Hasta La Gadget!

Mr. Grey will be you now: Christian Grey may be a man of singular sexual tastes, but ten simple questions will tell you if you’re him. Every pop-culture phenomenon deserves its own playful pop quiz and Fifty Shades of Grey has certainly made its salacious mark. Now, with this multiple-choice test, you can find out if you have what it takes to fill the jeans that “hang just so” on an erotic novel heartthrob’s hips. So whether you want to be him, or just flat-out want him, it’s time to see how you measure up. First, a bit of background on obsession.

Never underestimate the power of vicarious desire. While the trilogy’s first-person narration put breathless readers in Anastasia Steele’s accommodating shoes, the movie’s marketing gurus took it a tempting step further: “Mr. Grey will see you now” reversed the point of view on fevered fans, hungry for their first glimpse of Grey in the cinematic flesh, making it appear as if he was the one waiting to see them. (And after all, isn’t that what everyone really wants? To be truly seen?) With that seductive slogan, women didn’t just identify with Ana. They replaced her. Now it’s the men’s turn to reveal their secret selves.

In “The Adaptation Game: Playing With Fifty Shades of Sex for Film” I speculated as a screenwriter how the graphic sex in the novels could be transferred from verbal page to visual screen. (I’m glad to have nailed the dénouement word in the film, but I still like my Tallis better.) Now, with these movies, the very art of sex on film for a female audience is getting its own debate. (We could start with redressing the disparate ratio of female to male nudity, but that’s another article.)

What began as a libidinous love letter to Twilight has snowballed into an erotic-lib revolution in publishing. Still, in plot essentials, the apple didn’t fall far from the pulp romance tree. But that’s not the only page author EL James took from Stephenie Meyer’s book. Just as Meyer’s aborted Midnight Sun told the saga as seen through Edward’s bloodshot eyes, last year, James unleashed Grey, touring the Red Room from his eponymous point of view. The female feeding frenzy caused men to ask, “What’s that hot-bod-billionaire got that I haven’t got?” Well, for starters, us (and some seriously twisted issues, but more on that later).

But the cultural influence of Fifty Shades transcends its many intended iterations, sometimes appearing in subtly suggestive ways, such as in the fifty shades of debonair designer Tom Ford’s “Lips and Boys” line of lipsticks, named for men who’ve inspired him. As I write this, my lips are laced in a luscious swath of Xavier violet. (What, Tom, no Don Juan? Have you forgotten your Ana already?) Alas, there’s no Christian in the collection. That ever-elusive dominant can only be kissed within the confines of James’s pages, or as incarnated by the perpetually six-packed shots of Jamie Dornan, rolling shirtlessly off the endless Twittersphere…

Yet, while Dakota Johnson (who makes a refreshingly effervescent Ana) delivered celluloid surrogates, this Valentine’s weekend passed without even a cameo from the man himself, a shocking marketing omission considering Mr. Grey all but owns the day. It was over the holiday last year that the Fifty Shades of Grey movie obliterated the box office, reminding studio execs that women in fact do buy tickets, and ensuring that its sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, filming concurrently, will have Valentine’s release dates over the next two years. In the meantime, “You. Are. Mine.” memes, production stills (…Dakota and Jamie kiss!....), music cues and lures of “more” from the upcoming movies are leaked on social media like little love bites of filmic foreplay.

So if you’re hungry for a hit of Grey, here’s a little something to tie you over. (Yeah, those are puns. Sue me.) Ten telling questions, each with five multiple-choice answers, gives you fifty chances to see what shade of Grey you are. Simply select the answer to each question that best reflects your point of view, keeping track of each choice’s letter, then tally your score as instructed after the quiz to reveal your erotic novel identity below. (No peeking ahead or you’ll be punished. Don’t make me get out the eye mask.) Then, just maybe, if you come out on top, Mr. Grey will be you now:

1. Having the name Christian Grey makes me think:

a.) How could anyone named Christian be so depraved?
b.) How could anyone named Christian play Moses? (#ActorsSoChristian)
c.) How come nobody ever calls me Chris? Seriously, what’s up with that?
d.) How I prefer to be called Mr. Grey, but you can call me Sir.
e.) How it would feel to hear my name on your lips in a moment of mutual ecstasy.

2. You see a woman you desire. In order to meet her, you:

a.) Compliment her shoes. That way, I don’t have to make eye contact.
b.) Text her an emoji. It works on Social Media and this is social, right?
c.) Complement her shoes. Then tell her how good they’d look around my ears.
d.) Smolder. She’ll come to me. And I can always track her cell phone.
e.) Give her a genuine complement. Every woman has something uniquely beautiful about her. Then compliment her sexy shoes with a foot rub as her reward.

3. Do you have a secret toy chest and if so, what’s in it?:

a.) Sex manuals. I’m hoping one day to apply them to people. Not literally, ’cause that would be heavy. I just meant, the information…inside them. (Sigh) Books. Just say books.
b.) Duh. Toys. But I never open it, ’cause my X-Box is on top.
c.) It’s where my blow-up doll sleeps. Coincidentally, her name is “Toy Chest” too.
d.) Come here and I’ll show you. But first sign this NDA.
e.) Pleasure aids to enhance our bond through heightened sensation. With an open mind, creativity leads to new ways to play.

4. For your birthday, your girlfriend gives you a riding crop. You:

a.) Call the ASPCA. Those things should be illegal.
b.) Go ride my rocking horse. It’s right next to my toy chest. Giddy-up!
c.) Stick Toy Chest on a horse, bareback. She’ll look like that chick on chocolates.
d.) Call my pharmacist and find out how to sterilize leather.
e.) Take her for the ride of her sentient life, then give it back to her so she can take me for one. The best presents are ones you can share. Tag, you’re it…

5. When ordering wine at a restaurant with a date, you:

a.) Check the menu for one that matches the blush of her cheeks, from the year of her birth, with the sparkle of her eyes, or else just get the one I can’t pronounce.
b.) Order beer. Nobody plays Wine-Pongs.
c.) Order one that matches the blush of her lady-parts. Then take a swig and spit it out. That’s what they do at free tastings, right?
d.) Order the rarest vintage from the best vineyard because you get what you pay for.
e.) Invite her to order the wine. Then I can savor watching her taste it. Her blush of pleasure is my aperitif.

6. Your favorite place for a first kiss is:

a.) At the front door when saying goodnight. It’s just good manners.
b.) Anywhere she’ll let me. It’s why we had dinner.
c.) Anywhere with tongue. It’s why we had alcohol.
d.) Hmm. What is it about elevators?
e.) Spontaneous. Any place can be memorable when you’re with the right person.

7. You learned your best sexual moves from:

a.) Sexpert seminars. You don’t run for President without studying politics. Scratch that. You don’t just pick up an instrument and play a concerto. I can pass any written exam (and I play a mean oboe).
b.) Cartoons. They’re so subliminal. And I practice a lot on myself.
c.) Porn. It’s so realistic. And I practice a lot on Toy Chest. (She’s really receptive.)
d.) Mature women make the best teachers. There’s no replacing experience and I like to be the best at everything I do.
e.) You. Your body talks to me and I’m a good listener. Shhhh. Hear that? I’m responding…

8. Your favorite fantasy location to have sex in is:

a.) They say the brain is the sexiest organ, and baseball’s the most cerebral sport, so you do the math.
b.) Sex at a football game, no, sex at a soccer game, no, sex at a basketball game. Any arena sport works except hockey, you know, ’cause of the cold.
c.) I’m the Mayor of Nakedtown.
d.) My playroom. Privacy is a priority. But I can adapt to any place when the mood strikes and I strike with the mood. Did I mention the NDA?
e.) Anywhere you are.

9: Your favorite part of a woman’s body is:

a.) Is that a trick question? Any part without clothes.
b.) I have a thing for kneecaps. They remind me of boobs.
c.) The brain is the sexiest organ. Psych! I mean, c’mon, my sex-doll’s name is Toy Chest.
d.) A spankable bottom does something to me. I can’t tell you why. No, really, my lawyers say I can’t tell you why, but my shrink has a hunch…
e.) All the obvious places, but there are so many more: The dip of her neck, the inner bend of her elbows, the soft underside of her knees, the pads of her toes, the trail of her spine, the curve of her waist, the pulse of her wrist…How much room do you have?

10. You’ll know you’re in love when:

a.) I list all the pros and cons and realize I can’t do better.
b.) An anvil drops on my head and my eyes bug-out as birds chirping “We are the Champions” circle above.
c.) They make inflatable twins.
a.) They do, you dolt. You just have to buy two. What’s wrong with you?
c.) What’s wrong with me? You’re the one with the toy chest of books.
a.) Hey, erotic novels can be sex toys when read together in bed. Ever hear of reading?
c.) Yeah. It’s that thing you do when you can’t have sex.
e.) Could we just get back to the quiz, please? You’ll know you’re in love when…
b.) There’s two muffins baking in an oven. Muffin 1 looks at Muffin 2 and yells: “Oh my God – The oven’s on fire!” And Muffin 2 looks at Muffin 1 and yells: “Oh my God – A talking muffin!” It’s funny ’cause it’s true.
d.) Enough. From now on, nobody speaks unless spoken to.
(Dead silence.)
d.) Good. I’ll know I’m in love when she fulfills my every sexual whim, is instantly orgasmic at my touch, and is as obsessed with me as I am with her, no matter how many times I push her away.
a.) Wow. You have that? You’re my hero. Can I touch you?
d.) Absolutely not. Next?
e.) I’ll know I’m in love when she’s my safe place to be myself and I’m that safe place for her.
c.) (sotto-coughs) Pussy.
e.) What did you just say?
c.) I said you’re fussy. You want safe, you should get an inflatable girlfriend. They’re latex, like condoms. Get two, you could have a ménage-a-doll.
a.) Seriously, what’s wrong with you?
d.) I think we’re done here.
c.) Please don’t hurt me.
d.) Laters, baby.

Results: Thank you all. Now add up your score by counting how many of each letter you have. See which letter dominates your answers, then find your match below:

Mostly A’s: Mr. Almost. Ooo, missed it by that much. You’ve such erotic novel potential. Your annotated copy of Tantric Sex for Dummies proves your heart’s in the right place, but your body needs to play catch-up. A well-read man is a well-rounded one and we love that you want to learn us, but really, you should get out more. Take baby steps. Try having a conversation in person, one that doesn’t require math, unless specifically requested. Master the art of verbal seduction and you just might score a tryst in your local library: Lust Among the Hardcovers, available in paperback at a Target near you. Until then, you can have an awful lot of fun at a baseball game.

Mostly B’s: Mr. Immature. As Joan Rivers would say: “Oh, grow up!” It’s one thing to be in touch with your inner child, but adult women want to be touched by a grown man, and not just on the outside. If we wanted to raise you, we’d adopt you, not date you. Arrested development is barely adorable in boy bands and even they get old fast. It’s time to put on your big-boy pants (and pull them all the way up). As is, you’re not mature enough to read the books we love without parental supervision, let alone star in them. You’re like those muffins in that joke–still cooking. Don’t text us till you’re done. Until then, here’s a Fifty Shades coloring book. (Stock up on red.)

Mostly C’s: Mr. Sleaze. It’s official; you’re a mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. Your local sex-doll union lists you as a hard limit. (They just feel so used.) Their spokesdoll insists you return “Ana” fully inflated by Friday or face charges. That shouldn’t be a problem considering you have enough hot air for both of you, yet all she can ever say is “Oh!” because apparently she’s as shocked as we are. (Godiva called: they want their logo back.) Still, your type sometimes makes it into erotic novels as the villain or an unctuous ex-boyfriend, but it takes a really good craftsman to keep readers from wondering how the heroine never saw through you in the first place. Go straight to spam-video. (“Oh-Oh-Oh!“)

Mostly D’s: Mr. Grey. Congratulations, you’re him! Happy? Think again. With untold billions, a private aviation fleet and an endless line of insatiable sex partners, you only think you’re happy. It will take the sacrificial love of the naïve, nubile virgin of your dreams to show you just how deeply miserable you truly are. But hey, you fly your own copter! Still, one glance at your steely-hued gaze, redolent with the promise of steamy scenarios you design just for us, is enough to melt our Agent Provocateur panties. While exploring physical limits with you makes for a titillating read, your emotional limits are no fun in reality. But having issues as huge as your assets helps us swallow the illusion of your accessibility, something that truly only exists in fiction. So if you’ve landed here, somewhere out there, there’s a silk tie with your name on it. Good luck with that.

Mostly E’s: Mr. Too-Perfect. Congratulations, you’re mythical! You say all the right things and I ought to know since I’m your Cyrano. (To coin a romance author’s mantra: “If you can’t meet him, write him.”) Ironically, I have a better shot of licking every ab of Christian Grey’s impossibly chiseled chest than reading you in an erotic novel. Here’s why: Real people have flaws. For art to imitate life, stories need suspense, conflicts to resolve, arcs to bow as characters grow. Sorry to say it, baby, but you’ve got nowhere to go. Too well adjusted? Ho-hum. No deep dark secret? Boring! To be believable (and dramatically compelling), you need a perfect imperfection, one only our healing passion (and an unexpected plot twist which ties everything together) can resolve. Soaring above it all to intimate new heights is what makes us look for you on each page and around every corner. Your happy ending gives us hope that, whatever our own flaws and imperfections, maybe we can find unconditional love, too. Because while we’re having great fun playing “Mr. Grey Will Be You Now,” we’ll want you even more when we can love you for yourself.

Up next: Are You Ana Steele? Take the Fifty Shades Test.

The Adaptation Game: Playing With Fifty Shades of Sex for Film is the winner of the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for Best Entertainment Blog by an Individual. Discover more sensual first kisses in movies, film’s most romantic dances and cinema’s most amorous songs. Check out another super Valentine’s heartthrob. Take a playful peek at writers looking for love. Learn why Twilight’s Edward Cullen is so seductive. For more on the author, follow Devra on Twitter @devramaza and visit DevraMaza.com.

Photo Credits: Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey, on the set of Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades one sheets, courtesy of Universal Pictures/Focus Features. Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, courtesy of Warner Bros.; Justin Bieber, courtesy of Ticketmaster; Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, courtesy of 20th Century Fox; David Gandy, courtesy of GQ Australia.

Dream Lover: Who’s your ideal erotic novel hero or heroine? Tell us in Comments.

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Political drama continued to roil the U.K. this week after the British vote to exit the European Union, also known as Brexit. Boris Johnson, the Brexit champion and former London mayor who was widely tipped to be the next British prime minister, bowed out of the running on Thursday morning.

His shock announcement leaves the race to replace U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, who stepped down last week after losing the referendum vote, wide open.

In the U.K., the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament. That means members of the Conservative party will select their new legislative leader and the next British national leader at the same time, at least until a new general election is called.

Conservative members of Parliament will first vote on the candidates until there are two top contenders, and then the choice between them goes to a vote among the wider party membership. The process begins next week, and the result is expected in early September.

On the other side of the aisle in Parliament, Britain’s main opposition Labour Party is facing upheaval of its own.

Labour MPs are battling to oust leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he didn’t fight hard enough to keep Britain in the EU and cannot win the next general election. Despite a vote of no-confidence and the resignation of most of his shadow cabinet earlier this week, Corbyn has refused to step down.

Corbyn was met with more uproar on Thursday, when an event he called to tackle anti-Semitism in the party descended into chaos when a Jewish Labour MP stormed out and Corbyn was accused of comparing Israel to the Islamic State militant group. As infighting in the Labour party grows, several prospective Labour party leadership candidates are waiting in the wings.

Thanks to all the tumult, Britain’s top political leadership could look very different, very soon. Here’s a run-down of who’s in the running for leadership of both parties.

The Conservatives

Michael Gove

British Justice Secretary Michael Gove made a surprise announcement that he would run for leader early Thursday, adding a further twist to the Shakespearean drama gripping the Conservative leadership.

Gove had positioned himself as the right-hand man to Johnson during the Brexit campaign and the brains behind the operation. He was widely expected to back Johnson for leader, as Johnson has been eyeing the top job for years. Gove always insisted he didn’t want the job.

On Wednesday, an email leaked from Gove’s wife, newspaper columnist Sarah Vine, in which she urged him to make sure Johnson would promise him a job in his government, and warned that without Gove’s support, Johnson wouldn’t win the backing of the Conservative party or British press.

Early Thursday, Gove launched his own campaign. “I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead,” he said. A few hours later, Johnson announced he would not run. Some of Johnson’s aides accused Gove of plotting in the wings to backstab the ex-mayor all along.

Gove, a 48-year-old former journalist who grew up in Scotland, is a polarizing figure. He was fired from his former role as education secretary after he alienated teachers with his radical education reforms. He earned respect for pro-Leave voters for articulating the position more reasonably (and less xenophobically) than most, but the opprobrium of the Remain supporters for linking experts to Nazism and racist scaremongering about Turkish membership in the EU.

Gove touts himself as a leader who can bring change and best meet the demands of the majority who voted for Brexit, yet his leadership bid is likely to be controversial. 

Theresa May

British Home Secretary Theresa May also launched her leadership campaign on Thursday, and quickly became the favorite to lead the party.

May, who was the first female chairman of the Conservative party, backed the campaign to remain in the EU, but largely stayed out the fray as Cameron, Johnson and their allies traded barbs and threats.

She has cast herself as the candidate to unify the country, and an alternative to the showy politics of some of her colleagues. “I don’t gossip about people over lunch. I don’t go drinking in parliament’s bars. I don’t often wear my heart on my sleeve. I just get on with the job in front of me,” she said at her campaign launch Thursday.

May, 59, is one of the Britain’s longest-serving home secretaries, and earned a reputation as a tough leader. But she’s also been criticized from the right for not further reducing migration levels. She clashed with Gove in 2014, after he accused her department of not doing enough to tackle radical extremism.

May, who previously worked at the Bank of England, promised to fully implement Brexit as leader.

Stephen Crabb

The 43-year-old work and pensions secretary is a rising star of the Conservative party, and an interesting underdog in the leadership contest.

For some Conservatives, he is a refreshing contrast to the socioeconomic elites who currently dominate the leadership of the party. He was raised by a single mother who depended on public housing and social welfare, and as a politician has stressed the importance of education in overcoming poverty.

Crabb was born in Scotland and raised in Wales, and his first role in the British government was the secretary of state for Wales. He has pledged to unite the U.K. after the referendum sparked renewed calls for independence in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

While he backed the Remain campaign, he vowed to implement Brexit and secure voters’ demands for greater control over migration.

Andrea Leadsom

The 53-year-old former banker hasn’t held as senior positions as her fellow contenders — she is currently a junior minister in the Energy and Climate Change Department — but she argues that this is exactly why she should be the next prime minister. “I have a lot of real-world experience,” she told the BBC.

Leadsom supported the Brexit campaign, and won praise for her calm articulation of the position in TV debates. When announcing her campaign, she argued that only a Brexiteer could properly lead the country through its departure from the EU.

Liam Fox

The former defense secretary is the only candidate so far who has run for Conservative leader before — he came third in the 2005 leadership race that Cameron won.

A 54-year-old former doctor and civilian Army medical officer, he is regarded as an heir to Margaret Thatcher’s legacy in the party and has the support of the right-wing Conservatives. Some of his positions have provoked controversy, including calling for The Guardian newspaper to be prosecuted for publishing material leaked by Edward Snowden.

A long-time Eurosceptic, he backed Brexit and has advocated for strict immigration controls.

 Labour

Angela Eagle

The former shadow business minister, who resigned earlier this week along with many of her colleagues, is preparing to mount a leadership challenge to Corbyn, the BBC reported. To force a leadership contest, she needs the support of 51 MPs. Corbyn has vowed that if Eagle mounts a challenge, he’ll put himself forward again.

Eagle, 55, has been an MP since 1992 and has built up a strong network in the party. She was a junior minister in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government, before taking on treasury and business roles in the Labour opposition.

Eagle came out in 1997 and has been named one of the most influential gay people in Britain. Her twin sister, Maria, is also a senior Labour MP, and they were the first set of twins in the U.K. Parliament.

She is regarded as being on the center-left of the party, and some see her as a potentially unifying figure after Corbyn’s divisive leadership.

Tom Watson

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson has asked Corbyn to consider his position as leader, and warned that the leadership crisis is tearing the party apart.

“My party is in peril, we are facing an existential crisis and I just don’t want us to be in this position because I think there are millions of people in this country who need a left-leaning government,” told BBC News.

The 49-year-old former trade union official was an ally of Gordon Brown in his leadership struggle with Tony Blair. He won praise and recognition for his interrogation of Rupert and James Murdoch during the 2011 phone hacking scandal that shook the British press.

While Watson has ruled himself out of running to replace Corbyn, the twists and turns of British politics over the past week suggest that anything is possible.

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By Richard Cho & Dr. Fred Osher

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s recent series of stories this week — “Beyond Homelessness” — highlights various aspects of the city’s homelessness crisis. But as cities like San Francisco consider how to tackle this all-too-common problem, the temptation of choosing to take a stronger law enforcement response may well worsen another national crisis: the high number of people with mental illnesses in jails.
Research shows that incarceration serves to increase the risk of homelessness, just as homelessness increases a person’s risk of re-offending and being reincarcerated. This problem is particularly acute for people with serious mental illnesses, who are caught in a costly revolving door between the streets, shelters, jails and hospitals.
As many as one-quarter of people with serious mental illnesses in jails were homeless in the months preceding their arrest. That population is a large portion of the more than 2 million people who cycle through local jails each year. To lock up more people with mental illnesses who don’t have adequate housing options runs counter to current efforts to reverse the trend of using jails as our de facto mental health system.
In May 2015, The Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Association of Counties and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, and numerous other partners, launched Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails. Since then, hundreds of counties have passed resolutions to join the initiative and achieve this goal. Counties are implementing important practices and reforms that avoid arresting and incarcerating people with mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders, and instead connect them to services, treatment and housing in the community.
The solution to chronic homelessness, and part of the solution to the overrepresentation of people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders in jails, is supportive housing using a Housing First approach. Study after study has shown that for people with behavioral health disorders who are both homeless and involved in the criminal justice system, this intervention results in long-term housing stability, improved health and behavioral health outcomes, and reduces the use of crisis services, emergency rooms, hospitals, and jails. There is a lot of support for an approach that results in lower public costs, improved public health, and better public safety.
Local governments like San Francisco should focus on bringing to scale proven solutions that result in long-term success, rather than quick fixes that only offload the problem from one crisis system to another.
As proven by the response to Stepping Up, local governments are ready to take this problem in hand. In order to turn this momentum into impact, they must commit to developing a comprehensive plan that addresses the housing and behavioral health needs of this vulnerable population and helps solve their homelessness.
Richard Cho is director of the Behavioral Health Division at The Council of State Governments Justice Center and previously served as deputy director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Dr. Fred Osher is director of Health Systems and Services Policy at The Council of State Governments Justice Center.

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Millennials.

Why is it that when they are discussed, conversations tend to swing negative? I just don’t get it.

Joseph Folkman’s article in the June 8, 2016, Forbes article entitled Are You Still Maligning Millennials? Stop. proves my point. He writes:

I attended a conference where a presentation speaker was talking about how millennials are so different. The speaker was going through the typical list of characteristics we’ve heard hundreds of times when a millennial raised his hand, stood up and said, “I am so tired of hearing this garbage about millennials and none of it is true!” He received an ovation of support from the audience.

Here’s what I know.

Millennials are here to stay. They are ready to work. They are ready to contribute. And they are ready to do all of that on their own terms. As the mother of a Millennial, I can tell you that they’re not only ready to do those things – they’re doing them.

According to Pew Research Center, Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation (based on population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau).

Millennials, whom we define as those ages 18-34 in 2015 now number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers (ages 51-69). And Generation X (ages 35-50 in 2015), by the way, is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028 (according to PRC).

Here’s what we know:

It’s critical for the business world to understand Millennials, to embrace them and to engage them. If the business world wants to win, that is. In a world where exponential change has become a reality, leaders must find ways to harness the engagement of every employee. Including Millennials. And they must understand the way we work and the kind of work that we all do is changing.

This is happening not just because Millennials are now the dominant group in the workplace but also because technology has empowered the employee and the consumer. Today, every company must think of itself as a technology company. And who knows technology better than any group in the workplace?

You guessed it – Millennials.

But why is it that Millennials have gotten a bad reputation? Baby Boomers, in particular, see them as impatient, wanting to get promoted tomorrow, always wanting time off and more. But the second they have a technology problem, smart Boomers run to Millennials.

Millennials are driving the digital platform – this seismic shift. No one gets to opt-out of it. And everyone must think about retooling to adjust to it. We all must be willing to learn (and maybe even unlearn some things) and let go of behaviors that are holding us back. And Millennials are masters of doing just this.

Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s chairman and chief executive officer, recently shared in an interview for The New York Times at his company’s Dallas headquarters, “There is a need to retool yourself, and you should not expect to stop…” This in response to AT&T’s plan to retrain his 280,000 employees to compete in today’s market. More on that plan is explained in this article:

Today, Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s chairman and chief executive, is trying to reinvent the company so it can compete more deftly. Not that long ago it had to fight for business with other phone companies and cellular carriers. Then the Internet and cloud computing came along, and AT&T found itself in a tussle with a whole bunch of companies.

AT&T’s competitors are not just Verizon and Sprint, but also tech giants like Amazon and Google. For the company to survive in this environment, Mr. Stephenson needs to retrain its 280,000 employees so they can improve their coding skills, or learn them, and make quick business decisions based on a fire hose of data coming into the company.

Funny thing is, AT&T’s Millennial employees won’t have a problem with their plan. They’re open to change. In fact, they thrive on it. For them it’s all about innovation and disruption. Precisely what AT&T is doing. I hope Randall Stephenson and other CEOs like him have realized this. Because, to win today, organizations must recognize that Millennial talent can and do choose to work where the culture invites a different way of working.

As an example, some people have labeled Millennials as wanting to leave the organization after 2-3 years on to the job. It doesn’t mean that they have to leave the organization, it means we need to rethink career development patterns and afford this cohort the opportunity to make lateral moves to gain new experiences. The business world needs this type of entrepreneurial mindset to remain agile and relevant.

And so what if Millennials recognize the importance of having a life and want to leave the office at 5 pm on Friday? Good for them! Baby Boomers are secretly wishing they could muster up the courage to walk out of the door at 5 pm right along with them.

We must focus on the intense value they bring, not on how they are different from how we think “work should look.”

Here are some things that leaders must think about in order to optimize the internal Millennial employee to better serve the external Millennial customer:

1. Career customization is a must.

What Millennials think: Make it easy for me to stay with your organization by rethinking traditional succession planning patterns to afford new learning and experiences.

2. Products must be customized.

What Millennials think: Give me what I want, when I want it. Meeting this need is critical to build a meaning relationship with a Millennial customer.

3. Involve them in the innovation.

What Millennials think: Talk to me. Help me understand why decisions and choices are made. Ask me questions, and I will give you input that promises to make the product stay. Then I will promote it using social media.

4. It’s all about belonging to a community.

What Millennials think: Everything must be connected and seamless. Internally this means the culture must be inclusive. We don’t get why cultures aren’t inclusive. If you give me a product that I like, and believe in it I will personally tell all my friends by liking you on Facebook. This enables me to become a marketer of your products. Oh, and by the way, the traditional marketing methods…well, they just don’t work for me anymore. Catch up.

5. The competition for talented digitally skilled labor is fierce.

What Millennials think: It’s not about the paycheck. It’s about doing meaningful work that contributes to sustainability in real ways.

6. Everyone wants to have fun.

What Millennials think: We see organizations as stiff. Our message to you is “lighten up.”

7. Partnership – not patriarchy.

What Millennials think: This is the kind of relationship we want with our managers – a partnership.

For further research and proof of these points, check out these resources:

· Retail Research: Insights into millennial shopping behavior patterns
Accenture research sheds light on millennial shopping behavior and retails trends that are impacting this savvy audience

· Retail Talent Disrupted: A Deloitte Special Report

I recently read a quote by the futurist/commentator, Mal Fletcher, that helped me clearly understand and describe Millennials. He said, “Millennials aspire to marry the blue skies thinking of the Boomers with the grass-roots mindset of GenX.”

I sure like the sound of that. How about you, fellow Boomers and you Gen Xers?

It’s time to change our mindset and move on with Millennials. Together.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

As we enter deeper and deeper into the digital age, tech is consistently changing. While many think we may have hit a plateau with the use of smartphones and other mobile devices, technology is only evolving more and more, sometimes in different arenas. As we approach the middle of 2016, there is definitely some new technology that is changing the world, and other technology on the horizon that is expected to change life as we know it by the beginning of 2017.

Changes to Our Daily Tasks

One of the most important things we see changing in 2016 is the simplicity technology has given us to complete our daily tasks with ease. Several years ago, you could easily log into work (or school) by lugging your laptop to an area with Wi-Fi. This made work on-the-go much easier, as carrying a giant laptop around somehow seemed very portable. These days, you have the ability to work from anywhere. Between speech-to-text recognition, easy-to-carry tablets, and giant-sized smartphones, work is no longer confined to your cubicle, home office, or your nearest Starbucks. Most airplanes are now even Wi-Fi capable, allowing you to even work in the sky.

Battery Power

It’s terrific that you can log into work or stay connected with friends and family through so many devices, but they all require a battery charge. Plugging in laptops, tablets, and smartphones can get tangled and messy, and universal chargers are becoming more and more common – and convenient.

For example, the JS12 portable charger from Weego can not only jumpstart your car, but can also charge your smartphone, tablet, and a variety of other electronic accessories. Not only is this a handy gadget for those who routinely forget to pack their devices, it can help you out a jam in a true emergency.

IoT and Automated Technology

IoT (or Internet of Things) technology is just around the corner, and for those of us who are the most tech-savvy, has already arrived. IoT technology refers to nearly every electronic device in your life being “plugged in” – from your refrigerator to your car.

Similarly, we are beginning to see the advent of true automation and smart machines. There are many machines on the market now that respond to someone’s voice, and even a certain person’s voice, to follow commands. But, the machines of the future will not only be equipped with voice technology, they will also be able to read the emotion of the user. While the plotline of the movie “Her” may have seemed outlandish to many, the truth is, it’s really not so far off of the mark.

Everyone Is a Programmer

Microsoft has recently launched a program known as PowerApp, that essentially makes everyone a programmer or developer, no matter their skillset. This app allows virtually anyone to create an application for either iOS, Android, or Windows, without any prior knowledge or skills. This builds on apps such as Instagram that allows regular, everyday folk to create stunning pictures on a professionally photography type level. This also opens the door for new entrepreneurs with great ideas, but a lack of programming skills to introduce new ideas to the world.

Driving on Autopilot

It may sound like quite a scary idea, but car company Tesla has been working on advancements that allow you to drive on autopilot. This technology actually began rolling out near the end of 2014, but only in test markets. The technology is actually available now, and it builds on other software that actually parallel parks the car for you. This software actually allows the car to drive on autopilot, based on technology similar to what airline pilots use. This is expected to become more and more common throughout this year into the next.

Video Content Management

Video content has been used in the business sector for some time, but it is now being fully integrated into help desk and field tech areas. This type of software is expected to grow through 2016, becoming fully functional and integrated into most management systems over the next year.

Final Thoughts

Many of these new technologies have been invented to streamline the workplace, but many are spilling over into making our daily lives easier. The ability to work from anywhere also lets us keep in contact with friends and family from anywhere, and simple devices such as universal chargers are now equipped to help us in the event of an emergency. Soon, you’ll be able to program your car to drive to work, but you’ll also be able to program it to enjoy a seamless vacation.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.