Welcome to the June 14, 2006 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

What's Inside:

1.  Why some employees connect the dots differently than you do

"I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful,” Ben Roethlisberger told reporters in May 2005. “I'm not really a risk taker." For those of you who may not recognize the name, Roethlisberger is the 24-year-old quarterback who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 2006 Super Bowl victory after winning thirteen straight games just a year earlier as a rookie.

This past Monday, Roethlisberger was seriously injured when riding his motorcycle without a helmet. When asked last year about the dangers of this, "It's a choice," Roethlisberger said. "I just get out there and relax, I don't try to take too many risks.”

I guess that is one point of view. Others, including the team owners, coaches, teammates, fans, and his family might disagree. Reckless is one word that might come to mind.

I’d like to suggest another: “Challenger.”

Challenger is just one of four points of view found when studying and discussing values. A point of view is merely the results of combining different beliefs into value systems that in turn drive our behaviors.

Each of us have both end values and mean values. An end value might be world peace or personal happiness. A means value might be treating everyone fairly or looking out for yourself first. Some of us share these values. Others don’t. That leads us to different points of view.

Differences in points of view if not understood lead to conflicts. What is interesting, although not necessarily surprising, is that the same risk taking and reckless abandon the fans adored and teammates respected on the playing field is now being criticized as careless and stupid.

Challengers, like Roethlisberger, place high value on personal satisfaction and self-preservation. They continually search for experiences that feel good to them, even if they seem risky or self-indulgent to others. Personal rights and priorities come first. Their approach to life is “get-it-while-you-can.” Challengers believe people should just do their own thing and delayed gratification is to be avoided.

Challengers choose independence, freedom and ambition as their means to their personal satisfaction end. If the Challengers’ point of view sounds familiar, it is – think Generation X. Think extreme sports. Conformity to rules, policies, and tradition is accepted only if it is sync with their priorities. They want the freedom to explore, try new things, no matter how unconventional it might be. They want to be upwardly mobile, to achieve power and status, and live the good life as quickly as possible.

Now let’s stop for a minute: how did you feel when you read about the Challengers? Where you thinking, “That sounds like a pretty good way to live” or was your blood starting to boil?

If stupid, self-centered, and irresponsible were words that came to mind when you first heard about Roethlisberger, you might be a Traditionalist. Traditionalists are to Challengers what George Bush is to Madonna.

Responsible living is the key end value for Traditionalists. They live to do what is best for the family, organization, team, community, and so on. Their purpose – make the world a better place. As opposed to the “me” Challengers, Traditionalists value the “we.”
They don’t mind giving more than get and believe it is their duty to work hard. Rewards come in time for Traditionalists.

Traditionalists value devotion, loyalty and dependability. They make commitments to others – and keep them! They play by the rules and expect others to do so. They pull their own weight, stick with you through thick and thin, and their word is their bond.

If my description of Traditionalists gave you goose bumps and you long for the good old days, there is a reason – you likely see the world from a Traditionalist point of view.

Which now brings me back to Roethlisberger. How you feel about him not wearing a helmet, while riding what even the manufacturer has called the fastest street-legal motorcycle on the market, will depend on your point of view. To the Challenger, “life is a b*tch, then you die.” To the Traditionalist, you have an obligation to serve, honor and obey.

Roethlisberger described himself as “conservative, laid back, and careful.” These are not words that come to mind when I read about Ben Roethlisberger. But then again, that’s my point of view.

A lesson managers can learn from all this: Caution should be used so that your own point of view doesn’t cloud your understanding and appreciation for other points of views. Each point of view has produced history makers, great leaders and great men and women. Prominent traditionalists include Walt Disney and John Wayne, Ann Landers and Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope and John F. Kennedy. Challengers include George Patton and Mae West, Andrew Carnegie and Madonna, Babe Ruth and Adolf Hitler.

Remember, what YOU value is just YOUR point of view.

To learn more about these and the other two viewpoints (Inbetweener and Synthesizer), I’d highly recommend reading “The Leader Within: Learning Enough About Yourself to Lead Others” available at

Learn more about how points of view shape your company culture, impact recruitment and retention, drives or divides teamwork, and ultimately determine how successful you will be at achieving your life’s purpose. Email here.

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Alerts # 543 to 544

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Fact #543: In 1945, in the early days of the Social Security program, there were 41.9 contributing workers for every beneficiary. As the program and the elderly population grew, there was a huge decrease in the number of workers per beneficiary. By 1950, as a result, there were just 16.5 contributing workers for every beneficiary. The current ratio is 3.4 contributing workers for each beneficiary. By 2040, under the intermediate projections of the Social Security Trustees, the ratio of beneficiaries to workers is projected to decline to 2 contributing workers for every beneficiary.

Fact #544: Health expenses rise with age, and 77 million baby boomers are now solidly into middle age. By one estimate, the average elderly American consumes 37 percent more health care services than the average worker. The healthcare cost disparity for males over 50 is more than twice as high compared to workers under age 50.Compared with people ages 18 to 44, people ages 45 to 64 are nearly three times more likely to have a disability, six times more likely to have high blood pressure, and 15 times more likely to die of cancer.

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3. Understanding Generational Differences

Test your ability to communication with Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers, and Traditionalists. Our NEW Generational Style Assessment evalautes the communication or relational style you typically apot when interacting with individuals or groups of people from different generations. It then provides you insight into those styles that work for you, and what to do about the styles that don't. This self-scoring workbook includes the questionnaire, response sheet, how to interpret your results, and how to understand the different styles.

Order the Generational Style Assessment today.

More Books about Managing the Generations.

4.   Quotes from Hire Authorities

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.
Vince Lombardi

5.  Which DISC is your boss?

Based on the work of Dr. Carl Jung and Dr. William Marston, there are four types of classic dispositions (DISC) or behavioral style indicators possessed by most leaders. Read more about the four types of bosses, along with some guiding principles regarding them.

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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.