Gen Y exposes poor level of management

Gen Y exposes poor level of management

Somebody has to give a wakeup call to management about the Generation Y thing. Yes it is true that Gen Y’s are self obsessed gimme gimme gimme. But I’d argue so are those judging them. What then is the real problem?

I believe the real problem lies with the quality of management. Managing people, no matter if they are Gen Y or the aging work force, is no different. Providing clear and transparent frameworks for managing an employment relationship is the key. Knowing how to communicate without offending people is how you turn the key.

Suggesting that Gen Y’s need to be managed differently is incorrect. It propagates the blame game. It says that I know better than you do and Gen Y’s, no more than anyone else, know that that isn’t true.

The Gen Y issue has been created because Gen Y’s have been raised in a more transparent environment where human rights have been honoured more than ever before. They don’t tolerate having their worthiness questioned and if it is, they’ll respond almost immediately to assert their own worthiness.

It is wise to remember that the manager pointing a finger at the Gen Y, almost certainly has 3 of their own fingers pointing right back at them self.

Does this mean that Gen Y’s are different or does it mean that they believe in their own right to be acknowledged and their own belief that they are equal? By observing behaviour for over 25 years as a human resource professional, I believe that Gen Y’s have done nothing more than expose a lack of competence in the current quality of management. I would argue that the poor quality of management has been exposed by a more demanding generation seeking transparency and fairness.

To instigate regimes and agenda’s for managers to deal with Gen Y’s is like putting a plaster on a pimple. It hides the pimple, but the real cause of the problem is not addressed. The real cause of the problem is that the current quality of management and that is reflective of the past quality of the individual managers’ previous managers’. Monkey see monkey do.

People are not taught how to manage without a hidden agenda and it’s time for managers to wake up and recognise that their fear of being exposed as a fraud. Any real manager should seek new learning opportunities to manage without a hidden agenda.

This will make managing all people, including Gen Y’s fulfilling and worthwhile. After all, if you think managing Gen Y’s is a challenge, wait for their children!

ENDS

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