LifeCycle Leadership Strategies

The Difference Between Input, Learner, and Intellection

shaunbwilson — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 11:26:26 -0400

For a few years now, we have offered Gallup Strengths-Based training to churches around the world....

“Good Guy Dad” wants his kids to have a learning...

shaunbwilson — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 16:35:01 -0400

“Good Guy Dad” wants his kids to have a learning experience that will better their lives for Spring Break. This is a great example of how the generational shift has gone from “deadbeat dads” and “latchkey kids” who are expected to entertain themselves with their imaginations and toward kids who are expected to schedule learning time at every opportunity.

(via reddit)

6 Signs It Might Be Time For "Flash" At Your Church To Exit Stage Right

shaunbwilson — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 11:45:27 -0400

One of the seven core traits of Millennials is their Conventionalism. This doesn’t mean...

We Don't Need "Women's" Ministry

shaunbwilson — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:06:00 -0500

Over the last several years as I’ve discussed the changes I saw coming to the church based on the...

Pizza Hut to turn brand upside down

shaunbwilson — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:07:49 -0500

Pizza Hut to turn brand upside down: One of the seven core traits of Millennials is specialness. The...

How Birth Year Influences Political Views

shaunbwilson — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:44:45 -0400

How Birth Year Influences Political Views: A new model of presidential voting suggests President...

This Kellogg’s Honey Pops commercial struck me as...

shaunbwilson — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:03:00 -0400

This Kellogg’s Honey Pops commercial struck me as thoroughly Millennial.

Have a look while paying close attention to the super homogenized and overproduced song that the commercial is built around. Music has long been one of my favorite ways to explain generational theory to people because it’s so observable. Good songs cross generational boundaries and are remembered for longer—and more clearly—than general moods associated with each generation, allowing them to bring clarity to observable differences in generations even among those new to the concept.

The other thing to note as thoroughly Millennial in this commercial is the idea that all of the bees get out of bed at the same time, implicitly to go start the day, working together as a team to harvest the honey that will be needed to create the honey pops.

Compare these similarities to this 2013 Honey Nut Cheerios commercial and contrast the commercial to these Honey Nut Cheerios commercials from 1986, c. 1980, and c. 1980. These 1980s spots feature 30-second storylines of a single child/teenager enjoying Honey Nut Cheerios by themselves (à la Sesame Street segments of the day). Notice in the first two spots that the child is rude and self-centered (a view common among Boomers of their Xer children). Also contrast the examples of today’s commercials with these commercials from 1983 and 1984, which blend not only the lone child storyline, but also absentee parents (another hallmark of Generation X). In the 1983 commercial, Buzz the Bee pours the Honey Nut Cheerios for a child who has clearly been sent to boarding school, a notion that seems somewhere between ridiculous and cruel during our current turning, and in the 1984 spot Buzz pours Cheerios for a boy who appears to spend his mornings eating breakfast with the butler who’s employed to eat breakfast with him so that his parents don’t have to.

Enjoy the full evolution of Honey Nut Cheerios commercials from the 80s to 2000 on YouTube and watch the dates as lone-child commercials give way to commercials that aren’t just designed to show families to advertise to a multitude of age groups, but actually celebrate the family and Millennial attitude. There’s a distinct change in the feel during their 1989 commercial as the first wave of Millennials (born 1982-2004) start turning 7 years old and late Boomer/early Gen X parents shift from seeing children as an inconvenience to celebrating close-knit families.

Of particular note is this 2004 commercial. In it, under the tutelage of a wise, older leader who is celebrating the achievements and goals of the entire institution of the hive, Buzz recognizes a Crisis and daydreams about saving the honey of the institution. Seriously—is there a more targeted Millennial commercial to ever hit TV?

Which generation is the worst, and why is it the...

shaunbwilson — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:31:00 -0400

Which generation is the worst, and why is it the Millennials?

Author, blogger, reporter, and agency creative Kelly Williams Brown explains why Millennials are the worst at TEDx Salem. Her book Adulting: How to Become A Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps explores how Millennials can elbow their way into adulthood.

Included in this talk, Millennial entitlement, work values, entering the workforce, their place in The System, and their family values.

What the Church Can Learn from the Author of The Anarchist Cookbook

shaunbwilson — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 14:00:00 -0500

In 1971 William Powell authored The Anarchist Cookbook, a work devoted to the employment of...

In this biting piece of satire, Millennials apologize for being...

shaunbwilson — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:24:38 -0400

In this biting piece of satire, Millennials apologize for being so terrible.

"Across a generational divide, people often find it hard to recognize or understand each other, and..."

shaunbwilson — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:15:00 -0400

“Across a generational divide, people often find it hard to recognize or understand each...