More than flips flops at work with Peter Yawitz

Do you remember your very first job in an office? When I first started working as a “grown up”, I was pretty much thrown in the deep end and expected to figure things out.

Although that was over 20 years ago (sheesh), and much has changed to improve the employee experience, I suspect that many young people are still encountering what I did. 

Even though these new starters are smart and savvy, unless there are guidelines for showing up, responding, making decisions, and contributing, they’re lost and anxious. And waste precious time trying to figure it out for themselves, or not at all.

This might seem obvious. However, Peter Yawitz has spent more time than I’ve been working (does that make us both old?) helping twentysomethings get started and contributing at work. He knows firsthand that many managers and organizations don’t know how to do this successfully. 

Peter talks about what to do about this in his latest book “Flip Flops and Microwaved Fish”. We had a few laughs before getting serious on the latest episode of People at Work about how to help, not hinder our youngest employees.

If you’re looking for a quick fix, there isn’t one. But you can start by getting managers to be clear on tasks and expectations, and actually taking an interest at an individual level. There’s much more in the interview, with special tips to help young people be part of your organization in an online world.