By Silvana Avinami
I’m over it. I can’t stand reading about one more Gen X manager who thinks that Gen Y is the worst generation of employees that has come along. And I cannot stand watching one more Baby Boomer manager roll their eyes as they complain that Gen Y is a group of spoiled, ungrateful employees who has an extreme sense of entitlement. To all the over-35 year olds out there I have one question for you: “Do you really think that age is the reason why people lack the motivation, passion, loyalty and commitment at work?” (come on, give me a break!). To all those nodding in approval, you’re just looking for a quick-fix where there is none. Do you really think that all your troubles with your staff would be over if you simply hired people who are 35 and up? I’ll give you a few moments to think about what you’d be missing if you did that. (Fresh ideas, new energy, IT-savvyness beyond belief…to name a few).
Simply put, people of all ages can lack motivation, passion, loyalty and commitment. If you don’t believe me, go for a ride with a 60 year-old cab driver – or a 20 year-old. To those managers who insist that age is the source of their pain – I suggest that you take a look in the mirror – and ask yourself what can you do to empower your staff to find the fire within, to feel a part of your team, to be committed to your vision. Are you willing to have honest and open conversations with your staff about work issues? So honest that you’re willing to advise them to find work elsewhere when you feel that a person’s reason for being is outside your company’s walls?
As someone who’s in the habit of putting my money where my mouth is, shortly after I took over as commercial director of my family’s business, I made it clear to my team that they did not work for me – rather that they worked for themselves.
In our first strategic planning meeting I put up a slide that said (translated from Spanish):
“Let it be clear that…
No one works for somebody else
We all work for ourselves
My primary objective is to help you work better – and as a result we all benefit – that includes:
You,
The company and
Me.”
And has this approach made a difference? I’ll let results speak for themselves. We’re now well on our way to achieving a 10% higher share of sales than we were 3 months ago. And the team has agreed to even higher targets for 2010. Aside from that, my team of 25 to 55 year-olds is more motivated than they had been in years, they’re making decisions, solving problems and taking ownership. Just as in manufacturing processes it’s known that often times it’s not the people who are to blame for errors, but the processes themselves that need fixing – could it be that you as a manager needs fixing – and not your Gen Y employees?
Silvana Avinami is a strategic job hopper and serial entrepreneur. During her work life that spans more than ten years, she has experienced thirteen jobs and three careers in six industries across three continents. With her insight and achievements, she owns the space of self-made careers.
By deliberately taking ownership of her career, this passionate and energetic woman continues to create choices for herself. Among them, taking time off to write full time. Silvana now works as the commercial director of a leading Latin American original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of medical devices – the only local OEM in the region.
This is spot on. The problem with most jobs is that the employee can’t measure their performance on their own, can’t see the impact of their work on others and are not known as anything more than a commodity to the management (who will lay them off in a heartbeat…).
That has little to do with age or generation; it has to do with management engaging people in their work.
The saying, by the way, is a good one. Nice that you made it more than just a saying!