Archive for the ‘General’ Category

What business hasn’t been forced to cut back and still do more to promote their business?  Non-profits have been particularly hard hit and that makes using social media to connect with donors, volunteers, and the community a near-perfect solution.  Yes, it takes some time but the entry cost is almost nothing and the potential is unlimited.  And once you get started, I can almost guarantee you that people passionate about your cause will generate passionate conversation to promote your cause and value. 

This past Wednesday I had a great day at Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore Resource Day.  The seminar was a sell-out and the enthusiasm in the room was palpable.  It’s so rewarding to see people passionate about what they do. 

Listen to what just a few participants had to say about the workshop “Link Me, Tweet Me, Friend Me” and how they plan to use social media.

I received this as a blonde joke but thought it was more apropos as the ultimate geek and geezer conversation!

During a recent password audit, it was found that one of the geezer employees was using the following password:

          MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento

When a geek co-worker asked why such a long password, she said:

 ”I was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital………”

“There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.” Steven J Ross

I’ve been called a lot of things in my life but never The Renaissance Man.  But “Ira S Wolfe: A Renaissance Man” was the frontpage headline in our local paper (The Courier) this week.  After reading the article,  I’ll accept the new title – it seems to fit and I hope I’ll represent it well.

In the same edition, my Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization book was reviewed.  I’ll be posting the review in the next few days.

Click here to read The Renaissance Man article.

Apparently a parent is never too old to discuss the birds and the bees with his/her children. I just received this really cute joke by email from my 86 y/o mother!  How many 86 year olds do you know who would even understand this joke…no less could send it to friends and family by email?  The Internet can connect all people regardless of age if only we’d let it.

How was I born?

A little boy goes to his father and asks ‘Daddy, how was I born?’ 

The father answers, ‘Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway!  Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.  Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe.  We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other.  There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive.  As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said: 

Scroll down…You’ll love this ….

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“You’ve Got Male!”

If you live on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, you’ll want to register today for these new courses just added to the fall schedule at Wor-Wic Community College. (If you live outside the region, contact Ira S Wolfe about on-site or web-based classes.)

When Boomers and Young Workers Collide: Capitalizing on Generational Strengths

Boomers are lingering in the workplace. Gen Xers are growing impatient waiting to ascend into leadership. Gen Ys are knocking at HR’s door in record numbers and technology is transforming mode and pace of communication. Four generations co-mingle in the workplace. Different managerial approaches and working styles are clashing. Discover how to capitalize on each generation’s strengths and find common ground. Explore generational trends that are changing the way employers do business.

COURSE 2130: Wed.; Oct. 7-Nov. 11 (except Oct. 14); 5 sessions; 8:30-11:30 a.m.; Tuition $160; Fee $40; Wor-Wic Campus/WDC304; Ira Wolfe.

Social Media 101: Link Me, Tweet Me, Nudge Me

Social media provides business owners with the ability to connect with customers, suppliers, and partners in an innovative fashion. Discover how other successful businesses are utilizing social media technologies like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, and more to market their services and provide timely information to their customers. Develop a best practice strategy to utilize social media technologies within your own organization.

COURSE 2111: Thurs.; Oct. 1 & 8; 2 sessions; 6:309:30 p.m.; Tuition $42; Wor-Wic Campus/WDC203; Ira Wolfe.

Marketing Your Business: Using Facebook

Should your business be on Facebook? Find out why this trend isn’t just for college students. Discover how you can stay competitive in today’s business climate by integrating free social media networking into your marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. Facebook with more than 100 million subscribers is changing the way businesses search for customers and employees, brand products and companies, provide support, and build loyalty. Find out how other businesses are using Facebook and how you can create a customized professional Facebook presence for your organization. Identify the benefits and risks associated with using online communities and develop an effective business strategy. Create business profiles, pages, and groups and learn how to integrate videos, and other Web 2.0 applications, like Twitter, with your Facebook page. Discover how to direct people back to your blog and web page, add fans, and create a buzz about your product or service.

COURSE 2205: Sat.; Oct. 17-31; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

COURSE 2206: Wed.; Oct. 21-Nov. 4; 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Both sessions will meet for 3 sessions; Tuition $59; Fee $10; Wor-Wic Campus/WDC308; Ira Wolfe.

Questions?  Call (410) 334-2815 or go to www.worwic.edu

When the freshman class headed off to college in 1991, the headlines railed about government interventions, bailouts, bad loans, unemployment and greater regulation of the finance industry. The Tonight Show changed hosts for the first time in decades, and the nation asked “was Iraq worth a war?” 

Eighteen years later, the class of 2013 is arriving on campuses amidst headlines condemning bad loans and high unemployment while debating the value of government interventions, bailouts, and greater regulation of the finance industry.  Conan O’Brien has replaced Jay Leno and we’re still asking “was Iraq worth a war?”  

You might be thinking…the more things change, the more they stay the same.  That is until you take a deeper look – the headlines in 1991 were ink on paper.  Today the headlines are bits and bytes on electronic screens. Back in 1991, a man walking down the street and talking to himself was considered crazy.  Today, this same talking man might just be engaged in a conversation with his “Bluetooth” plugged in his ear.  

The 2013 Beloit College Mindset list, started in 1998 by Ron Nief, emeritus director of public affairs for Beloit College in Wisconsin, who was later joined by Tom McBride, professor at Beloit College, chronicles events, like the demise of print media, that have shaped the mindsets of the newest college class. It is these events that will shape their  points of view for the rest of their lives and ultimately define how collaborative or oppositional they are with other generations.

For instance, a favorite point of discussion among Baby Boomer managers is tattoos. Once considered to be the exclusive logo for drunken sailors and trashy girls, today they are quite chic and valued as a form of personal expression. This different point of view is creating quite a bit of tension in the workplace especially in the HR world.

Skimming over the list, it is easy to see how time flies and how differently the youngest Generation Ys experience the world. A few of more of my favorites on this year’s list:

1. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.
2. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.
3. They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
4. Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
5. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.
6. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer.
7. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods.
8. Condoms have always been advertised on television.
9. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
10. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code.
11. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
12. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
13. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations.
14. They have never been ‘Saved by the Bell.’
15. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging.

The following comment posted on another blog sums up the difference just a few years makes:

“I was having my nails done last week when the young daughter of the person next to me said, “They didn’t have nail places everywhere when you were little? Geez, what kind of world was it back then?”

Read the complete 2013 Beloit College Mindset list.

What events did the Beloit College list miss?  Share them with us by posting them here or on our Facebook fan page.

Learn more about different points of view that bind and divide the generations in Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization.

Welcome to Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization. Posts will be coming soon about both the opportunities and the heartache of managing a multi-generational workforce. I invite readers to comment and experts to contribute. Post your experiences -good and bad – working with different generations. Share your viewpoints. Start a conversation or keep one alive.