A Community of Effort

Although the students arriving on campuses this year cross the starting line of both generations Y and Z, (having been born between 1990 and 2004), they are a generation of tech savvy, socially networked, communicative thinkers whose use of PDAs is as natural as their next breath. In fact, the majority of these thinkers sleep with them by their sides and sleepily text, post and tweet intermittently during the night.

They grew up in a world where everyone gets a trophy, where competition is no longer the main focus of group activities and sharing the win, sharing the loss, working as a team is the norm. They are in constant communication with many of the adults in their lives and consistently want their “friends” to know about everything they do and want to hear what they are doing, too!

This generation embodies and embraces the idea of impermanence. They will work, live, do what they want and they have little to no sense of failure if they have to move back home with their parents, and some just never move out at all. They seek support and encouragement from everyone in their lives. Their social networking abilities are constantly at their fingertips, and the exchange of information and connection is happening at lightening speed.

Here is a generation who has spent their whole lives thus far in a world that has been at war. This generation has been living and trying to play in a context of global unrest, from Desert Storm to 9/11 to the second Iraq War and Afghanistan; they have been here for all of it. They have not known life when the United States was not at war. As parents, relatives and neighbors, how do we release our children into this world? It is our natural instinct to protect and nurture them, to want to ensure their safety; yet we are living in a society that sensationalizes its violent acts and where conflict and personal tragedies ring out from TV and the Internet.

How will these young people be successful in college when they have no idea if there will be a job waiting for them when they get out? How will they repay their student loans? Support themselves? What industry will be left for them to work in? For this generation, the future is not a bright light. It is a daily headline of stocks crashing and major companies closing or going bankrupt. The opportunity to own a home, make a major purchase or live a better life than their parents is almost impossible to fathom. They have seen their parents and relatives losing their jobs. What possibilities do they have?

We want the next generation to be successful; we want them to grow into productive adults who have a passion for life. And we, as parents, relatives and neighbors, also want to make all of the transitions in their lives seamless, smooth and even a little bit easy. But we know we have to let them stumble; let them find their own way. How do we release them to find their way when the world seems so unsafe and uncertain?

As they enter the workforce, organization leaders will need to keep up and will need to change their style and approach to what is coming and how best to harness the energy and ideas of this new generation. Information and knowledge will need to be available and interesting. We—parents, leaders, supporters and society as a whole—will need to stimulate this group of thinkers or we will lose them.

Leaders in organizations will be faced with needing new ways of managing and engaging. This generation has been taught to not only seek out, but also to expect to receive feedback daily. They have lived in a social fluidity that has allowed them, and at times encouraged them, to change their mind, their major, their circumstance and their job based on how they feel and what will “work” for them. While they may have had the opportunity to see someone hold the same job for most of their lives, they do not aspire to do the same, nor does it seem to be an option even if they wanted it to be. This will be a generation of multiple careers and interests, and a confidence that celebrates that wide breadth of choices and experiences.
This generation is no doubt our fastest growing and changing element that will impact the success of not only our, but also future, organizations and our society. In order to gain as much as we can from them, we need to recognize this change and be prepared for it. The question to us all is—are we ready?

“Over the next two decades, 76 million Americans will be retiring and only 46 million will be entering the workplace to replace them, according to the American Society of Training and Development. The vast majority of those 46 million workers will be from Generation Y, also known as the Millennial generation.” (from Management Techniques for Bringing Out the Best in Generation Y)

In the 1970s, organizations were beginning to focus on the need to be more diverse in response to consumer demands. Now more than ever, it is the marketplace of talent driving the need for diversity and organizational change. Because of the imminent talent shortage caused by the retirement of 76 million Americans over the next 20 years, the Millennial generation is in a position to challenge workforce conventions and make organizational demands that previous generations had no leverage to make. These demands include fast-track career positioning, greater life work integration , additional training and cutting-edge technology, but the demands don’t stop there.

The Millennial generation is working to change the rules. They see themselves as consumers in a different sense – they are CHOOSING where and how they are going to work. This generation is unwilling to be pioneers of diversity and inclusion. Many of them watched their parents play those roles and their expectation is that organizations have become more diverse, instituted workplace flexibility and removed the barriers that have been identified over the past twenty plus years. They know they are expected to deliver – and they expect organizations to live up to those same rules. They are ready to contribute.

A recent New York Times article discussed one such example of Millennial expectations. Stanford Law students have undertaken a project to evaluate and hold accountable the prestigious law firms for their results with respect to diversity (the numbers of women, people of color and gay lawyers who are partners) and inclusive practices (including workplace flexibility and the number of required billable hours) by handing out “diversity report cards” to the big law firms

Beyond refusing to accept positions at firms that scored poorly, these “best and brightest” students have bigger plans. They will be lobbying top schools and universities to restrict recruiting by firms who scored in the bottom of the rankings. The students also have plans to send the scores to the general counsels of all Fortune 500 companies with the recommendation that the rankings be considered when selecting lawyers and law firms.

This is the first generation who can say, “Here are the rules we want to play by, so if you want the best and the brightest you need to be positioned to utilize our talents.” For this generation, it’s not all about the money; it’s about a healthy life work integration, an inclusive environment that is conducive to collaboration and innovation, a culture that invites their voice, their input and their ideas and most importantly, it’s about feeling valued and able to contribute.

“Firms that want the best students will be forced to respond to the market pressures that we’re creating,” said Andrew Bruck, a law student at Stanford and a leader of the project. This is just one more example of how the game is changing for organizations, and for those that say they just need more time to make improvements, it just might be too late.

The ’80s and the ’90s were a time marked by organizational and individual fear. Businesses were transforming from companies that specialized in manufacturing and processing into ones that were built on service and solutions. As downsizing and outsourcing made certain skills obsolete and bred fear in an apprehensive workforce, organizations themselves were afraid for their very survival.

Even now as we enter the 21st Century and potentially an era of unprecedented possibilities there is a residual fear from this period that still resides within organizations and their people. As with any strong emotion, fear can either have a positive or negative effect on the person experiencing it. There is a part of fear, born of anxiety, which imbues us with adrenaline and motivates us to remain focused and do our best work. Conversely, there is a part of fear that immobilizes us, freezes us in place and prevents us from making decisions or changes that are often of critical importance.

As I travel from organization to organization the collective caveat I am hearing from people of all generations, but especially the Boomers, is “I better stay where I am because it is bad everywhere.” Whereas the familiar adage declares that the grass is always greener on the other side, the overwhelming sense among people is that the grass is greener right where they are. The problem is that despite a complete reversal of a tried and true axiom the former is not true, and neither is the latter. There will always be better organizations than where you are and there will always be worse organizations than where you are. The challenge for each individual is not to be restricted or stopped by fear and indecision, but instead to have the courage to explore and find the right organization, one that appreciates your unique talents and allows you to do your best work; a place that truly is greener for you.

Many people though are too afraid to take that first step towards greener pastures. Many boomers are hesitant to make a move because they are fearful that no organization would hire someone in their late 40s or 50s or 60s. Members of Generation X and Y are not as afraid of change; however, they sometimes lack the necessary experience to recognize the difference between healthy and productive change and change that is made simply for the sake of change.

It is encouraging to see organizations beginning to value the repository of knowledge and experience Boomers can bring with them to a new position in a new company. Likewise, it is encouraging to see organizations working hard to show Gen X and Gen Y that the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else. This is a time for change, flexibility and exploration, but to this I attach a note of caution. While movement for the sake of movement is a waste, not moving for the sake of not moving is also a waste.

Being a 20th Century Organization in the 21st Century — You Lose!!

During a recent client meeting, a young person who was new to the company said to the senior leadership team about their Inclusion efforts, “I’m surprised you haven’t done this work already.” Though some may have seen this comment as a career-limiting move, I found the candidness a gift to that leadership team to enable them to hear the collective voice of the younger generation’s expectations as they enter the workforce.

Young people don’t want to be the pioneers of organizational culture change as their parents and predecessors were. They expect that much of the work on Diversity and Inclusion has been done, and if it hasn’t been, they are disappointed and willing to express their opinions with either their voices or their feet. Young people are expecting organizations to welcome them and their ideas but many young people are finding themselves disappointed on arrival. Organizations have a serious challenge if they want the next generation(s) to join them. They can either recognize the urgent need to change and make the changes necessary to attract and retain the top talent of the future generations and survive and maybe thrive in the 21st century or they will struggle to compete because they are living in the 21st century with 20th century structures, processes and ways of operating which will result in either unattractive organizations to the top talent of the next generation or a place where that talent is boxed in and it can not bring its gifts. It really is that clear cut.

The Millennials entering the workplace are ready to contribute. They want to concentrate 100 percent of their efforts on the job they were hired to do, to learn and grown and not be cast in the role of a pioneer or change agent for Diversity and Inclusion, or needing to champion the transition of an organization from an old 20 century culture of hierarchy to a new culture of shared leadership and collaborative work approaches.

Some organizations with whom we consult are working hard to create organizational cultures that address the expectations of young people by identifying and eliminating the physical and cultural divides that separate people, removing internal silos and identifying leadership qualities in people at all levels. Despite the reality that many of today’s young people will not stay with an organization for 10 years, or even 5 years, leaders and co-team members must work closely with them to maximize their engagement and contributions while they are there. This mindset oftentimes causes friction with veteran team members who are accustomed to longevity being the primary factor for advancement. In order to close the generation gaps, organizations need to develop a more inclusive mindset—one in which everyone’s voice is heard and valued, where a new team member can speak frankly with others no matter what their rank or tenure.

The world of work is changing rapidly and the big question facing organizations is can they change fast enough. The norm used to be that by age 35 a person would have had 3 to 5 positions within the same organization, now the norm is that those 3 to 5 positions will probably be at several different organizations as people move seeking opportunities to contribute and maximize their learning. Some organizations may not yet be ready for a workforce that is as demanding of the organization as the organization is of them. Some may not be ready to invest in individuals who may not be there for the long haul. But one thing is clear – by not investing in younger people, and enabling them to contribute now the chance of them remaining is very small, especially the top talent. This is the new world of work, the 21st century world of work – and those organizations that learn to adapt will have the talent they need to compete and thrive in this century.

In the Harry Potter series, Hogwarts Headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore uses a Pensieve as a repository for his memories. The Pensieve was a way for Dumbledore to re-live experiences as an observer. Though he could not change or alter the memories, he could use them to learn from his mistakes, remember his successes and retain his vast wisdom.

For businesses looking for ways to effectively integrate social media and other Web 2.0 technology into their organizations, why not consider blogging as a Pensieve-like tool to document and save the progression of thinking, wisdom and understanding a person has accumulated over the years?

For example, imagine the value in creating a repository for the daily thoughts, challenges and inspirations of an exceptional project manager. Not just a technical recitation of her day, but a glimpse of how she and her team worked through a project from beginning to end—the pitfalls to avoid, the dead ends to circumvent and the answers to problems that almost certainly will arise for others handling similar projects.

Blogs can be Rosetta Stones that connect people within an organization through a medium that crosses cultural, hierarchical and generational divides, especially important for organizations that are experiencing a “boomer exodus.” Organizations need to save the progression of thinking, wisdom and understanding that a person leaving has accumulated over a period of years through a daily journal of not only the milestones and significant lessons, but also the day-to-day, seemingly insignificant incidents, because how often is it that what we consider trivial in the moment becomes crucial in the future?

The organizational blog, like the fictional Pensieve, has the potential to be a living document used to re-live experiences, learn from mistakes, remember successes and retain wisdom.

How is your organization identifying, capturing and leveraging the wisdom and best practices of its people?