When Gen Y Just Doesn't Fit In

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Mens Lucien Piccard of AL 2:53PM June 22, 2010

Incredible post, and being in the non-profit sector it is the ultimate disservice to continue to allow old technology to rule. Boomers need to learn how to get off their high horse and learn about Gen Y, while Gen Y needs to shutup and learn some things from Boomers.... a balance ultimately brings forth a successful firm.
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anthony of CA 4:12PM May 20, 2009

A point I rarely see raised: Generation Y is different, but so is the WORK. To the extent that that is true, it is NOT the job of Gen-Y to, for instance, stop using those darn efficient computers in order to make themselves look as busy as people were before these technologies. It is, in fact, the job of the Boomer managers to realize that workers with better tools are going to work differently - and to use that to the benefit of their organizations rather than squelch it to preserve their egos.

Generation Xer of CA 4:55PM May 19, 2009

I'm just over a year out of college and currently work as a web developer. My internship experience and my hobbies are "new media" focused, so in sitting in meetings about social networking, I'm often the most informed employee despite being the youngest/least-experienced. Also, I'm often the person in the meeting that knows how to actually implement other people's ideas. I'm well aware of the Gen-Y stereotypes and try to keep that in mind when working with people that have been at my organization longer. To answer Don's question, I would say encourage her to share her ideas and interests with the team or appropriate high-level person in a way that you/her boss can funnel out bad/inappropriate/etc. ideas and then reeducate her on how to act in meetings, when corresponding for projects, etc. so that she is less likely to speak her mind at inappropriate times.
My question is on the opposite side of this scenario - how do I advance my career, get a raise, etc. if I feel that I do work beyond my position/salary without coming across as ungrateful or the typical Gen-Y employee. Is there a "right" way to do it?

Erin of MD 4:31PM May 19, 2009

Part of the reason that the older workers don't like it, is because the younger workers are going to eat their lunch.
Honestly, the older worker need to learn to keep up. Its not the problem of Gen-Y that we are hyper-connected, information thirsty, eager, ambitious, and very direct about things.

David Fisher of MA 2:56PM May 19, 2009