Today’s success tip comes from Avril Henry.

In 2006, Avril won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement in Human Resources Award at the Australian HR Awards. She has been a finalist in the Best HR Director and Sydney Business Review Businesswoman of the Year awards, and nominated for Telstra Business Woman of the Year on four occasions. She now works in Sydney and owns AH Revelations. Avril continues to help and inspire 100’s of business owners every year.

You are now an expert in understanding and leading people from Generations X and Y. Can you share with us some of their characteristics?

First of all, one of the important differences between the older generations - Veterans and Baby Boomers - and the two younger generations - X and Y - is that X and Y do not define themselves by what they do for a job. They will change their careers and jobs multiple times, be self-employed, work overseas at least once and re-skill themselves on a regular basis.

This is quite different to the older generations who believed in the concept of a ‘job for life’ and long-term loyalty to one profession and one employer. This loyalty does not exist in the minds and hearts of Generations X and Y who saw their parents’ loyalty to the organisation repaid with redundancies and downsizing.

Generation X tends to be the more sceptical generation, whereas Y is highly optimistic - but both generations believe in managing their own careers. They are better educated and more multi-skilled than previous generations. They believe that education and having experience in different disciplines is a greater form of job security as it makes them more employable.

Both these generations believe in the concept of ‘working to live’, rather than ‘living to work’. They have observed the break down of marriages and relationships from their parents and are not willing to sacrifice relationships for work and career progression.

Generation X women are getting married and having children later, believing it is important to establish a career before having a family. They believe this gives them more financial security and greater bargaining power when they want to return to work, because they are in a more senior position when they go on maternity leave.

Unlike previous generations, they are not willing to do jobs they hate or work for bosses who they do not respect. They are risk takers and will leave a job or boss they don’t like without something else to go to, much to the dismay of their more conservative and security-conscious parents.

If you want more great tips like this one, check back again next week.

Until then,

Allan Poole

Welcome to my blog. Today I would like to share with you some tips that I learned from Jamie McIntyre at the 21st Century Academy Lifestyle Conference.

* “Lifestyle has more to do with Planning than it does with money.”
I am sure that you have heard it said before that those who fail to plan plan to fail. This is true in every area of our lives!
In regards to the life that we choose, we must realise that we need to plan ahead. For instance, plan that weekend away with the family. Plan a date-night each week with the one you love. Plan to have a family picnic on the weekend. Plan to spend time with the kids. Plan time to relax!

There are so many things we can do in life that involve little or no money. So remember to not stress if money is tight. Make the most of what you have and plan activities that do not need a lot of money!
If we fail to plan then each week will fly by and before we know it another month is ending … then another year!
So remember that planning is important in every area of our lives!

* “The sign of Intelligence is the ability to entertain a new idea.”
It is easy sometimes to go through life with my own preconceived ideas and not being willing to listen to others, but I am learning, as the years go by, that if I can listen to other people’s opinions and learn from them, then I continue to grow as a person and begin to see outside the box of my own life. I am enjoying expanding my thoughts and learning to look for other ways to do things.

* “The most powerful way to learn is to teach.”
I have found personally that once I learn a new concept or idea that if I am able to share this with others and teach them, then I myself learn the concept more deeply also.

Here is a photo of Greg and I with Jamie at the conference.

Until next time.

To your success and fulfilment in life!

Leanne Annett