MANAGE TEEN WORKERS EFFECTIVELY. Or, you just might get beat-up by a gang of angry bag boys.

During my research for my book on leading teen workers, I was chatting with a group of teens who were recently hired at a local grocery store. They were all boys and all had the same job. According to them, the extent of their job description was to, “sack the groceries, offer to help carry the bags out to the car, and roundup the carts that lazy-ass shoppers leave out in the parking lot.”

Obviously, those are their words, not mine.

At this meeting, we were talking about their job performance and how the quality of their performance depends on which manager is working the front checkout area at any given time. There are some managers to whom they “react,” and there are some to whom they “respond.” The young men were telling me about one of the managers named Chuck. (By the way, none of the names have been changed, so if your name is Chuck, you might want to pay close attention to this part.) One teen named Kevin was telling me about an experience he had a couple weeks ago with his manager. This is what Kevin shared with me about Chuck, word for word (minus the profanity – it was just a little too extreme). Kevin said, “So, like I’m up there doing my job, ya know? I just sacked the groceries and stuffed the bags into this lady’s cart and asked her if she wanted some help out to her car, right? She says, ‘No’. So, I start walking to another checkout lane to sack some more groceries for this old dude. Just as I’m about to ask gramps if he wants paper or plastic, Chuckles calls out my name from way across the store and says, ‘I need you out in the lot rounding up carts! Now! Let’s go! Right now! We have customers waiting! Move it!!’ And he says it just like that, too. I’m like, ‘Seriously? Move it? Are you really telling me to ‘Move it’? Can you believe this guy is talking to me like that? Who does he think he is?’”

It was the very moment that I heard Kevin say, “Chuckles” that I knew there was going to be an issue with this particular manager. But I played along and asked what most adults would ask if they were in the middle of this conversation, “So, what’s the problem? Listen, you said yourself that rounding-up carts was part of your job.” Kevin fires back with, “yea that’s a part of my job, no doubt. But, he doesn’t have to call me out in front of everybody, like he’s my BOSS or something!” I couldn’t help but reply, “Umm, well, didn’t you just say he IS your manager? Doesn’t that mean that he IS your boss?”

That was it. I’ve managed to push Kevin, my teen research subject, way over the top and he’s heading down hill fast, “Hell no! He’s not MY boss! Not after that! Not for $6.50 an hour he’s not my boss! He can forget it if he thinks I’m EVER going to do anything HE tells me to. That ___________ piece of ___________ can kiss my ________ because I’m not his __________ so he can ____________ and then he can _______________ and then I’m gonna…….. “

I think you can clearly see where this conversation was now headed.

What’s particularly interesting is looking at this situation from the manager’s point of view. Chuckles has no clue that this kid even feels this way. None. He probably doesn’t even remember asking Kevin to roundup the carts in the first place. But, here we are 2 weeks later and this teen is still seething about it. And, it’s not just Kevin. It’s all his buddies and every other teen that was in earshot of Chuckles, as well. Unfortunately, Chuckles is under the impression that he only asked him to roundup the carts. In reality though, that’s not even close to what actually happened – not in the mind of his teen workers anyway. What came out of the mouth of Chuckles may have been, “I need you out in the lot rounding up carts! Now! Let’s go! Right now! We have customers waiting! Move it!!” And, I’m sure that’s all he meant. Truthfully, getting carts for customers probably was his only intention. But, that doesn’t matter because what Kevin, along with every teen in the vicinity, heard was, “Attention shoppers! This is the Almighty King Charles. I want you all to witness how I publicly humiliate and belittle this peon. Hey you, I’m talking to you, Bag Boy. Now be a good little Bag Boy and do what I tell you to. Go fetch me some carts and be fast about it. Don’t keep me waiting. King Charles doesn’t like to wait, Bag Boy!” That’s the reality of Chuckles’ message.

Pretty interesting. Chuckles just wanted some carts, but instead what he got was a group of angry bag-boys that high-five when they talk about beating him up out back by the dumpster.

(Incidentally, I’m aware that it’s probably immature of me to keep calling him Chuckles. But, I just can’t help myself.)

So, what should have Chuckles done? Really, just about anything other than what he did would’ve been better. But, just for starters, what if Chuckles made the 15 second investment required to walk over to the teen, look him right in the eye and with all the sincerity he can muster, say, “Kevin, I really appreciate how quickly you move from customer to customer. You are awesome at your job I totally respect that. We have a lot of shoppers coming in and looking for carts. So, after you help this gentleman to his car with his groceries, could you round up the carts out in the lot and bring them in with you? I would appreciate it if I could count on you for that, Kevin.”

What teen doesn’t want to be respected and counted on? It really is that simple.

Throughout my book, keynotes, and workshops for employers of teens, I share dozens of techniques and strategies for effectively leading teen workers. Let’s work together so that I can provide you with that valuable information. Your managers, workers, and customers deserve it.

Believe me, I’d hate for you to end up like Chuckles.

Teens only really respect one thing. Want to know what it is?

At some point in their careers, just about every manager of teen employees comes home from an exhausting and frustrating day at work, plops down on the couch and comes to the big realization: These teen workers that I hire could not care less about what I think. And, they especially don’t value my opinion of their performance.

Now, at this point, if you haven’t yet had this realization, you’re probably asking the question, “Are you saying that my new employees that I hire don’t automatically respect me?” Yep. That’s exactly what I’m saying. At least not at first they don’t. The next question managers ask is, “Well, is there anything I can do about it?” Nope. There’s absolutely nothing you can to about it – not right now, anyway. The question that always follows next is the most important one of all, “How did such a drastic shift in teen culture occur?” The answer to that question sits in every home.

For their entire lives, this is a generation that has had around-the-clock access to 24 hour news on CNN, FOX, Court TV, and investigative journalism on just about every other channel. As a result of all that non-stop information, teens have seen their elders, authority figures, adults, and high-ranking people from just about every walk of life at their very worst moments. They have seen well-respected religious leaders go to jail for abusing young children in unimaginable ways. They have seen prominent CEOs and CFOs go to prison for lying, cheating, and stealing the retirement savings from little old ladies. They soaked in every detail as they witnessed their sports heroes and Hollywood stars being arrested, tried, and convicted for spousal abuse, drug offences, tax evasion, rape, and even murder. They have heard, read, and watched the stories of teachers having sexual relationships with students. They even saw firsthand how a United States President lied about, and then later admitted to, having cigar-laden sexual relations with a very young intern in the oval office. These salacious headline stories - the constant, everyday onslaught of the media showing people, many of whom are older, educated, and experienced, living far less than honorable lives - have had a tremendous, irreparable impact on today’s teens.

Now, I know all of that information is a lot of negativity to digest in one sitting. But, with that information fresh in your mind, let’s focus on one question:

Why should a teen employee under your charge pay attention to your every word; ask for clarification for what they don’t understand; immediately tackle the task at hand; do exactly what you ask of him; AND, do it all with a positive attitude that reflects pride in their performance and attention to detail?

If your answer is any form of the following . . .

Because I am older.
Because I am more experienced.
Because I am wiser.
Because I am the manager.
Because I am the most respected in my field.
Because I am a great person.
Because I am educated beyond belief.
Or, because I am nice.

. . . then, I have news flash for you. And, here it is: Teens of today do NOT respect any of the above.

You might think they do. They may act like they do. They might even tell you they do. But, the truth is, they don’t. All of the people and situations I outlined above, from religious leaders to the leader of the free world, at some point in their careers could have been described by any and all of those positive qualities – older, experienced, wiser, educated, respected, etc. And look where they ended up. Remember, teens have grown up immersed in these real-life, negative stories from the day they left womb. Just about every week of their lives they have witnessed a new prominent figure fall from grace. And, it’s always someone that was, at least, well thought of, if not respected.

It’s because of this daily, media-influenced, negative impact that teens only respond to and respect one thing: proven character. That’s it. Nothing else. They only truly respect “who” you are. When it comes to respect, they could not care less about your title, age, education, experience, or even history of success. All they care about is who you prove yourself to be day in and day out. They only care about one thing - your character.

If you are going to successfully work with teen employees, it’s essential that you understand the importance of “who” you prove yourself to be. Teen employees observe and make conscious and sub-conscious mental notes of your every move. They are constantly evaluating everything about you. Everything they ever observe you do and everything they ever hear you say is stored away in their minds. And, they are using this information to constantly judge the quality of your character. And, believe it or not, it’s those daily judgments of who you prove yourself to be that teens directly base the quality of their own performance. That is, the quality of a teen’s performance is equal to the quality of the leader’s character.

Don't miss that. Here it is again: The quality of a teen's performance is equal to the quality of the leader's character.

Want to know more? Let's chat. Give me a call.

Superstars and Knuckleheads: Your Employees Attract Your Applicants.

An assumption of many managers, and one that we need to dispel right now, is that teens choose where to apply for the same reasons that adults do. Adults choose where to apply for work based on interest, income potential, prestige, upward mobility, proximity to their home, along with a host of other reasons. Teens, on the other hand, choose where to apply to work for one reason: their friends work there.

For the vast majority of businesses, this presents a couple dramatic problems. The first and most obvious problem is that, based on our research, custsomers think that 95% of all businesses’ teen employees are Knuckleheads. (Unfortunately, business owners, execs, and managers think it’s only 80%. Of course, that doesn’t matter because the customer think its 95% and the customer’s impression is always reality - whether you agree with it, or not.) Since 95% of your teen workforce are Knuckleheads, then that’s who is telling their friends where to apply for work. With respect to who Knuckleheads have as friends, teens are just like you and I. They are friends with people just like themselves. Superstar teens have Superstar friends; and, Knuckleheads hangout with Knucklehead friends.

So, here's what's happening at companies far and wide: Superstars are applying where Superstars work and Knuckleheads consistently apply where their Knucklehead friends work. Furthermore, what’s really troublesome for managers is that for some reason it seems that the worse a teen's on-the-job performance, the more prolific of a recruiter he is. Knuckleheads can recruit, round-up, and bring in other Knuckleheads like nobody’s business. They are a lot like an Australian Shepherd bringing in a herd of sheep, only not as smart. And, I’m not talking about subtle suggestions about where to apply like, “Maybe you should stop by where I work and pickup an application.” That’s not at all how Knuckleheads go about it. Your Knucklehead teen workers are gifted, experienced, high-pressure, hardcore headhunters. Absolute closers! I’ve worked with teens for more than 2 decades and I can’t begin tell you how many Knuckleheads I’ve heard over the years announce to all their Knucklehead friends,

“Dudes! I’m telling you. You’ve got to come work where I work, Bro! It’s AWESOME! You don’t have to do anything and they’ll hire ANYBODY! Believe me, I know. Hell, they even hired me! It’s unbelievable. You’re gonna love it!”

You think that’s bad? Well, you’re right. It is bad. But, that’s nothing - it’s even worse than you think: “Check it out, yo’! I brought applications for EVERYBODY!! They interview on Tuesday afternoons. But whatever you do, don’t mention my name. I don’t think they like me ‘cause I’ve been there for 6 months and I don’t do a damn thing. Tell them that William told you to apply. He’s the only one that actually does anything. They love William!!”

I wish I was kidding. But, I’m not.

The second problem that occurs as a result of hiring average to below-average teen employees is that the more Knucklehead teens you hire, the more high-performing Superstar teens you lose. As I said, teens want to hangout with other teens who are just like themselves. The more low-performing Knucklehead teens you bring into your business, the faster your awesome Superstar teens start using their break-time to call their awesome Superstar friends to inquire about where they work. Superstars will even leave for a job that pays less, a lot less, if their Superstar friends work there.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution that not only attracts exceptional Superstar teen applicants to your business, but also it drives the Knuckleheads to your competitor’s doorstep. And, I'd love to share it with you. Send my website, send an email, or give me a call, and I'll let you in on the secret.

All for now.

Your COMPANY SPOKESMAN has braces, tattoos, zits, a Mowhawk, buds in his ears, and a fish hook in his nose!!

“What in the hell was THAT!?”

The store manager finally broke the silence. He wasn’t talking to anyone specifically. In fact, rarely does he talk to anyone specifically. But now that he had everyone’s attention, it almost seemed like he was mumbling to himself. You could just barely hear him say, “I just can’t believe” as he looked down, now shaking his head. Only bits and pieces of what he was saying were even audible. “What the . . . Did you see . . . How can that kid . . . Does that last punk really think that I would even consider . . . Was that a fish hook?”

He was obviously confused and frustrated. He had no idea where to begin with his search for answers to what just took place. So, he said it again and this time it was a little bit louder, “What in the hell WAS that!?” The assistant manager, the floor manager, and the manager-in-training (I think that’s a more respectable title for the assistant manager’s assistant’s assistant) sat there in disbelief as well, just as they usually do on Tuesday afternoons.

Tuesday is the day this particular grocery store holds their weekly open interviews for their frontline, hourly-wage positions – positions like cashier, courtesy booth, sacker, stocker, and the like. It’s all those positions usually held by teenage employees. And, this particular Tuesday was no different. There stood a group of applicants that in no way, shape, or form looked or acted like anything remotely close to what any executive or manager in their right mind (or even in their wrong mind, for that matter) wants representing their company to the paying customer. Even the assistant manager’s assistant’s assistant could see that.

The Store Manager was back at it, “Are you kidding me? That’s ALL the applicants? That’s who we have to choose from?” The floor manager spoke up, “Well, we have to hire at least a few of them. We have 2 positions still open and we all know about the turn-over situation. It seems like no matter who or how many we hire, there are always a couple of positions we need to fill.” The manager-in-training chimed in, “I kind of liked that last kid with the purple Mohawk and the fish hook in his nose!” Needless to say, the manager-in-training has been in that position for a very, very long time.

The situation in this grocery store is no different from that of thousands of other companies. From restaurants to retail, private to public, businesses large and small are all faced with the same question:

How do we recruit, manage, motivate, and retain exceptional teen workers in such a way that they,
and their performance, accurately represent the image, the quality,
and the character of our company?

That is the multi-million dollar question. Literally.

There’s not a CEO or manager of a successful company that employs teen workers in their frontline positions that doesn’t “get it.” They more than “get it.” They know all too well that the point of contact with their paying customers begins and ends with the teen worker. Who, more times than not, just so happens to be the lowest paid, least educated, least experienced, and least mature workers of all. Day in and day out, your teen workers are the primary key communicators of your brand. They are your company’s true spokespeople. In the eyes of your customers, your teen worker – complete with braces, tattoos, zits, Mohawks, buds in his ears, and a fish hook in his nose – is the face of your company.

This is not new information. This is no secret. And, companies both large and small, are SPENDING millions of dollars searching for that answer while they’re simultaneously LOSING millions of dollars because they don’t yet have the answer. According to the most prestigious business schools, I believe that’s called a Double Whammy.

Now for some good news: There is an answer.

And, here’s the GREAT news: I have that answer.

And, if YOU want that answer, too, you have a few options. You can either give me a call or send me an email.

Talk to you soon.

Look who FINALLY posted his first official blog!!

Well, well, well . . . can you believe it? After years and years of people telling me to do it; clients and workshop attendees asking me to do it; and, of course, me knowing I should do it, BLOGGING has been creeping up my "To Do List." The time has finally come and today is the day.

But, before I get started, if you haven't been to the site lately be sure to stop by! I think you'll be surprised by the "Extreme Makeover." You can check it out HERE.

Now, with that out of the way, let's get right into it and start off with a little story.

Everybody loves a good story and this is one of my favorites.

Oh, by the way, this post is mostly for educators and parents. Leaders of teens in the workforce, I'll get to you soon.

So, here we go . . . .

The keynote address was over and I must admit it was a GREAT one. (I love the standing ovation . . . I’m addicted!) The teen leaders were fired-up as they poured out of the auditorium. I was at the door high-fivin’ every one that I possibly could - it’s what I always do after I speak. For me, this is one last chance to sink the message into their hearts just a little bit deeper. But on this day, something different happened. A young lady all of about 15 years of age stopped directly in front of me. She looked right into my eyes and said, “Thanks for putting all that stuff in my backpack.” I asked her, “What are you talking about?” She answered, “I’m talking about my backpack of life. Don’t you know that’s what you do? You give us all the stuff we need so we can use everything we learn in class. My mom calls it my backpack of life and it’s a little bit heavier now after you put so much stuff in their today. Thanks!”

Wow. She might have only been 15, but she was closer to 50 in terms of wisdom.

On my flight home, I thought a lot about her “Backpack of Life.” What a great concept. Isn’t that what we all want as educators, parents, and leaders? For each student to be able to take what she learns in the classroom and apply it everyday as she makes her way through life.

I think that remarkable young lady was right - that is what I do. In fact, that’s exactly what my Legendary Teaching presentation for educators is all about. It provides teachers with the tools they need so their students can take what they learn inside the four walls of the classroom and apply it in their world. And, not just for today, but for the rest of their lives.

As I make my way across the country presenting to educators at conferences, workshops and inservices, I regularly see the results – schools becoming a place where lives are changed, futures are created, and dreams are realized. But it’s experiences like this – spending just a few moments with a wonderful 15 year old young lady who is wise beyond her years - that remind me that those things only happen as a result of the impact we have on the lives of individual students.

As we touch the hearts of each of our students, so we shape the culture of our classrooms, our campuses, and our communities.

What a great question for every educator to begin each day: “What am I going to do today to fill my students’ Backpacks of Life”?