On Cloud Nine: Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace

by Robert W. Wendover, Terrence L. Gargiulo, Eldon Dedini (Illustrator)

A recent survey reveals that customer satisfaction with the weather is at an all-time low. It's up to Wally, director of the Weather Consumer Satisfaction Bureau, to sort things out. In this witty fable, the root of the problem is a disagreement between old and new clouds. The upstarts think technology is the answer, while the old guard says there's no substitute for the tried and true. The resulting storms are having a direct effect on customers, who wonder if they will ever see sunny skies again. Can Wally reconcile these seemingly conflicting views and leverage the unique strengths of all the clouds into a successful, customer-friendly plan? On Cloud Nine presents real lessons about what is valuable in the balancing the past and the future, encouraging diversity of ideas, and more. The story is followed by simple yet powerful tools that will help readers apply these lessons to their own work and organizations.

142 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Cloud Nine is written as a fantastical tale of a man who just been appointed as Director of the Weather Customer Satisfaction Bureau. As the newbie, he immediately starts to make changes with the assumption that the old system isn't working and needs to be scrapped. To his surprise, however, he finds out that once in place his ideas create an even bigger mess that not only threatens his job but those of many others as well. In trying to find a solution to his problems, this man learns much about working through the challenges of having several generations in the workplace and using the best of all of these individuals to make a more successful plan.

I think that this little tale is a very effective way of showing both the challenges and benefits of the various generations of workers. Not only is this understanding extremely important in today's business world where Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and now Millennials are now working together but also in the general population where the different morals, attitudes, and work ethics appear to be so very different between these different groups of individuals.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book discussion at work. It was a lot like a children's book- with ictures and huge font. However it discussed some interesting points about multiple generations in the workplace.