Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits [Hardcover]

Cam Marston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2007

Advance praise for Motivating the "What's In It For Me?" Workforce

"The information on leading and managing generations found in this book is invaluable to all executives today. The war for talent has become increasingly fierce. Attracting and retaining this talent is critical to a successful global company. This book is a masterful tool for developing the skills required for managing multigenerational teams. It is a must-have for executives at all levels who are responsible for a company's greatest asset: its people."
--Phebe Port, Vice President Global Management Strategies,The Estee Lauder Companies

"Motivating the 'What's In It For Me?' Workforce has given our managers good ideas about leading the different generations in our workplace, particularly the New Millennials who we at Enterprise are especially reliant upon to grow our business every single day and, ultimately, become our company's future leaders."
--Marie Artim, Assistant Vice President Recruiting, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

"After Marston presented to our management group, approximately 400 individuals, and after we responded to the clamor for his book, it became commonplace to hear people discussing solutions to problems based on generational considerations. There aren't many people discussions that occur today where we don't at least consider differences between Baby Boomers, Millennials, etc. He really changed our way of thinking!"
--Anne Donovan, U.S. HR LeaderSystems and Process Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers

"If you ever had any doubt that generational differences have an impact on go-to-market strategies, Marston's book, Motivating the 'What's In It For Me?' Workforce, provides thought-provoking realities you need to consider. This is a must-read . . . At our Sales Leadership Conference, Marston gave our top sales managers actionable ideas on how to gain better understanding of what drives today's workforce to take direct action and deliver exceptional results."
--Damian A. Thomas, General ManagerCorporate Sales Leader, General Electric Company

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

All generations are not alike. While Baby Boomers base their vision of professional success on climbing hierarchical corporate ladders, Gen-X and New Millennial workers view success quite differently. These younger workers care little for tradition, placing a higher value on individuality, personal freedom, and the professional flexibility and creativity it takes to succeed in a globalized economy.

This generational divergence creates a communication challenge for many of today's managers. The promise of slowly climbing the company ladder no longer has the motivational force it once did, and the traditional management structure is quickly slipping into obsolescence. Younger workers are less loyal to their organizations, quicker to adapt to cultural and technological changes, and more possessive of their free time.

In Motivating the "What's In It For Me?" Workforce, Cam Marston reveals how to diffuse the conflict between managers with one set of expectations and employees with another. He shows managers how to deal with differing generational expectations regarding promotions, incentives, recognition, and prioritization of work itself, bridging the gap between managers raised in one tradition and workers raised in another.

Based on his long experience consulting with and interviewing managers and workers of every age, Marston provides detailed guidance on motivating every employee to achieve peak performance—no matter what generation they belong to. Packed with guidance on bringing the generations together to achieve organizational success, this practical guide offers concrete steps for solving generational problems in any workplace.

It takes more to motivate today's "What's In It For Me?" workforce, but connecting with younger generations is vital for any manager's success—as well as any organization's. Marston helps you bridge that gap, so you can get more out of every worker, no matter their age and attitude.

From the Back Cover

Advance praise for Motivating the "What's In It For Me?" Workforce

"The information on leading and managing generations found in this book is invaluable to all executives today. The war for talent has become increasingly fierce. Attracting and retaining this talent is critical to a successful global company. This book is a masterful tool for developing the skills required for managing multigenerational teams. It is a must-have for executives at all levels who are responsible for a company's greatest asset: its people."
—Phebe Port, Vice President Global Management Strategies,The Estée Lauder Companies

"Motivating the 'What's In It For Me?' Workforce has given our managers good ideas about leading the different generations in our workplace, particularly the New Millennials who we at Enterprise are especially reliant upon to grow our business every single day and, ultimately, become our company's future leaders."
—Marie Artim, Assistant Vice President Recruiting, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

"After Marston presented to our management group, approximately 400 individuals, and after we responded to the clamor for his book, it became commonplace to hear people discussing solutions to problems based on generational considerations. There aren't many people discussions that occur today where we don't at least consider differences between Baby Boomers, Millennials, etc. He really changed our way of thinking!"
—Anne Donovan, U.S. HR LeaderSystems and Process Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers

"If you ever had any doubt that generational differences have an impact on go-to-market strategies, Marston's book, Motivating the 'What's In It For Me?' Workforce, provides thought-provoking realities you need to consider. This is a must-read . . . At our Sales Leadership Conference, Marston gave our top sales managers actionable ideas on how to gain better understanding of what drives today's workforce to take direct action and deliver exceptional results."
—Damian A. Thomas, General ManagerCorporate Sales Leader, General Electric Company

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (May 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470124148
• ISBN-13: 978-0470124147
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cam Marston is the leading expert on the impact of generational characteristics and differences on the workplace and the marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer, he imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. Marston and his firm, Generational Insights, have provided research and consultation on generational issues to hundreds of companies and professional groups, ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, as well as major professional associations, for over 15 years.

Marston's books, articles, columns, and blog describe and analyze the major generations of our time: Matures (born before 1946), Baby Boomers, (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-79), and Millennials (born 1980-2000). He explains how their generational characteristics and differences affect every aspect of business, including recruiting and retention, management and motivation, and sales and marketing.

His first book, Motivating The "What's In It For Me?" Workforce (2005), explores the characteristics and motivations that each generation brings to the workforce and suggests management tactics applicable to any business setting. His next book, Generational Insights (2010) is a guide to the best practices in managing generational issues. Generational Selling Tactics That Work (2011) is the first book-length study of generational approaches to sales and marketing.

Marston's expertise has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money, and Forbes, as well as on Good Morning America and the BBC. He writes a monthly column for Business Alabama and InvestmentNews and has been a featured columnist in Agent's Sales Journal, PROFIT Magazine, and Multi-Housing News, among others. His blog at generationalinsights.com tracks the latest changes and developments in generational issues and demographics.

As a consultant, Marston has provided generational insight and advice to leadership at the nation's most prominent corporations, including American Express, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, Kellogg, Coca-Cola, Macy's, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Qualcomm, RE/MAX and Eli Lilly. He has also offered presentations and consultations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Army, as well as major professional associations such as the American Bankers Association and the Million Dollar Roundtable. He is an ongoing instructor at Belmont University.

Marston's presentations are informative, engaging, and often humorous. He offers concrete demographic research that is tailored to his audience. But he enlivens the data with anecdotes, tales from the real business world, attention-grabbing visuals, and quips that make the message memorable. Marston's clients consistently report that his research makes his programs relevant and his presentation style makes them interesting and fun.

Marston's insights and expertise are the product of 15 years of research and consultation across a wide range of industries as well as his own early-career background in corporate sales and research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University. He is a native and resident of Mobile, Alabama and a proud member of Generation X.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Reading For Anyone in Management, May 30, 2007

By 

Richard Lyman (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

Like many of my late baby-boomer peers in senior management, we soon will face a workforce crisis as many of our best employees will be retiring in the next five to ten years. Replacing their experience and wisdom will not be easy and we will need to hire from a younger and smaller pool of workers. Some of the things that motivated my generation, stability, predictability and security are of low priority to many younger workers and we will have to learn new tools of management to motivate and retain these employees. Marston's book not only helps us to understand the perceptional differences in generations, but offers concrete advice as to how to adapt to the needs and wants of a younger workforce. The book has also helped me to better understand my children and the career paths they might take. Useful reading for anyone in management, particularly in high-turnover service businesses, and anyone with children about to enter the workforce.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all managers!!!, May 16, 2007

By 

N. Elguindi "reader" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

Marston has a profound understanding of the generational issues in today's workforce. He captures the essence of employee challenges: Communication, then boils it down into simple to understand terms. His framework provides a useful plan for managers to apply to their own strategy in attracting and retaining the right talent. This is a must read book for anyone that wants to get the most from their employees and teams.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing perspective as well unapologetically honest, June 12, 2008

By 

Cynthia S. Lyman "CSL" (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

At my company and in my department, the tension between managers and their reports seem to be primarily due to generational differences. This book explains so clearly not only what the differences are, but why members of different generations behave differently and have varied expectations in the workplace.

As someone from Generation X, I was thrilled to find that this book was written by someone from my generation. Marston has clearly experienced the same types of conflicts in the workplace that I do, and he uses many examples to illustrate the sources of conflict.

Not only do I enjoy this book so much that I can't stop talking about it to my friends and co-workers, but I've encouraged my colleagues to make some policy and procedure modifications based on what I've read. I really hope that everyone I work with reads this book because it will help us all to understand each other, and, therefore, work together more productively.