXersprefertangiblerewardsoversoftwords.Cashincentives,concerttickets,computerequipment,orsportsoutingsgofartherwiththisgroupthan“attaboys,”plaques,orpromisesoffuturerewards.FreeAgentsGrowingupinaperiodofcorporatedownsizingandright-sizingfosteredGenXbeliefsthatthefuturedependsontheirresumesratherth

17、anloyaltytoanyonecompany.Notsurprisingly,GenXemployeesseekchallengingprojectsthathelpthemdevelopaportfolioofskills.Whatmightappeartoababy-boommanagerasjob-hoppingcanbeinterpretedasGenXerspatternofskillacquisition.Similarly,arefusaltojust“dotime”inanorganization,ofteninterpretedasdisloyaltyandalackof

18、commitment,maycomefromanintoleranceofbusyworkandwastedtime.GenXerswillthriveinlearningorganizationswheretheycanembracecreativechallengesandacquirenewskills.SmallercompaniesandworkunitswillbevaluedfortheopportunitiestheyprovideforGenXemployeestoapplytheirdiversearrayofskillsand,thereby,provetheirindi

19、vidualmerit.Managerswhoenacttheirrolesasteachersandfacilitatorsratherthan“bosses”willgetthemostfromtheirGenXemployees.Trainingisvaluedbythisgroupbutshouldbeimmediatelyrelevant:thebesttrainingseemstobeself-directedortiedtoself-improvement,personaldevelopment,andskills-building.Somebaby-boommanagersho

20、pethatthedifferencesbetweenthemselvesandtheirGenXemployeeswillfadeawayasless-conformingbehaviorsareabandonedwithageandexperience.Butwhatifthewished-forassimilationintocorporatecultureaspresentlydefinedbybaby-boomersdoesntoccur?Or,whatif,morelikely,theassimilationislessthancomplete?WhatvestigesofGenX

21、sculturewillbemaintained?Whatwillbeabsorbed,whatwillfadeaway?UnmanageableorEntrepreneurial？Asagroup,GenXwasnotpredictedtobecome“theestablishment,”yettheestablishmentwillclaimthemnevertheless.Havingrebelledagainststandardbusinesshoursandmicromanagement,theymightfinditdifficulttomakesuchdemandsoftheir

22、subordinates.Havingdistainedbosses,theymightbeuncomfortablebeingbossesthemselves;havingshunnedhierarchyandtitles,theymayfindtheirownmanagerialmonikersawkwardtobear.Theiremphasisonindependence,combinedwithtechnologicalexpertise,suggestedthatGenXmanagerswillsupportcontinuedgrowthintelecommuting.Thistr

23、endcouldputparticularstressesonservicesfirmsthatrequirecontactpersonnelon-sitetoservicecustomers.However,thecreativeproblem-solvingexcellenceofGenXmanagers,combinedwiththeirtechnologicalprowess,willsupportnewapproachestotheissueoffront-lineservicecoverage.Theirlife-balancebeliefssuggestthatGenXmanag

24、erswillsupportfamily-friendlycorporatepolicies.FirmswillexperienceacontinueddrivetowardflexibleworkschedulesandreducedhoursthatbenefitbothGenXers(whostriveforbalancethroughouttheircareers)andbabyboomers(whoputoff“life”untiltheircareerdueswerepaid).Firmswillmanagedifferencesinneedsforemployeebenefits

25、withcafeteriaplansthatallowGenXerstoselectbenefitsthatsupportearlyfamilyconcerns(insurance,childcare)andallowbabyboomerstofocuson401ksU.Sandretirementplans.GenXers“justdoit”attitudesandimpatiencewithcorporateculturesthatseemtosupportstyleoversubstanceindicatethatGenXmanagerswillsupportamorecasualwor

26、kplace.Expect“dress-downFriday”toexpandtoencompasstheentireworkweek,withformalbusinessattirerequiredonanas-neededbasissuchasinthepresenceofcustomers.(GenXerswillrespectsocialnicetieswhentheyagreethattheresagoodreason.)Some“free-agent”GenXerswillultimatelybeunableorunwillingtomakethetransitiontocorpo

27、ratemanager.AsScottAsamsDilbertcartoonsmakepainfullyclear,manyGenXersfearendingupindeed-endsupportjobs,especiallywhentheyseetheroadtothetopcloggedwithbaby-boommanagers.Wearelikelytoseemanychooseanalternativelifestylebybecomingentrepreneurs.Indeed,theU.SBureauofLaborStatisticsreportsthat80%ofAmerican

28、sstartingtheirownbusinessestodayarebetweenages18and34.Thetrendmaydilutecorporatepoolsofpromotablejuniormanagersbutprovideaneededinfrastructureforcorporateoutsourcing.CultureClashorDiversityOtherlaborBureauStatisticsshowthatinthenextdecadeoneinthreeworkerswillbeoverage55.Thishastremendousimplicationsforaburgeoningcul