Appropriately wearing Blue and white: white J.Crew peplum, blue J.Crew cotton pencil skirt, J.Crew Factory necklace, black Macy's Impluse Shop faux leather rmoto jacket and Coach pumps
Appropriately wearing Blue and white: white J.Crew peplum, blue J.Crew cotton pencil skirt, J.Crew Factory necklace, black Macy’s Impluse Shop faux leather rmoto jacket and Coach pumps

OnTheRoadAgain
Earlier this week I shared with you my venture to New York City to help my daughter move to her own apartment on the Upper East side. In the same week, I was on the road again.  This time to Centre County AKA Happy Valley.

It seems something is always happening at Pennsylvania State University. As my husband and I checked into the quaint historic Nittany Lion Inn, there was no less than ten events occurring over the weekend.  I am sure there are many occasions to celebrate with James Franklin as the new face of football, rebuilding the stellar blue and white image with their new brand initiative “Penn State Lives Here.”

new PSU branding
new PSU branding sign located in the Lewis Katz Penn State Dickinson School of Law, State College

Not much has physically changed since my last visit to University Park in May 2009 when our daughter graduated, however, as we traveled to the banquet, I noticed the fairly new Lew Katz Law School Building on the left and across the street the  another Arboretum, opening later this year.

My travels took me to PSU because my husband, an attorney, graduated from Dickinson School of Law ’80 was the recipient of The Student Bar Association’s 2014 Alumni Diversity Award for Leadership in the Legal Profession. The Student Diversity Banquet was created in 2013 to celebrate, highlight, and recognize the achievements of Penn State Law’s diverse student body, faculty, and staff.

Currently, four generations are in the workforce:
1.  Silent Generation (1928 – 1945)
2.  Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964)
3.  Generation X (1965 – 1976)
4.  Millennials (1977 – 1998)

As per my husband’s speech, there are cultural, educational and workplace trends that remain consistent within generations.  Each generation is losing touch with books/paper and gravitating toward technology and less personal interaction.  Modern-day employees place their personal needs above demands of the workplace.

What can a boomer attorney that graduated from law school over thirty years ago offer to a diverse group of millennials where some were not even born in 1980?

I’d like to share some of his intergenerational points to consider to bridge the gap:

  •  Develop awareness, effective communication and active listening skills
  • Practice sensitivity, fairness, tolerance, and objectivity
  • Cultural Intelligence:  Cultural intelligence or competence is the state of being able to function effectively in the context of cultural differences.  It is the policies and practices of an organization or the values and behaviors of an individual, which fosters effective cross cultural communication and ability to see through the lens by which others view the world.
  • Customer Service – the customer is always right!
  • Exercising critical thinking and judgement in responding to satisfying the needs of your customers and clients.
  • Networking:  Networking is the ability to create and maintain an effective, widely based system or resources that works to the mutual benefit of oneself and others through the skill dimensions of using relevant information, having good working relations, and maintaining and communicating a good record of accomplishment.

Develop Your Network:  How Do You Do This?

  • Acknowledge – gifts, leads, information, ideas, support i.e. send handwritten notes
  • Stay in touch when seeking nothing
  • Be aware of who is in your network
  • Keep people in the loop about leads, projects, and contracts
  • Don’t leave people dangling.
  • Know etiquette and net-iquette
  • Treat people kindly.
  • Volunteer in your community.
  • Stay visible, especially in professional organizations, strongly encouraged to join state and local bar associations.  Bar association memberships provide networking, peer support, and many opportunities to emerge as leaders of the legal profession.  Bar membership is an incredible credential for practice and client development.
  • Be aware of the value of mentoring both and mentor and mentored.  Both roles will limey add to your success.
  • Try to develop your E. Q. – Emotional Intelligence.  Your ability to recognize and manage your emotions and using this awareness to manage yourself and your relationships with others.
  • Leadership is the glue that brings it all together – the ability to accomplish your goals and help others achieve theirs.

I hope you find this information helpful for any graduating law students.  I admire the loyal PSU fans/alumni that will take to being on the road again for the 1:30 PM kick-off for the annual Blue/White Game on April 12th. I’m sure they will enjoy the new renewed energy surrounding the new coach but also a renewed support and excitement for PSU football program.