By Carol Phillips*

“Oh man, I’d make a career out of the Muppets if I could. That’s my real dream job…” — Jason Potteiger, comment on The Next Great Generation Blog

When the Founding Fathers wrote “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” I think they must have had Millennials in mind. For the framers, ‘happiness’ meant the freedom to pursue prosperity and wealth as each individual saw fit.  Millennials are turning the pursuit of happiness into their life goal. Their biggest fear is having to sell out or trade off their passions for an ordinary job, an ordinary life.

Millennials seek to be extraordinary, or to use their word for it, “awesome”, in every area of their lives, but especially their careers.

Of course, every generation strives to be great. What makes this generation different is the intensity of their commitment. Chip Walker describes their aspirations this way an article last year:

“In a world of almost infinite lifestyle choices, Gen-Y activism is about young people knowing their own inner priorities and making a vow to live by them — even in the face of adversity.” — Chip Walker, Head of Planning, Strawberry Frog

When the New York Times wrote about unemployed Millennial, Scott Nicholson, turning down a $40,000 a year job in insurance because it didn’t meet his idea of a fulfilling job, Gen Y’ers understood. They saw nothing wrong with having high standards and admired Nicholson’s willingness to wait for the right opportunity.

Nicholson’s choice, and those of many others, suggest Millennials are looking for more out of work than just a job. They are looking for a place they can grow, and where their work will have meaning. Little surprise that the Great Place to Work Institute Survey identified Google, EBay, Starbucks, Container Store, ScottTrade, UMPQUA Bank, and CarMax as among the top 25 companies that people under 25 give exceptionally high marks. (For more on what makes these companies “Millennial Magnets”, read Neil Howe’s article, “Models for Managing Millennials“).

MindValley is a publishing company with a Millennial heart.

The company describes its mission as “to bring together marketing and technology to help spread enlightened ideas. We work with authors, thinkers, teachers and leaders who have pioneered new ways of doing traditional things: parenting, entrepreneurship, spiritual growth, self-development and more.” Here’s how the web site describes their attitude toward work:

“J-O-B is a dirty word. Work—we believe—needs to be fun, educational and something that makes you so excited that you jump out of bed each morning. Screw the traditional 9-5 job. Instead, get paid to play, create, learn and grow. It’s like being a child again. But with a salary.” MindValley Career page

Employees come from 22 countries and show an impressive diversity of backgrounds. MindValley has an award winning culture and who wouldn’t love their policy of flying all employees and their families to a paradise setting each year? Last year it was Bali, this year Costa Rica. I was especially impressed by MindValley’s recruiting video, titled “Is Happiness the New Productivity?“. These are REALLY happy employees! (This video is worth watching if you want to see what happy Gen Y employees look and sound like.)

Alex Cattoni is one of MindValley’s 35 employees. On the TNGG blog, she describes herself as “Personal development junkie. Marketing diva. Thrill-seeker.” A 2007 business school grad, she was headed to law school when “… like a cold hard slap in the face, I woke up one morning completely and utterly terrified. I had finally listened to that voice in my head telling me law school was not for me. I then had to ask myself probably the scariest question of all “What do I REALLY want in life?””

For Cattoni the answer was a hard shift that brought her to a dream job that involves a lot of travel, managing four businesses and launching a fifth. When asked what is most inspiring about her job, she said it was the company’s drive to think big:

“I would have to say it’s been witnessing my team achieve some incredibly outrageous and scary goals. We like to think BIG. In fact, this is the top value on our “Code of Awesomeness.” In the past 1 year alone, we have grown an outrageous amount – all because we dare to dream big. I love being part of a team that believes we can achieve anything and pulls together to make it so.” – Alex Cattoni, MindValley employee

Not all companies are as Millennial-friendly as MindValley. Increasingly, Millennials are sensing that they will have a better chance of pursuing their passions by entrepreneuring or intrapreneuring their way to jobs they love.

An October 2010 Junior Achievement survey of high school students asked why they admired entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. The top answer was their ability to make a difference in people’s lives (31%). Their reasons for wanting to be an entrepreneur, however, focused on independence – working for yourself and controlling your destiny.

If you are a Millennial looking for entrepreneurial inspiration, check out Shatterbox.com. The site features dozens of video stories of “innovative young people who love what they do.”  The common thread in each of these videos is a profound desire to do something that reflects their individual passions. Here’s just a sample:

“So I decided to start my own company to deal with it… and it just became my passion.”– Emily Doubilet, Oberlin graduate, founder Sustainable Party

“It was extremely exciting because it was so interactive. That was something I really fell in love with. I got really excited about bringing a craft that seemed so dusty to new life.”   — Nora Abousteit, Harvard graduate,  founder of social network sewing site, Burdastyle.com

In the last year, I have had the pleasure of working with many young people who have a vision for a new company. They include Matt Cheuvront (Proof Branding), Mark Sawyier (Off Campus Media), Sam Davidson (Cool People Care), and Jon Levin (ClearPoint Communications).

Mark Sawyier started Off Campus Media and its sister company, Moving Off Campus,  in the noble tradition of the ‘dorm room start up’ while studying at Washington University. Today, OCM has 5 full-time employees, an admirable client list, a network of campus ambassadors on 18 college campuses and is looking for office space in New York City. The company does great work helping local and national businesses connect with college students. Starting this month, my firm, Brand Amplitude, is partnering with OCM on a project for one of our clients.

Are they happy? I would venture the Founding Founders would approve.

More research on Gen Y and Job Expectations

Meet the Millennials: Our Most Educated Generation Faces a Most Challenging Time Seattle Times article profiles 11 Millennials who are looking for work as well as provides statistics on Millennial (un)employment

Seeing Eye to Eye… or Not? Research by Citrix on how Gen Y Views work meetings.

Millennials Have Their Own Take on Ethics in the Workplace Research by ERC Shows Millennials Share Interest in Fairness and Respect With Older Co-Workers; Concerns on Privacy and Calling in Sick? Not So Much.

*Carol Phillips is the president and founder of the brand strategy consulting firm “Brand Amplitude.” She is also a Professor at the prestigious University of Notre Dame. Carol began her career as a market researcher and strategic planner at Leo Burnett. Later, as an Account Director, she led agency teams at four different agencies – Y&R, Leo Burnett, Mullen and JWT – for a variety of clients including Sprint, Nextel, Ameritech, Heinz, 7UP, and Philip Morris. She blogs at www.millennialmarketing.com.

By Sarah Newton

There is no doubt that the work force has become so much more diverse in every way. From the amount of different generations, the retirement age higher than ever and the gap between young and old and their beliefs of and use of technology have created some big canyons that employers have a challenge crossing. So it is great to see a book addressing this.

According to Bob Weinstein, from Troy Media, the book “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work” offers the following six tips on dealing with generational conflict:

1. Understand work styles. Traditionalists and baby boomers don’t like to be micromanaged, while Gen Y and Linksters (born after 1995) crave specific, detailed instructions about how to do things and are used to hovering authorities.

Yes, yes and double yes, however let me add something here to make this clearer. While traditionalists and boomers don’t like to be micromanaged, they like to know the process, how things are done and then get on with it. Gen Y and Linksters want to know the end result and the structure but they want to make up their own process and check in on the way. So the older employees want to know the how of it and the younger the why of it.

2. Consider generational values. Each generation is protecting a distinct set of values and conflict may threaten these values. For example, baby boomers value teamwork, cooperation, and buy-in, while Gen X prefers to make a unilateral decision and move on, preferably solo.

And let’s add that Gen Y and the linksters value open, honest teams that collaborate and share together and let’s not forget that they like options.

3. Share perceptions. When employees of two or more generations are involved in a workplace conflict, they can learn a great deal by sharing their perceptions. A traditionalist may find the lack of formality and manners of Gen Y offensive, while Gen Y may feel “dissed” when this older employee fails to respect his or her opinions and input.

What I have found to be really helpful here is to have the distinct groups create picture boards of things they value as a generation. They are a visual reminder for everyone and show the difference in a clear way. Also, a fun activity that does not make anyone wrong for how they see things or what they value.

4. Find a generationally appropriate fix. You can’t change people’s life experiences, but you can work with the set of workplace attitudes and expectations that result. A knowledgeable boomer who is frustrated by the lack of experience shown by a member of Gen Y can, coupled with his or her sense of entitlement, be turned into a mentor.

And can I add here that in my experience if you want a problem solving with a creative solution, go to the younger staff. In studies, people immersed in digital technology as a way of life are 10% better at solving problems than their older counterparts. Don’t assume that the decisions and solutions must come from the elders. Gen Y and beyond are the most creative generation we have seen for a long time. Use the skills of each generation to its best.

5. Find commonality. Traditional and Gen Y employees tend to value security and stability. Traditional and boomers resist change, but both crave training and development. Gen X and Gen Y employees place a high value on workplace flexibility and work-life balance. Boomers and linksters are most comfortable with diversity and alternative lifestyles. Gen Y and linksters are technologically adept and committed to socially responsible policies.

Absolutely! Point this out and also their difference. Help them figure out as a team how they can use their strengths as generations. Make them aware of the generation cycle and each generation’s jobs within that, so they can see where they fit in the bigger picture.

6. Learn from each other. Each generation has valuable lessons to teach the next. Traditional and boomers have a wealth of knowledge and tricks of the trade that younger workers need. Generation X employees are widely known for their fairness and mediation abilities. Generation Y workers are technology wizards. And linksters hold clues to future workplace, marketing, and business trends.

Yes, and take this one step further, see if you can have Skills Exchange Days. A day where someone from one generation teaches another a skill they have. What fun that would be!

Read more: How five generations can work together

By Sarah Newton

We have long been fed the line that Millennials are disloyal employees who expect to work when they want and how they want, but new research could be knocking these long held myths on their head.

The Price Waterhouse Coopers ‘Millennials at work’ research looks at the opinions and expectations of over 4,200 graduates from 44 countries in relation to the future of work and their attitudes on subjects including corporate responsibility, technology, global working and reward/ incentives.

And its findings are very interesting indeed.

1. Training and development is the benefit the Millennials value most highly – particularly coaching and mentoring
Globally, training and development is the most highly valued benefit for Millennials in the first five years of their career – with one third of respondents electing this as their first choice benefit (aside from salary). Almost all respondents (98%) stated that working with strong coaches and mentors is important to personal development. The three most popular benefits for UK respondents are training and development (46%), cash bonuses (45%) and free private healthcare (29%).
2. Millennials do not expect to reject traditional working practices
The findings show that – while global opportunities and robust corporate responsibility are critical to the Millennials – they expect to be predominantly office-based, work regular office hours and have a small number of future employers. Just 3% of respondents expect to work mainly at home and only 18% expect to work mainly outside regular office hours.
3. Robust corporate responsibility is critical to attracting and keeping the new generation of workers
Additionally, 86% (76% in the UK) would consider leaving an employer who’s CSR values no longer reflected theirs – Argentina (94%), the US and Brazil (both 92%) are home to the most idealistic graduates in that respect. Indian respondents were least likely to leave (66%). An employer’s policy on climate change is seen as important or very important by the majority of graduates globally (58%) and in the UK (55%)
4. They want to travel
Respondents were very open to overseas assignments, with Indian graduates showing the greatest appetite for working overseas (93%) compared with 62% of those from the Netherlands. 80% of all respondents want to work internationally. Of UK respondents, just 3% did not want to work outside of their home country during their career – 84% want to work abroad and the remainder are undecided.
5. They want it personal
40% of respondents are comfortable about giving employers greater access to their personal information in the interests of personal and business security. Additionally, two-thirds of Millennials would embrace the provision of personal services – such as housing, food and regular health appointments – by their employer. Which seems to be in line with recent studies on Gen Y sharing information?

So if we now know what they want why is it so difficult to keep them?

Research from the Commissioned by the Inspirational Development Group (IDG) shows that:

• 49% of HR managers highlighted the difficulty of retaining graduates for long enough, with 22% reporting that on average they lose graduates within two years of their employment.
• 57% felt that there was more they could do to retain these graduates – the ability to identify and retain the right graduates will be a crucial success factor as the economy comes out of recession.
• 75% of HR managers saw most graduates leaving between two and a half and three and a half years after starting their graduate program, or one year after the end of the program.
• 78% of HR managers agreed or agreed strongly that a specific development programme to increase retention of graduates one year after the end of their graduate program would be of benefit.

So what should the golden rules be?

1. Have a robust training and coaching/mentoring program that is clear full and worthwhile.
2. Highlight the opportunities for travel if there are any and show how and what your Millennial needs to do to get there.
3. Be very clear on your corporate responsibility and ensure it filters through your whole business.
4. Think about what benefits you can offer them in terms of health insurance, housing, lunches etc., they really do appreciate the smaller stuff.

By Sarah Newton*

I have noticed a rather worrying trend among young employees that I coach and that is their lack of resilience. Their inability to deal with the stress that can occur in a chaotic work environment, their inability to deal with negative comments from customers and colleagues and the worrying length of time it takes them to bounce back and recover their spirits, strength and good humour.

Seeing a trend, I thought this had to be more than pure coincidence so I began to investigate (I can never really shake those police officer habits). For those that know me, you know that the questions I ask myself are always different and the question I pondered around this was, as a society how are we failing to produce young people with resilience? My investigation led me to interview the amazing author of Toxic Childhood.

What Sue Palmer discussed with me really made sense… she noted that children who were given less freedom, did not have much face-to-face contact and were never allowed to make mistakes ended up becoming less resilient and less able to make decisions. With more and more children not being allowed out by themselves, communicating only via MSN and being rescued by their parents rather then being allowed to get on with it, employers are suffering. Some young people coming into the workforce are lacking essential skills that their parents should have taught them and hence as an employer, you can find yourself being more of a parent, increasingly frustrated by what is essentially very childish behaviour.

So what do you do when your business relies mostly on young employees?

1. Set very clear rules and guidelines and stick consistently to them. Yes, Gen Y’s want involvement and want to be equal, but if you manage a young workforce believe me, you need to get clear and consistent in your non-negotiable standards.
2. Nip any arguments in the bud as quick as you can; don’t assume that your employees can work things out themselves. Use conflict resolution strategies that allow both to get a say and come up with win-win alternatives. If you can make an older, more senior member of staff responsible for this, then so much the better. You will be teaching your employees great skills for later on.
3. Give positive feedback in terms of who they are. This doesn’t have to be in lights, all singing and dancing, however it must be targeted at an ability rather than an action. Rather than complimenting them on dealing well with a customer complaint, focus on them showing patience and compassion when dealing with the customer.
4. Hand it over to them. When they ask questions, ask them what they think, what will be the best solution. This will give them freedom and support them in developing there decision-making process.
5. See failures as good things. When they fail, which they will at some point, don’t chastise them, but ask what they learnt and what they would do differently next time. This may be the first time they have not had someone pick up the pieces, so be gentle and support them in working through it.

And if your are one of those employers who thinks that, because they are just seasonal or temporary staff that you shouldn’t bother, shame on you! To not put this extra effort in will be foolish as every employee, whether they work 60 or 6 hours is important to your business. They all have an impact on your customers and future employees. And think of society as a whole and the good you have done by forming a young person into an adult.

Pliny the Elder said, what we do to our children they do to society. I say, what you do to your young employees, they will do to your business, so if you want respect, be prepared to give it first.

It was a big business, with thousands of employees.  As the grew they hired many young people, especially belonging to Generation Y.  One of the existing programs, was a welcome meeting, which occurred at least once a month.  New hires were called to the auditorium to watch presentations about the business, its organization, and history.

There were many presenters, and the majority of the time, the CEO gave a talk about the business’ history, speaking of the foundation of the business, its past, and how it had grown in the last decades, though always maintaining very solid and strong values.  The CEO was used to wrapping up his presentation by showing off a book about the history of the business, usually full of photographs and historical facts. From there, he would ask the audience a question, and whoever answered, would win this book, which was the pride and joy of the CEO and his executive team.

One day, at one of these presentations, a young 23 year old who had been working only a few weeks, answered the question and received the book.  Surprisingly, the young man, microphone still in hand, said, “Sir, I  want to thank you very much for this book which talks about the glorious past of the business, but would you also have a book which talks about the business’ future?”

This event became famous because it sort of crushed the perception that everyone had, that the CEO’s presence at these presentations really had an impact on new hires.  After this experience, the business decided to conduct a survey which found that the majority of new hires found it extremely uninteresting and boring to hear facts about the past of the business.  These things seemed distant and disconnected from the new hires’ everyday.

The survey asked what they wanted, and the employees responded that they wanted to know the business’ plans to win over the market, they wanted to know about opportunities for growth and development, and how the CEO imagined the business would evolve in the next decade.  Actually, they all wanted the “book of the future.”

So the business revamped everything. The welcome meeting was conducted by younger employees who shared their experiences and positive perspectives on their vision and future of the business.   Enthusiastic and inspirational messages were the focus of the meeting.  At the end, the CEO said a few words about the history and how he saw the business in the future.  Now, the meetings ended with great enthusiasm.

And what about the book?  The book continues to be delivered, but this time with inspiration and hope for the future.

This is a true story.  But don’t ask where this took place.  That, I’ll never tell…

By Eline Kullock

In my day (and yeah, this was during the time of dinosaurs), people were really careful when talking about other people.

Talking badly about someone, could hurt someone. There’s a saying in Portuguese that says: “Loose words blowing in the wind, can never be taken back.” After all, words are like nails in a chunk of wood, you can take out the nail, but the hole remains…like an open wound. To “attack” someone meant taking a risk. If a friend was hurt by you, you fought, you broke up, you got fired, there were often very serious consequences.

It seems that Generation Y doesn’t think this way.

They are propelled by their own voice. It seems that it’s become common to talk, to criticize others, without having an idea of the consequences.

Talk, talk, talk. The most important thing is to talk. A recent example occurred here in Brazil. A student at the local Brazilian University, Uniban was violently ostracized by other students, simply for wearing a mini skirt (the university has no dress code.) Surprisingly, the majority of the students were in favor of the student’s expulsion. A small group resisted, protesting against the expulsion, calling the others Taliban’s.

So this became a huge event, in which most everyone took part in. Not only in the case of Uniban, it’s clear that Gen Y talks more and more, saying whatever they want, to whoever will listen. It seems that Freud’s superego has disappeared. Freud must be rolling over in his grave!

There’s no self-censorship anymore. There’s just talk.

And what does this have to do with the larger issues? This attitude can drastically interfere with the life of business organizations. This generation will soon be speaking on behalf of businesses, expressing their opinions to the media, exposing themselves and others.

Mauro Segura, you work in the field of communication at IBM. How do you feel about this? Are you comfortable with this? How will businesses feel, having Gen Y responsible for their communication, if they simply say whatever floats into their mind at that specific moment?

If the idea is simply to speak, to give one’s opinion, you simply give an opinion and change it later. But is this it? Is this what’s happening? Perhaps this will fuel a great demand for lawyers? Are we moving towards a world of abundant lawsuits, where people are constantly sued for what they say?

Our supermen and superwomen have to rethink the superego.

Wiki defines the superego as “…the critical and moralizing function.” It represents censorship imposed by society and culture, imposing this on the Id, impeding individuals to indulge in complete satisfaction and the total fulfillment of their desires. In short, it’s repression. The manifestation of one’s conscience, indirectly exercising itself as morals, creating an ensemble along with duties and education, producing an “ideal” which is good and virtuous.

Does anyone still know what a superego is? Or should we just remove it from the dictionary?

This is a question that has always haunted me. It still does. The roots of the question go even deeper: what do I want to get out of life? This philosophical question should be a question everyone asks. I don’t believe in simply letting life take over, relying completely on destiny, and yet I feel that most people live this way.

My generation was raised with the ideals of a “stable, solid, career” and a “structured family.” A solid career used to mean having a steady job in a good company, with a special focus in your area of expertise. The structured family meant marriage “until death do you apart,” with children. Combine all that with your own house, and you have the equation for perfect happiness. At least that was the life most dreamed of in the past.

Looking at today’s modern dilemmas, I ask myself if the old formula for success still applies.

Certainly, for this new generation, the point of life isn’t the same. Perhaps a huge change has been the feeling of realization and achievement. I’m talking about professional achievement. In this context, “solid careers” and marriages “until death do you apart,” don’t make much sense. Futurologists believe that formal job positions will greatly decrease, not to mention the idea of a traditional marriages. These days, people try being together first, before they even think of marriage. That is, if they ever do.

I believe that the big difference between my generation and this new generation is that we are living to build the future, while Generation Y is living in the present.

My Generation does everything for a better future. The formula of the future in the past was: “solid career” + “structured family” + “home ownership.”

On the other hand, Generation Y’s priority is to live. Of course they envision their future as bright and cool, but they think of a short-term future, not a long-term one. This generation wants to build a future, as long as it’s a near future.

I still wonder what I want to get out of my life. The feeling of realization and achievement are very personal and specific to each person. The feeling of fulfillment often feels like something almost unobtainable, and this creates frustration and inner conflict. On the other hand, every time we achieve something new, we think about our next challenge. Our being thrives on challenges, which quite possibly makes us the unhappiest species on the planet.

We make buying a car a priority in life, followed by owning a house, followed by exotic travels. Our search never ends. We always want more. This new generation seems less preoccupied with conquests, and appears more volatile. Maybe I’m wrong, but wherever I am, they always seem much more preoccupied with their own lives, than in getting the latest Montblanc pen.

Look in the mirror and ask: What is the life you are searching for? What is the purpose of life? What does success mean to you?

By Ines Schinazi

Don Tapscott is a visionary. He is the co-author of one of today’s best-selling Management books, “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything.”  His avant-garde thinking has resulted in such brilliantly precocious works as his book about the Internet written in 1981, as well as his innovative vision of a collaborative workplace in “Wikinomics.”  In this exclusive interview with Talking About Generations, he shares his vision of the workplace, offering insights about the future, predicting a rupture in the current relationship between companies and employees, starting with changes in Recruitment and Selection processes.

Ines:  In an interview at Google, you discuss the issue of timing in regards to your writing. Your avant-garde nature and forward thinking becomes extremely apparent.  You wrote a book about the Internet in 1981, and another about the privacy of the web in the mid 90’s.  Obviously, this was before most people could even begin to merely grasp these issues.  So, what issues are you exploring right now?
Don: Currently I am writing a new book with Anthony Williams, my co-author of Wikinomics.  The working title is:  Rebuilding the World for the Age of Networked Intelligence.  We believe that many of the institutions around us are nearing the end of their life cycle. They need to be dramatically overhauled and in many cases replaced.

Ines: In “Wikinomics” and in several of your articles, you present the vision of a hyper-collaborative workplace, where traditional hierarchies make way for two-way conversations. This happens both between employers and employees, but also moves outside the business, actually giving consumers a role as collaborators.  Obviously, this has endless positive aspects to it, but what, if any, are the negative sides to this new model?
Don:  I don’t see negative sides, but there will be challenges.  For example, as companies become more transparent and corporate boundaries are more porous, companies will have to balance candor and confidentiality

Ines: From your perspective, what will the workplace look like in 5 years?
Don: Many baby boomer bosses will have retired (assuming they can afford to) and many Net Geners will have positions of authority.  I think you will see a change in the tone of the workplace.  In Wikinomics we talked about the army marching in lockstep to tightly arranged military music is a metaphor for yesterday’s workplace.  But the workplace of the future will be more like a jazz ensemble—where musicians improvise creatively around an agreed key, melody, and tempo. Employees are developing their own self-organized interconnections and forming cross-functional teams capable of interacting as a global, real-time workforce. Loosening organizational hierarchies and giving more power to employees can lead to faster innovation, lower cost structures, greater agility, improved responsiveness to customers, and more authenticity and respect in the marketplace.

Ines: In the article “Ideagora, a marketplace for minds” you argue that “…many of the best people are to be found outside your corporate walls.”  You state, “R&D labs would be ambidextrous: building on core capabilities internally, while acquiring the greatest, most complementary ideas externally.”
Don: At his recent Sao Paulo lecture, Mark Zuckerberg spoke to this exact idea. He stated that the best Facebook applications, were not built by those with the most resources, or from large corporations. Rather, the best ideas came from creative individuals, who were often “outside” of the corporate world, much like Zuckerberg himself, when he founded Facebook.

Ines: Obviously, the digital world gives us countless resources to find innovation outside corporate walls. But in your opinion, does this trend also reflect on the nature of the corporate world?  Are corporations not giving their internal employees enough creative freedom?
Don:  I agree.  Companies should be giving employees much more freedom.  They feel constrained while those “outside” do not.  It goes to the jazz band metaphor I used above.  Employees need the latitude to experiment and be creative.

Ines: While you seem to understand this generation, almost as if it were your own, not everyone is so open-minded.  Do you think we’re in for a deep generational clash as the net generation floods into the workplace?
Don:  Absolutely, and it’s already begun.  Teenagers and young adults entering the workplace are frequently met with hostility.  Older workers begrudge the younger generation’s sense of entitlement and what they misinterpret as arrogance.  Employers who don’t create the proper climate for this new generation are going to suffer a backlash.

For starters, I think the old HR model – recruit, train, supervise and retain – should be shelved. Instead, companies should adopt a new model – initiate, engage, collaborate and evolve. Companies have many ways to make themselves more attractive to a potential N-Gen employee: they can customize job descriptions, as Deloitte does; use game-based training to train employees for short-term projects; keep in touch with alumnae, the former employees, to find new people and get new ideas. Old-style job interviews are out. Two-way dialogues are the way to hire. And the first three months is a time when the employee is evaluating the company, not the other way round.

I think the Net Gen can help companies win, period. My research shows that companies that selectively and effectively embrace Net Gen norms perform better than those that don’t. In fact, I’m convinced that the Net Gen culture is the new culture of work. The Net Gen norms I describe in this book may turn out to be the key indicators of high performing organizations in the 21st century.

I should add that one of the best examples of a company that understands the value of Net Generation thinking is electronics retailing giant Best Buy. Recently retired CEO, Brad Anderson, says that the most important people in the company are the tens of thousands of young people in blue shirts that work in the stores. Anderson told me these young employees “are closest to our customers, are most like our customers, and their culture is the culture of the 21st century Best Buy.”

Anderson says that his job was not so much to make decisions but rather to create the conditions in which his young customer-facing employees can self organize and help re-invent the company. The company has an online social network where 25,000 young employees regularly gather to brainstorm and share insights. Management pays attention. Anderson says he is in the business of “unleashing the power of Net Generation human capital.”

Ines: In the article “Focus on the Net Gen Family” you find that this generation has closer ties with their parents than baby boomers ever did. This generation has grown up with a less authoritarian model of family, and more of a two-way conversation between parents and children.

Yet, as these kids enter schools and the workplace, they often don’t find that two-way conversation.  Rather, they’re usually confronted with a more traditional model.

In this current transitional moment, before institutions have time to really start adapting and changing, what’s the key to reconciling the “new ways” of the family, with the more traditional aspects of institutions like school and the workplace?
Don: I think adults have to understand the harm they can cause by refusing to change their ways.  For the corporate executive, as I just discussed above, this refusal jeopardizes the long-term health of the company.  To help senior management understand, companies should try reverse mentoring:  Senior personnel becoming the “mentees” of young employees.  Learn from these kids.  Understand the appeal of sites such as Facebook, and why the company should #1) not prohibit access from company computers, and #2) explore ways to use it as a business tool, as many companies have done.

Ines: You often write about how businesses and institutions should adapt to this new generation.  However, do you feel this generation also needs to adapt to older generations?
Don:  I think the issue is less to “adapt” and more to understand what motivates and shapes the attitudes of older generations.  They too are products of their upbringing and experiences.  We could all benefit from more dialogue

Ines: I recently interviewed Dr. Gary Small, a leading neurologist, who argues that the Internet is changing our brain.  He is also a digital advocate, but worries that young people are at risk of losing their social skills all together if their digital-use becomes too excessive.

You seem to take a different view.  In “How Technology has Changed the Brain,” you state “By their 20s, young people will have spent more than 30,000 hours on the Internet and playing video games. That’s not such a bad thing.”

Do you think the net-generation’s face-to-face skills will suffer as the world becomes increasingly digital?
Don: No. The increasingly digital world is an increasingly interactive world.  Kids aren’t at home staring dumbly at screens.  They are in constant communication with their peers, through phone calls or texting or writing on Facebook walls.  They know how to relate with others.

Ines: You talk about how your own children have been quite instrumental in sparking your research, as you saw them “growing up digital.”  In between writing “Growing up Digital” and “Grown up Digital,” what (if any) were the biggest surprises you encountered in regards to this generation?

Don: I was surprised and delighted with just how quickly the Net Generation adapts.  When I wrote Growing Up Digital the web was still largely a publishing medium. Companies and others posted information online for other to consume.  Since then, of course, the Web has become much more a collaborative tool, often referred to as Web 2.0.  With their early adoption of tools such as IM, texting, collaborating with wikis, use of social media, and so on, the Net Generation continues to innovate and show leadership.

Ines: How does the unequal distribution of resources fit into wikinomics?  You mention that increasingly innovative talent will be located in BRIC countries.  Yet, how does extreme inequality and disparity of basic resources, not to mention the lack of access to technology and the Internet make this growth possible, and not reserved to a tiny elite?
Don: The current inequities in global wealth distribution are unconscionable.  More than one billion people on this planet have no reliable access to potable water. I’ve written about the dangers of the digital divide for many years.  To participate in a digital world people need the proper tools, and I heartily endorse the efforts to make digital technologies more widely available.  Fortunately the tools are more powerful, more versatile and less expensive every day.  But we should be doing much more.

Ines: What happens as information becomes increasingly free?  Is the general trend going to be to move from a product to a service, as you suggest with music for instance?
Don: Yes. Why would I want to buy tunes for my iPod when I can have any song in the world streamed to my portable device for a few dollars a month?  This will be true of more and more products as devices gain access to a wireless, broadband, continuous Internet.  Do you really want a newspaper put on your doorstep every morning with its small snippets of yesterday’s news?  Not really.  What you want is to have timely knowledge of what is going on in your world.

Ines: In the article “Net Gen Transforms Marketing,” you clearly express how marketers must change to adapt to this generation. From your perspective, are billboards, traditional ads, and the TV commercials, going to die out completely?
Don: Billboards will survive.  But as we see in Times Square, they will be electronic and constantly changing.  As newspapers and magazines stop publishing print versions and go online ­­– which will happen much sooner than most people think — traditional ads will disappear.  TV commercials will soon be relics.  Televisions will soon be relics.  Today kids look at a typewriter and say “what’s that?”  Tomorrow they’ll be saying the same thing about TVs.

Ines: While most people are bashing my generation, you’ve been incredibly generous, perhaps our biggest advocate.  What exactly makes you so optimistic about this generation?
Don: I think I have a big advantage over many cynics.  I have children. They give me great hope.

Por Eline Kullock

It is with great pride that I think of my team.  The people who work hard and work with me.  Above all when I look back, I see how my business, Grupo Foco, started out.  And today on Oct 28th Grupo Foco celebrates its seventeenth birthday.

I don’t want to talk about the 17th birthday in itself.  However, I do want to raise the question of how we can build things, even in the midst of various obstacles, if we are in fact determined and dedicated enough.

We started out small, with 5 people, and one computer.  Today we’ve come a long way. A lot of people have been part of this history, each person adding a special something to the mix.  Every single person believed that they could build a wall.  And these are the walls that cathedrals are made of.
I look at the size we’ve grown to today, and I think of our capacity and of the people who believed in a dream and really ran after it, doing everything possible to make it come true.  That’s beautiful.  I love the sentence in which an anonymous author declared “Without knowing that it was possible, he went there and did it.”

It takes a lot of teamwork to build a cathedral.  Often we don’t even know that we are capable of something so grandiose.  But with hard work we create something even larger than our imagination.

One thing that I never compromised on is finding a team of people who knew what mattered.  A team with solid values, strong work ethic, and friendship, creating a pleasant and challenging work environment, that demands a lot from each member of the team, and from the team as a whole.  We all know that you need to break down paradigms to be a success.  You need to experiment and make mistakes.  And of course, you need to get it right!

Everybody talks about teamwork, but I can honestly say that my team really knows what the word means.  Building in their own way, in a special and successful way.   Of course in the middle we faced people who did everything wrong.  People who actually slowed us down, rather than adding value to the company.  These individuals were skeptical of new ideas, especially the really innovative ones.  We encountered a lot of this during our 17 years.  Yet, luckily, the majority continued to work really hard, building something, tile by tile, lifting up heavy walls.  In the end, not just building one, but many cathedrals!

Congrats to all who work in this way, building not only businesses, but the best world possible.

Cheers!

By Mauro Segura

I know business executives who have been very successful in their own careers.  Yet they’ve faced tremendous difficulties in helping their kids as they embark on their own professional journey.  At this moment, all parents find themselves in the same boat.  It doesn’t matter if you’re got a PhD from Harvard, or if you’ve led thousands of employees in your corporation.  Much of what we learn in the business world just doesn’t cut it inside the household.

In the past, things were much more difficult.  Young people had much more difficulty obtaining information in regards to professions, and even areas of specialization.  This process depended very much on the interest and initiative students took to explore and discover things for themselves.  You really had to get out “in the field” to obtain correct information, and gain knowledge about new careers, understanding if they were for you or not.

I remember the “old” vocational test, which wasn’t particularly captivating or insightful.  Actually, if I had based myself on the test, I would have studied Geography, and probably become a Librarian.

The reality today is different.  The world is interconnected and this “opening” helps a lot.  Information is delivered straight to your home, via the Internet, and through other channels of communication.  Students are bombarded with information.  What hasn’t changed is the need for initiative and curiosity on the part of young people, so that they can understand all the options, hear advice, and exchange ideas.  This is exactly how parents can help their children.

What inspired me to write this post are some conversations, I’ve recently had with both my sons. They are at the beginning of their professional careers, and yet they are full of doubts and dilemmas.

The following steps come from the practical experience I’ve gained from my friends and coworkers, as well as from my own experience in dealing with my children.

1- UNDERSTAND WHAT SUCCESS IS TO HIM OR HER.  This is crucial, it’s important not to assume that your conception of success is the same as the conception your son or daughter has.  Success is relative.  What success is for him or her may not be what it is for you.

2- AVOID BEING ASSERTIVE

Don’t be affirmative all the time.  In the end, advice that is very pragmatic can pressure your child into taking a path that he or she wouldn’t naturally take.

3- HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION

Your most important role as a parent is to create an environment in which you can exchange ideas, and have an open conversation, free from the “right” or “wrong” way of thinking.

4- LISTEN MORE THAN YOU SPEAK

Encourage your child to speak about his or her worries, decisions, doubts, and interests.  Most likely, the things your child is feeling are not so different from what you felt as a young person.  So remember that. Make sure to keep an open mind during these conversations.

5- INCENTIVATE YOUR CHILD TO EXPLORE, DISCOVER, AND SEARCH FOR INFORMATION.

Give your child the incentive to search for information regarding careers, professions, and above that encourage him or her to speak to other people about these things.  Even your own friends are a great option, and you can and should facilitate those connections.

6- DON’T DO THE WORK FOR THEM

Please don’t do the research for them.  They are responsible for that, and if they really want to know and are really interested, you don’t have to do anything.  Your child will look for you, with all the needed information already in hand.

7- HELP YOUR CHILD DISCOVER THEIR NATURAL STRENGHTS

Motivate them to self-reflect, and think about what sort of work they would love to do.

8- ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE FOR A DIALOGUE

It’s extremely important to always be available for a dialogue.  This will be a blessing for your child.  Your child will probably live moments full of doubt, as he or she struggles to make important decisions.  You can help by always being there.

9- HAVE PATIENCE.  THEY NEED TIME.

If you have patience, you will help your child immensely.  During these moments, your most important mission is to encourage your child to continue thinking and conversing.  Encourage them to question themselves.  There’s no rush.

10- ACCEPT ENTREPREUNERSHIP AS AN OPTION

The future of the job market indicates that more and more, workers will be entrepreneurs.  The first “entrepreneur” moment for your child is at the beginning of his or her career.  Open conversations and paradigms, as well as keeping an open mind and perspective, are key to helping your child as they embark on their career.

Another recommendation is to not preoccupy yourself if your child ends up choosing the same field as you.  Even if you feel that he or she has been a bit influenced by you.  The biggest preoccupation you should have is to make sure that he or she made this choice, based on their own initiative and desires.

In conclusion, despite the fact that this new generation is very informed, and mature in terms of their knowledge of careers, they also have the same anxieties and worries as we did in the past.

Imagining what you would have liked to get from your own parents, can serve as inspiration when dealing with your kids.  Just don’t forget that the world is going through many social changes, where professional success probably won’t be obtained through a fixed salary at the end of each month.  After all, entrepreneurship is personal satisfaction…