May 20 2009
In the April column of GenTrends, I argued that “Too much training is still mired in classrooms and taught by talking heads.” I received a response from a reader that I found instructive. While his example is specific to utilities, any number of workplaces are facing a similar challenge.
Feb 02 2009
I spent a day this past week working with the chapter presidents from a nationwide non-profit organization, all of whom manage a spectrum of ages. When all was said and done, their biggest concern about those twenty-five and under and the transactional way in which most of these young people treat their jobs. “We arrive early and leave late because that’s what it takes. They don’t seem to go the extra mile. This organization is a calling and we need people who will pitch in without being asked,” they said collectively. I reminded them that you can be true to your calling and still maintain a balance of life. But what can you do about the transactional nature that many young people bring to any job? Here are three quick tips: Continue reading “Managing the Transactional Millennial”
Jan 26 2009
In another departure from the traditional work space, some members of the Millennial generation have begun to work in what is has beccome known as Jellies. A selection of unrelated telecommuters and independent professionals gather in an apartment, townhouse or other location to do their work and enjoy the company and creative energy of others at the same time. Amit Gupta, a 25-year-old Web entrepreneur, started the first Jelly about three years ago. Since then, the concept has taken off in cities across the world. New York has more than 500 participants already. Jellies got their name from jelly beans, and are meant to be a venue for those wishing the company of others while not have to work in a formal setting. For a more in depth exploration of the topic, click here.
http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/25/89/80/index.html
Jan 19 2009
Jason Smith, a superintendent of schools in Collin County, TX and his brother Adam, have launched Teacher Tube a new resource for instructors. This slick new website, a play on You Tube, boasts more than 220,000 regular users and 54,000 videos on all kinds of classroom management and creative ways to teach. As much as it is aimed at teachers, it is equally applicable for those who are in training or simply trying to connect with the Millennial generation. For the Millennials, it is a great way to learn a wide variety of skills and techniques in an engaging way. One of my favorites? Mrs. Burk Perimeter Rap. While there is a concern among some that the instruction in a few of these clips may not be totally accurate, the value of this site far outweighs these concerns, in my opinion.
Jan 07 2009
I have been struck in the past few weeks by the number of Millennials who are posting viewpoints on-line about how to build relationships with their generation. It’s almost as if they are collectively saying, “Okay you geezers, you’ve talked about us enough. Now it’s our turn to explain what we really think and how we need to be treated. While some may find this imprudent, self-centered, or even rude, the reality of working together successfully is somewhere in between. We are no longer in an age where terms are dictated to the workforce. At the same time, this emerging generation will find over time that their expectations need to be tempered with reality. Just because Fortune magazine’s 100 best companies to work for do it, doesn’t mean that everyone else does as well.
In any event, I’ve come across a couple of Millennial bloggers in the past several days that I thought were particularly insightful and whose points were worth considering. Ellie Behling is a 23-year-old journalist living in the New York area. Click here to read about her Gen Y Trends to Watch in 2009. Adam Singer’s blog, Future Buzz, focuses primarily on webmarketing and PR strategies, but here are his Gen Y Observations From Someone Actually Part of the Generation. Enjoy.
Dec 31 2008
This past week, Toronto writer Michael Jursic published a blog about what he calls entitleitis, that sense in our society that everyone is entitled to do anything they want without being held accountable. While this may sound like the lament of some geezer who’s fed up with bad manners, I’ve discovered that irritation about the social behavior of others is quite widespread. What is not so widespread is action to communicate concern. I was in a crowded coffee shop this morning when a mother entered with her pre-school-aged daughter. After they sat down I watched the little girl withdraw her pet guinea pig from a small carrier and begin to play with it. I overheard the mother say, “Why don’t you put her on the ground and let her run around.” The girl did so and it promptly scurried under the chairs of some patrons in the far corner. The little girl followed it on her hands and knees with the mother close behind disturbing everyone within the shop. While it was obvious from the expressions on everyone’s face that this behavior was not welcome, nothing was said to the mother or daughter about the appropriateness of releasing a guinea pig in busy coffee shop.
In an environment where informality has become the accepted practice in all but a few settings, I have to wonder what emerging generations are learning about where to draw the lines of appropriateness within our culture. When the tenets of a society’s long-held social order are allowed to decay, it ends up with social disorder. Couple this with a growing discomfort on the part of most people to correct a child’s inappropriate behavior for fear of parental rebuke and you have a recipe for chaos over time. Perhaps we should all take the time to speak up the next time we see a member of the youngest generation letting the pig out of the poke.
Dec 24 2008
I was struck last week by the comments of Kathryn Boland, a young Canadian public relations student, who was reflecting in her blog about the long-term impact of social media on her life and the lives of anyone else connected to the Internet. At one point she wrote, “… people are always under surveillance from pictures at a party to a comment on a Myspace page and all of it being documented. I understand this now as I begin my journey as a public relations practitioner on how important my activities can be for my own personal brand and the company I work for in the future.” She goes on to express concern Continue reading “Millennials and the Internet that Doesn’t Forget”
Dec 16 2008
My good friend, Karen, walked up to the checkstand of a local retailer. She handed the young clerk a small item lacking both a price tag and one of those ubiquitous bar codes. The clerk looked perplexed. She looked at the computer sceen in front of her, then back at the item, then once again at the screen. “You can’t buy that,” she said to Karen. “I don’t have a button for it.”
Over the weekend, my wife and I went to a local restaurant for the first time. We ordered a large plate of nachos and I asked for a small garden salad. The twenty-something waitress checked the ordering screen. “I’m sorry,” she said,” we don’t have one of those. ”
“You offer large salads,” I said. “Can’t you just take some lettuce and tomatoes, throw them on a small plate and charge me a few bucks?”
“I’ll check with the manager,” she said.
We watched her walk over to a young man about her age and discuss the situation. She returned and said, “I’m sorry, but we only serve what’s on the menu.”
My wife and I stuck with the nachos. If anyone doubts that the Millennial generation is too dependent on computer screens, they’ve got their head stuck in the sand.
Dec 09 2008
I used to think that the number of personal effects employees displayed in their work areas, was an indication of how much at home they felt in the environment. Did they place photos of their loved ones on the desktop? Did they stock the bottom desk drawer with snacks? Were there special little keepsakes displayed on the bookcase or credenza?
These days, this no longer seems to apply. The work speaces of many young workers are almost barren. There’s the phone, the computer monitor, the keyboard and the mouse. That’s about it. I asked a Millennial whose desktop was especially bare why he thought this was so. He said, “It’s nothing personal, but I come here to work. I don’t need all my stuff around.”
“What about your girlfriend and your dog?” I asked.
He whipped out his PDA and, “Right here. That way I can look at pictures of them wherever I go.”
“So you could get up a leave right now,” I said, “without even having to clean out your desk.”
“That’s true,” he responded. ”But it would also save time if I’m laid off.”
Dec 02 2008
Conductor David Zinman, Director of the Aspen Music Festival, faced the same challenge as many parents who hope to provide their children with a well-rounded upbrining. Considering his profession, Zinman wondered why his 16-year-old son did not attend concerts of classical music. He found the answer and some inspiration in a chance conversation.
