Generation Soup - working with boomers-Gen Y-Gen X

Generation Y's steep financial hurdles: Huge debt, no savings on USAToday

2010-06-03T09:26:00.000-04:00

A new generation, you have heard about them, Generation Y.

These teens and twenty somethings have the get-it-now, pay-for-it-later mind-set. They want and acquire expensive high-tech gadgets and added credit card debt onto student loans.

Read entire article on USAToday.com

Is there any such thing as a paper trail these days?

2010-05-19T13:13:00.000-04:00

Remember when you looked up the shows you wanted to see in the "TV Guide"?

Exams were not given online

Your friends phone numbers were in a large phone book, listed under their parents name, because that is who paid the phone company.

You went to the library to find out information

The paperboy delivered the news.

Generation Y becoming more visible

2010-05-04T12:59:00.001-04:00

We heard the rumors that 'they' were coming. We were not sure about the whole situation-- when 'they' would hit the workforce.

Well, 'they' are here. Slowly but surely, the Gen Y worker has started to influence the workplace. As the gradual flow of new, eager employees start occupying positions within companies, it will be obvious that the generations will need some guidance on how to improve the 'Generation Soup' that is now brewing.

Recognition of ‘Now what’ hits many companies facing a new generation as new employees. This generation is widely available for new hire and provides many qualified and ‘ready to work’ individuals. Gen Y employees have new ideas, fresh perspectives and a different attitude adding to the mix a wave of cultural differences.

Generation Soup provides a source of information and understanding of the generational merge within a company, making the transition smooth and productive. This workshop provides everyone utensils allowing the company to gain for years to come.

http://www.genaffex.com/

Gen Y Profile

2010-03-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

Gen Y Profile

Author: Sparxoo

The Profile of Gen Y
The Hillz, working in pajamas, wall posts, Obama, avatars, and an aversion to vowels are just a few of Gen Y's favorite things. At the beginning of the new millennium, there was a lot of hubbub about this new generation: the up and comers with tremendous amount of spending influence, a completely new world-view and what Gen X might call, the new kids on the block.
With Boomers retiring at the rate of one every ten minutes (nearly 64 million by the end of the decade) and Gen X moving onward and upwards, Gen Y were the young, fresh faces. They dressed differently (customizable kicks) , didn't like the 9-5 way of thinking and couldn't give you eye-contact because they were busy texting about you to their friend in Bangladesh, which they will then post on their virtual wall. Gen Y is quickly transforming the workplace and marketplace in a very big, customizable way.
They've been called Echo Boomers, Millennials, the Net Generation, Generation Y, but because brevity is of great importance, let's go with Gen Y. (Though a Wikipedia search for Millennials will re-direct to the Generation Y page, there is a difference-albeit subtle. A Millennial is between the ages of 8 and 27, making their birth years between 1982 and 2001.)
To understand the mindset of Gen Y, you have to understand the environment into which they were born. Gen Y came of age during a time that saw unprecedented economic growth (late 1990s)-shaping their expectations of themselves and the world around them. Though the birth years vary, the accepted range is from 1980-1999. The math makes them between 10 and 29 and nearly 25% of the U.S. population.
They are more tech-savvy, family-centric, flexible, non-conforming and attention-getting than their parents and are greatly changing the way we do business. In the upcoming days, we are going to post a series of articles that discuss the many facets (marketing, workplace, mentality, trends) that make Gen Y powerful buyers, thinkers and movers and shakers.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/gen-y-profile-832322.html

About the Author
Sparxoo is a business blog that inspires breakthrough by tomorrow’s leaders. We are a strategy consulting firm with a pulse on marketing, branding, and development. See our talented team of experts and our parent company dCap Advisors.

Interview with a Generation Y Expert - Lindsey Pollak

2009-11-26T07:46:00.001-05:00

Some agree and some disagree. I have read a lot comments that generations make online usually about the articles out there. On first impression and in my opinion. The older generations , Gen X and Boomers, usually agree with what is out there, but also don't comment as often as the younger generation. Gen Y seems to be very opinionated about the surge of articles written these days. Some agree and some are very defensive. Maybe rightly so.

2009-11-24T07:27:00.002-05:00

It has been called "Dueling Age Groups" "Multi Generational workers" "Generational Issues" "Generational Bridges"

But that is not all, there are names for each Generation:
Baby Boomers - Hippies, Yuppies. Idealist

Generation X - Reactive

Generation Y - Millennial, Techies

Generation Soup Workshops coming soon! If you have any questions please contact us

A workshop for all generations working together!

One side of what is out there

2009-11-23T10:10:00.003-05:00

They are entering the workforce, but we haven't left yet...so now what? How to work together?

Training needs to be pointed at the organization and just as much to Gen Y.

A generation that we raised?

2009-11-19T10:41:00.002-05:00

High expectations of self: They aim to work faster and better than other workers.

High expectations of employers: They want fair and direct managers who are highly engaged in their professional development.

Ongoing learning: They seek out creative challenges and view colleagues as vast resources from whom to gain knowledge.

Immediate responsibility: They want to make an important impact on Day 1.

Goal-oriented: They want small goals with tight deadlines so they can build up ownership of tasks.

Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking

Are they really that different than us, doesn't one generation reflect the predecessors?
Or did we really have a hand in raising them, there was such a growth of advancing technology and changing times, this might have influenced them more than parenting itself?

A new way to think about diversity in the workplace

2009-11-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

When we think of diversity in the workplace, we most frequently think of skin color, ethnicity, gender, religion or sometimes age... We don't often think of our generation as being a type of diversity, but it is. Generation is different than age in that our membership in a generation is based on common experiences - things we (as a group) experienced as our values and moral makeup were being formed. Recent research shows that there are linkages between what we experience throughout our career and how we view our relationship with our current employer - even how we view our employer's fulfillment of our expectations. These views of fulfillment are related to numerous outcomes - none the least of which include employee engagement and levels of trust.

Until organizations recognize and acknowledge that all employees do not view their treatment the same, there is going to be issues with these outcomes in the workplace. Recognition and acknowledgement are the first step. Education about the different views of the generations is the next. Once we all have a good understanding of each other, we can begin to build bridges between the generations. These bridges lead to organizational excellence - something every organization dreams of.

Who are these people

2009-11-04T08:11:00.001-05:00

From a parents point of view. My daughters are in Generation Y, at least I think they are. I am now convinced the "Y" stands for "why". I know that is what I ask. Why are they texting, anyone and everyone what they had for lunch? Why does their underware cost as much as their shoes? Why do they change what they want every other day?

There is such a difference in the generation, I mean they are young, obviously there are going to be differences. With the tech age upon us and the time it takes for the world to change these days, you don't have a chance to catch up or catch your breath.

As a gen X, I eased into the computer world, cell phones evolved slowly and then boom! Faster and faster things change. The Gen Y can keep up, evolve quickly but how does this effect businesses.

Is it more harmful than good, the differences can be overwhelming. With each generation we have differences and we do have to work together on learning to survive with each other.

Why is it more confusing now than it was? We don't expect boomers to completely understand a Gen Y, but we have never expected an older generation to completely get a younger generation. That is how it has always been. It is like a right of passage, become a teen, and mess up your parents minds. So why is it so crazy now, maybe we are having a hard time keeping up with it all.

When it comes to the next generation entering the workplace, are we excited about the changes and getting prepared or we confused and arrogant about it?

Just some thoughts. Amber

What Gen Y Really Wants

2009-11-03T07:50:00.001-05:00

What Gen Y Really Wants

Found this article in Time, it gives a general look into Generation Y workers and what is to come. The Generational issue might be the upcoming transition the workforce will face.

Work life balance

2009-11-02T07:57:00.003-05:00

To have work life balance may be just a myth, some people ask for it and wait for it. You actually have to make it happen and to understand what it means to you. You would think it would be easy to take time out for yourself, to relax after a days work, but it is even harder than it ever has been. You have to make a conscious effort to bring work life balance into your life.

Just the statement itself "Work-Life" like they are separate from each other. Most people work and it is part of life. Accepting your life as a whole and doing what you have to do and what you enjoy to do, should not have such a difference in meaning. Maybe we try to hard to understand.

Talking to people you know, or even people you don't, find out how they juggle their lives. Knowing you are not the only one who feels the need to search for balance, can help you understand where you are at.

Find your own stress relief, there may be many suggestions on how to relieve stress, but you are the only one that really knows what works for you. Some may sit quietly reading a good book, others may need to turn the music real loud and dance around the house.

Maybe you already have work life balance and do not even know it, you might need to find an appreciation of what you have, grow on what is working and tweak what is not.

Pick up a phone so I know what you are talking about

2009-10-31T10:12:00.002-04:00

Maybe I am just too old, don't care or impatient, I like picking up the phone getting a response right then, not having to search a translation to find out what the heck people mean.

Pages and pages of text abbreviations are available, like it is a new language. I would rather put my time into learning an actual "other" language.

If text messaging is used for important messages, business or personal, the amount of texting would decrease. Just some thoughts on excessiveness..Amber

Text messaging abbreviations

Who needs training?

2009-10-29T07:57:00.003-04:00

We seem to look at companies, and figure that they need to be trained for the upcoming generations into the workforce. This may not be as prevalent as training the new generation on how to interact and work with the older generation.

If you surf the net for information on Generation Y, in a quick overview you see the generational differences even in the articles, comments, products each is offering.

The older generations, have much on how to change the company to suit the younger generation, how to incorporate new things to keep the generation interested in staying. Books, webinars and tons of information is out there.

The younger generation, is commenting on different articles, saying the boomers just don't get it. They should be online more, be more social and that the Gen Y's are all about community.

The thing is that the boomers and older Gen X are in the Senior positions, they are the bosses, hiring and employing the younger generation. So as they should be aware of the differences of each generation and what it means for their company, Generation Y should be trained on how to emerge themselves into a company.

Just my opinion, and observation from surfing the net.

Generation communication walls

2009-10-28T07:43:00.006-04:00

How are you communicating? Are you getting your message across? In a setting with many different generations and even cultures, how you communicate reflects strongly on how people perceive you.

Being conscious of how the different generations communicate, and being aware that your message may be construed as something different, will help in breaking down communication barriers.

Are you fully aware of how generations communicate differently? Most communication problems involve the misunderstanding of how things are said. The message may be the same in each generation but it is communicated differently and interpreted differently.

Gen Y especially, like to talk about themselves with their bosses, it shows that they are cared for and their bosses are concerned. Eventually business matters will discussed.

With older generations, business is first, you are there to do a job. A conversation about business matters need to balanced so all are comfortable.

Gen Y like change, can we keep up?

2009-10-23T13:11:00.004-04:00

With such a large group of Gen Y workers entering the labor force, can we keep up with the changes needed to keep them without losing our organizational culture in the process? The question poses new strategies for dealing with such changing times ahead.

Like the boomers this generation is very large, very influential and know what they want. There is always power in numbers, and we will see the effects on business as these numbers enter into the workforce.

There is a large amount of information, advice and directions that need to be considered. Do we really need to worry? Can we pull this all together and have harmony with different generations working side by side. While one generation prepares to leave the workforce and one generation prepares to join the workforce, will it go as smoothly as we think it might.

It only goes to say that having understanding of the information that is available, training the "old" and the "new" will help us all in this changing time.

Who is running this show anyway?

2008-10-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

Who is hiring the Gen Y's coming into the workforce? Senior management are - individuals from different generations - generations that have different views of work ethic, commitment, achievement, performance, and the culture of their organization.

So why do we need to take a closer look at how to incorporate this new generation? Can we bring them in and not turn the organization upside down? Good knowledge and understanding of where the work force is headed will allow a smooth blending of generations working for a better, more profitable organization. It can also foster an environment that will allow us to harness the full potential of this valuable and productive generation.

Some of the fundamental characteristics of the generations at work are:

Baby Boomers - dedicated, hard-working people who give long hours and prize longevity with the firm. May have sacrificed tremendously (both hours per week and years of service) to get to where they are.

Generation X - cynical, somewhat distrusting individuals who feel pulled in multiple directions and strongly desire more balance between their work and private lives. May have been waiting a long time for the oportunity to advance in their job or career.

GenY - tech-savvy multitaskers who believe very much in advancement based on meritocracy more than longevity. Not afraid to voice their opinion if they feel they have a better way to do it, and truly believe they deserve the big assignments right off the bat - because they know they can do them! They do not subscribe readily to conforming to the "constraints" placed on them if they don't believe in their merit (i.e. strict working hours, dress code, etc.).

We take all these generational ingredients and make a pot of soup that is a sensational success rather than wasting the potential. See how