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In the finance section of the Omaha World-Herald today!

A highlight of day two was having lunch next to author and “Generation Y Expert” Jason Dorsey who was one of the keynote speakers.

This is the first time in history that four generations have been together in the workforce (Matures, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y), and Jason has made his fortune consulting with companies and researching how we can use communication to better the relationships between those groups, making them an asset to companies. He (effusively) spoke about strategies businesses can use to understand each generation and gave many tips to help keep everyone happy and productive at work.

One of my favorite suggestions was to make the first day really special. Here are some more of his tips to make Gen Y-ers (that'd be me and anyone born after 1977) happy:

• Give them a box with their own business cards on the first day. “You know who they will give the first card to?” he asked. “Their moms, when they get picked up after work in the minivan.” (Note: Some attendees said that giving a new employee business cards on the first day is too costly…I suggest using Vistaprint.com, which let you upload your custom design for 9.99…and they often have discounts. Get whoever designs your company cards to send you the file so you can upload it yourself.)
• Create a Facebook group for your office and invite new hires join before their first day. I love this idea because it will help them interact with their future coworkers and learn a little about the company culture.
• Don't start them on a Monday. Mondays suck.
• We don't want gift cards as rewards. As Dorsey said, “A $20 gift card? I spent that money last week!” 15 more minutes at lunch or extra time off is more appreciated. And as my vegan husband will tell you, all the T.G.I.Friday's gift cards we have stacked up from his job will never be used.
• A reward idea Dorsey shared is from a company that took pictures of all the Gen. Y employees in action (working), printed them off, and mailed a thank you note to their parents for raising such a competent, hardworking kid. I think I would shed tears of happiness. Dorsey said, “Many Gen. Y parents have never seen their children actually working.” Ha!
• Another company did away with the traditional birthday celebrations a la The Office (cake, streamers, conference room). Instead, they gave the employee $50 and a disposable camera and told them to spend the day doing something they've never done before, and document it. One person put the money toward a sky diving excursion. Another went to an art museum. Another took his wife out to dinner.
• Keep a company blog and let a younger employee in marketing manage it. It gives them a project to be in charge of and ensures that your company is embracing Web 2.0 with someone who actually understands it.

I have definitely felt the generation gap in the workplace. Texting and IMing was something I was criticized for when I worked for Omaha talk radio station KFAB (I didn't think it was any more of a time waster than the solitaire games that I saw upper-level employees playing). And even with Princess Lasertron I encounter clients who don't want to communicate through e-mail. The truth is my generation has a huge sense of entitlement, because most of our parents wanted their kids to have it easier than they did. And boy, do we have it easy.

Many of the speakers seemed to rely heavily on jargon and wore suits that didn't fit them (a destroyer of credibility in my book). Or they spent their time talking about their own business…as if every workshop session was a new sales pitch. But most of the sessions I attended at Infotec were very educational, and at their best motivating and inspiring.

My favorite session was with Silicon Prairie News, a local organization dedicated to promoting Omaha's creative class (entrepreneurs, musicians, artists). It was great to hear about all of the plans they have for Omaha's movers and shakers, especially Big Omaha, a conference for local forward-thinking entrepreneurs, creatives, and developers coming up in May.

Finally, here is a cursory list of some unique resources for area business owners (I'm talkin Omaha-Des Moines-KC).
Big Omaha - If you are an area entrepreneur, Big Omaha is a can't-miss opportunity to meet local movers and shakers and network with like-minded people
Jailbreak Omaha - a new space modeled after the “creative incubator” idea of having many rentable workspaces in one community building
Barcamp Omaha - an ad-hoc technology gathering for people to share and learn in an open environment. Expect discussions, demos, and have an opportunity to introduce your business to other locals. (The 2009 date will be announced soon!)
DotNext Kansas City - a nonprofit group that helps technology startups learn skills to grow their businesses
Silicon Prairie News - keep abreast of midwest events for entrepreneurs, creatives, and startups