Kids These Days...
I saw this article in The Arizona Republic last week. I found it pretty interesting, especially since so many of "my" generation have been frustrated with our co-workers. It's not just at my company; lots of people I talk to express the same frustrations.
The article talks about those born after 1979 who are coming into the workforce and how their motivators are so different from those of us who have been out there for a while.
Here's an excerpt:
While tech-savvy, independent and well-educated, these young workers revel in, even crave, constant praise.
The trend is puzzling to many older supervisors who rose steadily through the ranks believing that a talk with management usually meant trouble and that praise was rarely doled out.
The latter statement is me to a T. I hardly talk to my big boss (and it was the same when I was his direct report) but it seems like when I do it's because he's concerned or critical about something. We kind of feel like if we don't talk to him for a while, all must be going well. When he starts hanging out with you, it's a bad omen.
Another comment that struck me:
"It's almost like the employer needs to prove something to them before they prove something to the employer," he added.
In my day, which didn't seem that long ago, you worked your butt off and then you got rewarded. You just didn't get handed the big salary and the comp days and freedom to make your own hours when you started a job...you had to earn it. And by earning it, I mean you put in the long hours when needed, accepted ownership of problems and fixes and participated in solving problems that weren't even of your own making.
A final quote:
Aaron Montenegro, 26, a supervisor at the Vanguard Group's Scottsdale office, said he manages recent college graduates, and critiquing their work can be a balancing act.
"I see more and more that they ask for a lot of feedback, but sometimes it's tough for them to take in the feedback," he said. "Sometimes, what I think they're saying is, 'Tell me what I'm doing good.' "
Again, that struck a chord. I work with people who want to hear they're doing great but when I say "You need to improve" or "You goofed and here's the fallout", they're not happy with me. I tend to get a lot of "I agree with you, but..." responses where the but is some sort of mitigating excuse. The reality, in my world, is that you own up and say "I goofed, let me help fix it". Making excuses just doesn't cut it.
I don't know that it's entirely true that these attitudes represent the whole generation and just that generation. I know some folks in this age group who seem to have the same Puritan work ethic that I do. I also know folks older than that who want all the freedom and salary they can get but don't want to take any of the responsibility.
It was certainly food for thought.
The article talks about those born after 1979 who are coming into the workforce and how their motivators are so different from those of us who have been out there for a while.
Here's an excerpt:
While tech-savvy, independent and well-educated, these young workers revel in, even crave, constant praise.
The trend is puzzling to many older supervisors who rose steadily through the ranks believing that a talk with management usually meant trouble and that praise was rarely doled out.
The latter statement is me to a T. I hardly talk to my big boss (and it was the same when I was his direct report) but it seems like when I do it's because he's concerned or critical about something. We kind of feel like if we don't talk to him for a while, all must be going well. When he starts hanging out with you, it's a bad omen.
Another comment that struck me:
"It's almost like the employer needs to prove something to them before they prove something to the employer," he added.
In my day, which didn't seem that long ago, you worked your butt off and then you got rewarded. You just didn't get handed the big salary and the comp days and freedom to make your own hours when you started a job...you had to earn it. And by earning it, I mean you put in the long hours when needed, accepted ownership of problems and fixes and participated in solving problems that weren't even of your own making.
A final quote:
Aaron Montenegro, 26, a supervisor at the Vanguard Group's Scottsdale office, said he manages recent college graduates, and critiquing their work can be a balancing act.
"I see more and more that they ask for a lot of feedback, but sometimes it's tough for them to take in the feedback," he said. "Sometimes, what I think they're saying is, 'Tell me what I'm doing good.' "
Again, that struck a chord. I work with people who want to hear they're doing great but when I say "You need to improve" or "You goofed and here's the fallout", they're not happy with me. I tend to get a lot of "I agree with you, but..." responses where the but is some sort of mitigating excuse. The reality, in my world, is that you own up and say "I goofed, let me help fix it". Making excuses just doesn't cut it.
I don't know that it's entirely true that these attitudes represent the whole generation and just that generation. I know some folks in this age group who seem to have the same Puritan work ethic that I do. I also know folks older than that who want all the freedom and salary they can get but don't want to take any of the responsibility.
It was certainly food for thought.
