Dear Muva,
What am l to do? I have employed some young people between the ages of 25-32 in my office, and they have me pulling my hair in frustration! They run the gamut from not getting to work on time, their work clothes borders on “casual basic,” they do not appreciate any kind of feedback, and firmly believe that they have “arrived” with college degrees in hand and are not to be questioned.
To make matters worse, they often last from 6 months to a year, which is a waste of resources on our end, training them. What can we do?
Signed, Help!
Dear Help!
If I had a dime for every time I am asked this question, I would be able to buy a cabin by a lake. Universities are at their wits end, watching students show up late for class, turn in subpar work, complain they are tired, and the list goes on. By the time said students become gainfully employed, it is painfully obvious that they have no idea how to navigate the working world.
Worse yet, they need their hands held and their egos stroked in order to get any work done.
It feels like a sign of the times, and employers have begun to adjust, by allowing employees to work from home several days a week and give “mental health” days occasionally. The dress code in many organizations has also been relaxed somewhat. The only thing left to do is warm up a bottle and feed some of them. I am kidding, but you get the point.
While there seems to be so many who are this way, take heart — many more young people are hard workers who open themselves to learn and grow. The onus on you as an employer, then, is to look fully beyond how potential employees present on paper and to find ways to test their social and emotional skills during the interview process.
It makes for bad business when people have too little emotional intelligence and basic work ethics to match.
In my humble opinion? This behavior begins at home, where some parents coddle to the point of distraction, solve every issue their child may have, and excuse away bad
behaviour. Discipline became a bad word and “experts” made millions writing books around not hurting the “feelings” of children, because they had time to grow up and out of challenging behaviors.
Having expectations and accountability, mixed with love, hurts no one.
Having none of those things can hurt a nation. I hope this helped you.
Dear Muva,
I have a great product, did all the promotional marketing online, and was making lots of money, when l got an order to “cease and desist,” because the business name I had been using belongs to someone else. How is that possible, when l have been out here for so long, and what can l do? If I lose the name, I have to start all over again!
Signed, Lost and Turned Out.
Dear Lost and Turned Out,
Sigh.
It pains me to inform you that you have a problem. I know when we start something that seems to be a great product, we want to turn it into millions, but, we too often skip at least 50 crucial steps to get there, which has jammed so many people up.
Before you do anything regarding a product or service, you need to do the following:
1. Write a small business plan about the product or services, and about who your target customers are and what makes your product better by naming a couple of key points.
2. Decide on a name for your business and go online in your state to see if the name is already taken. If it isn’t, apply for the name and purchase website domains so you can claim it. That is NOT enough, however. You MUST also apply for a trademark for each business name you have. That will legally protect you, should anyone else try to abscond with your chosen name.
3. If you have what is considered a unique product, you also need to apply for a patent, so no one else can imitate your efforts to call it their own. Believe me, they check online, and if these two crucial pieces are not done, they will undercut you, by taking the popularity of your efforts, and apply for the name and patent themselves.
4. It is not a cheap process, which is why so many people skip these parts. I am told all the time it is too expensive, but it truly is more expensive NOT to. Nothing is more hurtful than watching hard work go down the drain. Google the term “poor man’s copyright,” and follow the instructions there the next time you want to get a business up and running. It helps a bit, until you have enough funding to do what l described above.
There is so much more to be done, like setting up your business entity with the government, obtaining business insurance, opening a business account, and hiring a good accountant.
What is happening to you is a lesson you will never have to repeat, if you follow the tips l gave you.
Good luck on your next attempt.
Disclaimer:
The advice offered in this column is intended for informational/entertainment purposes only. Use of this column not intended to replace or substitute for any professional, financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional, psychological or medical help, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist. This column, its author, the Philadelphia Sunday SUN newspaper and publisher are not responsible for the outcome or results of following any advice in any given situation. You, and only you, are completely responsible for your actions.
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