Gary Hamel has a terrific post today about the cultural differences between Gen Y and the Fortune 500.
Gen Y must really be ruffling some feathers as it integrates into the workplace because I’m seeing articles and hearing complaints about them everywhere. It reminds me of the days when my fellow Gen-X’ers and I entered the workforce: we were all supposed to be slackers. Of course, eventually we adapted to corporate America and corporate America adapted to us. Nobody thinks we’re slackers anymore.
We’re repeating the cycle now with Gen Y. The other night, some friends of mine were complaining about younger co-workers. One–with what’s considered an “old school” mentality–argued “I pay them to work, not to text their friends.” A recent issue of Harvard Business Review contained a case about the difficulty of managing Gen Y in an established corporate culture, and I was amused to read one commenter write that the Gen-Y’er was insubordinate for circumventing his boss and sending his ideas right to the CEO.
Perhaps the organization least compatible with Gen Y values is the federal government. NASA is a becoming a prime example of the culture clash between a traditional, top down, command-and-control organization, and ideals of minimal hierarchy and open communication. Frustrated Gen Y’ers have turned to blogs, slideshows, and videos to try to change the culture. I actually think what they’re trying to do is great, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their efforts reinvigorate a stodgy and staid bureaucracy.
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You should have been around when the Boomers integrated (or refused to). Amazing the difference that marriage, mortgage and kids has on folks.
That said, the sense of entitlement and the attitude that pay should be inflated like grades just for showing up and trying is a real problem.