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06.20.08, 16:31 PM General Topics
51 replies
Anyone have any tips for managing Generation Y-ers? I am in a new role and will be managing a younger team. They seem to be operating on a different wavelength than the rest of us. [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 06.20.08, 04:31 PM Flag
 

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we're a fun bunch;) My major suggestion is that most of us value free time/quality of life way more than our older peers, so tie in rewards that give us this. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:34 PM Flag
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Ugh, good luck. My suggestion: Try to give any praise in writing and save it so when they inevitably whine that you never tell them they are doing a good job, you can pull out the proof. They will want only praise and never accept that they are less than perfect. IT realy sucks! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:37 PM Flag
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OP: So far, that has been my experience. It is like this group (that I will be managing) wants to be congratulated for coming into work each day and given a medal if they are on time. And when I pointed out very specific errors that had been made, they were quick to suggest that accuracy isn't important. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:40 PM Flag
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Absolutely! I want to shake them and tell them that I'm not going to praise them for doing the job they were hired to do and that's not enough to get ahead. So frustrating. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:42 PM Flag
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Why not? If praise motivates.... [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:01 PM Flag
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It's empty praise. It's, "Thank you so much for doing your job!" [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:11 PM Flag
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gen y-er here again - I'm also a manager and if this is a problem for you, it is time to make an example of someone. Whining is unacceptable, and not doing your job accurately is even worse. They are testing you, and I bet you're trying to be their friend. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:42 PM Flag
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it is very very lonely managing this generation [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:43 PM Flag
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It's only lonely if you let it get out of control. Y-er's have dealt with far more school pressures than any generation in the past, we know how to behave if the bar is set high. it's just that we also grew up with boomer parents who never made rules, so we live by getting right up to the line without crossing it. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:46 PM Flag
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Remind me how you have dealt with more school pressure? Were you the generation that had to worry that failing in college meant being shipped off to Vietnam? Or were you the generation in which only the most elite students even got to go to college? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:49 PM Flag
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ummm, you had to worry about going to nam? give me a break (unless you're a dh). [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:51 PM Flag
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ANY GENERATION IN THE PAST. She didn't say Generation X. To suggest that Generation Y has faced more pressure is just absurd. Generation Y had more educational opportunities, for every level of performance, than any generation in the past. They faced far less pressure, not more. Now, women in 1900 who wanted to go to college or grad school. They faced pressure. But in 2000? Please. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:54 PM Flag
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np: well said. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:56 PM Flag
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She was just pointing out that generation y has had it easy with regard to academic pressures. You can't compare stressing about getting into Harvard with stressing about getting into any college (which was very hard to do for many previous generations). [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:56 PM Flag
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ummm, it wasn't hard to get in before, most kids didn't even try. There is way more competition now. And now if you don't go to college you're going to be really poor as opposed to 50 years ago when my grandfather could make a good middle class income laying brick. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:01 PM Flag
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^^^ honestly, have you not been on here listening to these parents stressing out about KINDERGARDEN? You think that they had that type of pressure when they were 5? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:02 PM Flag
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Let's not confuse the hyper-competitive NYC Metro "I'll one-up-you on anything" private school game with real academic pressure. This idea of the right pre-school leading to the right law school is bs. The fact is that anyone who wants to go to college today, can go. That was not the case years ago. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:06 PM Flag
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To go to a decent college, which I'm assuming all that this women's employees did, you still need to know how to work. It's not like it is a cake walk. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:10 PM Flag
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You are comparing apples and oranges. Today, EVERYONE applies to college. Years ago, only those students with top grades applied to college. So while statistically, the admissions rates were higher, the standards for admissions were higher too. There are also more schools now than before, and much higher enrollment. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:04 PM Flag
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I don't think that comparing the pressure that starts in preschool to achieve to what anyone 15 years ago went through is apples and oranges. There is a ton of pressure, and my point was that these kids know how to rise to expectations. If the expectations aren't set, than they won't meet them. This was about managing people, and saying that this is an entire generation of slackers and whiners is asinine, we know how to get things done if driven to it, but there needs to be consequences if you're not meeting expectations. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:09 PM Flag
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This mini-thread is about the absurd notion that Generation Y faced more academic pressure than any other generation. Personally, given the choice between graduating from HS now and 100 years ago...I'd graduate now. I could go to college. Even if I was a D student. 100 years ago, even as an A+ student, I would have had very few choices and a lot of competition. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:13 PM Flag
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no, I was trying to defend what I said about gen y'ers knowing how to meet expectations because they have been doing it all their lives through increase school pressures. Are you saying that I can't defend what I said now? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:20 PM Flag
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Defend it. But you didn't have increased school pressures. And you didn't meet any expectations that other generations didn't meet. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:22 PM Flag
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I truly believe that there was more pressure on our generation to get into college than any other, which is why most of us go. This is how most kids learn how to work these days, as opposed to war, etc. It doesn't mean that there is more pressure in total, my point was that they do know what pressure feels like and they do know how to work. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:31 PM Flag
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My goodness are you smug and self-centered. You didn't face more pressure. You just want to feel special for accomplishing what you like to think was harder for you than for others. Get over yourself. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:33 PM Flag
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I didn't say more, I said different... I hope that you're raising your dc with the rules and expectations you seem to think that we're lacking. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:36 PM Flag
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np: so because your parents wanted to be your friends and set no rules means the workplace should do the same? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:52 PM Flag
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Did you not see my post about setting an example? I am a manager. The people under me are all younger than I am and they were there butts off. You need to know how to motivate, and if things have gone bad in the office, than they need to learn consequences. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:12 PM Flag
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^^^ work not were... [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:13 PM Flag
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OP: I am not trying to be their friend. I was brought in to turn around the department. I worked as a counterparty with this group in my last role (same company) and was shocked by how poorly they performed. I never had any incentive to make friends in the group, and they had no grounds for testing me. They had no way of knowing that I was going to take over for their manager (and not enough political awareness to treat all senior professionals as future managers). [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:46 PM Flag
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Then it's not your fault. It always suck to get a new team where all the people are already in place. My 55y-o boss acted like a complete baby when he got a new boss b/c he wanted that job. It's nothing new, but I will still by what I said before, it is time to make an example of someone. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:48 PM Flag
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^^^ people usually will test the new manager, especially if the old one wasn't strict enough [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:50 PM Flag
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Of course it's not my fault. I've been doing turnarounds for a very long time. I know what it means to take over someone else's team. But this is the first time I've had to manage a team so young. Making an example is easier said than done. In the "Big Business" model of my company, once an employee is out of their probationary period, it is very, very hard to discipline them. Firms would rather move a problem employee from manager to manager (like a hot potato) than risk a lawsuit. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:52 PM Flag
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ITA. I think you'd have to murder someone at my (very large national) company to get fired. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:54 PM Flag
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A few years ago, I had to fire someone for violence in the workplace. As I told him the news, he punched the HR rep who was sitting with me. Then he sued. And we spent a fortune defending ourselves from him AND the first employee he hit who felt that we hadn't done our job in providing a safe work environment. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:58 PM Flag
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I totally believe it. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:01 PM Flag
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lovely, than you're screwed... I am sorry. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:55 PM Flag
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^^^ but I really would blame it on the previous manager instead of making huge generalizations about a generation that you've never worked with before. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:58 PM Flag
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OMG brilliant response. This has SO been my experience. Uber defensive and very very entitled. Nobody wants to do the necessary crap work and there is lots of stress as a result [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:41 PM Flag
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np; oh this sounds horrible. I can't stand an entitled attitude [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:45 PM Flag
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I think that you should read the post below about not wanting to go to the Hamptons tomorrow. There is no way you can tell me that gen x'ers and baby boomers don't act entitled. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:53 PM Flag
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I'm 40 yr old and never have been or will ever feel entitled. I was raised by hard working parents who showed me to appreciate and be thankful for what we have. Too many youngsters out there thinking they deserve things a certain way is just not good. You need to work hard, work good and appreciate you have a job (esp. in this economy) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:58 PM Flag
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and I do. I'm just saying that entitled is not a word that I would only use for the y-ers.... [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:03 PM Flag
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It really applies more to the y-ers. It's quite amazing to see the difference in the office. They really stick out. I'm sure you can't see it b/c you (of course) think you are fantastic. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:08 PM Flag
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np: how old is Gen Y? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:10 PM Flag
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Born in the 80s [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:13 PM Flag
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it varies on who you ask... around 1980 is the start [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:14 PM Flag
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I'm willing to bet that when you first started out at work there were consequences for actions. If you wouldn't have gotten fired or reprimanded for sub par work, would you honestly have had a great work ethic? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:35 PM Flag
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np: hmmm..maybe I'm actually Gen Y and not a Boomer. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:04 PM Flag
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They are on MySpace all the time [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 04:51 PM Flag
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don't treat them like they're this weird and crazy different generation? do you have a choice as to who is on the team? In which case, it shouldn't matter what generation they are. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.20.08, 05:33 PM Flag
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