TheIntelligentCrowd Blog

Managing Generation Y

June 1st, 2009

I’ve been reading a lot of stuff on blogs and such recently about the new entrants to the workforce dubbed ‘Generation Y’

Now I’m neither a Gen X or a Gen Y myself, as I’m unfortunately born on the cusp of the two (labeled the lost generation or the MTV generation). Not to mention I’m not hip enough for generation Y, yet not greedy and amoral enough to be considered a part of generation X. Yet for the past two years I have found myself managing various staff who deeply belong to Generation Y. Previous to this two years I really didn’t feel that I was ‘getting it.’ By copying my former employer’s pressure cooker style of management I (seemed to have) caused resentment and job dissatisfaction amongst the people who I worked with. Just reflecting on a portion of, what I would call, the more successful past two years that I have spent, I’d now like to scribble about some of my experiences with the Generation Y crew.

I wont go into much detail here for the sake of anonymity but let’s call them ‘Team #1′ and ‘Team #2.’ Both of which, were great experiences for me.

Team #1
Team #1 was a team of developers that were external to my company. Team #1’s CTO has been running his own company since his university days (do generation Y even need to go to university these days?), he openly tells me that he’s failed three times, with his first venture being completely ‘dumb’ yet a humbling experience. Now he is bouncing back to run a profitable company within only two years of graduating. Judging by the work that his company has done for me so far, I’d love to engage them again in future. The energy that I see in his office is immense. People love working for him, people enjoy the environment he’s created and have no resentment about working long hours and going the extra mile when assistance to clients is needed. The team are some of the brightest people I’ve met, but at the same time some of the most humble and willing to consistently learn new things and try things that they might not be 100% comfortable with. A mix that I truly admire.

Interesting features of Team #1. a) The developers seldom start work before 10am and b) I paid a visit to the office one day to find the entire team (directors included) having a HUGE battle on World of Warcraft. Where’s my project? ‘Already complete & fully tested’ I was told, ‘time for a reward for the developers (and a team building exercise)’

Team #2
Team #2 is a team of developers directly under my ‘command,’ i.e. in the same office. I have done my best to keep ‘out of their face’ as much as possible and let them steer most of the development work by myself acting as the ‘mentor’ rather than the boss. To my pleasure they have delivered exactly (almost) what I have been expecting and I’ve not had a single day where I’ve felt stressed out by what they’re doing/or not doing.

The only thing that I’ve not figured out how to do yet is motivate them under times of extreme pressure (since there hasn’t been any). Perhaps the balanced working environment has nullified any sort of air of pressure? Or perhaps I still have a lot more to experience and learn.

Anyway, the lessons I’ve learned so far are quite revealing about our new entrants to the workforce. A new generation Y needs a new style of managing. They need an interesting project to work on which they can feel responsible for and proud of when complete. Give them the opportunity to make themselves shine and they will give their heart and soul to their work.

You might have heard it all before (and there’s probably many more which I can’t think of right now), but based on the experiences listed here; the advice to those managing teams of Generation Y-ers is as follows: (Feel free to comment and add more about your experiences too)

1. Be a mentor, not a boss. If you try the hard line approach, they are more than likely to reject you as an oppressor. Generation Y is much much less likely to want to be controlled by ‘The Man.’ Or perhaps not less likely to want, but less likely to put up with it.

2. Don’t demand them to be at their desk at 8.30am. They’ll likely come after 10, with less resentment of their ‘perceived to be’ constrained rigid working hours and actually end up putting more hours in than they would if instructed to come at 8.30am to 5pm each day. (of course, this does not apply to support staff who need to be available at all times). Let them manage their energy, not their time.

3. Let them discover. Don’t answer their questions directly. (any teacher will tell you that this is the best way to make students learn).

4. Let them play games in office time. They’ll make it up after hours; or in increased levels of productivity during an inspired moment. As in the case of Team #1, an hour or so of Warcraft isn’t going to make a project three months late but paradoxically seems to be the catalyst to greater productivity. Generation Y enjoys intrinsic rewards.

5. Generation Y don’t give a crap about your years of experience and won’t show you any respect for it. Don’t try to interfere with minor issues such as choice of methodology. In this aspect, the Gen Y-ers might come across as a bit arrogant, but do let them figure it out organically and they’ll respect you for believing in their ability to figure things out themselves.

6. Pay them well and keep them engaged. Gen Y won’t sit around complaining about their salary/bad job, yet still turn up to work each day for their resentful cheque/check (unlike Gen X). Gen Y will just leave the company and go somewhere else that engages their talent more… better still: start their own company with friends.

Those are just a couple of the lessons I’ve learned so far. I guess there is more and more for me to learn and figure out as I go.

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