Send to Kindle

Tweet

Share

Call them "Gen Y," "Millennials," "Echo Boomers," or whatever you want - just be sure you call them, because they've got something to say.

I was listening to episode 79 of HBR Ideacast, Managing Generation Y, in which Tammy Erickson, who writes the Across the Ages column for the Harvard Business Review, was interviewed. As I was listening, I realized that in addition to the baby boomers, this is a generation that is potentially going to change the way you're doing business - or at least thinking about doing business. There are implications to marketing, internal communications, social media, and organizational behavior here.

In the podcast, they referred to the "self-assured, overly emotive, text messaging" generation who are "happy to tackle the big jobs, and they'll do it with confidence." This should be welcome news to any manager's ears, but I think this should be tempered with an acute awareness of the idiosyncratic traits that this generation brings with them. Let's look at them one by one:

Impatience/Immediacy
I've often said that this is the generation that wants to be an intern on Monday and the CEO by Friday. I admire that kind of drive, but I also wrinkle my nose at the hubris that accompanies it; there seems to be a lack of willingness to put in the time and gain the experience necessary for such a role.

According to the Erickson, this is deeper than just youthful impatience; she says they're likely be impatient for their entire lives. She posits that during their formative years, Gen Y has been bombarded with inexplicable, sudden and tragic events such as 9/11, Columbine and Virginia Tech - and that they've decided that they need to live life now.

I think it goes a little deeper than that (perhaps she was limited in time on the show). Look at the way the cable news networks have evolved over the last 10-15 years. Whether it's padding their daytime programming with Iraq war I or II, the O.J. Simpson chase & trial, or the latest celebrity overdose, all of the news outlets are catering to a need (?) for more information, now. When you take this institutionalized view of news, information and service, it's not too much of a stretch to think that Gen Y is going to expect fast results in the workplace.

But at the same time, I think we need to keep in mind that this desire for results and action may come at a price: the inability to think strategically. Granted, there are very few (if any) strategic planners who are 20-somethings. But if they have this nurtured aversion to longer-term thinking, there may be trouble ahead.

• Lesson: harness the impatience and drive and turn it into an opportunity to let loose their unbridled energy on training in strategic marketing.

Let Me Tell You What I Think
By and large, this generation has grown up in a peer to peer world, where they're used to openly sharing ideas and not being shy about saying what they think. Odds are that in the workplace, if they have an idea that will benefit you, they'll share it - with managers, directors, and even CEOs.

• Lesson: tap into this reservoir of creativity and fresh perspective and get their input on as many facets of your business as possible.

Technology
This is the generation that€ was raised on text messaging. They look up on email as an outmoded style of communication. To them text messaging is personal, immediate, and it gets results. They can't understand why it takes us
16 emails deep in a chain to come up with a time to schedule a
conference call. To them, it's a no-brainer: text, boom, done.

In addition, TiVo, Facebook and other technologies lead them to doing things on their own time. We've been used to structure & scheduling, while they do things when time allows them to do so. Asynchronous behavior may become more prevalent.

• Lesson: be open to trying out IM or presence applications in
  our day-to-day lives, with internal communications, and possibly with
  marketing.

Parents' Roles
Gen Y likes their parents; not surprising when these "helicopter parents" are involved in many aspects of their children's lives. While this can be incredibly annoying (and these kinds of parents should ease off, lest they tarnish their kids' reputations in the workforce), it does have one positive side effect: Gen Y has great working relationships with Boomers in the workplace.

• Lesson: use this natural attraction to create strong mentoring programs between Boomers & Gen Y-ers, to share knowledge.

There is no doubt that this generation will have a huge impact on the world. They're certainly ready for us. But are we ready for them?

What do you think? How have you experienced Gen Y in the workplace, either as a Boomer, a Gen X-er, or a Gen Y-er yourself? And what do you think the answers are?

Labels: Generation Y, Marketing, strategy, trends

 Comments

 LINKS TO THIS POST

At 2/20/2008 1:03 AM,  Amanda Gravel said...

Oh no! I'm going to be impatient my entire life? Yikes...

I think these are some great insights, Scott. We definitely can be a bold bunch. I tend to think the intern Monday, CEO Friday thing is a bit of an unfair characterization of my generation, but I agree that we are on the whole impatient and quick to share our ideas.

One thing I think is really interesting about people my age is that we were probably the last generation who will learn how to read first in hard-copy and later on a computer screen. Example: in my internships and at my job, people who were senior to me prefer to proofread documents on paper. I prefer it on a screen, probably because I learned to read in both ways when I was very young. Would be interesting to see if I'm an exception or part of a trend.

Great post.

 

At 2/20/2008 12:23 PM,  Kristin Maverick said...

Great post Scott. While I usually get defensive when people call out my generation of being pushy (impatient), lazy(using Facebook or texting instead of picking up a phone) and spoiled(enter the parents), I do agree with most of it. We have grown up in a world of YES with many things being given to us for nothing. From technology to the easiness of being open in the workplace, many stereotypes about us are unfortunately true.

That said, I totally agree with your tips to tapping the Gen Y brains of all of our crazy ideas that actually may have some usefulness to the broader corporate world. Realize that our generation is like this and use it to their advantage instead of calling us out on our faults.

 

At 2/20/2008 12:41 PM,  Bianca Reagan said...

I get what you're trying to say in your post. However, the first thing you should realize is that Generation Y people, like myself at 26, aren't simply people to be talked "about". You should talk "with" us, instead of assuming that your audience doesn't include is. We have the internet, so we can read your posts, just like people above the age of 30 can.

Also, stop generalizing us by our so-called "generation". I do like my parents, and I am very driven. But not every other 26-year-old is just like me. Neither is every 19-year-old or 29-year-old or 13-year-old.

Finally, for deeper insight on this topic, I offer you Generation Y, watch your boss for these warning signs from Valleywag.

 

At 2/20/2008 6:12 PM,  Adam Snider said...

Honestly, I'm not sure I have much to add. I think your tips are useful to people who are or soon will be working with Gen Yers like myself. But, I also have to agree with Bianca in many respects. I see too much diversity among my peers for these sort of generalizations to feel accurate.

 

At 2/20/2008 6:25 PM,  Scott Monty said...

Bianca & Adam - thank you for your comments. I agree that it's impossible to stereotype an entire generation. But that's the job of social scientists - to look at broad trends and similarities that are traceable across a wide demographic. Not everyone is going to fit the mold.

And Bianca, I invited Gen Y-ers to offer their experience and perspective in my closing question. The main post of the blog was written from my own perspective and giving tips to how management can work with the next wave of workers.

If you'd like to write a response piece from a Gen Y perspective - tips that you'd give management - I'd be pleased to let you post it as a guest host here on my blog.

 

At 2/20/2008 7:04 PM,  Bianca Reagan said...

Oh my goodness, an invitation. Now I have to think of something to write. Hmm. :)

 

At 2/21/2008 1:26 PM,  zoe said...

Great post Scott! i think it's important to realize that these traits are not irritating; instead they can be very beneficial.

I am not really sure which generation I would fall under, I'm under 30 but didn't use email until high school and I was well into my 20s by the time I got a cell phone. but those traits you described could definitely be me.

 

At 2/25/2008 3:09 AM,  Anonymous said...

nicepost

 

At 2/25/2008 3:10 AM,  Anonymous said...

thanks

 

At 2/27/2008 2:48 PM,  Bianca Reagan said...

I have been working on a coherent response for days on the topic of Generation Y in the workplace. There is so much misinformation on Generation Y appearing daily in the news and in the blogosphere; it gets overwhelming for my sensitive, defensive nature.

So. Here is the article I have found that sums up my perspective on the subject: Agencies urged to avoid generational stereotypes by Alyssa Rosenberg at GovernmentExecutive.com. I can't escape the irony of my referencing a site that includes a "Defense + Homeland Security" link on its homepage banner, considering my feelings about that federal department. Nevertheless, the article is relevant. As is this one:

Forget about offering workers 'soft stuff' -- show them the money, by Mark Anderson, The Ottawa Citizen.

In summation, don't make sweeping generalizations about any group; have conversations with your employees and coworkers to maximize your company's value; and pay all of your team member a fair, livable wage. That way, you won't have to worry what generation the people in your workplace come from.

Thanks for the invite, Scott!

 

At 2/27/2008 3:36 PM,  Scott Monty said...

I agree, Bianca, that employers shouldn't use stereotypes or generalizations when interacting with individuals. What I wrote about was looking at behavioral tendencies, not absolutes.

Statisticians and sociologists have always used and will always use common group behaviors to draw general conclusions about large swaths of humans. This doesn't mean that every individual will adhere to those characteristics - they're merely guideposts.

It's like arguing that we won't all die at the age of 77; we instinctively understand that it's the average life expectancy for the current generation. We don't expect everyone to conform to that generalization.

 

At 2/27/2008 7:33 PM,  Bianca Reagan said...

The problem with using "common group behaviors to draw general conclusions about large swaths of humans" is who is deciding which small group is going to represent what larger group? I'm not saying there is something intrinsically malicious about your post, Scott, or about the studies and research I'm sure it is based on. However, I am saying that there are faulty assumptions being made both when the research is being done, and when it is being reported.

For instance, this Deloitte Consulting fact sheet on Generation Y states that "38% of millennials identify themselves as “non-white”" and, like your post, suggests that our defining life events include 9/11 and Columbine. These statements make the assumption that we are talking about only Americans: Most of the worldwide population is "nonwhite", and many people outside of the US experience more horrific events that Columbine and 9/11 on a daily basis. However, Deloitte is an international company, and anyone with unblocked internet access in any country (except China) can read The Social Media Marketing blog. Yet nowhere does it state that either Deloitte or you are just talking about Americans born during some indefinable time: that is simply the assumption made by the writers of the material.

I'm not trying to pick on you or your blog. I do understand the good that you are trying to do. I'm saying that as someone who has been labeled and categorized and placed in many boxes that don't fit, I know that there are a wider variety of characteristics and behaviors and issues that need to be factored into Generation Y before one comes to a general conclusion about a group containing millions of individuals.

 

At 2/28/2008 8:50 PM,  Matt Elliott said...

This is an interesting discussion. It's telling that almost all your responses were from Gen Y people -- including myself -- we really are all over the internet. And we're a bit testy, too.

I understand the reluctance to be put into a 'generational box' -- just like Bianca -- but I've come to accept it to some degree. I don't like it when people say "young people like text messaging" because I, personally, hate text messaging, but at the same time I can't really argue with the original statement. Because al in all, young people DO love text messaging.

I do think there's a lot of duplicity when older people write about Gen Y, though. Not because they generalize (that's expected) but because they seem reluctant to actually accept change. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that, if they just pay a little bit of lip service to the things Gen Y wants now, they can hire and retain Gen Y employees and everything will go back to the status quo in a few years.

That's really not the case. Gen Y is going to fundamentally change things. Sure, employers who think ahead will be able to capitalize and build great teams and make a whole lot of money. But this is not something that can be trivialized.

All that said, I liked this post.

Matt Elliott
yworking.com

 

Generation Y and Your Business

Call them "Gen Y," "Millennials," "Echo Boomers," or whatever you want - just be sure you call them, because they've got something to say.

I was listening to episode 79 of HBR Ideacast, Managing Generation Y, in which Tammy Erickson, who writes the Across the Ages column for the Harvard Business Review, was interviewed. As I was listening, I realized that in addition to the baby boomers, this is a generation that is potentially going to change the way you're doing business - or at least thinking about doing business. There are implications to marketing, internal communications, social media, and organizational behavior here.

In the podcast, they referred to the "self-assured, overly emotive, text messaging" generation who are "happy to tackle the big jobs, and they'll do it with confidence." This should be welcome news to any manager's ears, but I think this should be tempered with an acute awareness of the idiosyncratic traits that this generation brings with them. Let's look at them one by one:

Impatience/Immediacy
I've often said that this is the generation that wants to be an intern on Monday and the CEO by Friday. I admire that kind of drive, but I also wrinkle my nose at the hubris that accompanies it; there seems to be a lack of willingness to put in the time and gain the experience necessary for such a role.

According to the Erickson, this is deeper than just youthful impatience; she says they're likely be impatient for their entire lives. She posits that during their formative years, Gen Y has been bombarded with inexplicable, sudden and tragic events such as 9/11, Columbine and Virginia Tech - and that they've decided that they need to live life now.

I think it goes a little deeper than that (perhaps she was limited in time on the show). Look at the way the cable news networks have evolved over the last 10-15 years. Whether it's padding their daytime programming with Iraq war I or II, the O.J. Simpson chase & trial, or the latest celebrity overdose, all of the news outlets are catering to a need (?) for more information, now. When you take this institutionalized view of news, information and service, it's not too much of a stretch to think that Gen Y is going to expect fast results in the workplace.

But at the same time, I think we need to keep in mind that this desire for results and action may come at a price: the inability to think strategically. Granted, there are very few (if any) strategic planners who are 20-somethings. But if they have this nurtured aversion to longer-term thinking, there may be trouble ahead.

• Lesson: harness the impatience and drive and turn it into an opportunity to let loose their unbridled energy on training in strategic marketing.

Let Me Tell You What I Think
By and large, this generation has grown up in a peer to peer world, where they're used to openly sharing ideas and not being shy about saying what they think. Odds are that in the workplace, if they have an idea that will benefit you, they'll share it - with managers, directors, and even CEOs.

• Lesson: tap into this reservoir of creativity and fresh perspective and get their input on as many facets of your business as possible.

Technology
This is the generation that€ was raised on text messaging. They look up on email as an outmoded style of communication. To them text messaging is personal, immediate, and it gets results. They can't understand why it takes us
16 emails deep in a chain to come up with a time to schedule a
conference call. To them, it's a no-brainer: text, boom, done.

In addition, TiVo, Facebook and other technologies lead them to doing things on their own time. We've been used to structure & scheduling, while they do things when time allows them to do so. Asynchronous behavior may become more prevalent.

• Lesson: be open to trying out IM or presence applications in
  our day-to-day lives, with internal communications, and possibly with
  marketing.

Parents' Roles
Gen Y likes their parents; not surprising when these "helicopter parents" are involved in many aspects of their children's lives. While this can be incredibly annoying (and these kinds of parents should ease off, lest they tarnish their kids' reputations in the workforce), it does have one positive side effect: Gen Y has great working relationships with Boomers in the workplace.

• Lesson: use this natural attraction to create strong mentoring programs between Boomers & Gen Y-ers, to share knowledge.

There is no doubt that this generation will have a huge impact on the world. They're certainly ready for us. But are we ready for them?

What do you think? How have you experienced Gen Y in the workplace, either as a Boomer, a Gen X-er, or a Gen Y-er yourself? And what do you think the answers are?

Labels: Generation Y, Marketing, strategy, trends

blog comments powered by Disqus

Home