I came of age in the 1980’s. I think it was a Wednesday in 1985. Her name was Casey and it isn’t what you think. It was during a dinner with a friend I realized I could order a glass of wine legally. We were in Fayetteville, AR. I was in university at the time. While this was a small, somewhat insignificant event, it resonated for some strange reason. I was an adult…well, kinda.
Generation Y was just awakening. According to dates, Gen Y was only 5 years old at that time. How much did they recognize at that time? Remember being 5? What was the economic climate? Yeah, I didn’t think so. You were mastering preschool. This is another part of my rant. Why are we saying the generation started in 1980? Should we rather say the generation started in 2000? While Gen Y’s formative years were in the late eighties and early nineties, the true “knowing where you sit before you stand” only really showed itself after 2000.
Based on what I read, Gen Y is optimistic. They want speed, are tech-savvy and are masters at multitasking. They want collaboration, stimulation and flexibility in the workplace. They prefer feedback in huge batches and are quick to discern any lack of authenticity. Excuse me; the older ones are now 31. At 31, they define the next phase of management and leadership? Yes. They look at work very differently than me at age 47. I am Generation X and I want so badly to better understand the next generation. Separated by 15 years or so, right? This is at the heart of my rant!! Take my generation as a point of reference and context. Take 10 people born in 1964 and line them up. One from rural Illinois (me) and the others from other socioeconomic scenarios in the U.S. Maybe one from the North East and another from the West Coast and another from the deep South. The other spread from Wyoming, Indiana, Florida, Texas, West Virginia and Washington. Line us up. Do we all conform to a set of parameters established by a sociologist? Hell no. This is the very hard part of better understanding Gen Y. I mentioned earlier that there is a huge family influence and environmental influences, despite the fact that the Iraq war is common to all. It is what is uncommon that dictates so much of the realities we all face as managers and leaders in the workforce.
Spread ten Millennials in a row; all born in 1989. Research says half come from divorced families. Does that matter? I think it does. And then add what may have happened to the “bread-winner” during this time (good or bad). Jason Dorsey states in a 60-Minute interview that Gen Y was taught that everyone wins and they have not been taught to make a mistake and then pick themselves up. This has an impact on their interaction in the workplace. And yet they have seen mom and dad struggle with making ends meet. They have seen the dawn of an information age which everyone is linked by the internet. There is a kid in the Ukraine dealing with turmoil and somehow I am now a compatriot by virtue of Comcast; while drinking my latte from Starbucks. Is that an issue? I want my technology, but do not believe in using fossil fuels; which by the way fuels our energy right now. The paradox is Gen Y wants a cause, but not at an expense, but wants everyone to be equal, but others (other countries) won’t allow it. So does Gen Y take their place, their “comforts” for granted and without any perspective? This is the enigma of Gen Y. They connected to a bigger picture. Much bigger than we as Gen X can even fathom. And yet, are they unaware of the narrow picture, the day-to-day realities?
We strive to make them us and they vehemently are not even close or even want to be part of what we represent. We want order and performance, they want a work-life balance and something that matters. We want exact formulas and hours that make sense. They want flexibility and connectivity to others. Seriously, I say this time and time again, you say they don’t have a work ethic. They do, it’s just not yours. They will fundamentally change the workplace and in a broad sweeping and awesome way, if we let them. Now let me get very real – this does not make them the coolest and best. It only creates a basis for change. There are Gen Y’s I wouldn’t let into my business for anything…regardless of them being the next thing. I know Gen Y’s who suck at business. They do not know the first thing about business, because they never had to make it…it is been given to them. Consider this another part of my rant. Just because you have some unique characteristics given your time in history and culture does not make you savvy. You get this? Just because you know how to text does not make you a good business person. I might even go so far as to say, your communication skills, person to person, sucks. You do not know how to say thank you to anyone. Your ability to be appreciative to anything is absolutely second to Gen X (despite all of our faults).
So perhaps the key take-aways are:
Gen Y is cutting edge with a love for quicker, better and more inclusive. They lack people skills and context for making mistakes and being a “loser” from time to time.
To understand them is to ask them what they would do if? They like to problem solve. This is the variable that sets apart the exceptional from the slacker.
The family unit has been prominent as has the feedback and praise. Remember, primarily from the parent. The grenadparents may live three states away. What do you do in the way of providing insight and to what degree?
If one has lived their life without a father-figure, does that matter when paired with someone who did have one? This is not about generations, it is about influences to our decision making machine. Consider the degree of influence and influences in their life.
Gen Y is coming into the workplace. How much context are we giving them to be successful? They may not have a perspective…yet.
In 1985, I ordered a glass of wine. I was then an adult (again, kinda). I could vote, right? My realizations and realities would now influence a child 4 years from then. This will be the focus in the next blog. It is not the years, it is the influences. It is when one generation intersects another that shapes how we manage, lead, work and love. This topic is cool.
Cheers