Tip #260: Help Build the Next Generation of Sweet Leaders

As an association, RCI is committed to supporting the next generation of confectionery leaders. In 2012 RCI developed the Next Generation group as a platform to encourage members in their twenties and thirties to build relationships and connect through fun, interactive events.

Being part of a multi-generational, family business, RCI Board President Steve Vande Walle, shares his first experience as the new kid on the block and why supporting young confectionery professionals is important to the industry as a whole.

"[RCI's Next Generation event was created to help the younger generation] develop relationships with members their age, many of whom will turn out to be life-long friends, creating a network of confectionery colleagues facing many of the same challenges who can turn to each other to solve problems and learn from, "says Vande Walle. 

"I wish they had something like this 30 years ago, when I first started attending conventions. I remember attending a networking reception in those days, and seeing all of the “older” members chatting and socializing like they were all best friends."

As a reminder for the more "seasoned" professionals, Vande Walle states, "as leaders of RCI, it is our responsibility to make sure professional growth and networking opportunities for our younger members continues to be available as a way to help our next generation flourish. I believe the next generation events are a step in that direction. Please encourage all young RCI members to attend Next Generation events and even consider becoming a member of our Next Generation Committee. Being a part of the inner workings of the association is very interesting and even more rewarding." 

Regardless of your age, you, too, can help foster the success of future industry leaders by mentoring younger staff or members of your community, encouraging them to participate in local organizations for young professionals, enrolling them in an education course or by sending them to a industry-related conference. 

Consider bringing a young member of your team to RCI's Annual Convention & Industry Expo in Cleveland, Ohio June 18-22, 2018. Aside from all the great education, networking and tours, these "next geners" will leave having made meaningful and lasting connections with colleagues their age that could have an impact on their professional careers for years to come. Visit retailconfectioners.org/annual to learn more and register to attend.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 200: Understand & Resolve the Generation Gap in Your Business

At Retail Confectioners International’s (RCI) Annual Convention & Industry Expo, Keynote Speaker, Matt Havens, kicked off the convention week with the hilarious opening session, Us vs. Them. Being a relevant topic for leaders of any business and industry, retail confectioners filled the education session eager to discover new solutions to effectively manage four distinct generations operating side-by-side. During Haven’s presentation, he poked fun at the different generations represented in today’s working environment, pointing out that there are really only two generations in the workplace, “people younger (or less-experienced) than you are and people older (or more experienced) than you are.”
 

©2016 Keynote Speaker Matt Havens. All Rights Reserved.

Not only were attendees rolling with laughter during his presentation, they walked away with a simplified understanding of the generation gap, as well as applicable strategies to create a more effective working environment for team members of all ages.

See below for just a few major takeaways, as well as  strategies from Matt Haven’s Us vs. Them.

MAJOR TAKEAWAYS

·         Advancement is a process that never stops. As a parent, you will continue to learn new things 20 and 30 and 40 years after the birth of your children. And as a professional, you should expect to keep learning new skills, new technologies, and new approaches in the last five years of your career just like you did in the first five years of your career.

·         Your company’s current practices and processes exist for extremely good reasons. To date, those practices and processes are the best that anyone who has ever worked at your company has ever come up with. That doesn’t mean they can’t be improved, but it definitely means that they shouldn’t be completely discounted either.

·         No matter what generation you consider yourself to be a part of, you do not know everything there is to know. Every generation needs the other, because no one group of people has a monopoly on knowledge. You need your older colleagues to learn how they’ve done what they’ve done and to help guide you so that you don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel; and you need your younger colleagues to help you continuously look at your business from a new perspective.

GENERATIONAL STRATEGIES

·         Invite your newest employees to deliver a presentation to the rest of your team on a topic they already know something about. It will convince your newest team members that you value their knowledge, and it should also convince your older team members that your new hires have something valuable to offer.

·         When discussing a potential change, invite everyone to debate the pros and cons of adoption. You probably won’t get 100% buy-in once the final decision is made, any more than you’ll get 100% buy-in from anything. But you will be certain that you’re making your decision with all the available information, and everyone will know the potential risks to watch out for as well as the potential rewards for moving forward.

·         Create teams of varying age ranges. Studies have shown that diverse groups that communicate well with each other are consistently more productive than homogenous teams.

Learn more about Matt Haven's and his insightful journey to understanding the generational gap at www.matthavens.com. RCI Members: Stay tuned to view Matt's full presentation and other education sessions from RCI's 2016 Annual Convention & Industry Expo, which will be available on our member site at retailconfectioners.org.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #185: Support the next generation of candy makers

Each profession serves its purpose for making the world go round, candy makers and chocolatiers just have a special way of making that journey so much more enjoyable.

If you are reading this, chances are you are pretty passionate about candy making. Whether your fondness came from a lifetime of learning through the family business or if it materialized more organically, that fondness keeps you coming back for more day after day.

As a treasured recipe is passed from generation to generation, so should the joy and love for the art of candy making. Keep the magic of the industry alive for generations to come by supporting the next generation of candy makers by mentoring a young family member or offering advice to a start-up. When doing so, keep in mind it may be just as important to share what you love about your business and the industry as a whole as it is to teach responsible business practices and time-proven techniques.

Share what you love about your business or the confectionery industry and your comment may be featured in the next issue of Kettle Talk, RCI’s quarterly magazine for members.

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business at retailconfections.org/join.