Dear Nurit,

Thank you very much for your note.

I work with a number of global organizations that are trying hard to develop generationally-sensitive approaches for employees around the world, although most would be quick to say that they’ve still got work to do.

Of the companies you mentioned, IBM has implemented a number of interesting practices. They have legitimized virtual work—a practice that appeals to many, but particularly to Gen Y’s. They train leaders in generational sensitivity—how to recognize and respond to legitimate differences among the generations. And their staffing approach encourages teams to tap into the best qualified person for the job—regardless of the individual’s seniority or location.

Here’s a quick re-cap of some of the Y-friendly practices I think are most helpful:

•Communicate, particularly during the recruiting process, in Y-friendly ways
•Address parents as an explicit part of your recruiting strategy – messaging, awareness, concerns
•Shift performance management to focus on task completion, not time spent
•Embrace time shifting, asynchronous work, and flexible schedules
•Invest in technology . . . and in your technology skills – leverage technology to create efficient processes
•Provide frequent feedback – coach first-line managers to teach, rather than assess
•Create a collaborative, team-based environment
•Encourage Boomers in your midst to mentor Y’s
•Don’t over-define the task – let Y’s “figure it out”
•Re-design career paths to offer frequent, lateral moves – not necessarily up
•Provide world-class learning opportunities in all forms

I hope this helps.  I’d love to hear of interesting practices you uncover as you continue to study firms in Israel.

And thank you for following my work.

Warmly,

Tammy

Related Reading:

Leadership, Gen Y Style

Filed under: Generation Y | Published: 11/10/11

Hi Steve,

Yes, I do a lot of work with managers and senior executives on how best to work with Gen Y’s.  I agree that threats don’t work well with this generation.

My basic advice is to give them work that is both important and challenging—and let them figure out how to get it done.  In other words, re importance, make sure they understand how the task they’ve been asked to accomplish contributes to the bigger picture.  Don’t over-specify how to do the work; this generation doesn’t respond well to a 20-step process, with little room for variation.  Tell them the end objective, and give them some flexibility to figure out the best way to get there, whenever possible.  (I recognize, of course, that not all tasks allow this flexibility due to regulations, safety constraints, and so on.)  I suspect the situations you’ve experienced, when Y’s try to shift their work to others, are indications that they’re finding the work boring and unchallenging.

There are several documents on my website that may be helpful to you.  In addition, my book Retire Retirement, written to Boomers, includes advice on working with other generations in the workplace.

I hope this helps.

Warmly,

Tammy

Filed under: Generation Y | Published: 01/15/11

Dear Eridani,

I very much commend you for the goals of your work.

My suggestion is that you turn your approach “inside-out.”  In other words, rather than trying to assign mentors to students, focus on making knowledable people available to the students as needed.  Publicize the types of information/ expertise each mentor has to offer and encourage the students to reach out to individuals in areas related to their needs or interests. 

Best wishes for success,

Tammy

Filed under: Generation Y | Published: 01/15/11

Hi Ed,

One possibility, depending on his interests and yours, would be to evolve into even more of a teaching role—about the business broadly, as opposed to the specifics of his current responsibilities.  For example, you might have some sessions on how your company makes money—how the business model works—including reviewing the Annual Report and other financial documents, explaining relevant terms, and thinking together about how the department your mentee works in affects the firm’s performance.  Perhaps you can invite him to spend some time with you in your department, learning more about the work there.  You might bring in articles written about your company, industry or issues that impact your business for discussion—or maybe an article from a management journal or book.  A number of business books today include discussion guides, (including Plugged In, the book I wrote for Gen Y’s—you can download it from this site.)

I hope that helps.  He’s lucky to have you!

Best,

Tammy

Filed under: Generation Y | Published: 05/10/09

Hi A—

I’m a strong believer in the “a good offense is the best defense” strategy for any generation in the workplace today.  That is, do the very best work you can.  A few specifics for early-career workers:
* Do your assigned task thoroughly and well, before you volunteer to get involved in other special projects.  I know someone recently who was contributing in major ways to a number of very interesting special initiatives for her company, but when the time came for lay-offs, she wasn’t viewed as integral to the core activities of the firm and was among the first to go.
* Help others.  Look for ways to lighten the load for a colleague—quietly, perhaps with no attribution.  Pitch in and word will get around that you are a solid team player.
* Stay heads up on trends and issues potentially affecting the business.  Bring new ideas to the table.  (But avoid being a “Debbie Downer”—no one wants to work with someone who only talks about problems—bring solutions and ideas, as well.)

In many ways, Gen Y is, by temperament and habit, very well suited to the rhythm of this economy.  Your ability to “go with the flow,” to coordinate in the moment, rather than rely on long-term schedules and carefully constructed plans, are all good philosophical traits to bring to an unpredictable situation.  Use them to your advantage.  This is a great time to stay flexible, think near-term (“what can I do for the next year that is challenging,” rather than “how do I launch the long-term career of my dreams,” for example).

What you lack is experience navigating through a tough economic patch.  Only the Boomers have had a significant dose of that—and most Boomer managers have a bag of tricks that are helpful at a time like this.  Some of my favorites:  focus on cash (as a metric and as an operational priority) and favor agility over low cost (i.e., rent instead of buy).

Good luck—your generation has a lot to contribute to helping firms through this tough economy.

Best,

Tammy

Filed under: Generation Y | Published: 12/04/08