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Gen Y and Voicemail
Written by Buddy Hobart on November 2nd, 2009
Gen Y does not like to use voicemail. In a recent discussion with several Y’ers, it seems to be universal that they do not find voicemail to be productive. Their sense is “why listen to a possibly rambling voicemail when I can just call back or text and get information in real time”. To prove their point, these Y’ers pulled out their phones and showed me their voicemail boxes, which were filled with unheard messages. When they saw who called, they simply called back and received the information live. To further demonstrate their point, these Gen Y’ers told me how they have “trained” their parents not to leave voicemail messages. If their parents want to reach them, a “missed call” will prompt a call back.
I am sure many leaders out there will be as frustrated as I am/was about this conversation. For the sake of full disclosure, I like voicemail and use it quite frequently. My initial reaction was not a positive one. However, in an attempt to practice what I preach, I proceeded to engage the group in a lively conversation about “adapting to your audience’ and using the mode of communication that is most likely to get the desired result. After all, it is the result, not the effort that is most important.
I also pointed out how their attitude may well be hypocritical. If they have a desire for Gen X and Boomer leaders to adapt, then shouldn’t they also adapt? Is it simply ok to equate taking action with achieving results? Also, and as we discuss in the book, we don’t “train or handle people” we lead people. Why is it ok for them to “train” someone and not lead?
The response was very interesting and unexpected. Since Gen Y seeks to CONNECT, their response was to admit a certain amount of hypocrisy. If voicemail was the best way to connect, then the group seemed to feel a need to ADAPT. If they want us to adapt, then they also should adapt.
This reminded me of something Chuck Fowler, the President of Fairmount Minerals told me as we were writing Gen Y Now. Chuck said, “instead of becoming frustrated with new employees, look at this as a way to teach and guide them”. A spirited conversation is always better than frustration and alienation.
Timeless Leadership Yields Generations of Talented Workers
Written by Buddy Hobart on October 13th, 2009
Daniel Wareman is a Board Member for the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management, and sat in on a meeting we recently held with folks from around the world to discuss Gen Y. Daniel is from the Netherlands and was not just representing them at the conference, he was also representing the Traditionalist Generation in our meeting! (The audience was a great example of the 4 generations in the workforce. Every generation was represented.)
Daniel seemed to have a real interest in the topic and really connected with the point about “timeless leadership”. I simply do not believe Gen Y is unreasonable with their expectations of leadership. Gen Y simply demands what every generation wants from their managers and leaders. When we are working with our clients we try to stress that in no way, shape, or form are we asking for accommodations to be made for Gen Y. We are simply asking for the implementation of timeless leadership.
Back to Daniel. During our discussion we were talking about the need to “explain the why” to Gen Y. Managers cannot simply assign work and move on. If Gen Y has questions, managers need to be available. Also, if managers take 30 seconds and explain why the task is relevant, Gen Y will dive into it with all of the commitment you could ever want. The equation is simple. Interesting + meaningful work = commitment. This point resonated with Daniel. It seems that he has always exhibited timeless leadership.
Years ago Daniel was an executive for Shell International. In his role, he had many opportunities to hire new talent. These new folks were highly educated engineers and sought after talent. What he would do, was give these new folks very meaningful and strategic assignments right out of the gate. These assignments would be parts of the overall strategy, not just projects to keep the new hires busy. He would carve out time to follow up and he always had a 90 day review of the progress.
In other parts of the organization, he often witnessed a different process for new hires. Daniel said, “people would assign the engineers the task of counting nuts and bolts instead of trusting them with meaningful work. Then they would wonder why these new people were not working hard. I never had that issue. All of my new folks were working hard….and contributing.” It is not a coincidence that his folks also tended to go on to great success.
“Back in the day”, Daniel was working with Baby Boomers and Traditionalists, not Gen Y. However, he would have had the same success with Gen Y that he did with the other generations. The reason is simple, timeless leadership.
With Gen Y, Words Matter
Written by Buddy Hobart on August 26th, 2009
In Gen Y Now, we discussed how ‘words matter’ and used a reference to a ‘Jethro Bodine’ cereal bowl. This weekend I experienced a similar and humorous situation.
While furniture shopping, my wife and I were looking for a chair with an ottoman. Our sales person was a Gen Y’er, and we discovered, studied interior design. She seemed to be very knowledgeable and was also very professional.
As we were describing what we wanted, my wife mentioned that when she came home from work she did not want to be “Rob Petrie” (referring to the opening of the old Dick Van Dyke Show when he tripped over the ottoman). I immediately knew what she meant, and also immediately knew our sales person DID NOT understand the reference. I probably should have clarified it, but I thought it would be a fun and harmless experiment.
For the next fifteen minutes we were shown very large pieces that simply would not fit our space. Then we CLARIFIED our need by providing more information versus an obscure old TV reference. We were then led directly to the perfect piece of furniture.
After we finalized our purchase I asked the sales person about the Rob Petrie reference and if she understood. She admitted she did not. I realized that since she had no point of reference, she could not even formulate a good follow up question in order to better clarify our needs. If we had been more specific she could have been more productive.
I left the store wondering how often I do that at work without even realizing it. Can I improve my communications so folks can be more productive? Without the proper frame of reference folks can not even ask good follow up questions.
There were two things I got from that furniture store….a very nice new ottoman, and a good lesson on communication.
Misconceptions about Gen Y Management
Written by Buddy Hobart on August 21st, 2009
Is it me or do we as humans like to be angry and frustrated? Excuse my rant, but for the past year or two I have come to realize that most media outlets are constantly pushing negative stories and trying to drum up controversy. If the listening/reading public did not like controversy then I guess the media would produce different stories. But, since negative sells, we are stuck with the negative. All of this brings me to my Gen Y point.
Last week I was meeting with one of our senior consultants who just completed a corporate strategic plan for a client. He was saying how negative our client is toward the “expect it all without working for it” generation (or Gen Y). Our client is tired of hearing about how he has to have volley ball teams, softball tournaments and ice cream socials just to get the new employees to even WANT to work there. He does not hold Gen Y in high regard.
When we asked him about his softball, volley ball and ice cream social experiences, he told us he hasn’t done any of that and has no intention of implementing that kind of “playground” work place. We then asked why did he use these examples and why does he believe it is critical to create a “play ground” in order to attract new talent. His response…….it is all he has read about regarding Gen Y! He has not ACTUALLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE, he has just read about it.
Just read about it…..negative and frustrating. That is what seems to sell. Why aren’t there more articles about the volunteerism of Gen Y, or their advances degrees, or their work ethic (which when channeled I believe is superior to The Boomers)?
I think it is sad that positive doesn’t sell, so we are left with not only negative images of Gen Y, but untrue negative images as well.
Leaders Have Followers
Written by Buddy Hobart on August 5th, 2009
Recently, I was interviewed for a national publication regarding Gen Y. It was obvious the reporter was looking for the negative and his questions really had an anti Gen Y tone. During the conversation he kept challenging my thought process about Gen Y and the need for leaders to adapt their strategy. He seemed to feel it was Gen Y’s responsibility to adapt and not a leader’s.
There was a question I asked, which caused him pause. I asked, “how can you call yourself a leader unless you have followers?” The fact of the matter is…Gen Y comprises 79.5 million potential followers. After a mild debate about all of that, the reporter felt a need to “up the ante” and, obviously frustrated, challenged me about “helicopter parents” (parents who hover over and around their children). He specifically wanted to know if I agreed with parents calling their children’s boss about issues, etc.
To answer his question I first told him a quick story. My mother is now 86 years old. While she has never imposed herself in my work life, she has for all of her 86 years done what she wants to do…..in spite of any of her children’s objections. There were times in my life (and my siblings’) that she did things we did not appreciate. However, and I mean this respectfully and lovingly, we could have no sooner stopped her from doing what she wanted to do than I could jump to the moon. She did what she thought she should do, when she thought she should do it. The reporter then admitted to me that his was a similar experience.
My question then was….why judge the Gen Y employee negatively for an action committed by their parent? Who is to say the Gen Y employee wanted the call made? Isn’t it just as likely the Gen Y employee is mortified and embarrassed? Why are we judging Gen Y differently that we judge ourselves? Truth be told, the situation described is the parent’s issue, not automatically a weakness of the Gen Y employee.
While I am not sure we had a “Gen Y convert” when the call ended, I am sure he thought a bit differently about the subject.
“The Opposite of Evolution is Extinction” – Darwin
Written by Buddy Hobart on August 3rd, 2009
There are several great things I like about being a consultant, and one of the best parts of the job is to learn about many different industries and trends. There is a new trend that we are seeing now that is not at all industry specific or regionalized. It is universal. The recent financial market decline that cost Americans trillions of dollars of net worth has also EXTENDED the work life of millions of Baby Boomers. Folks who had their sights set on retirement in the next 2-5 years have in some cases moved that milestone out as much as 10 more years.
In many ways this explains the expanded curiosity surrounding Gen Y. Millions of managers and business leaders realize they now need to learn more about Gen Y since they will be working with this cohort for many more years than they originally planned. It reminds me of early in my career when desk top computers became a reality. Back then, “short timers” (people planning to retire soon) had a great strategy regarding the computer….IGNORE IT! The thought process was that by the time they were required to learn computer skills, they would be long retired. The feeling was “why waste my time learning about something I’ll never need or use”.
I think the same thought process existed regarding Gen Y. Why waste time and energy learning about something that you won’t use next year? By the time it will be required to know about Gen Y, people thought they would be long retired. That is no longer the reality. Just like folks in the early 1980’s who had 10 or more years of work life left needed to learn computing skills, so now does today’s worker with a 10+ year work horizon need to understand leading and working with Gen Y.
The desk top computer/Gen Y analogy works on several levels. Back then, the computer could be intimidating. In fact, some folks thought why not just leave well enough alone and keep our main frame locked in the special room in the basement. Also, there was a wide spread belief that desk top computers were NOT the wave of the future, and “this too shall pass”.
To some folks Gen Y can be intimidating. After all, here is a person more that 30 years younger than me with an opinion, answers, ideas and goals of their own. Many believe this “attitude” is NOT the wave of the future, and “this too shall pass”. Finally…..and it is true…..some folks would just like to leave well enough alone and keep Gen Y “locked in the basement type jobs”.
Just like personal computers WERE the wave of the future, and businesses could not have succeeded without them, Gen Y is the future. Going forward businesses will not succeed without a solid Gen Y recruiting and retention strategy. Gen Y, in many cases, will hold the key to a business’ economic recovery. History shows that business leaders who adapted the quickest to the changing technology and led a great change process in their organization ultimately created extremely successful companies. Those who believed that “this too shall pass” struggled, or even worse, became extinct.
Like Charles Darwin said, the opposite of evolution is extinction.
Typical Gen Y
Written by Buddy Hobart on July 28th, 2009
Even though I have had my “road to Damascus” conversion regarding Gen Y, I am amazed at how my prejudices can surface almost instantly. As business leaders, we need to be constantly aware of how easily it is to back slide. Here is a quick story that is almost embarrassing for an author of a Gen Y book to admit.
Last week I was leaving a client location and flying home. My flight left at 7:30am, stopped in Minneapolis, then continued to Pittsburgh. It goes without saying that I was in for a long day.
The night before my departure I talked to the front desk and requested a shuttle ride a 6am. Before turning in, I confirmed the time. The next morning, when I went to the lobby at 5:55, I was told the shuttle driver had not arrived yet. A few minutes later I saw a young man (Gen Y’er) enter a side door. His shirt was un-tucked, his tie was undone, and it appeared he had just woken up.
My IMMEDIATE thought was “typical Gen Y……..how could he be late and make an already challenging travel day even worse? Must be a slacker.” My prejudices took over and my thoughts were negative.
Now, here is the REAL story. My driver had not been informed of a 6am ride, and in fact his start time is 6:15. The night manager (not a Gen Y’er) had forgotten to tell him about an early departure, even though I confirmed it twice. My driver had, in fact, come in early, just in case there was an early departure! It gets even better.
When he did meet me in the lobby to take me to the airport, his shirt was tucked in and his tie was tied. He was as polite and professional a hospitality employee as I have seen in all of my travels. To top it off, he is getting his college degree in the afternoons and evenings. He works this job because he can earn his tuition by working a 6am to noon shift. From there it is off to school and the library. Most nights he is back home by 10pm, after a visit to the library. The only part of my original misguided thought process was that he HAD just woke up, but not because he had “partied” the night before. He did not get home from the library until after 11pm.
The lesson here? It is important to be self-aware of how prejudices, though dormant, can cause even the most gen y friendly manager to react in a way that is unfair and inaccurate to the situation at hand.
Gen Y Stereotypes
Written by Buddy Hobart on July 28th, 2009
When we set out to write Gen Y Now part of our process was to conduct leadership seminars around the country for business leaders and their managers. As our folks talked to business people to attend the seminar, we heard some very similar and common responses. Much of what we heard could fall into the ‘and this too shall pass’ category. For the most part, in 2007, business leaders were not aware of the need to consider the differences and opportunities Gen Y employees present. I don’t think that is the issue today.
It is hard to pick up a national or local publication and NOT see an article about Gen Y. Business magazines, employment papers, marketing gurus and just about everyone else is now at least TALKING about the differences. There seems to be a greater awareness to the issue today than when we first started to write the book. However, I have some serious concerns about how that awareness has been gained and how many publications are presenting Gen Y.
Over the past 3 months I have seen literally dozens of negative articles and cartoons exploiting the prejudices of Baby Boomers and Gen X toward Gen Y. This negative positioning is not helpful to business leaders as they try to create their strategies for growth and recovery. Gen Y will be a critical part of the recovery, and having a negative view of what they bring to the work world will not speed up the process of creating a useful solution.
As an example of how the negative stereo types are presented, a recent national weekly magazine ran a story of Gen Y and focused on their sense of entitlement and “self indulgence”. The article talked about a generation that has had $100,000 sweet 16 parties. There was also a photo of some “20-somethings” having fun at a nightclub. The photo was designed to drive home the point that this cohort is out of control.
In the following days after seeing the article I had an opportunity to talk to several business forums across the country and conducted an informal survey. I asked “has anyone here held or attended a $100,000 sweet 16 party”. Not only was the answer no across the board, the rooms (mostly made up of successful baby boomer business people), laughed at the idea. My point here is this….I am sure SOMEONE has held six figure parties for their children, but it is not the norm. (In fact, who is to say the 16 year old recipient of the party even wanted it!) I am concerned these rare examples are being presented as the norm and playing on our Baby Boomer prejudices.
On a final note, we need to also be careful of the images we are presented about Gen Y. The photo I referred to in the article did not show Gen Y in a good light. They were partying, holding drinks and “acting the fool”. A week after I saw the article a friend of mine held a 50th birthday party. For the most part the party was a “dry affair” and we were by no means intoxicated. The photos I received after the party made it look like we were out of control…having the nerve to laugh, joke and clown around with friends! The nerve of us old folks to have fun! Many of the photos could easily been taken out of context and presented in a negative light.
Business leaders need to guard against these stereo types and avoid having an entire generation of talent branded negatively.