Archive for the ‘Generational Gap’ Category

Unless you’re the doting parent (or grandparent) of a Gen Y (in which case he or she is the world’s best kid), this youngest generation (born between 1980 and 2000)  is often described as narcissitic, self-absorbed, digitally addicted, and more.  A few authors have even labeled them as the “the dumbest generation.”  

I’m not sure I believed all the bad hype was owned exclusively by these Gen Ys.  I’ve known plenty of narcissistic, self-absorbed, addicted Baby Boomers and Gen X too.   But in a post I just read, a Gen X writer penned a list of 5 things you should know about Gen Y.  For me, what makes this article so poignant is that one of the biggest generation rifts in the workplace is occurring between Gen X and Gen Y.  So in a demonstration of some light at the end of the generational tunnel, you can read her list of 5 Surprising Things You Should Know about Gen Y.

They are desperate for mentors
These are kids who were friends with their parents in ways that we (Gen X and older) never were.  They’re used to having an adult they like helping them navigate the world.  But now that they’re out of school and choosing careers – about which their parents may know nothing and therefore can’t help – they’re kind of lost for guidance.  We aren’t reaching out to them because they seem so confident that we think they don’t need (or want) us.  But they do.

They’re scared to fail
These are kids whose every word, step, poop and dance recital was applauded, announced, videographed and trumpeted as the Second Coming.  Now that they’re adults, they’re beginning to realize – and accept – that the world isn’t going to congratulate them for successfully wearing matching socks.  But they have so little experience of failure that they’re scared to death of it.

The peer pressure is brutal
For those of us who graduated in, say, 1991 with an English degree, just getting a job was enough.  The recession had been going on seemingly for ages, we were all working for peanuts at crap jobs, and we really only knew what our own circle of friends was doing, so peer pressure was minimal.

These kids have been hearing stories from older siblings about getting $80k-a-year jobs (which did exist a couple of years ago), the internet gives them access to a huge network of people at their lifestage (some of whom are still snagging great jobs or making huge salaries), and the media has filled their heads with stories of other 22-year-olds who invent some social networking site that they sell 3 years later for $1.9 billion.  So when all they see in front of them is a $40k-a-year job as an Assistant-Something, they begin to think that they’re the only one their age who’s ’sucking’.

They don’t realize that the marketplace has negative stereotypes about them
When I mentioned that recruiters and employers often think that Gen Ys have a sense of entitlement, don’t work beyond 9-to-5, and come into a job expecting to be running the company within a year, there was shocked – and nervous – laughter around the table.   

Not only do they not think of themselves this way, they were surprised to learn that potential employers might see them this way.  They think of themselves as hard workers who are just waiting for the opportunity to prove themselves – in other words, they think of themselves the way every new-to-the-workforce generation has thought of themselves since the dawn of time. 

In some ways, they’re just as green as we ever were
We tend to believe that this internet generation is more savvy than we were – that they’re entering the workforce with more knowledge and confidence or something.  And sure, they have more access to information than we ever did:  They can find and apply to more jobs (via the internet), they can better prepare for interviews by Googling a potential employer, and the internet is awash in resume templates.

But in some very basic ways, they’re still as ignorant as we were:  Remember when you didn’t know how ‘headhunters’ worked, or who paid them?  Remember when you didn’t have a ‘network’?  Remember thinking, in the first year of your first job, that you hated it but now you were ’stuck’ in this career forever?  Gen Ys may have a superficial confidence and swagger, but it’s often masking #2 and #3, above.

Which brings us right back to #1.

Read the full article

Two pre-teen girls updated a Facebook status to say they were lost in a drain in Australia instead of calling 911. Glenn Benham from the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) says it was fortunate a young male friend was online at the time and was able to call for help on their behalf.  Benham was concerned the girls didn’t call the Australian equivalent of the U.S. help number 911.

But in a world where an entire generation of kids has seen voice mail and email be replaced by texting and social networking sites as the primary mode of communication, is it anywhere we have yet another clash between generations?  Benham suggests the youth should conform to mainstream protocols. But have these protocols lost their relevance?  Is public safety falling the times?  Should public safety services such as fire and police have a presence on Facebook and Twitter to monitor cries for help?  Is this just another case of an older generation resisting change or a younger generation not following the rules?  Which party is creating the bigger risk?

Several days ago I wrote a post titled, “Are Baby Boomers Overstaying Their Welcome?”  Since then I keep reading and hearing most instances of resentment from Gen Xers.  And just a few minutes ago, I read this post by Kim Luisi, a Gen X report for Examiner.com.  Her comments were sharp and critical but not unlike those I’m hearing consistently from other Gen X:

So why don’t they retire already and leave the rest of us alone? Think of Bill Clinton and his embarrassment to Hillary’s campaign. He just didn’t know when to quit. The whole boomer generation is my Bill Clinton. Thanks guys, you’ve been a great help. Now step aside.

It’s no wonder that the boomers have spawned the millennials, or Generation Y.  If boomers want to constantly remind others of their accomplishments and the stages of their lives, millennials, in their eagerness to learn from their elders,  want praise and fast promotion for theirs. The complementarity of the two generations is unparalleled. Where does all this leave Gen X? Stuck right in the middle. Clowns to the left us, jokers to the right.

So what do you think?  Am I just hanging out with the  ultra-skeptical Gen X…or is resentment increasing?

September Webinars about Social Media and Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce

Link Me, Tweet Me, Friend Me

September 15, 2009 at 2:00 PM EDT

Wondering if your business needs to be on Facebook or Twitter?  Confused about LinkedIn and blogging? Then you don’t want to miss this 60 minute introductory webinar. Register here.

 Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization

September 16, 2009 at 2:00 PM EDT

Join author Ira S Wolfe for the official release of his new book Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization with a webinar and discussion led by author Ira S Wolfe.  Learn how four generations and technology will change business and how to manage the four major clashpoints that are dividing the multi-generational workforce.  Register here.

The “I’ll work forever” attitude of the Baby Boomers is bringing movement up the career ladder to a complete stand-still.  It’s like waiting for a table in a busy restaurant when the guests at the table you want have finished their dessert and paid the bill but are busy chatting well beyond their “allotted” time.  The longer they stay, the more intense the glares and more uncomfortable everyone becomes.

Fellow blogger Sue Danbom posed an intriguing post this morning when she asked, “Brett Favre – Poster Child for “Un-retirement.” Will Boomers Do the Same?”  There is no question the Baby Boomers will be hanging around the workplace longer than anyone ever expected.  For some organizations that’s a good thing….for others, it’s bad.  While Boomers may have the experience, they don’t always possess the talent and skills needed to compete in the “new economy.” (Don’t confuse the War for Talent with a shortage of people to fill the jobs.  The War for Talent is still being fought over skilled workers, with an emphasis on “skilled.”)

Sue highlights Favre’s journey from his Hall of Fame career to the soap-opera history of his retirement to un-retirement to retirement.  Last week he announced his latest un-retirement. And she rightfully asks if Boomers, “Like Favre, will they have second (and third and fourth) thoughts after they leave the workforce?”

That’s a great question and I strongly believe the answer will be YES.  But management will be remiss if they don’t anticipate the loss of Gen X who feel they are trapped by the likes of Boomers in Brett Favre clothing.   The postponed retirements and perpetual un-retirements is creating a measureable resentment in the Gen X cohort who are getting blocked by a thickening Gray Ceiling.  This ceiling is not only frustrating Gen X, but Gen Y too. 

For those organizations who don’t take heed, they could easily lose the experience and wisdom of both the seated guests (Boomers) and the wait list (Gen X and Gen Y at the same time.

It’s also important to recognize that Brett Favre is not a Baby Boomer.  While Brett Favre’s behavior might resemble that of an aging Boomer, he is a Generation X born in 1969.  So I ask, is Favre a Baby Boomer trapped in a Gen X body or is his behavior a sign of things to come for aging Gen Xers, too?