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Challenging the Stereotypes: #GenYGivesThanks
Written by Buddy Hobart on November 6th, 2009
Recently, I received an email with an article attached regarding Gen Y. The good news is that the article was positive toward Gen Y and offered some real meat and not the usual fluff. However, the photos and headline used to introduce the article were not very flattering. The lead photo showed a Gen Y’er with multiple piercings sticking out his tongue to reveal 4 or 5 studs. The funny thing is….the article had nothing to do with piercings or anything related to professional appearance. The article was about marketing to Gen Y and the need to be authentic. In order to get to the point of the article one would have had to ignore the lead in photos and misleading headline.
My point is, if you did not push your way through the introduction then you would not have received the solid information. In fact, what you would only have experienced is a very negative (and stereotypical) example of Gen Y. I do not think these negative portrayals are fair and in fact are extremely misleading. This type of portrayal makes it even harder for leaders to implement a cultural shift in their organizations since most people will not read the article but will see the photo and headlines that support their prejudices.
Recently we gave one of our clients some “homework”. Why not try this yourself. For the next month pay attention to articles about Gen Y. Make three categories. First, look for positive articles about Gen Y. Secondly, look for negative articles. Finally, look for articles that have negative headlines or photos but actually have positive information in the text. I believe you will find the negative/misleading will out number the positive 5 to 1.
I think this is important because it makes your job as a leader that much harder. If your folks already have a negative opinion, and the images they receive support their prejudices, then it will require you to help change their opinion. Take some time and share a few positive images. For starters, check out #GenYGivesThanks . For the month of November Gen Y will tell you what they are thankful for….and I think you will be surprised at the entries. Your challenge as a leader is to help fight the negative images and provide the positive balance.
