Make Their Day Blog

Getting back from ASTD ICE has left me in an information overload!

The first among several things I would like to share is a blog all about employee engagement.

Cindy Ventrice is the author of the book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works. She also has an interest in Generational Differences. Please visit Cindy's blog and take a survey that will help quantify the differences in what each generation wants from employee recognition.

Click HERE for the link to her survey.

Coming soon - instructional design and generational differences.

It's My Generation

Y’ers - Generation Why - Millennials - Newbies

Many names are used to identify this new age of working professionals. Y’ers are a phenomenon that has spawned countless books, articles, essays, blogs, and podcasts regarding the best way to understand the new kids on the block. Generation Y seems to be a complex and undefeatable beast; warring with the corporate world.

*fanfare*

Well, worry no longer my friends. I come bearing gifts and words of wisdom.

As a member of Generation Y, I offer the following tidbits to describe who and why we are. I offer advice from the front lines and not prose concocted by consultants hoping to jump on the next bandwagon of money-making ventures *cough*six sigma*cough*.

Gen Y’ers are characterized with the following stereotype: Narcissistic young men and women who are needy, lazy, and selfish while demanding constant feedback, a relaxed dress code, and an entire corporate restructuring for their convenience.

My, we are a handful.

Generation Y, as we all have heard, is defined as those born after 1980 (or 1981, or 1977, or 1978 depending on the author). As heirs to a world most recently run by Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, Y’ers have shaken up the land of Business!

Born into an age of technology and fast answers, Y’ers are graduating from college at a higher percentage than their predecessors and entering a workforce that is comfortable with a mentality of “because I told you so” and not the Millennial thought process of “Why should I care?”

There are many theories on why Y’ers are the way we are. Specialists, PhDs, Gurus, and others have written countless books and thesis papers that determine we are an overly protected generation that relies heavily on our tools. Those in-depth studies don’t help the front line manager or trainer however.

Over the next few weeks I will submit blog posts that will explain the Millennial’s point of view and help you understand what best approach you might take to improve your interaction with that Y’er in your ranks.

Please feel free to comment, email me, or submit post ideas. I am really rather interactive; being a Generation Y’er and all.