millenial misconceptions: how to work successfully with generation y karen mcritchie, grinnell...
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Millenial Misconceptions:How To Work Successfully With Generation Y
Karen McRitchie, Grinnell College
Iowhere? Approximately 1500 students Private, liberal arts college
Grinnell College—Little School on the Prairie
Globally concerned Integrated Realistic, pragmatic Cyber-literate Media savvy Environmentally conscious Diverse Always Connected Multi-Tasking Resourceful Inquisitive Customize Independent and Interdependent
Generation Y—who are they?
WW II Boomers Gen X Gen Y
Ozzie & Harriet
Father Knows Best
Bing Crosby
The Movies
Marvel Comics
Grateful Dead
Rock & Roll
3’s Company
Mad Magazine
Sesame Street
Friends
Heavy Metal
Beavis & Butthead
Computer Games
iTunes
Netflix
Entertainment
WW II Boomers Gen X Gen Y
WW II
Korean Conflict
New Deal
Great Depression
Rural Life
Extended Families
Respect Authority
Duty Before Pleasure
JFK Assassination
Civil Rights Movement
Economic Expansion
Move to Suburbia
Nuclear Families
Fallout Shelters
Buy Now—Pay Later
Personal Fulfillment
Watergate
Social Chaos
Vietnam
AIDS
Downsizing
Divorced Families
Latchkey Kids
Work to Live
Oklahoma Bombing
9/11
Terrorism
Diversity Issues
Economic Expansion
Online Communities
Earn to Spend
Historical Perspective
WW II Boomers Gen X Gen Y
Golden Age of Radio
78 RPM Records
Operators-Party Lines
ENIAC
TV
FM Stereo
Mainframes
BASIC/DTSS
LP Records
8-track tapes
Video Games
Lunar Landing
ARPANET
UNIX
Ethernet
Apple/Microsoft
CDs
The Web
Space Shuttle
Internet
MP3
DVD
Windows/Macintosh
Mobile Devices
IM, Blogs
Technology
7
By Age 21, The Average Gen Yer Will Have Spent… 20,000 hours watching
TV 10,000 hours on a cell
phone Under 5,000 hours
reading printed books Sent/received 200,000 E-
mails 10,000 hours playing
video games– Prensky, 2003
“Generation Y is like Generation X on-fast-forward-with-self-esteem-on-steroids”
Bruce Tulgan, Not Everyone Gets A Trophy
Gen Y is the most over supervised generation ever.
They were guided, directed, supported, coached and protected.
They were nurtured, scheduled, measured, discussed, diagnosed, medicated, programmed, accommodated, included, validated, awarded and rewarded.
They have excellent self-esteem
Influential Parents
This is the most diverse generation in history:
Ethnic heritage Geography Ability/disability Age Language Lifestyle Sexual orientation Color Size/Shape Religion
Diverse
Transactional employment relationships High expectations for themselves AND
for the employers Highest expectations for their
immediate bosses Disagree openly, challenge employment
conditions
Gen Y @ Work
Tell me about your Gen Y impressions?
They can be very loyal
It is not a blind loyalty or hierarchical
Transactional loyalty with customers/clients
“There is no loyalty.”
Eager to prove themselves
They need to know that they are making a difference
They want to have credit for the work they are doing
Not interested in long term promises of rewards in a distant future
“They won’t do the grunt work.”
They have a different knowledge base They walk in the door with more
information in their heads and more available at their fingertips than anyone has ever had.
They think, learn and communicate in sync with today’s environment.
“They think they know everything.”
Hit the ground running Identify things no one
else has identified Solve problems no one
has solved Invent new processes,
things Make existing processes
and things better
“They want the top job on day 1”
They want work to be engaging They want to learn, be challenged, and
to understand how their work relates to the vision or goal.
They want to work with good people They want some flexibility Unhappy people are unproductive.
In a Gallop survey, 2002, only 25% of employees surveyed felt they had a strong job commitment.
“They think work should be fun.”
They want their managers to be aware of who they are and what they are doing.
They have always been social, working in groups throughout school, collaborating across the globe using technology.
They want to spend time with people who can teach them how to do their work very well and fast.
“They want to be left alone.”
Their paths may be more erratic and eclectic, but they still want to be progressive.
Self-actualizing path made up of various learning opportunities and work relationships
“Instead of climbing the corporate ladder, they are making a tapestry.”
--Bruce Tulgan, Not Everyone Gets A Trophy
“They don’t care about their career.”
Of course money and traditional benefits matter, AND they want the best deal they can get.
Money is not the main factor in a job decision as other benefits rank higher.
Work to live, not live to work.
Money allows them to live.
“Money doesn’t matter.”
Their closest relationship has usually been with a parent or grandparent.
Their parents, teachers, counselors have always treated them with respect so they feel they deserve respect from their colleagues and managers.
“They don’t respect their elders.”
They have work ethic, it is just not the same as your work ethic.
Some things need to be taught, don’t assume they know something because their parents should have taught them.
“They have no work ethic.”
Get them on board fast with the right message. Give them the gift of context—how do they fit into the
big picture? Get them to care about great customer service Teach them self-management skills and how to be
managed Get to know each one and their abilities establishing coaching/teaching relationships provide ample learning opportunities customize schedules and work assignments consistent feedback, lots of praise, recognition tie rewards/incentives to performance Build the next generation of leaders.
Strategies for Managing Gen Y
You may have much less experience than your staff, so don’t be insulted by that, use it.
Be credible—do what you say you will do, when you said you will do it!
Discover the individuality in each team member
Working style rewards learning goals
Find a mentor
Advice for Gen-Y Managers
“They have a lot to offer. They are confident, connected, optimistic,
entrepreneurial, tech savvy, and they see the world as truly global. These
are the qualities that organizations will need to be successful.”
--Deloitte, LLP (2009)
Please remember to go to the session evaluations:
http://www.resnetsymposium.org/rspm/evaluation/
Email: [email protected]
Share your Gen Y stories?