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Matthew Gordon

Educate. Innovate. Create.

Prove History Wrong: Why You Can Be Friends With Your Employees

shutterstock_178717799For years, employers and employees have accepted a universal mantra: “No fraternizing with the help.”

Millennials are challenging that norm. But that’s OK, and experts agree.

Now, bosses, we just need to get you on board. You’ll quickly discover that being buds with young, talented employees has the potential to boost productivity, improve retention, and make everyone in the workplace happier.

A Friendship Crisis

Traditionally, jobs were perceived as something that paid the bills. In fact, workers weren’t really supposed to like their bosses. Friendships between managers and employees suggested favoritism.

However, Millennials have grown up in a more connected world. Their parents, teachers, and other superiors double as Facebook friends. They no longer have the veil of privacy that past generations experienced.

Older generations need to understand that Millennials want to connect with colleagues on social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. But Millennials should equally understand that older managers usually aren’t as comfortable with that.

Perhaps you should rethink rejecting that friend request and seek opportunities to be more social with your employees.

What Millennials Are Looking For

It’s simple: Millennials want to make friends at work. So if your company’s culture doesn’t match their social expectations, you could lose some of your best talent. Consider these three questions that Millennials ask themselves when evaluating employers:

  1. What is the company culture like? If the culture doesn’t personally resonate with the Millennial employee, he’s probably going to move on to another company.
  2. Does the company have an accelerated advancement program? Many Millennials see themselves getting several promotions a year, so they’re probably not going to want to work at a company that’s had the same boss for 10 years, much less pursue a friendship with him.
  3. What are the boss’ interests? If the potential employee has similar interests to the employer, he will be more likely to want to work at that company and pursue a friendship with the employer.

While knowing what Millennials are looking for is great, it’s important to understand why the friendships that Millennials seek matter in the first place — and how to make sure those friendships don’t cross the line.

Setting Realistic Boundaries

Keeping home and work life separate is more difficult than in the past.

Employees who feel their workplace is a positive and social environment are usually happier and more successful. “The question isn’t really should we mix friends and work,” said Alia McKee. “That’s inevitable. The question is how do we get it right.”

While being friends with employees has its benefits, there are also risks to watch out for, such as romantic interests. So setting clear, firm, and realistic boundaries is vital to striking a successful work/friendship balance with employees.

  • Separate the lines of being a boss and a friend. Have frank discussions with employees about which behaviors are unacceptable.
  • Keep the relationship on a friendship level. Nothing destroys the work/friendship balance more than throwing a romantic interest into the mix.
  • Stay out of finances. Sure, you know how much your employees make, but that doesn’t mean you should tell them how to spend it.
  • Keep the booze to a minimum. Happy hour might seem like the perfect after-work social activity, but things can go downhill fast when too much alcohol is involved.

Good bosses understand that there’s a time to be a leader and a time to be a friend. They set the direction for the friendship and make sure employees are on the same page.

Millennials probably spend more time at the office than with their spouse, partner, roommates, or kids, so they want their workplace to be a home away from home. Knowing they’re going to interact with friends at work will make them more motivated to go (and stay) there.

Are you friends with your employees? If so, how does that affect the way you interact with them? If not, why not?

Matthew Gordon

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Thursday, May 15, 2014

You Can’t Ignore the 46 Percent: Here’s How to Engage Them Before It’s Too Late

shutterstock_113430478 (1)

In just six short years, today’s image of a thriving, functional workplace will make the familiar command-and-control corporate environment look ancient. But if employers don’t prepare to engage Millennials — who are expected to make up 46 percent of the workforce by 2020 — they’ll have little success attracting and retaining top talent.

In this article, Matthew Gordon explains what Millennials expect from a workplace and offers tips for engaging this generation to ensure they stick around.

Read full article on SCORE.

Matthew Gordon

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Friday, April 25, 2014

Interview with Tara Albi of GraduationSource

Tara

Employee name: Tara Albi

 

1. Please tell us about GraduationSource and your role in the company.

 

GraduationSource is an innovative web-based business that sells various academic commencement regalia. At this company, my role is customer care coordinator/supervisor. I assist customers and co-workers with numerous inquiries. I also handle some of our largest VIP resellers by providing extra care and attention.

 

2. What is it about GraduationSource that sets it apart from its competitors?

 

GraduationSource is different from our competitors because great customer service is one of our main goals. We’ve had many new clients who left their old suppliers simply because it was impossible to get someone on the phone. We make sure we are available to communicate and assist customers with their needs. We sell our products at a reasonable cost and offer last-minute shipping. We cut out the “middleman” and allow the customer to take control of what he needs with our simple ordering process.

 

3. Please describe the overall culture of GraduationSource and how this culture helps drive the company’s success.

 

In my opinion, maintaining a positive attitude is truly imperative to a company’s success. The culture of GraduationSource is modern, very casual, and even silly at times. To provide the best service to our customers, we believe it is important that employees remain upbeat and motivated.

 

We are encouraged to be open with each other and are able to express our individuality. To combat stress, we have fun company events, such as scavenger hunts, cook-offs, and bowling nights. One of our core values is “Happy, Happy,” which not only applies to pleasing our customers, but to our internal team as well.

 

4. How has GraduationSource grown and developed within the past few years to keep up with the digital age?

 

Over the past five years, GraduationSource has grown exponentially because we catered to the cyber craze. Our website and internal systems are constantly updated with new features. Our employees are extremely tech-savvy and are trained to make customers feel comfortable when ordering products online. Schools save money and establish independence when purchasing graduation regalia through us.

 

5. Please describe your proudest moment while working at GraduationSource.

 

As a customer care representative, I have many proud moments because helping people is very gratifying to me. I once had a customer make a video testimonial for me. In the video, he recreated the situation involving a last-minute order. I was depicted as Superman in the video, and his family thanked me in unison in the video’s conclusion.

I also went on my first business trip recently and trained approximately 15 new customer service representatives for our company. I never thought I would do something like that. I felt proud to be there, representing GraduationSource, and left feeling accomplished.

 

6. What is the thing you look forward to most about coming to work every day?

 

The thing I love most about working at GraduationSource is that I actually like my job and know I can learn more. Many people wake up in the morning feeling unsatisfied with their lives because they hate their professions. I like coming here because it feels like things are always evolving. It makes me excited for the future. Another bonus is that our team is like a big family. There are ups and downs, but ultimately, we all come together to make this company thrive.

Matthew Gordon

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

3 Reasons Why You Should Support Your Employees’ Hobbies

There are obvious benefits to getting to know your employees, but going beyond basic small talk and actually experiencing the activities that make them happy can improve your company in several unexpected ways. It can make your team more productive, increase trust, boost morale, and even reveal hidden skills.

In this article, we’ll reveal how supporting employees’ hobbies can benefit your company and share some suggestions for getting involved in your team’s passions.

Read the entire article HERE.

Matthew Gordon

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Millennials: Let Them Rebel Against the Stereotype

Business owners accuse Millennials of being lazy, too focused on money, and
worried about “Me, me, me,” while Millennials challenge the idea of a 9-to-5 job,
stability, and hierarchy in the workplace.Millennials make no secret about
wanting to earn big salaries.

For Millennials, making a lot of money isn’t about retirement; it’s about
living life to the fullest today in case they’re unemployed tomorrow.In a world where
layoffs are common, Millennials don’t view loyalty the way older generations do.

Millennials are a great choice for companies looking to hire people who know
their way around the digital world.While Baby Boomers think of their careers as
part of their identities, Millennials use their careers to fund their lifestyles
beyond the office.

Millennials need to work with people across generations and should showcase their
openness to new and old ideas and processes.

Read the Entire Article HERE

Matthew Gordon

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure: Stop Making Excuses And Start Doing Things

The irrational, constant, overwhelming fear of failure is actually a phobia: atychiphobia.

When you’ve been handed a trophy just for participating, been graded on effort, or had your photo snapped for the local newspaper for not-always-stellar achievements, fear of failure can become overwhelming later in life.

There’s no cushion for failure in the real world.

Can you explain why your cubicle mate, Bob, stresses out when your boss mentions public speaking opportunities? Do you know why Mary shudders every time the end-of-the-month processes roll around? No – but you realize there’s real fear there.

Letting Go. If you fear you won’t succeed, take a chance and try something new, anyway.

If you’re tired of authors writing books about Gen Yers being whiny and afraid of failure, make a difference.

Failure now will make your inevitable successes later so much sweeter.

Matthew Gordon

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Want a good hire? Involve your good hires

In this article, I give you my tips and tricks for finding and hiring good hires. The hiring process can be exhausting for business leaders. The tough decisions you make during this time have the potential to add a wonderful employee to your team — or waste company resources hiring and training the wrong person.

By including your current employees in the hiring process, you can find potential hires who will gel with your company culture and stick around for the long haul. In this article, Matthew Gordon explains how to transition to an employee-led hiring process and better assess the value candidates could add to your team.

Read the full article on FullStart

 

Matthew Gordon

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

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Matthew GordonI am the President and CEO of Gordon Group, a holding company that manages successful growth focused companies. My leadership at its core is to create progressive & positive corporate cultures.

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