Gen Y is a tough act to teach. They grew up surrounded by media and marketing; they can download anything, at any time. So how do you keep them engaged when delivering a webinar or other types of distance courses?

Here are some tips to keep it mind:

- Keep it short

- Use media-rich “Edu-tainment”

- Create small metacognitive tasks

Keep It Short

Gen Y has a short attention span, especially online. They are the ultimate multi-taskers; your challenge is to keep them engaged so that they don’t check email and IM while also participating in your webinar. Bite-size webinars that only last 10 to 15 minutes with links to more information will keep them engaged at the time, as well as later for their ‘homework’.

Use Media-rich “Edu-tainment”

Enjoyment during the learning process improves retention and promotes curiosity. You will have better student engagement with Gen Y when using more media-rich methods of delivery. For example, embed 1-minute videos into your presentation to reinforce a key point, use music during the lecture, ask the students to create wikis as class projects or have them post their answers as videos on You Tube. Using a variety of media-rich methods will help the students learn your key points in fun, interactive ways.

Create Small Metacognitive Tasks

The concept of a “course” as a one-hour lecture is becoming granularized. To engage Gen Y, you need to find ways to create smaller metacognitive tasks. This means that planting the seed of a topic for 10 minutes, followed by planned activities, will be more effective than discussing the topic in detail for 45 minutes. Once you plant the seed, you then create other methods of discussion to keep the students engaged. For example, plant the seed in a 10-minute lecture, then allow time to reflect, read, journal. The next activity could be group projects using media rich methods. Then you can plant the second seed in a similar manner, allowing all your points to eventually be made.

As I was recently explaining this concept to a client, they summed it up beautifully by saying, “It takes more work up front on the teacher’s part, but less work during the actual course as the students are engaging and learning for themselves.” That’s what I call a win-win.



I was recently talking with a senior HR manager at a major corporation about a hiring experience. "I finally found the perfect candidate. He had everything I was looking for. But when I offered him the opportunity to work with us, he asked, "What's in it for me?". I couldn't believe it. What's with these younger employees? I was so disgusted with his attitude that I decided not to hire him."

That is a common and unfortunate situation in today's multi-generational workplace. If the manager had realized that he was talking to someone from Generation X, he would have been prepared for that kind of question. Yet, because he wasn't aware that each generation has different values, attitudes

and behaviors, he lost a potentially excellent candidate.

So what can a hiring manager do to attract and hire the right person for the job?

1. Be aware that there are four different generations in today's workplace.

2. Understand the key differences in each generation's values, language and personality.

3. Meet the candidate and determine which generational values they hold.

4. Speak the candidate's language and meet them where they are.

Candidates may not hold the same values as you do, and that's OK. Growth occurs when we understand differences, not when we ignore them. Diverse perspectives give us a fuller picture of the issue at  hand—whether that issue is turning out a timely report or creating new industrial policy—but only when we’re willing to see, hear and learn. Leaders of all industries aimed for success must leverage diversity in all its forms. That’s why it’s time for *all of us* to span the generational gaps.

In this blog series, I'm discussing how each generation prefers to interact at work, which will help you create a cohesive team. Let's look at Generation Y today.

Gen Y was born with a mouse in their hand. They love what technology can do for them and how it connects them to the world, to their friends and to their family. They love the freedom and creativity it gives them, allowing them to create new ideas at the blink of an eye. That freedom allows them to balance their work and life in ways that no other generation has done.

So it comes as no surprise that many Gen Y prefer to interact virtually. To them, an IM chat or a text is the same as a face-to-face meeting. So if you’re a Baby Boomer or from Generation X, give them the freedom and flexibility they crave, as long as the job gets done. And it may be time to actually thank them. Even a decade ago, it was unheard of to leave the office early, especially if family matters came up. Now, thanks to Gen Y, flex time, remote working, and community service are a normal ways of the working life!



In this blog series, I'm discussing how each generation prefers to interact at work, which will help you create a cohesive team. Let's look at Generation X today.

Gen X grew up between the Baby Boomer face-to-face lifestyle and the Generation Y tech lifestyle. They can be perceived as too independent, too self-focused and too individualistic. However, I prefer to say that they are realistic and solution focused.

Gen X often prefers to work alone, on their own timetable, with quick decisions and fast-results. So if you’re a Baby Boomer or Generation Y, be flexible in how you approach Gen X. Don’t expect them to work the way you do; be accepting of their different styles. Don't ask them to be involved in every team meeting and every consensus decision; it'll only frustrate them. Instead, give them a project that they can work on alone or with only 1-2 other people. Be decisive in the desired outcomes and be clear on your expectations. Then let them get to work. You'll both be amazed at what they can produce when allowed to work in their own style!

My next blog will cover how Generation Y prefers to interact.

It’s easy, when someone from another generation is driving you crazy, to overlook the unique contributions she can make. In the next three blogs, I'm going to spell out how each generation prefers to interact, helping you create a cohesive team.

Baby Boomers love face to face interactions. They grew up with large groups everywhere, before the age of the Internet. They thrived on mass protests, mass rock concerts and large families. The idea of IM’ing or texting, when they could be having a face to face meeting is foreign to them. So if you’re Generation X or Y, be flexible with Boomers. Try to increase your face to face interactions every month with them…by the water cooler, at meetings, during lunch, and even during coffee breaks. You’ll be surprised at how fun it can be to actually talk live to a person!

My next blog will cover how Generation X prefers to interact.