Busting the myths about GenY

It won’t be wrong to say Generation Y employees are the wave of the future. There is a lot of talk among managers that it is necessary to sacrifice your standards in order to manage Gen Y employees. But, I beg to differ. 

Here are some Gen Y workplace myths, busted!

Myth #1: Gen Y wants undeserved praise

It is true that praise is the number one predictor of Gen Y job satisfaction. Raised in a praise-filled world, GenYers are different from older generation workers who typically assume “if the boss isn’t saying anything, I must be doing ok.” 

Every generation of employees want real feedback that helps them grow and develop on the job. By turning Gen Y’s love of praise into teaching opportunities, it will benefit every employee, where specific positive reinforcement is given as soon as great work is identified. A simple example: Instead of saying “Great job on that report”, saying, “The way you got that report done ahead of schedule means a lot to me and the client really appreciated the creative data analyses”, will do the trick. 

Myth #2: Gen Y is lazy and unwilling to put in the time to rise to the top

Gen Y grew up in a technologically advanced world that offered lots of immediate gratification. Knowledge has always been at their fingertips and services like overnight delivery are the norm, not a luxury! But, this doesn’t mean that high and middle performing Gen Y employees expect something for nothing. They have the same desire to earn their promotion as do their predecessors. They just have a different take on how to get there. 

For years, employees stayed silent as they worked hard and “did their time,” hoping it would lead them higher up the organizational ladder. But Gen Y believes that talent and results should drive their success, and not rules about time served. They want to do their work and master the skills, competencies and achievements required to move ahead, but they don’t like being told to be patient and wait for it. 

Myth #3: Gen Y is a bunch of spoiled brats who ask “why” just to drive managers nuts

Some members of Gen Y have been convinced by their parents, schools and friends that they are the centre of universe and whatever they do has a special meaning to it. They were taught that rules and instructions are important and good only if they make sense and that, as individuals, they could make a difference in the world. That’s why they want to know there’s a purpose behind everything they do.

By asking questions, they just want to learn. They want a better view of the big picture, and to know there is significance and meaning to their work. Most people want to know “why,” and for pretty much the same reasons, but older generations were taught it’s a rude question to ask. 

Myth #4: Gen Y makes all kinds of outrageous demands 

Gen Y hasn’t been asked to make a lot of either/or choices in their life. Like most employees of every generation, Gen Y enjoys being on a lifelong learning path. Everything is a constant process for Gen Y, and they look at things in terms of job opportunities and what they can learn, or what they can get out of the experience.

Myth #5: Gen Y has no respect for formal authority

Many managers think that Gen Y employees don’t value management. The fact is, Gen Y wants the guidance and insight managers have to offer, but they don’t want to have to repeat a mistake before getting it right in order to learn the lesson. They want to learn how to do it right the first time. 

All employees appreciate a deeper understanding of how their role contributes to the big picture. And, as is obvious, they will deliver better performance when given clear end points, clear directives on why they are doing the work, who will benefit, what impact the employee should expect, available resources, expected obstacles, levels of freedom and information about the expected end product and how it will be used. All followed up in writing, please!

Reflections

The sudden death of Survey Monkey's CEO, David Goldberg, has shocked the world. Personally, this news has led me to realise the importance of appreciating small things in life and life in general. 

Often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley Power Couple’, David Goldberg and Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, probably had everything going for them – high profile careers and 2 children. Given their respective positions in corporate America, the couple undoubtedly led a good life, but David Goldberg’s sudden death last week will probably change that. 

Having read Sheryl Sandberg’s highly acclaimed book, ‘Lean In- Women, Work and the Will to Lead’, I remember reading about Ms. Sandberg and Mr. Goldberg adopting a ‘Shared earning / shared parenting marriage’ approach. Ms. Sandberg wrote of Mr. Goldberg being a “true partner” who helped her make her career possible. In the high pressure environment that the couple worked in, sacrifices might have been made on the family front, however, Ms. Sandberg often spoke of Mr. Goldberg being a hands on husband and father. 

One might wonder where I am going with this. Like I mentioned earlier, I have suddenly come to realise the importance of appreciating my life. It’s time for some self-introspection. While I gain my footing in the corporate world, I have to ensure I don’t sacrifice on other equally important aspects of my life. Given that I am still trying to make my career, I probably miss out on things, for example, spending quality time with the family, pursuing my hobbies, taking care of my health or even spending some “me time”. At this stage, many like me get so absorbed in their careers that all these other equally important aspects are often ignored and then it’s too late to go back. I have spent the last couple of years feeling very proud of myself for doing something good with myself, however, I have now come to realise all that I have done so far is nothing out of the ordinary. I am only doing what every other person is probably doing. 

I am not a spiritual or superstitious person, but events like these often make a person relate them to their own lives and I am no different. I now see a big board in front of my eyes that says “Caution! Take control of your life!” I have been lucky to have been brought up by parents who have given me everything I ever asked for, which has probably made people to label me as ‘arrogant’, ‘spoilt’, ‘pampered’ or ‘privileged’, thus making me take things for granted. However, I am currently going through a phase where I am realising the value of life and all that it has to offer.   

I always considered myself as an average individual who followed the set pattern of completing high school, then moving on to pursuing a graduate degree, then a Master’s degree and then make a decent career. However, once I got into the groove of the corporate world, I realised even I could have potential if I worked hard and believed in myself. As a result, the past couple of years have been spent in understanding what direction I want my career to take. Not that I have achieved all that I want to, I think I have managed to make a small place for myself. And, it’s now time to give some serious thought to what else I need to do.  

It’s sad to know that I have to make a conscious effort to spend some time with the family, but I have to do it to continue to lead a happy life. I have tried to pursue various hobbies, be it learning to play an instrument, playing a sport, drawing and even singing, however, I often gave up for various reasons. Today, when I see people around making an effort to pursue their interests, it makes me wonder why I haven’t thought about doing the same. It might just be a way for me to de-stress and also realise that even I can do something other than what is expected of me. 

As much as I steer away from clichéd sayings, my new mantra is “Life is too short, do what you want NOW!”