By Sarah Newton

I recently found this article talking about Gen Z and their entering the workforce. I thought it was interesting on two fronts; one because we are beginning to talk about Gen Z and two, because it appeared to be giving out the wrong information. So I thought I would share my counter thoughts here for you.

If Gen Y is most defined by their approach to social responsibility, then Gen Z is defined by their knowledge and use of technology. They’re the first generation exposed to being connected throughout their lives online.

An obvious one, don’t you think, but hold on. Are they really defined by technology or is it deeper? Is it what technology has done for them, the fact that it has made them creative, innovative and collaborative and has challenged and tipped traditional power structures. When we say they are defined by technology we miss the point; they are defined by what access to technology has allowed them to do and become.

Gen Z is more security conscious than Gen Y. “Gen Zs have been under house arrest by their Gen X parents.” said Dr. Paul Redmond, head of Careers and Employability at the University of Liverpool. “No longer playing outside and always chaperoned, there are concerns about their social, not to mention obesity, issues.”

I totally disagree with this one. They are no more security conscious from what I see, in fact the opposite; they don’t even remember events of 9/11 or July 7^th bombings. They feel really safe and they are not under house arrest at all, they are at home because they choose to be so. Many Gen X parents want their kids to go out more, but the kids want to stay in families. Their parents and their traditional values are hugely important to them.

Gen Z will be more switched on about the risks of social media and is unlikely to splash their personal lives on the net in the same way Gen Y so enthusiastically does. Employers will need to closely consider any social media strategies for this generation. However, they will be technological cosmopolitans and expect information quickly online.

Evidence form a lot of different sources is saying that this is not true at all. (Where does the information come from?) Gen Z will share more and for them, sharing will be the norm. Sorry guys, they will not now or ever, I feel, stop splashing their personal lives on the net; this is a trend that will not reverse. You only need to look at their streams and their social media activity to know this is not true. They may get slightly more selective about whom they let into their circle, but they will continue to share, share and share! Expect more videos and much more insight into their lives, not less.

Redmond warned, due to flitting from one technology to another, they’re likely to know little about a lot of topics, but not hold deep knowledge about a smaller number of subjects.

OK, I give you this one, and this is a concern. We may end up with a group of people who don’t really know a lot about anything. It is up to parents, teachers and future employees to step onto this one, I feel, and ensure we give the next generation the staying power they need.

So, if you are a company already thinking about Gen Z and how you will recruit them, be careful what you read.

Gen Z will be welcomed into the workforce. They are steady, traditional, great at building structure and are less likely to cause as many upsets as their Gen Y counterparts. The older employees in particular will find them much easier to manage.

They are more likely to rebel by behaving better, so although you may have a few years yet, get ready to welcome them with open arms.

“Guysssss can you pay attention please?!”” This is the request, verging on begging, which is so typical of a High School teacher. Capturing the attention of young people has never been easy, not even when the world was slow, and there was no technology to dream along with.

If it wasn’t simple in the past, imagine the difficult task today, trying to get Gen Y, in all its anxiety and impatience to focus.

Whether it’s technology’s fault, or the way in which we were raided, with intense velocity, we have a difficulty even in staying focused in front of the TV. Proof of this is that most child TV shows today don’t last more than 10 minutes.

There’s a legend about HR professionals stating that they spend hours, racking their brains, trying to find the best way to motivate, engage, retain, and get generation Y to focus on relevant topics (or not so relevant topics sometimes.) Whether its in lectures, in the classroom, or in businesses, “paying attention” is the topic of many articles, reports, books, and debates.

So I suggest this: use music, lights, the latest technology, electronic artifices, and 3D movement. This is valid. Always. People often forget that we are the “technological generation.” We will only be happy and focused if technology is present.

We value creativity and most everything which isn’t the norm or commonplace.

In order to illustrate this, I’m going to tell a story. The department of Grupo Foco which outsources its services to Avon, has most of its consultants spread out all over Brazil, and the travel constantly. Communication takes place mostly through e-mail or telephone, or whatever alternative there is to the physical.

Recently we decided to have motivational training, to create stronger relationships between our consultants, who barely knew each other, and discuss new ways of working and developing projects. This training had to take place in one day with a restricted budget.

So we came up with the idea to meet in the countryside, close to Sao Paulo. The dress code was relaxed, people wore whatever they felt like. Participants shopped at the supermarket (where they had a certain amount of money they could spend and a certain amount of time to shop, just like a game.) They had to choose the food they would cook. They split up the tasks and responsibilities based on their abilities, and the fun began. Some were responsible for the food, the music, and setting up the space. Barefoot and having savored the menu they had created, new work strategies began to emerge, as they started to imagine the possibilities to make their work even more efficient.

The results could not have been better. The stress of the office, and of running from place to place, were gone. This allowed them to get to know each other in a deeper way, as they tackled important work questions. Of course, they were very concentrated. Out in the countryside, cell phones didn’t have reception. It was that simply. Mission accomplished through a bit of imagination and “thinking outside of the box.” These are the other things Gen Y loves. We crave everything that’s different and new. Of course, this doesn’t always mean “hi-ultra-tech.” Got it?!

Yes. I’m going to write this in the first person. I’ve got some generation X in me, a bit of Generation Z, but I am in fact part of Generation Y.

X, Y, Z. Where are we (young people who have just started entering the workplace) going to find ourselves in this alphabet soup? What do we want? What are our goals and values? What do we expect from the businesses that hire us?

As generation Y, we’ve grown up with very high self-esteem. At the same time, we’ve grown up with the weight of responsibility, which comes from decades and decades of excessive waste committed by our brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, etc. This makes us fully aware of our responsibility to change the way we produce, consume, and relate. If we aren’t careful, there won’t be any generations left to tell this story.

Research conducted by MTV and the Akatu Institute last year, talks about corporate sustainability, sustainable development, and the responsible consumer. The study reveals that global warming, pollution, water shortages, and social inequality, are just some of the important issues that concern young Brazilians today.

Until recently it was common practice to wash the driveway, flooding it with filtered water, or burn fallen leaves on the ground. This behavior doesn’t make sense to our generation. According to the study, 66% of respondents would call attention to or reprimand, someone throwing trash on the ground, wasting water, or wasting energy. 52% have planted at least one tree in their lives.

We didn’t learn the values of sustainable development in the household. We learned this in school, through the media, and even on the Internet. Even though these weren’t necessarily values our parents taught us, they are extremely present in our professional lives, and have a great influence on the way we deal with the corporate world. Sustainable development enters the generational mix, sometimes making it challenging for businesses to deal with the young employees, who will actually dare to put the business and some of its untouchable practices and procedures “in check.”

American businesses specializing in petroleum and gas, for instance, have encountered difficulties in recruiting the best talent, because this generation has a very negative image of the industry. According to an Accenture study, 75% of MBA students from top U.S. schools would consider earning salaries 10 to 20% lower, in exchange for working for a socially responsible corporation.

In Brazil, it’s still not possible to obtain concrete data on the influence sustainability has on young people’s career choices, even more so at this time, with the high rate of unemployment for recent graduates. But even with this economy, I ask my generation, would you like to work for a business who doesn’t care about the environment, who doesn’t respect the consumer, or the communities around which it works? Would you be satisfied working in this sort of environment, in a business that doesn’t maintain a good relationship with its manufacturers and doesn’t listen to what its employees have to say?

*Julianna is a journalist, who majored in Journalism. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in Corporate Social responsibility. She is working on developing corporate sustainability and green business. To learn more, check out her blog: www.sustentabilidadecorporativa.com

By Ines Schinazi

Technology is obviously changing the way we speak, communicate, interact, and relate to each other. But is technology also changing our brains? Dr. Gary Small thinks so. Of course, the brain’s extreme plasticity is nothing new. But the overwhelming flood of technology in nearly ever aspect of our lives is.

Technology has greatly contributed to making Dr. Gary Small’s research possible. In many ways, technology has sparked his thinking.

He explains, “It was really in my personal life, noticing these technologies, that I felt I wanted to understand it more… I was struck how they’re have been so few direct studies of brain function while our brains are using these new technologies.”

Of course, without technology, Dr. Small’s elaborate research wouldn’t be possible at all.

While technology propels us forward, permitting someone like Dr. Small to explore these questions, it also paradoxically holds us back.

Through his research Dr. Small also reveals the widening “brain gap” occurring between “digital natives” and “digital immigrants,” thus affecting the family, the workplace, and society at large.

Dr. Small is a world- renowned expert on memory, aging, and the brain. He is currently the director of the UCLA “Memory & Aging Research Center at the Semel Insitute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior.” His latest book is the cleverly titled “iBrain.”

His extremely innovative research has made the headlines of “The New York Times,” “The Wall Street Journal,” and “USA today” among other publications. “Scientific American” magazine has named him one of the world’s top innovators in Science and Technology.

His recent UCLA study titled “Your Brain on Google” makes us wonder if our own brains are under the Google influence. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Small shares some of his thoughts.

Ines: Could you talk about the “Your Brain on Google” study you did at UCLA?
Dr. Small: We wanted to see what the brain looked like the first time it searched online. To do that, we had to find [older] people that were “naïve” to the Internet. That was probably the hardest part of the study. So we found these people, and matched them up with people who had Internet-search experience.

We put them in a functional MRI scanner, where we can measure brain function from moment to moment.

We simulated Internet searching and reading a book in the scanner. We found that when the Internet savvy people searched online there was a greater than two-fold increase in activation throughout the brain. We thought that that had to do with the neural networks knowing how to search online and showing greater activation.

We also have found, and are presenting this next month, that if you take these “Internet Naïve” people and have them search online for just an hour a day during a week or two, that their brains look identical to somebody who has been searching online for years. It tells us that an older brain really can adapt quite quickly.

Ines: You are considered one of the world’s top experts on memory, aging, and the brain. Specifically, how did you start exploring the connection between digital technology and the brain? What sparked the interest?
Dr. Small: My work has been primarily in Alzheimer’s disease, in memory, and in how the brain ages. I’ve spent much of career developing technology on how to measure the brain, like PET scan techniques, and so forth.

And it struck me in the past few years that all the technology that we are developing, which improves our lives, may also have an effect on the brain. It was really in my personal life, noticing these technologies, that I felt that I wanted to understand it more.

That’s why I wrote the book “iBrain.” During the course of writing “iBrain,” we did this study at UCLA called “Your Brain on Google.” Because I was struck how they’re have been so few direct studies of brain function while our brains are using these new technologies.

Ines: Your research reveals the wide disparity between digital natives and digital immigrants, which you call the “Brain Gap.” How do you perceive this brain gap affecting the family?
Dr. Small: I think it definitely affects the family. I can see that in my own family. The younger people, the young teenagers, are using technology more, they’re better at, but they’re not spending time face-to-face with human contact.

We have a rule at our house that there’s no technology during dinnertime. Yet it’s a strange situation. The other day, I said to my son, “Stop playing that video game, and come watch television with me!”

It speaks to my concern about the repeated use of technology, and not socializing. It’s a moving target. It’s a complex topic, and I don’t have all the answers. In writing “iBrain” I was hoping to generate some discussion, raise some questions, and get people to study it more…

Ines: How does the brain gap affect the workplace, as digital natives and digital immigrants must now collaborate to accomplish the same tasks?
Dr. Small: In the workplace, when people have to adapt, they do. An example is my father, who was already in his 80’s, and was still working. He wouldn’t use a computer at all. But when they changed to an electronic filing system at the office, he was forced to use a computer, and he adapted quite readily.

I think some older people will have advantages because of the “face-to-face contact” [skills]. Yet younger people will have advantages because of the technology skills in the workplace. The people, who excel the most, are those who can master both approaches.

Ines: What are the steps we can take to minimize the “brain gap” in the workplace and in the family?
Dr. Small: I think they need to first become aware of the issues, and have discussions. I think the way to bridge the gap, is to upgrade the tech skills of the older generation, and help young people, with their human contact face-to-face skills.

Ines: There’s always a great deal of discussion about the “left” and “right” sides of the brain, which determine people’s natural aptitudes.

Do you think technology-use, is comparable to other skills like Art, Math, and Literature? Do some people have more of a natural aptitude or talent? Or are people’s technological skills directly proportionate to their technology-exposure?
Dr. Small: That’s a complex question. We haven’t studied it directly. My sense is that this is something that some of us are better at innately. But it’s also something that can be learned. So it’s not just one or the other. The brain is quite plastic, and does respond well to these kinds of exposure. We found in our study “Your Brain on Google” that an older brain really adapts quite quickly.

Ines: You find that digital natives often lack basic “people skills,” such as reading facial expressions, or feeling empathy. In the future, are digital natives at risk of losing their “people skills” all together?
Dr. Small: Yes. That is an issue. People see it anecdotally all the time. Young people are not showing eye contact when they’re having a conversation. They really can’t read non-verbal cues when they are having a conversation. So I think this is a risk, and that’s one reason I try to heighten people’s attention to it.

Ines: We live in the world of the iPod, the iPhone, the iMac, and now the “iBrain.” How did you come up with the creative title for your latest book?
Dr. Small: I have to credit our editor, Mary-Ellen O’Neill. It was a very good idea. It’s a terrific title. The book is about the brain, and the effect of new technology on the brain.

So, you were just doing a play on words with “iBrain, iPhone, etc.” [In regards to the meaning of the “I”] you could say it stands for “intelligent” or “interactive.” It’s interesting because in the study “Your Brain on Google” we found the frontal lobe was particularly activated, and that’s the interactive part of the brain. So searching online is quite interactive. You’re making lots of decisions. You’re going back and forth. It really engages neural circuits in the frontal lobe of the brain.

Ines: Your research insists on the positive aspects of internet-use. You find that the Internet helps develop important skills like multi-tasking, complex reasoning, and decision making, in both the young and the aging. That said the effects are only positive if people use technology responsibly, not giving into its addictive nature.

We know that Internet addiction is a growing problem all over the world, as there have recently been a lot of rehab centers opening up to treat this problem. Are the brains of addicts wired differently?
Dr. Small: We do know that some people have a predisposition for addiction. So they’re brain wiring may be a bit different, and there may be some genetic determining of that.

But I think all of us have the capacity to become addicted to things. It depends on the amount of exposure, the situation, and a lot of different factors. I think that just like with any condition, there’s a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

You find that people that get addicted to technology are often the same people that have a tendency to get addicted to alcohol, drugs, and food. It’s the same dopamine reward system. The primitive systems of the brain drive these addictions. We talk about this to some extent in “I Brain.”

Ines: What are your suggestions for avoiding the addiction problem as a society?
Dr. Small: I think there’s a lot of controversy about it. Not so much in Asia, and in some other countries. But in the U.S. the American Psychiatric Association hasn’t decided yet that there is such a thing. I think there is, and I think we should take it seriously and try to help people.

Ines: What are your thoughts on popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter? Are they good for the brain?
Dr. Small: I think like anything they can be good. But when overdone they can be negative. I’ve talked to a lot of schools, and a lot of kids, who are spending a lot of time on Facebook.

A negative is that they’re losing their face-to-face communication skills. But they’re getting good at their “Facebook-to-Facebook” skills.

You know, it’s marvelous how we can network with this. But I think that we need to use it in moderation, and not overdue it. I always recommend a balance, that you spend time offline, to balance the online time.

Ines: And these social network sites seem particularly addictive…
Dr. Small: Yeah, anyone who has been involved with [social networking sites], really sees the draw. For me, it’s not Facebook, but I have so much business on e-mail that it’s hard for me to get off my e-mail. It’s helpful. But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. I think you have to have a balance and know when to use the electronic communication and when to use the old-style communication.

Ines: Much of your research works towards helping the old stay as young as possible. Your research is an effort towards reconciling good health with old age.

However, do you think that some of the enormous attraction to this type of research comes from our society’s general fear of aging?
Dr. Small: Yes. We want to stay young. We want to stay healthy. There’s certainly an emphasis on youth.

What we’re learning from science is that we have more control than we think. Genetics only accounts for part of what determines how well and how long we live. So we’re trying to help people understand that, and figure out when they can do today to live better and longer.

Ines: We know that with the excessive use of technology, individuals are developing more “virtual ties” and “virtual relationships” than “real life” ones.

Is the trend of virtual relationships also a product of the changing brain? Or does it say more about our society and socialization in general?
Dr. Small: I think it speaks to how enticing all these things are. I love technology. It’s really tremendous. I think that it’s something that can really enhance our lives, and it does.

But I think it’s “sneaked up” on us so quickly, we haven’t thought about the positives and the negatives. That’s what “iBrain” is about. To try and put it in balance, and think about it intelligently, to enhance our lives, to control the technology, to make things better rather than the other way around.

Ines: A study affirms that women are inherently better at multi-tasking because ever since ancient times, while their husbands were out hunting, they sustained the family, by multitasking. This same historical context also caused men to be better at focusing on a single task at a time.

In your opinion, how will the digital age, with its constant multi-tasking, impact future generations and their gender roles?
Dr. Small: I think there’s a kind of “narrowing” of the gender divide as a result of this.

Interestingly men seem to get into the technology earlier, but now there’s not so much of a divide.

But there are some differences in terms of “use patterns,” going back to evolutionary development, defining the roles of men and women, where men were the hunters, and women the nurturers.

That’s interesting, the thought of multi-tasking, and women being better at it. I think there’s some truth to that. I find I can focus on a single task, whereas my wife has a little bit harder time doing that, and will notice other things going on.

I think all bets are off with the technology today. We’re seeing fewer differences between men and women.

By Crystal Olig

When Talking About Generations asked me about doing a guest post for them, and idea instantly popped into my head. The topic is highly personal – my own experiences in the different roles I play as a female Millennial. My experiences will differ from my mother and grandmother in substantial ways, and not just in the workplace.

I want to put my remarks in context, because I recognize that each Gen Yer is distinct, and I can only tell my own story.

Who I am: A 26-year-old, Caucasian, college-educated professional working in public relations in marketing. I’ve been married for 10 months to my college sweetheart but we’ve been together for nearly five years. I’m the daughter of two still-married parents who are both in their mid-50’s, and the sister of a 19-year-old college sophomore. My best friends are from elementary school days in my hometown or my college sorority.

Spouse
My husband and I are both old souls in some ways – and we’re Midwesterners, so getting married in the mid-20’s isn’t unusual, though it’s younger than the U.S. average. One of the things that strikes me about our relationship and those I’ve observed between my peers, is the unquestioned belief in equality between the sexes.

My generation owes a huge THANKS to moms in the 80’s and 90’s who taught their sons not only to do laundry, dishes and clean, but that it was not below them or a “woman’s job.” My husband does the laundry and ironing, and when we have a yard, we agree I will be in charge of mowing.

Another crucial role in Millennial relationships is the new dynamic of female breadwinner and the stay-at-home Dad will become commonplace in just one generation. While too many negative connotations are still nestled in the term “Alpha Female,” the stigma continues to decline as women prove they can be supporters and fathers can be nurturing, strong family men.

I wholeheartedly respect and support my husband’s desire to be a family man before career dude – and in fact, I’m grateful for it, knowing that I can raise the family of my dreams and still pursue my career aspirations full-force.

As an aside, I think the decrease of traditional gender roles in relationship has an inverse relationship with Gen Y’s acceptance of homosexual relationships and marriage. We just frankly don’t care about other people’s choices. If you’re a good citizen, neighbor and parent, who am I to weigh in on your personal preferences?

Daughter
Millenials are closer to their parents than any generation before them. Bruce Tulgan cites in his 2009 book, “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Gen Y” that, “[Gen Yers’] parents have always been highly engaged with them… Unlike previous generations, they don’t express much desire to break free as they reach adulthood.” It’s increasingly common for young people to live at home longer than previous generations, sometimes even after college. The movie “Failure to Launch” (2006) dealt with this new parent-child dynamic in a comical way, but it’s a real generational issue exacerbated by tough economic times.

It’s interesting that this family model is common in more group-oriented cultures, especially in Latin America, and that multi-cultural Gen Yers feel little shame in living with their best friends, their parents.

My parents are both on speed dial and I e-mail my mother-in-law frequently. I call them for advice on jobs, money, and sometimes for relationship or spiritual advice. They’re my lifeline and support system, my tie to an extended network of family, friends and my hometown. I just wish my Dad would get on Facebook.

It’s no coincidence that “career parents” who are often lambasted for producing a “Me-me-me” generation, also have emotionally stronger ties to their kids than they had with their own parents. There are two sides to that coin, but ultimately, I’m a more productive, contributing member of society with my parents by my side.

Sister
Within just Generation Y, I see two dynamics. I’m at a strange spot with my 19-year-old brother. I’m at the cusp of the Millenial generation, born in 1983, and he’s towards the end of it, born in 1989. The age difference is easily seen by simply looking at the MySpace/Facebook phenomenon, and texting.

I had a cell phone by age 16, but didn’t really text until college. His set of friends had phones a few years earlier, and I swear they have more thumb muscles than I do – you think I type fast, watch them text.

Facebook relationships lived and died in a more public way than I ever dealt with, not entering today’s social networking sphere until my college days.

The divide will play out in new ways. My brother is more conscious of his personal image and what he makes available online. “Cool kids” are resisting social networking as it becomes mainstream.

In terms of the roles of being a Millenial sister, I’m honestly not sure yet. I know that I was really excited and proud when my brother trusted me as a confidante for the first time, calling my cell on a weekday morning with girlfriend problems. We have a relationship nurtured by quick “What’s up” texts and the occasional Facebook wall post. As Gen Y continues to grow up as the first “digitally native” generation, means for connection between siblings and extended family will change with us.

Friend
Connected Gen Yers have a changing friendship dynamic, and it’s motivated by being a physically mobile generation, able and willing to move across the country for a job or significant other. It’s so easy to nurture friendships through e-mail, unlimited weekend cell phone calls, texts, and accompanying a friend’s life journey through their Facebook photo albums.

Sometimes I lament the physical space between us when I feel so emotionally close to my long-distance friends — and it makes it harder to connect to new friends in a new city. Hybrid online and in-person friend networks are the norm for most of my peers.

Gen Yers value honesty and transparency in friendship, and are less likely to put on a public “face” for the sake of fitting in. Uniqueness is at a premium. Personal expression is crucial. Observe the rise of the personal branding phenomenon, and watch marketers focus in on products that express a design aesthetic that speaks to the customization needs of an expressive generation. I respect friends who are original, have clear views and passions and are willing to share those with me.

Crystal Olig blogs at whY genY, discussing Gen Y issues — reacting to news, research and commentary on her generation. She is a 2006 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.A. in journalism and an advertising major. After cutting her teeth early on in journalism, she moved on to work in public relations and marketing for companies in Denver and Phoenix. A recent transplant to Columbus, Ohio, she’s on her 3rd post-college destination and hopes to stick in the Midwest, and find a job in public relations. You can connect with her on Twitter <a href=”http://www.twitter.com/sparklegem”>@sparklegem</a>, <a href=”http://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalaolig”>LinkedIn</a>, <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/crystal.olig”>Facebook</a> or <a href=”mailto: crystal.a.olig@gmail.com”>e-mail</a>.</em>

It started innocently enough. It was a phrase I saw randomly that I thought would make a neat T-shirt for the college crowd (renegade or not). I saw it in my mind’s eye, emblazoned in white across black T-shirts the world over. It was a statement of fact, piggybacking on a word that is overused, but whose definition everyone between the ages of 2 and 92 understand. It was going to be a social revolution disguised in 100% cotton. I couldn’t wait to see it worn by millions of folks (each of whom would pay me $12.99 for the shirt). Everyone would proudly declare in a way that only readable T-shirts can: “Cool People Care.”

But, like great social change movements, the first drops of rain cannot indicate the monsoon of creativity that awaits. Upon sharing this brilliant phrase with a friend, the brainstorming began, and after a few hours, we had a dry-erase board full of ideas, the least of which was a black shirt. We had blueprinted a revolution.

Our first steps would be a website, coolpeoplecare.org, that was full of practical tips for ordinary people who wanted to make a difference. Like us, we guessed that there were millions of people who wanted to make the world a better place, but didn’t have hours on end, or expendable income burning holes in their philanthropist pockets. But, we had, for example, five minutes that we were willing to give to any given positive social cause, and we thought others did, too. We knew that two guys’ five minutes didn’t seem like much – but a million people’s five minutes? Now that’s a revolution waiting to happen.

Having been in the nonprofit world for a while, trying to stay ahead of trends in fundraising and volunteering, I knew we had something. Years ago, successful change agents were those who were able to find ten rich folks to each write a $1 million check. But, the future of giving, I felt, would be finding 1 million people to each write a $10 check. Both tasks were daunting, and both would get you $10 million. The difference was that I didn’t know anyone who could write that $1 million check, but I did know lots of folks (myself included) who could, and would, write a $10 one.

When I was graduating college, I was on the fast track to grad school. Unlike many of my friends, I wasn’t looking for employment. But of those who were, I was awestruck by the amount of them looking to intern at a nonprofit for little or no money. Several were thinking of joining the Peace Corps, willing to be marooned somewhere digging village wells or organizing the poor in countries with hollow economic cores.

What was happening? Why were relatively few people trying to land deals with big brokerage firms? Where were the people looking to make a career in sales, real estate, or big business? Was it just the company I kept? Or, was it something bigger? Was it a larger movement of young people who had come to the realization that things needed to be changed and that they were the ones to do it, unyoked by marriage, children and home ownership?

But there seemed to be no one to organize this mass of do-gooders. They seemed like uncoordinated soldiers on some social battlefield. Each one was Google-ing for opportunities. Some struck nonprofit gold and got their unsexy wish – interning for free in D.C., working nights in a coffee shop, and dedicating their days to changing some policy that would not get their names in the history books.

But for those unable to land Peace Corps internships or other socially aware gigs, they eventually shuffled into an office somewhere, punching a clock, serving not the public interest, but the bottom line. However, their dreams of a better tomorrow were not shattered. They would give all of their weekend to a Habitat build, or serve on a nonprofit board, or run every charitable 5k they could find. The grandeur of generosity had not faded. It was alive and well.

And I know that there are millions in this same situation. There are people of every age and my generation in particular, who want to do just one thing every day to make this world better. Some give blood, some donate clothing, some recycle, some buy local, some change their energy-sucking light bulbs, some bike to work, some adopt a pet, some have a pen pal in a foreign orphanage, and some still need ideas.

To this end, Cool People Care, Inc., seeks to motivate people to make a difference. We show people how to get involved without getting up, and how to change their world in less than 5 minutes a day. We connect these inspired individuals with organizations already on the ground in communities nearby. And we reveal just how easy it is to give back. We believe there is no such thing as not enough time. We believe that anyone can engage the 5 minutes revolution, unleashing the power of millions of people giving 5 minutes or more, every day.

Because the cool people, the ones that I admire, are those who have a cause, a vision, or a dream bigger than themselves. In essence, I really do believe that cool people care.

Sam Davidson is a speaker, writer and dreamer who tells the stories that need telling in order to motivate others to change the things that need changing. For the past three years, he has been the President of Cool People Care. He blogs at SamDavidson.net.

By Blake Sunshine
It can be tough to be a Millennial at work. Especially when you are working with people who are 10 to 30 years older than you. And while Millennials sometimes get a bad reputation, we know that we bring value to the workplace. Of course, it’s important that we play nice with members of every generation at work and prove our value everyday.

It’s not always easy to do this, but here are four things you can do to “play nice” with other generations at work:

1. Teach them something new- Millennials are smart. AND we know things. LOTS of things. So take a few minutes out of your day and teach someone from another generation something interesting. It will show them that you are a valuable member of the workplace, and that you are trying to make their job easier.

2. Realize they can teach you something too- Ask for advice from members of other generations. Even if you don’t take it and even if you don’t care what they say, ask for them to teach you something anyway.  Part of feeling valued when at work is feeling that you can contribute to the greater good. And who knows, you may find that a Gen-Xer will make your job and life a little bit easier just by asking for their advice.

3. Ask for more work- Every generation appreciates an entrepreneurial spirit, and by asking for more work you are showing everyone in your workplace that you want to be there. You don’t have to ask for a lot more work, but one or two more assignments never hurt anyone.

4. Take on “non-Millennial” tasks- Millennials are important people, so we should only be taking on the most important tasks in the workplace. But sometimes it’s nice and important to others that you take on “non-Millennial tasks.” Offer to do something that no one else wants to do and you will earn the respect of every generation at work.

If you do these four things your relationships with other generations at work will surely improve.  Play nice with others, Millennials, because your job depends on it!

Blake Sunshine is a blogger at The Perennial Millennial. She also works in media relations and social media for an engineering company in Austin, TX.

by Mauro Segura

Businesses have a lot of difficulty talking about diversity. Especially when it comes to speaking to their clients, business partners, and collaborators. It seems that the “diversity speech” is present in theory, but not so much in practice.

Generally speaking, businesses have made progress when it comes to establishing women’s equality in the workforce. However there’s been much less progress regarding race and those with disabilities. And there’s been even less progress when it comes to LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) employees.

My own perspective is that the LGBT question isn’t talked about in most workplaces. I feel that the theme is often debated behind closed doors, but an open dialogue or discussion within businesses is lacking. It just isn’t being talked about in a transparent way.

Businesses still haven’t understood that younger generations face these issues, with much more ease and openness than previous generations. Therefore this is a great opportunity for businesses to start the dialogue with their younger employees. Taboos, prejudices, and traditional paradigms are constantly being broken down today, through TV, the Internet, and through people’s everyday lives. Popular movements like “Gay Pride” also speak loudly about these issues and their important place in today’s society.

However, LGBT issues probably get the least attention in the workplace. Business try to be politically correct, but actually end up being passive and incoherent, towards a movement that is happening in our society right now.

At a company like IBM, diversity is in our DNA. We take this question very seriously, though we are obviously conscious of the fact that there’s still a very long way to go. We’ve developed a series of activities that stimulate an open discussion, encouraging people to speak more and more openly.

A few weeks ago, we conducted an internal meeting, in which we distributed a LGBT folder titled “Closing the Doors to Prejudice.” In this folder we defined the concept of diversity, stated the company’s views, and clearly defined the terms that people constantly misuse.

I was especially happy as we wrote that the goal of the diversity group was to establish, an open and accepting environment, and to evolve to the point where we don’t need a “diversity group” anymore. This can only happen when diversity becomes everybody’s problem, thus translating into a more evolved, conscious, and humane society.

This folder was distributed to employees in between several activities, including round tables, lectures, and of course in between lots, and lots, and lots, of open discussion.

In conclusion, the first step to demystifying LGBT issues is to talk about them, in an active, natural, and transparent manner.

Google Maps helps me reach my destination.

I put together a nostalgic photo album on Flickr.

I call to my sister, who has locked herself in her room, while chatting on MSN.

I share news through messages that contain a lot of exclamations (revealing my state of extreme happiness or sometimes expressing my indignation.)

I ask for a book recommendation, and compare prices, without getting up from my chair.

I invite friends to a happy hour through Twitter.

I wish my friends happy birthday through Facebook.

I watch my favorite TV shows on youtube.

Thank God, I haven’t yet reached the point of participating in one of those “online wakes.”

Still, to some extent, it feels that everything I do in my real life happens in the virtual.  This mix transforms our reality, creating two environments.

I NEED to meet people who have read the book to know if it’s worth reading.  I NEED to remember birthdays in some way.  I NEED so many things that the virtual world provides me with, and yet also reminds me that I need to know the limit between the real and the virtual.

I am liberal, open to new things and technologies, and a member of generation Y.  However, I am still very much a part of a larger society.   =)