Does Gen Y really exist?

Impatient, sceptic and image-driven
A report was compiled in 2006 by NAS Insights, titled Gen Y: The Millennials, a section of which looked at the negative aspects of Gen Ys. These included impatience, scepticism, bluntness, expressiveness, and being image-driven. Surely these exact same words could be used to describe most people as they depart adolescence and enter adulthood.

The impatience of Baby Boomers was proven at how eagerly they wanted to send a man to the moon. The scepticism of Baby Boomers is exemplified by fact that they rejected traditional values for sexual freedom and drug experimentation. The bluntness of Baby Boomers was seen by the 42 percent who gave up on religion. The expressiveness of the Baby Boomers was evident in their fierce opposition to the Vietnam War. The image-driven mindset of the Baby Boomers was obvious in how easily they broke fashion barriers with bell-bottoms and flower adornments. Sound familiar?

So where does this all leave us? Personally, as someone who has read all the books about generational differences and spoken to thousands of managers and business owners about the topic, I’ve come to two conclusions.

Firstly, yes, there are some core attributes that define each generation. As we grow through childhood, there are influences during these formative years which shape our attitudes and perspectives on life. The lack of employment opportunities during their time means that most Baby Boomers are inherently more loyal to their bosses. The sprouting of the self-help movement has made Gen Xers more cognisant of work/life balance and personal development. The fastest pace of technological change in history has meant that Gen Ys are more capable of dealing with change in the workplace. The subtle differences certainly exist.

Don’t manage by generation
Secondly, and by far most importantly, don’t adopt a leadership style where you “manage by generation”. If a manager tried to manage Leon in the way that they’re told to manage Baby Boomers, they would fail. If a manager tried to manage me in the way they’re told to manage Gen Ys, similarly, they won’t succeed because I am unlike most Gen Ys.

The best and surest way to engage each employee is to “manage by individual,” not by generation. The most exceptional managers know that an employee’s age and demographic are irrelevant. Amazing managers know that the key to getting the best out of each employee is to find out the specific motivators that turn them on individually because it’ll differ for everyone. Brilliant managers do away with the Gen Y hype and focus instead on the personal type.

—James Adonis is an author, employee engagement expert speaker and co-founder and MD of Team Leaders (www.teamleaders.com.au). James is also a regular Dynamic Business blogger. You can check out his blog here.

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