Sound familiar? You’ve just come face with face with your future: Generation Y.

Wait a dog gone minute! Gen Y? NO!!!!! That’s the lazy, self interested, drug and sex crazed generation! They’re not getting in my newsroom!

Really? Gen X and Yers already make up nearly half of the work force. More than 14-million Gen Yers are already on the job. In other words, Gen Yers are your new and future hires. They are the job pool. They’re also your future audience.

Wait! Before you get out the rusty razor blades contemplating your own demise, consider this: Generation Y may add more to the workplace than any generation in history.

Huh?

Do your homework and prepare to be surprised. We did and were. There are fistfuls of sources about Gen Y but the best read right now is probably Managing Generation Y; Global Citizens born in the Late Seventies and Early Eighties by Carolyn Martin and Bruce Tulgan to whom we credit much of the material in this and related articles.

Why? Because we’ve tested the theories. The field is a wonderful petri-dish. The Coaching Company now works with hundreds and hundreds of Gen Yers. With great intention, we’ve actually tested the theories forwarded by Martin, Tulgan and others. They’ve got it right. We/you must alter how we manage or face extinction.

These young people are not who you think they are. Teen arrests, drug use, pregnancy, high school drop outs, et al are ALL down. These young people graduated high school with actual resumes detailing not just great grades, but rich work histories and proof of serious volunteerism and community activism.

Wait, who is Gen Y? They’re called GCBLSEEs: Global citizens born in the late seventies and early eighties. Basically, they’re your 20-somethings and they’re not the lite-weights you might think.

These kids grew up with war on their own soil; the LA riots after the Rodney King beating, the shuttle disaster, Waco, 9-11. Their whole lives, they’ve been bombarded with violence and sex, via video games, movies, television and advertisements. They’re not sneaking a peak at a Playboy, they’re getting their education on fully active porn sites. Gen Yers are not soft, and they are not like you.

This generation was literally on a computer before it was on a bike. For them, technology is their pivotal tool and an instant gateway to everything they could possible need.

Martin and Tulgan call them the most education-minded generation in history. Gen Yers realize their future success lies in not just advanced learning, but life long learning. And they love it!

In and of themselves, they are a far more tolerant society than we’ve seen since the 60’s. They live the mantra think globally act locally. That said, they absolutely rail against sexism, racism and the like.

They are confident, self-reliant, great entrepreneurs, extraordinary problem solvers and true doers. They thrive on responsibility, which they see as a reward for their efforts.

They want everything right now and often can get it. Yes, that includes a better offer across the street! Gen Yers have lofty goals that they fully expect to meet. You can imagine that a 10:00 download for a 10 year is 10:00 too long. Ditto for Gen Yers! Certainly, that sounds petulant to us, but not so in the Gen Yer’s world!

Unimpressed with titles, this generation won’t be lured by our old plums; working up inside an organization, paying dues to get what they want, long term benefits. They want to know (literally) what can I learn, give or get right now.

Gen Yers have grown up over supervised. Understand, these people were basically born with a tether. Before school, after school, daycare, music, sports, parents, teachers, counselors, leaders, these kids were always passed off to another adult or a responsible party. Always. There are second graders with cell phones, electronic tethers to mommy. As a result, they desperately want and need to manage their own time and bristle when manhandled.

That said, though they’re not impressed by your title, they deeply respect and value working with seasoned mentors who are willing to share their experience and knowledge.

Martin and Tulgan language it this way: Expect the best from Gen Y and that’s what you’ll get.

Yea but, what am I doing wrong and how do I manage them? Stay tuned for the next installment!