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ShelfGenie® Featured in Wall Street Journal for Bridging ‘Generation Gap’ in the Workplace

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Andy Pittman, CEO of the Nation’s Leading Custom Shelving and Home Improvement Solutions Franchise, Quoted for Using Instant Messaging Tools to Improve Workplace Productivity

May 15, 2018 // Franchising.com // Atlanta, Ga. - ShelfGenie®, the nation’s leading custom shelving and home improvement solutions franchise, was recently featured by the Wall Street Journal in a major national story penned by renowned Work and Family columnist, Sue Shellenbarger.

The popular article, entitled “The Instant Message Generation Gap,” discussed how companies are embracing popular instant messaging apps for internal communications, bridging the digital divide between younger staff members and more seasoned employees. ShelfGenie’s CEO, Andy Pittman, was interviewed alongside other C-Suite executives who discussed challenges associated with retaining the benefits of more traditional communication tools (like phone calls and e-mails) while adapting to the new IM culture at the request of their tech (and text!)-savvy teams.

In his conversation with Shellenbarger, Pittman evaluated the pros and cons of traditional and modern forms of communication and gave his honest opinion about Slack, the IM tool ShelfGenie uses.

“I like to be direct - a face-to-face conversation or a simple phone call - that’s my preference,” said Pittman, a successful ShelfGenie franchisee turned CEO. “But part of being an effective leader is meeting your team halfway, reaching them on their level. As technology evolves, we need to evolve, too.”

In the article, Shellenbarger queried leading executives about the “generation gap” in the workplace; a gap that can grow wider if leaders are slow to embrace the communication habits of their staff. Pittman admitted he was reluctant to use instant messaging, but later understood the benefits. And in a fun and lighthearted moment during the WSJ interview, Pittman revealed that he has stopped short of using a bitmoji, a caricature of himself, in conversations or as a profile image.

“I still have a company to run, and it’s important that I look like I’m doing just that,” explained Pittman. “While our employees had a lot of fun creating bitmojis for me and other executives as part of a company-wide contest, I drew the line on using them personally.”

Despite the bitmoji battle, Pittman finished by saying he’s grown quite fond of Slack because it makes internal communication more organized and efficient.

“Slack has worked great for us at ShelfGenie because it has eliminated a ton of inbox clutter,” said Pittman. “Slack allows us to organize conversations by topic and ensures that all employees are only included in the conversations where they can offer value/expertise. It’s proved to be a fantastic tool for us and I encourage any other hesitant senior executives to embrace an IM tool like Slack at their office.”

For more information about ShelfGenie, please visit www.ShelfGenie.com.

About ShelfGenie®

ShelfGenie® is the nation’s leading custom shelving and home improvement solutions franchise, Founded in Richmond, Virginia in 2000, ShelfGenie has grown to 160 territories in the U.S. and Canada. ShelfGenie is the first and only franchise offering high impact shelving and home improvement solutions with a purpose: to transform clients lives by designing and implementing custom home solutions that put everything within reach.

ShelfGenie designs, builds, and installs Glide-Out™ Shelving Systems. Our innovative shelving is custom-built to retrofit existing cabinets, resulting in perfectly placed shelves that glide in and out with just the touch of your fingers. With our system, cabinets are organized; storage is accessible, efficient and clutter-free. Glide-Out Shelving works in virtually every cabinet and pantry in the home and is beautiful and highly durable. From the kitchen to the bathroom to the garage, ShelfGenie does it all.

ShelfGenie is a home-based business model providing a niche product within a mature industry. We have highly effective tools and resources in place that allow franchisees to focus on scaling their business. Our franchise model allows the owner to focus on marketing and sales while leveraging designers, installers, and our centralized Business Support Center to handle most day-to-day activities of the business.

For more information about ShelfGenie, please visit www.ShelfGenie.com.

Media Contacts:

Graham Chapman
919-459-8157
gchapman@919marketing.com

Andy Pittman
919-810-9072
andy.pittman@shelfgenie.com

SOURCE ShelfGenie®

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