“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell
Last month we kicked off American Pool’s lifeguard recruiting season at our annual Recruiters Summit. Our Guard for Life program is responsible for hiring over 7,000 domestic lifeguards throughout the U.S. every summer. More than half of our lifeguards are between the ages of 16-19, so it’s essential that we understand who Generation Z is and how to be an effective employer to them as they enter the workforce. So who is Generation Z, and how can we provide the workforce leadership to them?
Lead by Example
Leading by example makes excellent career and business sense. It’s effective. It makes people want to follow you. It’s what the American Pool Guard for Life program aims for. Here are some ways we are working to improve our office culture appeal to this new generation of lifeguards for the upcoming 2019 season:
- “Recognize the need to make a change” – Your employees’ experience is fundamental to your firm’s success. If this experience is not what it should be, change it. To assess your firm’s culture, consider retaining an outside expert who knows how to make an evaluation.
- “Challenge the status quo with new ideas” – The most destructive words in commerce are “that’s the way it has always been.” Don’t get mired in worn-out concepts.
- “Prioritize your activities” – Start by defining one or two priority steps, achieve them, and then tackle new ones. Involve your staff members in your change efforts. Make your organization’s values the foundation of its culture. Let these values be your guide as you institute cultural change.
- “Get things done” – Create an action plan with target dates for completing specific changes. Start with the low-hanging fruit and move on to tougher items.
