Leading Gen Y Transparently
Monica O’Brien recently wrote “According to research from Hill & Knowlton, consumers care most about companies that demonstrate honesty and optimism. Obama leveraged this emotional need to win the election, and other smart companies are also using this insight to their advantage. To Gen Y this comes down to being transparent and authentic.“ So what […]
Generational Learning Styles
“What’s the best way to work with each generation?” is a common question that I get asked. My answer is, “It depends.” In general, most people are managed by the academic technique: read, write or lecture. In 1983, Dr. Gardner from Harvard said that the academic technique doesn’t reach everyone. So he developed the Multiple […]
Retaining Gen Y
A Gen Y colleague recently asked me about my career path. She breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that my career path was windy and circuitous. She plans to have 4-5 careers in her lifetime and was worried that she would be labeled as a ‘failure’ if she did so. While Gen Y’s […]
Generational Hiring
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 […]
Managing Generational Differences, Part 3
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 […]
Managing Generational Differences, Part 2
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 […]
Managing Generational Differences, Part 1
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, […]
How to Mentor Each Generation in the Workplace, Part 3
So what can Gen Y teach Boomers and Gen X? Technology! *They* are the digital natives. If you’re Gen X, you’re a digital immigrant. If you’re a Boomer, you’re the parent of the digital immigrant, still living in the old country. Gen Y’s were born with technology; they get it. I’m not talking about asking […]
How to Mentor Each Generation in the Workplace, Part 2
So what can Gen X teach Boomers and Millennials? Gen X often has something that both the Boomers and Gen Y lack: focus. I know, I know. Boomers and Gen Y think they’re focused. But if you look at things unsentimentally (which is what Gen X excels at doing), you’ll see that a Boomer’s idea […]
How to Mentor Each Generation in the Workplace, Part 1
It’s easy, when someone from another generation is driving you crazy, to overlook the unique contributions she can make. In the next 3 blogs, I’m going to spell out how each generation can mentor another generation, helping you create a cohesive team. So how can Boomers mentor Gen X and Millennials? Baby Boomers are extremely […]
