Hold on Tight - Gen Y is in the Driver's Seat
Say the words "Gen Y" and you'll hear lots of grumblings from members of other generations in the workplace. This generation is not interested in paying their dues, which really annoys all of the Baby Boomers who had to fight their way to the top. Company loyalty? You've got to be kidding. Don't be surprised if you find them IM'ing their friends about job openings at the company across the street while you're giving them their performance review. Multi-tasking is second nature. I recently spoke with a twenty-something reporter who was interviewing me while driving in her car. Ten minutes into the interview she thanked me for my time. She said she had just driven over the Golden Gate Bridge and her exit was approaching. I asked her if she was actually writing everything down that I said. She acknowledged she had taken detailed notes, while driving. She added that she always multi-tasks. I didn't hear about anyone driving off of a bridge that day so I assume that she arrived at her destination safe and sound and that her story was filed in time for her deadline. Thankfully so-or else she would have given the term "deadline" new meaning. Gen Y is receiving a lot of negative PR, but is it all well-deserved? Here are some of the many positive attributes this group of employees is bringing to the workplace. Work/life balance No really, work/life balance. We think we've actually accomplished this, but that depends on your definition. How balanced is your life if you bring your Blackberry to bed? Do you take business calls while watching your son's soccer game? Are you buying hats with holes cut out to accommodate your Bluetooth headset? When Gen Y employees leave the office, most are done for the day. They've already experienced the joys of growing up in a household where they were given keys to the kingdom as soon as they could make a grilled cheese sandwich. Like generations before them, they are committed to doing things differently than their parents. This means leaving the office in time to pursue passions that don't involve work. We could all learn a thing or two from their approach to living a more balanced life. Tech-savvy We thought Gen X'ers were tech-savvy. Wait until you can see what this generation can do with technology. When it comes to using technology, this group is fearless. Before you pick up the phone to call for technical support, give one of these employees a chance to fix the problem. They'll have the situation resolved before you're done listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony while holding for assistance on the help line. Questioning the status quo If you have worked with Gen Y, you may already be accustomed to hearing, "Why are things done this way?" a lot. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Not if you are interested in improving your organization. This generation is constantly challenging the status quo. Encourage them to continue to challenge how things get done, and change the way you do things when a good idea is presented. Two heads are better than one If you are into the team approach, you are going to love working with this generation. This group has grown up playing on teams. They seek opportunities to collaborate. You'll get the most productivity out of them when they are working with others for a common cause. Like it or not, the latest generation to hit the workplace is going to be here for a while. You might as well embrace this new approach to work. Who knows, it might even lead to increased profitability and more time to devote to other things besides work. Now that's a healthy balance we can all live with. |
