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Four Generations – One Workforce

By Debbie Morrison, December 2, 2009 | Comments

Bill. The Baby Boomer.

How many times have you secretly rolled your eyes at a co-worker? Or battled to get your point across to a room full of people unwilling to listen to your perspective? Do you hate feeling like you’re being micro-managed?

You’re not alone.

Go ahead and blame it on your parents because you’re a product of the generation you were born into!

For the first time in history, there are four generations in the work force. And these players are different than ever before. We have a workforce that is increasingly diverse in age, experience, work styles and backgrounds. This is why understanding generations and how they work is critical. Today’s 25-year-old Millennial worker is not the same as a 25-year-old Generation X worker was 10 years ago or a Baby Boomer 20 years ago. There are distinct differences that must be understood – and appreciated.

Check out where you fall into the generations, and see if some of the traits are characteristic of you.

Tradionalists
Birth Years: Pre-1945
Population Size: 75 million (25% are still in the workforce)
Traits: conservative, fiscally prudent, loyal, faith in institutions, sensitive to minority positions, masters of policy, committees and processes, trust credentialed experts.
Communication style: administrative, policy-oriented, letter of the law, masters of the expert opinion, think tanks.

Baby Boomer Debbie. True to her description.

Baby Boomers
Birth Years: 1946-1964
Population Size: 80 million
Traits: ambitious, idealistic, strong work ethic, highly competitive, multi-taskers, value vision and mission, believe in the importance of personal indulgence over institutional might.
Communication Style: megaphone, brilliant message crafters, good creators of content that aligns to purpose and values with appeal to higher purpose and meaning.

Generation Xers
Birth Years: 1965-1981
Population Size: 46 million
Traits: independent, resourceful, adaptable, value pragmatic, realistic approach to daily life, now-oriented, skeptical, distrust institutions.
Communication Style: independent, not connected to an organization, focused on micro-subjects and personal expression of style work, masters of the internet, blogging and publishing resources.

Alissa, a cusper, is quite tech savvy. She feels right at home between Generation X and Generation Y.

Millennial (Gen Y or GenNext)
Birth Years: 1982-2000
Population Size: 76 million
Traits: tech savvy, environmentally conscious, open minded and accepting of differences, socially conscious, value team, cohesiveness and their special mission as a generation.
Communication Style: upbeat, rally together, focused on the activity and approval of their peers, masters of mobile and hand-held devices.

I think the conclusion is clear, awareness is half the battle – understanding the unique traits of each generation and what makes us all different. So, instead of rolling our eyes about the generation gaps let’s embrace the many benefits of our multi-generational workforce and work together to create a dynamic work environment – but that’s just our opinion as an entitled, lazy, tech savvy Millennials.

So which Generation are you a part of? And what generation dominates your work place?

The co-authors, Brooke and Andrea. Both Millennials.

*Learn more about the generational divide by reading When Generations Collide by Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman.

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: Bill Hatling, Conversation, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Social Media

Past HatlingFlint Interns. Where are they now?

By admin, November 23, 2009 | Comments

Ever ask yourself “hmm, I wonder what happened to her?” or “where is he now?” Well, we took care of that for you. We asked our past interns a few questions about their internship at HatlingFlint.

The questions were:
1. When did you intern at HatlingFlint?
2. Where did you go to school and what was your major?
3. What are you doing now?

We did ask them what their favorite thing about interning with us was, but the list was endless.

Andrea Snaza
1. My internship was Feb-May 2009- about 4 months
2. I graduated in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Art, concentration Graphic Design from SCSU
3. Currently working as a Contract/Temporary Graphic Designer at Creative Memories Headquarters- St. Cloud, MN

Keith Clobes
1. My internship was 2007 Jan-Apr
2. Graduated with a B.F.A. Graphic Design from SCSU
3. Currently working as a Graphic Designer / Product Designer for Williams Sound

Trysta Lukach
1. My internship was from May 2009 – End of August 2009
2. I graduated from SCTC with an AAS degree in Advertising Communication and Design and an AAS degree in web design.
3. I am working for Granite City Real Estate as the On-site Resident Manager for Hillside. As for the job pertaining to advertising, I designed a new logo for them and I also do the bimonthly newsletter along with flyers as needed. I do freelance work on the side, including senior pictures.

Amber Osowski
1. My internship was April-July 2008
2. I DID graduate (top of my class) and it was with a BFA in Graphic Design
3. Currently searching for a design job while working as a Universal Banker at US Bank in St. Cloud

Eden Zimny
1. My internship was in the winter of 08/09, 4 months
2. Graduated in 09 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis in Graphic Design.
3. I am currently working in advertising at Mimbach Fleet Supply in St.Cloud. I handle the print ads, some in-store signage, and design and maintain the company web site.

Andrea and Eden at the Hatling & Flint Circus

We are thankful for our interns over the years. They have helped us with countless projects and, in the process, have hopefully left with an arsenal of skills they can use in all of their endeavors.

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: Advertising, Andrea Snaza, Creativity, Eden Zimny, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Intern, Internship, St. Cloud

Do u luv or h8 txting?

By Josh Hoffman, November 9, 2009 | Comments

The advent of mobile technology gives marketers the opportunity to reach target audiences with a very personalized message, any time of day, delivered right into their hands. But the tool is not without controversy. Concerns have been raised about the impact of frequent texting on literacy and the English language.

txt msging has now bcome a freq used mode of comm among the young peeps. u can stay connected w/ ur bffs round the clock & on ur own terms. u can send a msg whnevr u want & u can ignore a msg rec’d or rply 2 it when u feel like it. w/ such a small space 2 write ur txt, words r reduced down to abbrevs or symbols. while this is eff 4 txt msging, the habit of using txt lingo is moving byond the mble device & is used in evryday writing. so the ? is this – is txting ruining the English lingo? lol

Critics claim text messaging has reduced the art of the written word to the literary equivalent of vanity license plates—clever, but gimmicky and trite. In our haste to communicate quickly, speed triumphs over syntax, punctuation is disregarded, emotions are misinterpreted, and the search for the perfect word completely abandoned. We are faced with no less than the destruction of the English language. Forever. A tragedy as profound as the prose of Shakespeare himself (who, btw, happily made up thousands of words).

Others—including some linguists—are less alarmed, pointing out that language, and the rules governing how we use it, have continually evolved to reflect how people communicate, and rightly so. Still others go so far as to say texting actually makes younger people better communicators, contending the more children use language, the more verbally skilled they become. In fact, studies have found no evidence that online language is degrading other aspects of language.

Is this controversy a linguistic tempest in a teapot? What do you think? Do you believe texting is ruining the written word?

Text: MOBILE to: 38681 Once you text MOBILE to 38681, you will receive a reply with that very question.

Check back to this post and we’ll let you know the consensus.

So, after a week of responses here is the consensus: 8 feel that it is ruining the language and 13 feel it is not. If u took the txting surv on the phone, the correct answer is: “At the rate that texting is growing, we are not gonna see this new language go away soon!” But I have to include some of these wonderful responses. “Good grief, I was wrong, it is ruining the English language.” “blah, blah, blah texting is growing…blah, blah, blah. apparently I am not txt savvy.” “I know I sound like a neanderthal, but if illiteracy is in vogue, I’m happy to look like a bafoon!” “Can’t translate. Point made.” “OK then.”

Your carrier might charge you for the text message, and no, we won’t sell your phone number to anybody. It will only be used for this survey.

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: Advertising, Conversation, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Social Media

How to fall in love with Twitter

By Debbie Morrison, November 2, 2009 | Comments

I was first introduced to Twitter about two years ago when someone invited me to join, so I did. I took a look around, didn’t understand it, ignored it and eventually just completely forgot about it. Another year goes by and suddenly Twitter is a household name. Friends, celebrities, TV stations, businesses, you name it, are all agog about Twitter. So I decided to dust off my old account and give it another try.

I hated it.

But because so many people loved it, I was determined to figure out why. So I asked my 12 followers at the time, “what is the key to liking Twitter?” and this is what I learned:

Follow your passions – This is by far the most important thing to do. Start by searching for and following people who have like interests as you. For me, those interests include organic farming, bee keeping, cross country skiing, food, art, and anything to do with the outdoors.

Read the posts of others – Perhaps you don’t know what to say. That’s ok, because others have a lot of interesting things to say, so just enjoy the thoughts and comments that they are offering. I found that by reading what others had to say was the best way to learn how to use this tool.

Be interesting – Rather than just giving a report about what you ate for supper, share your thoughts, comments about events, photos, or links to articles that you think your followers would be interested to know. My PBJ sandwich report wasn’t nearly as interesting as the number of bee stings I got in the apiary that day.

Have conversations – If you need advice, ask your followers for help, or share your own insights with those who are seeking info that you may know. I discovered this benefit one day when I had a concern about a pest on one of my crops. I posed the question to my organic farmer friends on Twitter and instantly received some great advice – from all over the world. I also learned that there is no grey area on the issue of eating brussel sprouts, but that’s another story.

Be yourself – Relax, let your personality shine through and don’t try to force yourself to be someone different online than the person you are at home. I started to just think about my twitter posts as being a comment I would say to a friend who might be sitting right next to me. That gave me a perspective, and helped me to be, well…. just me.

When I first met Twitter, it was not love at first sight. But over the course of several months, after giving it a chance, my relationship with Twitter has begun to blossom.

Now I’m starting to fall in love with it.

xoxo,
@SapsuckerFarms

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: Advertising, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Social Media Strategy, Twitter

Deadline for the end of the world has been extended

By Debbie Morrison, October 26, 2009 | Comments

December 21, 2012, is the deadline when the world is coming to an end. However, there appears to be a little wiggle room here. Evidently the Mayans, who are credited with “publishing” this deadline, have added an asterisk to that date, explaining there is a lot more to the story.* It seems Hollywood has added some drama. Go figure.

But the drama that comes with meeting deadlines is very real. And there are many days where it becomes obvious that some of these deadlines are just not going to be met. It’s at that point in time when we learn the difference between “published” deadlines and “real” deadlines.

Published deadlines are very valuable. They help us set goals, get organized and establish milestones that need to be reached along the way. But even our most well-thought out plans can hit a snag, or time suddenly passes by and before you know it, that published deadline is no longer possible to achieve. When this happens, anxiety begins to set in, co-workers get crabby, mistakes are made and there is unhappiness everywhere. But this situation also opens up opportunities, and that’s when real deadlines are set.

Real deadlines force everyone involved to stop and reevaluate what really needs to be done and how the team can pull it off. The previously discouraged team is re-energized, united for a common purpose and mobilized to accomplish the seemingly unattainable task at hand. Together, they work smarter, use their creative talents to employ unconventional problem-solving techniques, and, in the end, have a huge sense of accomplishment and reason to celebrate a job well done.

Publishing deadlines is great and always the preferred means by which to reach a goal. But deadlines will be missed and when that happens, it doesn’t mean the goal cannot be achieved. Just figure out what really needs to get done and work smarter – together. Then enjoy life and don’t worry about it. After all, it’s not the end of the world.

So, what are you planning to do on December 22, 2012?

*For more about the end of the world see MSNBC http://ow.ly/vH93

Aztec calendar photo credit courtesy of Santa Fe College

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: 2012, Advertising, Conversation, deadlines, end of the world, Event, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Mayan calendar

Guess who?

By Josh Hoffman, October 19, 2009 | Comments

Everyone knows that a logo represents a particular company. One goal for that company is brand recognition. It is a visual representation that is unique to a company which customers and consumers recognize immediately.

A logo portrays a clear, professional image. The image of the company tells a lot about the company in a small, yet impactful way. A logo can range from something very simple to something colorful and ornate. It can be type, a monogram, a trademark or a combination of all. Any way you look at it, it should speak to the company and be the spokesperson for the brand.

We at HatlingFlint are grateful for all of our clients. This is evident by showcasing them on our website. Hopefully by now you have taken a tour of our new website and have seen work we have created for some of our clients. By no means are these our only clients. And by no means are these our favorites. Hang with us or join us, but for now, enjoy a little name-that-logo game.

Please comment below with your answers to this little quiz. Enjoy the game and we will see you back here soon.

Posted in Flint Group, HatlingFlint | Comments

Tags: Advertising, Brand, Brand Recognition, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Logo game, Logos, Marketing

An UNparalleled Experience: the Flint Group Creative Retreat

By Phil Hunt, September 29, 2009 | Comments

Earlier this month, more than thirty Flint Group creatives convened at Lost Lake Lodge near Brainerd, Minnesota. The objective? To share ideas and learn from each other face to face at the Flint Group Creative Retreat. Designers and writers from across the organization spent (roughly) two days and two nights focusing on the future, improving creativity and expanding collaboration.

Things got rolling on Thursday, September 17th with an icebreaker led by SimmonsFlint designer Ann Simmons-Boushey, followed by a wonderful dinner at Lost Lake Lodge and a show and tell of creative work from each agency.

Later that night, we had some fun around the bonfire.

The next morning, our group put social media strategy to work. Writer, Lee Ziegler, and Flint Interactive designer, Alissa Pesta, led the workshop, assigning real marketing problems to small groups. Using Jason Baer’s Social Media Worksheet, the Flint Group creatives addressed the problems with strategies and ideas to create awareness, generate sales or encourage loyalty online.

That afternoon, it was time for our own unConference. Flint Communications art director, Frank Stegmaier, and writer, Phil Hunt, attended an unConference presented by One Club and the Society of Digital Agencies this spring. The experience and discussion was so valuable that we decided to conduct a smaller-scale unConference of our own.

There is no pre-determined agenda for an unConference. At the start of the event, we got together and proposed topics related to our industry and agency. After setting a a loose schedule, we talked and talked some more – documenting key points and outcomes along the way.

Some of the topics addressed included:

•   The Future of Flint Group
•   The Future of Print
•   Surviving the Economy and the New Era of Advertising
•   The Business of Design
•   Ethics in the Creative Field
•   Unconventional Printing and Advertising
•   Social Media
•   Video for the Web
•   How Production Design will Change in the Future
•   Interoffice Collaboration
•   Finding Inspiration
•   Presenting Concepts and Ideas
•   Using Creativity to Make the Creative Brief Go Further

The unConference was a big success – and we recommend it to any organization that wants to discuss big, challenging ideas. For more information on the unConference format, check out the unConference Wikipedia entry, unConference.net or Open Space World.

At night we wound down with another great meal, a butter sculpture contest, plus a bonfire and an outdoor screening of the 2009 Addy Reel. On Saturday, we finished up with some brainstorming techniques from copywriter Phil Hunt, and said our goodbyes.

It was a fun weekend, and a productive one, too. We came back on Monday with fresh perspectives and solid ideas for the future of our clients and our agency. Stay tuned for more thoughts and outcomes from the retreat.

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

Tags: Conversation, Copywriting, Creative Retreat, Creativity, Design, Flint Communications, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, Interactive, Jason Baer, SimmonsFlint, Social Media, unConference, WestmorelandFlint

Posts Tagged ‘HatlingFlint’

Past HatlingFlint Interns. Where are they now?

Deadline for the end of the world has been extended

Guess who?

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