Every fall, Beloit College publishes a Mindset List to remind college lecturers — and those of us who employ workers from the emerging generation — what college freshmen can't know in any firsthand way.
Here are a few highlights for the class of 2011 (born circa 1989)
- There's never been a Berlin wall
- Humvees have always been available to the public
- Michael Keating and the Keating Five might be a boy band
- General Motors has always been working on an electric car
- Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa
- Rap music has always been mainstream
- Religious leaders have always been a force in US politics
- Eastern Airlines has never promised to “earn their wings”
- Wal-Mart has always been a larger retailer than Sears and has always employed more workers than GM
- U2 has never been mistaken for a spy plane
- Stadiums, rock tours and sporting events have always had corporate sponsors
- Fox has always been a major television network
- Being a latchkey kid has never made one of them stand out
- China has always been more interested in capitalism than reeducation
- "Time" has always been the first half of Time/Warner
- MTV has never been known for music videos
- Johnny Carson has never been the king of late night
- The World Wide Web has always been available
- Food packaging has always included nutritional labeling.
What didn't you know when you entered the workforce? Did that missing information hinder or help you?
What cultural markers do you need to teach younger workers to help them succeed in your business?
Look here for more on how world views are formed.
