Kids sure ain't what they used to be - or are they? - youth and employment - column

Kids sure ain't what they used to be--or are they?

At a recent conference of industry recruiters, a young professor waxed confidently on the changing values of today's young people toward work. He professed that the job is not as much of the central driving force as it was of our parents and our parents' parents. Or, as my grandfather would remind us all too frequently, "Kids ain't what they used to be."

Well, maybe so. What one might argue is that times "ain't" what they used to be and kinds haven't changed. From where I sit, surrounded by young people committed to hard work and this industry, the job or career is as much the core interest in their lives as it was to mnay of us 20 and 30 years ago.

The difference is that fewer people are driven by fear, and more are driven by contributing something worthwhile. Said differently, years ago you had a job, today the job has got to have you. When the job has the employee, work takes on a dimension of achievement, and achievement begets self respect...and for most people, any effort that produces self respect is joyful.

It seems to me that when today's kids are managed the same as they were in the past (fear and intimidation), they put a cap on commitment and do only what they have to do. On the other hand, when they believe that they are involved in something worthwhile and there is a payoff (not always money), they are just as committed as our grandparents--and for better reasons.

People haven't changed much; their circumstances have.

When my parents came to the U.S. from the old country in 1909, the job was everything because eating and keeping warm was the central driving force. And jobs were hard to get--any job. The stories of my grandfather walking the streets literally begging for work (never food or money) were part of the Smith family lore of growing up.

These were proud people, often respected leaders of the villages back home. They spoke four and five languages, but unfortunately none of them was English. They took the first (only) job offered them, worked like animals and were grateful.

That job was everything because they couldn't afford to lose it. They learned not to question, work hard and do exactly what they were told. How much more their bosses could have realized from their efforts no one will ever know. Their sweat and obedience earned them their own house or apartment and brought them a little closer to a dream of sending someone in their family to college so that one day their kids wouldn't have to go through what they did to make a living.

And so it goes that first-generation Americans absorbed their grandparents' values. Having the job continued to be everything and that norm was reinforced in the 1930s by the Great Depression. Fear, hunger and shelter were still driving forces. People had to have the job. They continued to "shut up," work hard and do what they were told to do.

Many saved enough to open their own business (often in a service field), and many more sent their kids to college.

But those were times of a different color. You see, those kids were raised in the 1960s. Most did not miss a meal all their lives. Being "cool" was their problem--not keeping warm. And as for jobs, as far back as they can remember, they were easy to get.

And what did they learn in college? I'll tell you . . . Speak up, WORK SMART (not hard) and QUESTION WHAT YOU'RE TOLD.

Damn! Those kids listened and learned. They were introduced to new ideas such as quality of work life, participatory management, Theory Y and Z, etc. Today, few are fear driven, and most don't have to take the first job offered.

Yet, I continue to see incredible commitment and effort put into preparation for their careers. It makes me believe that young people are equally committed to their jobs but motivated by what they get "in" the job, not the fear of losing it.

Nothing can damage the work performance of young people more than to believe that kids won't work hard or that the only way to get it out of them is through fear.

Is it possible that "kinds" (people) are at least as good as they used to be? For an industry whose life blood depends upon young people, we need to examine the gap that may exist between several generations of management beliefs about what drives commitment and hard work.

Has growing up in the good times of the '60s and '70s left an indelible mark on the young person's work ethics? Are today's college graduates willing to pay the price with hard work? Are hunger and fear the necessary driving forces that create dependability and commitment?

Last Monday, I was privileged to sit in on a crew meeting at a fast-service restaurant in the suburbs of Houston. This is a severely depressed city, and jobs are hard to find (12% unemployment). It was watching these "kids" that prompted this article.

The assistant manager (who happens to be a college graduate and my son) and I arrived at 7:25 a.M. Monday was his day off, and he closed the previous night (he never mentioned it to me once). The crew meeting was called for 8 a.M., and Danny, the manager, had obviously been there for some time before we arrived. Danny had finished the schedule and was reprogramming the P.O.S. register for a price promotion that began that day.

He is 21 years old and has been working in fast-service restaurants for four years. He, two assistants, a shift leader and 12 teenage crew members are responsible for this half million dollar business. All but one of Danny's crew is between 16 and 18 years old.

Danny worked about 54 hours a week in the restaurant and at least another 15 hours at home. In his spare time, he goes to night school where he is working on his college degree.

I was taken by the enthusiasm that these two managers had for their employees, and they shared some wonderful insights regarding their crew members with me. I was pleased to see how much of an interest they took in each employee. For example, my son pointed to a 17-year-old girl swinging a mop with the vigor of Pete Rose and explained that things were tough in her family. She has to work two jobs and turn every penny she earns over to her mom.

As the clock moved toward 8 a.m., the other crew members began to arrive. One stood out like the sun at day break; he was dressed in whites. I nudged Danny and asked, "Who's that?" "Oh, that's Carlos, he closes every night. He left here at 12 a.M. this morning to go to his other job at the Intercontinental Airport." "What's the costume?," I Asked. "Oh, that's required at his cosmetology school. He goes there from here." "When does he sleep?," I equipped. "Beats me, and he's always 'up'," Danny replied.

Making rounds and checking on the restaurant's condition was a rather slight youth with a poor excuse for a moustache. He obviously wanted to look grown up, but once he opened his mouth, you knew he was old enough. He checked the coffee, grabbed the pot and marched over to us, asking if we needed a refill. Danny explained, "That's Frank. He's 16 and, in less than a year, has mastered every station in the restaurant." You could tell time by him. His dream was to become crew chief, and he made it a month ago.

Frank was a leader; during the meeting, he naturally assumed responsibility as group spokesman. Several times, he spoke up and raised difficult issues. He demonstrated communication skills far beyond his years.

FOR EXAMPLE, he diplomatically pointed to the possibility of posting schedules sooner so the crew could better plan their personal time. It was interesting to note that neither Danny nor the assistant manager became defensive by the question, but rather, apologized for their tardiness and said that it would be corrected (those schedules were out early that week).

Then there was Rhonda. She was 16 and a real "pistol," no doubt the fastest gun in the Southwest. She spoke her mind on improving customer service, and from what I was told, had every reason. The rest of the creww chided her, but what I found out was that any time the crew was falling behind, Rhonda was called on to work pivot between drive-thru and register #2. She was this team's "Magic" Johnson.

I could wax on indefinitely about what I learned about each of these players, but in the interest of space, I will share the highlights of the morning's events.

* All 13 crew members and managers showed up for the meeting.

* No one was tardy. This included last night's closing crew. The final member arrived about one minute to eight. Her mother, who drove, was obviously worse for the wear.

* Everyone looked sharp and ready for business. That day, the crew was dressed in their color-coordinated customes, hats, and all had name tags. It was obvious that crew morale was high from the kidding going on.

* A key issue at the meeting was this week's time trials for a nationwide customer service (speed) contest in whcih this crew was district finalists. I wish you could have observed how this 21-year-old manager solicited ideas and commitment from the crew. They were going to win.

* Among the other critical points covered on Danny's well-outlined agenda was customer relations. Rather than the usual "chieftalks" and "Indians listen" routine, these "kids" created a role play on managing customer complaints. Another short exercise held their interest with a short change routine (from the movie "Paper Moon"). That was good training, fun learning and group involvement.

AS THE meeting was coming to a close, Frank noticed that there was only 10 minutes to "curtain time," and htye were behind. With that everyone but Carlos (he had to go to school) moved like a well-oiled football team to get that restaurant ready. I might mention that most of them were not on the clock and they did open on time.

When my sone and I left the restaurant, I felt more confident about today's kids than ever. (A postscript: That service contest was held the following day. These kids put out about $250 per hour in volume, and the order delivery time averaged 12 seconds.)

In addition, I felt a sense of pride in this great industry that contributes so much to shape our youth's business education and America's work ethics.

Our young people may not be operating as much out of fear as our grandparents, but they can be every bit as hard working and committed to their jobs and careers. Iths just that they are driven by a fair wage, achievement and knowing that what they do counts.

It occurred to me that kids "ain't" what they used to be . . . they're better.

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