By Tatiana Penteado*
“There’s no point in attempting to find new paths on old maps.” This sentence says all about managing people from a different generation than your own…
I’m part of Generation X, and most of the workers I manage, are women from Gen Y. Imagine what an explosive combination. This generation gap translates into extremely different mentalities. We have different habits, and opposing ways of working.
My team is composed of five people. One of which works out of our Sao Paulo office. The other three are spread out in various locations, throughout Brazil.
Our day-to-day is very diverse. There’s no routine, which makes my Gen Y employees very happy. Hours aren’t rigidly structured, and we move around from office to office a lot. In the same week, one can easily find themselves in 3 different states.
My team ends up meeting face-to-face about twice a year, which means that my managing role is via e-mail, MSN, the phone, and even through social networks. And so that leads me to the challenge of managing Generation Y. How could I ever imagine that work relationships would become so virtual?
But my daily battle is this: how to integrate, develop, and evaluate this team, young professionals, full of energy, their gen Y blood excitedly pulsing through their veins. Not to mention the fact that I have to accomplish all this, from a distance.
They are eager, wanting fast results, and always hungry for new challenges. Their knowledge of computers and technology in general, is more than I’ll ever begin to comprehend.
In the beginning, I tried to follow the blueprint I already knew. The one with which I had been trained and educated. If they didn’t do it right, I scolded. If they didn’t meet the deadline, I’d yank them by the ear, if the client complained I’d punish.
From them, I received the same response that I had once given my bosses, as a young employee. They argued, contested, and complained. Part of me understood them. After all, Generation X is known for the way they transformed social and cultural standards. We were experts at contesting, complaining, and reinventing. The questioning of our elders and the desire for change is all too familiar to me.
So I decided to change my strategy. I began to challenge them, and provide incentives. I crafted monthly competitions with small rewards, remodeled processes, and asked for their suggestions. We also established opportunity for frequent dialogue. And it really worked. Bingo!
They’re competitive, they like to participate, and need to express their ideas. They use technology without ever reading a manual. They organize their activities meticulously. Some of my own employees are completely unavailable, while studying for their MBA. So I get e-mails at the oddest, most unpredictable hours.
The bottom line is that we exchange experiences and learn together. I’m getting fresh, new, blood. I’m also tapping into my own Gen Y side, to get the best out of them.
*Tatiana Penteado is the coordinator for Grupo Foco Projects, and is responsible for the client Avon.
