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Dear Friends and Clients,

“Cool” is a slang term that just won’t go away, although it means different things to different people. When we praise something as “cool” we mean that it is excellent, but the word also carries nuances of all that is hip.

In the workplace, if we describe a colleague as “cool” we might be talking about competence, but we probably mean something else as well, such as that he is self assured, genuine, in tune with the latest trends, and willing to take risks.

I’ve been thinking lately about cool in the workplace, after hearing from a soccer mom who hoped to restart her career. She said that she was confident of her professional skills but she feared that she just wasn’t cool enough to get a job offer. And she didn’t know where to turn to polish up her coolness quotient.

“Cool” is a hard concept to pin down, but in this issue I’ve given it a try. Particularly if you’ve reached mid-life, I hope that you enjoy my suggestions about what’s cool and what’s not.

Warmly, Bev

A Boomer’s Guide
To Being Cool
At the Office

November 15, 2005 * Number 27

When Baby Boomers were young, we knew we were cool – cooler than our parents and teachers, cooler than our bosses, and cooler than our governments.

As the years have gone by, however, cooler generations have come along, and now they’ve moved into positions of power. Gen X-ers, Gen Ys and Echo-Boomers are running our offices, becoming our clients, sitting next to us at dinner parties, and sometimes intimidating us with all that they know and do.

Sure, there are more important things than being cool. But feeling cool and self confident can be an advantage in your professional life. For one thing, whether you’re meeting with younger clients, interviewing for a job at an innovative firm, or meeting the demands of your hot-shot boss, your performance might be enhanced if you feel cool.

Beyond that, if you exude a lack of coolness you may lose opportunities to show what you actually can do. In his intriguing book “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell told us about the science of “rapid cognition.” He described how people tend to make snap judgments – for right or wrong – within an instant of meeting a stranger.

When we want to be cool, we are thinking particularly about the factors that could cause others to rush to judgment about our strengths and weaknesses. We know that packaging shouldn’t ultimately matter, but cool packaging can sometimes help us make a strong first impression.

Here are some tips that might get you started, if you’re working on your own coolness quotient.

Limit talk about your younger days. After researching key characteristics of the Baby Boom Generation, Ohio University Professor Karen Riggs says that a defining trait of Boomers is veneration of their own history. And other researchers say that the people born after 1975 – sometimes called the “Baby Boom Echo Generation” – are particularly sick of hearing about what their elders did in the old days. So it’s cool to focus on the present and the future, but it’s decidedly uncool to keep trotting out those stories about how it used to be done.
Be fit, but don’t talk so much about it. Boomers are in much better shape than their parents were, and Boomers tend to believe that almost any physical challenge can be overcome. That is a good thing, and it is very cool to be fit. On the other hand, it’s uncool to talk too much about how hard it is to stay that way. Avoid excessive water cooler talk about your health problems, unless you can casually mention recent sports injuries.
Grooming matters. There is point in life when going really casual can make you look older and more tired than you already are. Views differ on the lengths you should go to seem younger than your real age, but it certainly isn’t cool to look older. Consider raising your standards of grooming as you age, and note that men as well as women might benefit from an occasional style makeover.
Be centered. According to Professor Riggs, Boomer mythology says that “what age takes away from the virile body, it replaces in spades with benefits to the soul.” Enlightenment doesn’t come automatically, but self knowledge, self acceptance and a positive attitude can indeed be enormously attractive, no matter what your age. It’s cool to know and like yourself, and it’s cool to find ways to help others.
Learn from younger colleagues. Just because you have more years of experience doesn’t mean you know everything. It is cool to recognize that younger generations may be better at many things, from capitalizing on emerging technologies to taking some kinds of risks. It is uncool to be closed minded and unwilling to try new approaches.
Be open to technology. Luddism arose in 19th Century England, when desperate followers of Ned Ludd broke into factories and destroyed machines in an effort to save jobs that were threatened by new technologies. Since then, every wave of technology has spawned a new wave of Luddites, but the Luddites always lose. You don’t have to embrace all new technologies, but it isn’t cool to reject them out of ignorance. On the job, it is cool for Boomers to at least be aware of the existence of the latest communication trends. Know the basics, like difference between a blog (a personal internet journal or “weblog”) and a vlog (video log). Be willing to learn from younger folks, who some researchers describe as “digital natives.”

Want to Read About
How the Next Generation
Is Redefining Cool?

Described below is a book that provides insights about cool business trends. To order the book from Amazon.com, click on its title. For reviews of other helpful books, go to: ClearWays Books and Services. If you buy a book through these links it will contribute to the cost of distributing Bev’s Tips, and be much appreciated.

Got Game – How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever, by John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade, Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

The generation born after 1975 should be known as the “game generation,” the authors say, because it is their broad experience with video game technologies that sets these young people apart from the rest of. And, they argue, the prevalence of video gaming is the biggest factor shaping the future of business.

Video games are a technology that has been universally adopted by a large, young cohort but ignored by its elders. So the authors undertook a broad survey which, they conclude, shows a direct, statistically verifiable link between digital games and professional behavior in the workplace.

According to Beck and Wade, “games deliver a ‘reality’ where the rules are different from the rest of the world and players are steeped in lessons like:

•You, the player, are the star, the boss, the expert;
•There's always an answer and trial-and-error is generally the best way to find it;
•It’s all about competition.

Notwithstanding the fears of parents, the authors found much good news when they looked at the likely characteristics of gamers in the workplace. Members of the game generation, they said, believe in heroic performance, are willing to fully engage and take risks, and tend to be surprisingly loyal to the organizations of which they are a part.

Productivity is cool. A coach can help you to become fully engaged and more productive in the workplace. To learn more about coaching, or to schedule a speech or workshop, contact Bev.

Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly E. Jones of ClearWays Consulting, LLC. Bev is a lawyer and former executive who now coaches accomplished CEO's, public afffairs executives, and other professionals to bring new direction, energy and enjoyment to their work lives.

All rights in all media reserved. However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

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