I ponder Generation Y’s loyalty.
And then I ask myself, what is loyalty anyways?
People have different conceptions of “close” and “far,” “short,” and “long,” “right” and “wrong.” They have different conceptions of loyalty as well.
Yes, Generation Y is loyal. They don’t like lies. They don’t like feeling used. They have real friends. They know what it is to be betrayed.
Yet, the concept of loyalty is different for the younger generations.
In this sense, Generation Y is more authentic. They feel that they don’t need to be loyal, if one doesn’t measure up to his words. They also automatically equate not doing what you say with “lying.”
This is a big problem in businesses. Loyalty is no longer an obligation. The unconditional love, which Eric Fromm writes about in his book, “The Art of Loving,” no longer exists. And when businesses don’t fulfill their promises, Generation Y gets tired. They look for other options.
I think that Generation Y also plays a huge role in this process. Once, during a conference, I heard a member of Generation Y comment about his workplace. He said, “I’m tired of waiting.” “My ideas are just going to waste.” And I asked, “How long have you been working there?” He responded, “3 months.”
Any Baby Boomer would tell you that three months is an insufficient length of time to get assigned to an important and exciting work project, and to be truly heard in an organization, even more so in a time of Economic crisis. The notion of time needs to be discussed within business organizations.
Baby Boomers have a completely different perception of time than Generation Y. The way each generation was raised greatly influences their perception of time.
I lived in London when I was 15 years of age in 1970. Phoning Brazil was a rare and expensive event. Letters were the only constant way of communicating. But I letter could take a month to arrive.
This is essential to understanding generational differences in regards to “time.” If we don’t make the effort, we won’t understand the movie we are living.
Have fun…
