By 2015, Millennials will comprise the majority of the workforce, surpassing Generation X, and virtually taking the reigns from Baby Boomers. Is your organization prepared for this?

Please join JBC on the “Generational Diversity at Work Grows Up” webinar hosted by Diversity Best Practices tomorrow, February 18, 2010, at 11:00am-12:30pm ET. To register, follow this link …  http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/node/497

We know that generational demographics are shifting, but has your company taken the time to plan? How does your workplace need to adapt in order to be inclusive of these diverse generations? What would your next generation workplace look like?

Jennifer Brown moderated this panel on generational workplaces at 4 GENZ 4 BIZ.

The diversity in generations manifests itself in the way different generations: approach work, relate to authority, view work/life balance, display different work styles, seek feedback, etc. Companies need to prepare themselves to manage this level of diversity in order to recruit, develop, promote and retain the best talent. This will require a new way of thinking about diversity in the workplace. It will also necessitate creating new platforms and processes in order to provide the customized work “experience” employees will demand.

Embracing generational diversity is as much about diversity as it is about the war for talent. Due to the tough economic times over the last several years, many employees have remained in positions and with companies that might not offer the entire package that suits their working needs. Therefore, once the economy improves there, there is a shift projected in the talent market because Millennials, most likely, will be the first to look for new jobs. Can your company afford to lose this talent?

If you would like to gain winning strategies and new insights into:

• Organizations like American Express, Toyota, and Boehringer-Ingelheim and how they have created innovative programs to engage all generations of workers
• Learn about generational workplace trends
• Learn best practices to capitalize on generational diversity in the workplace

Cross-posted in our Webinars section.

Click here to read about JBC’s research on Diversity + Social Media.

Times like this force us to step back and look at our own updates, and to think about the people we are connected to, if only to wonder that tried and true social networking question: What are you up to?

This afternoon, Twitter seems to be down or at least not functioning. Meanwhile, Facebook is eerily more quiet than it would usually be during a week day. Something must be going on out there on these web service servers, because there are pages that aren’t loading, and only the tiniest trickle of information seems to be coming through at the moment.  What exactly is “my status”?

Twitter asks us every day: “What are you doing?”
And Facebook takes a more cerebral approach with, “What’s on your mind?”

This gets us thinking of course. We react, and by force of habit we now know how to type updates, and send out information to our followers and friends through micro-blogging. But what are we adding to the big picture? We decided to take a look at our own blog for starters. Using a web application, we analyzed the wording in our blog and generated an image out of the listed word count. The image above shows you the words we’ve used over and over as we reach out to the web. We’ve noticed quite a lot just on first glance, and we’ve especially learned something about the words that are hiding there among the others: we aren’t mentioning some of the important things enough! This now has become a learning tool for us, and we hope for you as well.

So, this afternoon, JBC would like to ask you some new questions for you to answer in your Twitter feed, or your Facebook status:

What are the concepts that are important to your business?
What information are you putting out on the Internet about your company?
About yourself?

What about the faces and names you’ve connected with:

Who is your favorite person you’ve connect with on a social network and why?
Is there anyone there you may never have heard of if it weren’t for these networking opportunities?

We’re looking for stories about the way social networking has influenced your business or your career recently.  Let us know if you have any amazing stories about interaction, connections, or the ways in which your network surprised you.  Email us (info@jenniferbrownconsulting.com) or send us a comment on our blog to share your story with us!

“I go to Jennifer when I need insights and expertise when designing diversity and inclusion programs for Working Mother Media and Diversity Best Practices. She is smart, personable and incredibly organized. She sees right to the heart of the issues and brainstorms creative solutions to achieve desired results. I value her work tremendously.”

“Jennifer Brown Consulting responds to your company’s needs by listening very carefully to what your objectives and goals are. It’s a two-way conversation that results in exactly what you envisioned. Sometimes the training event needs to happen on very short notice, but Jennifer makes it happen! And with the same, consistent, high quality session you come to expect and is delivered each time! I highly recommend Jennifer Brown Consulting for your training and consulting needs.”

“The project demanded that Jennifer ramp-up quickly. She had to learn about the client, which was a Fortune 500 company, its sales organization and the product that was being sold. Then, she had to engage with a team of subject matter experts to learn about the target market and the product’s potential impact, positive and negative, on the market. After the extensive discovery, Jennifer put together a training program that motivated the sales management team to fully embrace the new effort and get engaged fully. The experience of working with Jennifer was a pleasure because it was a pleasure and also because we succeeded.”

“I have worked with Jennifer Brown on many projects and programs, and have found her to be the consummate professional and leader while being a true team player. Jennifer is an excellent facilitator for conversations with individuals of all levels of talent. Recently, she helped coordinate and facilitate several panels with very senior professionals expertly with comfort and ease. I would jump at the opportunity to work with Jennifer again, and recommend her highly – to the individual interested in career development or organization looking for guidance and facilitation.”

“Jennifer is extremely knowledgeable in areas of leadership and diversity. She knows how to quickly assess opportunity, forge connections with her clients, gain trust and move groups in productive directions. I strongly recommend Jennifer and her firm, Jennifer Brown Consulting.”

“Jennifer is an engaging, creative, and exceptional facilitator. She does an amazing job establishing credibility, presence, and sincerity, even amongst the most challenging and cynical corporate audiences. Her positivity, authenticity, and collaborative approach make her both a joy to work with and an excellent partner who drives bottom line results.”

Have something nice to say? Send us a recommendation via LinkedIn or by comment below!

Want more?
Find us on LinkedIn via the link linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting.
Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/jenniferbrown.

* Use Twitter to deepen employee engagement
* Facilitate web-based meetings to decrease travel costs
* Use Facebook platforms to tap diverse talent internally

JBC partners with Diversity, Talent Management and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at all levels to help hone strategy, influence key stakeholders, and ultimately transform organizations for the future. We believe that diversity is the gateway to innovation. We can help you harness the power of your workforce in “web 2.0″ ways.

For example, JBC partnered with a major technology company’s Hispanic ERG by co-designing and convening their virtual annual strategic meeting. We significantly increased active virtual engagement in the session, enabling participants to virtually moderate break-out sessions, comment on speeches in real time, ask questions, and converse with each other in multiple online platforms – exponentially augmenting learnings from the meeting and ensuring contributions from a much broader audience.

Contact us now to schedule a free diversity + technology consultation

With the majority of employees already using social media tools, diversity and inclusion initiatives need to stay one step ahead by integrating them into the way they get things done. Contact us now to see how JBC can help you better integrate technology into your diversity solutions.

Diversity consultant Jennifer Brown, who works with firms to create strategies on hiring and engaging gay employees, says companies need to be aware that policies on the books, while a start, don’t always ensure that people feel safe working on the factory floor.

“[Companies] can’t guarantee that all people follow their rules,” Brown says, adding that employee resource groups need to watch out for homophobia and mistreatment at all levels—not just at corporate headquarters. “There are people regionally who have a lot of clout and impact how LGBT folks are treated.

Diversity consultant Jennifer Brown, who works with firms to create strategies on hiring and engaging gay employees, says companies need to be aware that policies on the books, while a start, don’t always ensure that people feel safe working on the factory floor.

“[Companies] can’t guarantee that all people follow their rules,” Brown says, adding that employee resource groups need to watch out for homophobia and mistreatment at all levels—not just at corporate headquarters. “There are people regionally who have a lot of clout and impact how LGBT folks are treated.

Influencing others with your personal brand

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
12:30pm – 1:45pm Pacific
Webinar registration $49.95

In a world where the average consumer sees over 3,000 messages a day, you want to make your message both memorable and desirable. In these tough economic times and in searching for your next career move, taking control of your personal brand is one of the most effective communication strategies you should employ. And for LGBT people, there has never been a better time to incorporate our identity into our brand as professionals – what we bring to the table is a growing differentiator for many leading employers. We must at the same time be sensitive to how our audience will receive our message, as well as do our homework on the receptivity of different professional environments. To learn about elements of successful brands, with an exploration of branding for LGBT professionals, please join us for this interactive session.

• Understand how others perceive you
• Define your most compelling brand attributes
• Explain what differentiates you from others
• Strategically integrate your identity as LGBT into your brand package

Jennifer Brown, CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting
Jennifer Brown founded JBC to help talent at all levels redefine leadership for the future workplace. JBC’s training and coaching offerings target both traditional and non-traditional talent, encouraging them to promote their value proposition and recognize the new workplace rule, “The Personal is Professional”. Guided by a deep understanding of the experience of LGBT people and female professionals at work, Jennifer also advises senior management on creating healthy, open workplace cultures where every employee regularly “brings their whole selves to work”. Jennifer is a sought-after media commentator on these topics, with recent appearances on Sirius Radio’s “Out Q”, CBS News for Logo on Being Out at Work, and in Curve Magazine’s Career section. She is a popular Pride speaker, and frequently moderates panels on LGBT career issues, mainly focusing on being “out at work” in the corporate environment, specifically in senior or executive positions. She draws her observations and best practice examples from JBC’s consulting engagements across many industries, in leading companies such as American Express, Booz Allen Hamilton, Credit Suisse, The New York Times, Working Mother Media/Diversity Best Practices, Fortis, Cisco, BASF, Ernst & Young, ESPN, Chubb, and others. JBC is proud to be certified woman-owned by the WBE, as well as LGBT-owned by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Tim Wikstrom, SVP Client Relations, Jennifer Brown Consulting
Tim Wikstrom oversees JBC’s pioneering ERG effectiveness and personal branding programs, playing a critical role in leadership and diversity engagements with clients such as Chubb, Booz Allen, State Farm and Cisco. He embodies JBC’s reputation for facilitating interactive, high-energy learning environments that enable collaboration across silos and seniorities, and has coached many JBC clients to identify authentic career paths and recognize and leverage their strengths in service of their ultimate goals . Tim will be presenting at multiple workshops at this year’s Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Orlando, and co-leading JBC’s engagement as design partner for the first-ever regional Network and Affinity Leadership Congress, NALC West, on October 20, 2009 in San Francisco.