Stories by Tom Muskett

Just so We Understand one another....
written by Tom for Qwerty

"Let me see now, you want work that's engaging and gives you worklife balance as I understand it?" asked the company's personnel officer, speaking to one of 47 applicants from Gen Y for the exploration job at the mining company.
"Well, yes, that would be part of it,"Peter the applicant replied nervously. "Many Generation Y workers struggle to find contentment in the workplace and at the same time, many businesses are having a tough time retaining Generation Y workers."
Studies have also shown, Peter continued bravely "that people under 35-years-old are the least engaged or involved in the workplace which means, I think you'll agree, that businesses need new tools to successfully engage and retain younger employees."
The personnel officer listened and nodded -- a sign he understood what he was hearing -- it was only polite to do so, although he did have some mixed feelings to put it mildly, about beng somehow obliged to make Generation Y workers feel more welcome and appreciated in the workplace. He was of the boomer generation, and was unable to recall anybody in the outfit showing much concern for his state of mind in the previous 28 years of his worklife.
" Just so we understand one another," he said to the candidate, "you know about supply and demand I presume, being well educated as you are, which means that you see employees today more or less being diamonds in scarce supply and in a strong position as a result of that, to negotiate their working conditions with employers who you see as struggling to find the people their workplaces demand?"
Peter, sitting in the chair cross the table indicated his concurrence and explained that he was born in the mid-1980's and was one of 70 million Generation Y "Millennials, " the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. He said he was of the view that employers today must compete for available talent and cannot ignore the needs, desires and attitudes of this vast generation.
The P.O. controlled himself and continued listening, asking Peter to describe more of Gen Y's expectations.
"We're the tech-savvy generation that grew up with technology and who rely on it to perform our jobs better. With BlackBerrys, laptops, cellphones and other gadgets, we're plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; we prefer to communicate through e-mail and text messaging rather than face-to-face and we prefer webinars and online technology to traditional presentations that boil down to being just lectures."
"We are also family-centric," he ventured. "The fast-track has lost much of its appeal for Generation Y who are willing to trade high pay for fewer hours, flexible schedules and a better worklife balance. We appreciate that older generations may view this attitude as narcissistic or lacking commitment, discipline and drive, but Gen Y professionals have a different vision of workplace expectations and prioritize family over work."
"We are ahievement-oriented," Peter continued. " Generation Y is confident, ambitious and achievement-oriented. We have high expectations of our employers, we seek out new challenges and are not afraid to question authority. Generation Y wants meaningful work and a solid learning curve."
We are "also team- oriented," he added. As children, Gen Y kids participated in team sports and play groups -- we value teamwork and seek the input and affirmation of others. Part of a no-person-left-behind generation, Gen Y are loyal, committed and want to be included and involved."
Some say we crave attention in the form of feedback and guidance, he said and "that we appreciate being kept in the loop and seek frequent praise and reassurance and expect to benefit from mentors who can help guide and develop us in our young careers."
The P.O. wondered where to start. Time to let Peter know, he thought, about the nature of the job and somehow impart to him (without sounding harsh) that if the job didn't meet his Gen Y requirements, there were 46 others behind him who just might feel a little less in the driver's seat.
"If you're hired Peter, your first assignment will be in Papua New Guinea in our camp at the north end of the island where you'll have 24 men reporting to you each day and you'll be expected to show progress toward establishing the new mine before year's end-- how does that sound?" Peter's face looked a little pale as he envisioned the working conditions.
"And as for communicating through e-mail and text messaging, there is no internet service in that part of Papua -- some technical reason or other -- , so it's the fax or the phone....you no doubt do remember those gadgets?"
Peter became quiet and his face slightly pale compared to when he first sat down.
"The job sounds great," he said.
And the P.O. smiled.
There'd be no need to interview the other 46 after all.

---- END

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Welcome to
Quotes Café

“So, what are you drinking?”
Ernie the barkeep knows everybody at Quotes – it’s a new place that always seems to draw a number of students and professors from the nearby university. This night was typical – the educated ones demonstrating their stuff for the sheer fun of it. They top one another as sport.
“Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?" one of the gang said.
“Who is famous for having said that?”
“It was on a bumper sticker down the street.”
“Well,” said another patron, since we’re into the metaphysical how about something Carl Sagan once said?
“ And that was?”
"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." He got a good laugh from the table next to him.
“Then there’s Aldous Huxley and his observation.
“And what did Mr. Huxley have to say?”
"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell.”
“Well, for my part,” said one of the professors, “ I prefer those who travel closer to the ground than Huxley and Sagan. Like Mario Andretti.”
“Andretti the car racer man? He said?”
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough,” was the reply, the prof winking to the audience across the table from him.
“Hey I like that one-- good on Andretti!
Some philosopher!”
“Wait until it is night before saying that it has been a fine day,”.says an old French proverb.”
The remark came from one of the younger students new to the Quotes scene.
“And then there was the old French man Jean Paul Sartre.”
“And what did that existentialist have to tell us?”
"Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”
“I prefer the Chinese when it comes to proverbs on living.”
“Give us a taste.”
“If you must bow at all, bow low.” “Great – try us with another one if you can!.”
“When you drink the water, remember the spring.”
“Great! More, more!”
“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. “
“Give me the Japanese for proverbs anytime,” one of the guys sitting near the kitchen said. ”
“Such as?”
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
One of those assembled at the bar felt it was time to offer quotes of a more personal nature -- on such topics as love and life.
“So what have you to tell us?”
“Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke – something said by Lynda Barry.”
How about some words from Oscar Wilde? He was always rather ascerbic?”
“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes,” said a young English lit professor.
“Anything else of his come to mind?”
"It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating."
“Good –we like that one!
“Is anyone around in need of a drink other than me?” said Ernie the bartender. To which half a dozen pushed their empty glasses forward signaling time for a refill.
“I like what Henry Kissinger had to say.”
“Such as?”
“The nice thing about being a celebrity is that if you bore people they think it's their fault."
“Give me Charles Schulz from Peanuts instead! Charlie Brown said that nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.”
There was a moment of silence while everyone laughed and enjoyed their drinks. Then one of the group said she recalled a quote from Marlene Dietrich.
“It's the friends you can call up at four a.m. that matter,” she said.
“Give me some Truman Capote instead –anyone?”
“Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.--- that;s
by Capote himself.!”
“I like Ingrid Bergman better.”
“And what did she have to add to the party?”
“She said that happiness is good health and a bad memory.”
“I prefer Ernest Hemingway – his advice was to write drunk; edit sober.”
“Give me Chesterton anytime over him. “Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere—now that’s old G.K. at his best.”
“Hey, we’re missing the hockey game! Ernie, give us a break! Quick--Turn on TSN!”