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The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
July 10th, 2017
by Bill Boyajian

In the 1980s In Search of Excellence author Tom Peters made famous the notion that people want to be part of a winning team, but a hero in their own right.  A generation later Mark Zuckerberg tells Harvard Business School graduates that they should want to make a difference and become part of something bigger than themselves.  The words have changed a little, but the essence is much the same.  That’s because human nature hasn’t changed all that much in several millennia.

We hear a lot about the new Millennial generation these days.  Yes, they think a little differently than past generations, but every generation is defined by the times in which they live and the circumstances in society that formulate the way they think and act.  In my book on leadership, I wrote about a few non-negotiables that are part of every generation.  Here are some of them:

  • People want to know that the effort they put in is appreciated and makes a difference
  • People want and need to be recognized in their work as contributing to overall success
  • People need to know where a business is going and how the owners plan to get it there
  • People want to be “in on things,” and they should be because that’s how you build loyalty
  • People don’t care how much an owner knows, but whether he or she really cares about them

These fundamentals may seem trite and insignificant to some, but I challenge you to think about them.  Even ask others (perhaps Millennials?) what they think.  You just might be surprised at what they say.



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“I needed help orchestrating a succession plan for our business. I had heard that Bill Boyajian specialized in assisting owners to transition their business to the next generation. He knows how to bridge the generation gap and deliver what each needs to hear. I would recommend Bill to any business owner who needs advice on succession planning from a trusted outside professional.”

–Charles Denaburg,
Managing Partner,
Levy’s Fine Jewelry
Birmingham, AL

"Our family needed some guidance on business transition and succession planning. We asked Bill Boyajian to help us because we knew we could trust him to tell us what we needed to hear. Bill became a valuable resource for our company and our entire family. He has the ability to meet each of us where we’re at and it has served us very well."

–Ceylon Leitzel
Leitzel Fine Jewelry
Hershey & Myerstown, PA

“We needed a plan to transition our business to a non-family member and we asked Bill Boyajian to help us. His experience in the area has really paid off, but we didn’t expect the added value of putting us together with a financial planner who helped organize our retirement needs. We now have the fundamentals to transition our business successfully, and we have Bill to thank for it.”

–Ernie & Debbie Cummings
Kizer-Cummings Jewelers
Lawrence, KS