Gen Y and Emotional Intelligence

Does Gen Y lack Emotional Intelligence?  As this article describes, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.” In other words, EQ is knowing your own personality traits and triggers, and how those impact others around you.

People with higher EQ are often more effective team members and contribute to a more collaborative workplace.For example, Juan may have strong attention to detail. Yet if he constantly asks for every minute detail, his colleagues may think he’s micromanaging them and get frustrated with him, which is not his intent. His intent is to ensure that the team has thought through all the possible problem areas. So Juan has to self-manage his need to know all the details with his team’s need for autonomy. This is EQ in action.

Research on Emotional Intelligence suggests that it is experience related, not age related.  Since age and experience often (but not always) go hand in hand, younger people may be more likely to have lower levels of Emotional Intelligence than older people. But wouldn’t you think that the shared experiences of Gen Y, such as 9/11, the economic crisis, globalization, prevalence of the Internet and increase in travel are of such a dramatic and global nature that they might create greater awareness and a more acute sense of one’s place in the world?

My experience with Gen Y reveals a group that has been emotionally and financially supported, protected and nurtured by its parents. This means that this generation can be incredibly confident.  In my opinion, this confidence combined with the global nature of their shared experiences, means that Gen Y can successfully develop a high EQ.

What do you think?

NextGen Leaders

This AOL article highlights the success of one Gen Y entrepreneur, Farrah Gray. Gray crew up in inner city Chicago and from an early age spotted opportunities and turned them into dollars. He was a millionaire by age 14, which makes him a “NextGenLeader.”

This term refers to the entrepreneurial spirit of GenY and was coined by Carol Sanford, the CEO of InterOctave, a firm specializing in organizational development. We’ve written about GenY entrepreneurs on this blog before. The question everyone seems to be asking is: what makes Gen Y more entrepreneurial that the previous generations?

Many people point to the recession and lack of stable jobs.  College graduates today do not have the same reassurance that their parents did, with the possibility of staying at the same job for their entire career. This is consistent with Farrah Gray’s advice to young people:  “You have to create your own job. You can’t wait to rely on Exxon or Wal-Mart to hire you.”

However, after many interviews with young entrepreneurs, Sanford says that what NextGenLeaders have in common is not necessarily the job market but rather their innate drive and unique visions.  Combine this with Gen Y’s authentic confidence and successful entrepreneurs attaining celebrity status (think Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump), perhaps its no wonder that 40% of people aged 18-24 have expressed a desire to be their own boss.

Could it be that the Gen Y entrepreneurial spirit is more a product of social and cultural factors, rather than recent economic ones? What do you think?

Negotiating with the Generations (Part 2)

We’ll continue with our focus on inter-generational negotiation in this post. Read on for Tips #3-5.

Tip #3: Tailor Your Presentation

You might not realize it, but each generation prefers to see presentations differently. And no matter what business you are in, I’m sure PowerPoint is involved. When making a presentation or negotiating, be sure to tailor your presentation style to what each generation prefers. Each generation will respond best to a style they can understand and identify with, so do your best to target your presentation to your audience.

Gen Y likes 1-2 bold graphics with few words.  They prefer to tell the story themselves, and have their presentations be the backdrop. Baby Boomers desire more contextual content and bigger font; they also like handouts. And Gen X responds best to presentations with graphs, data and details.

Choosing the right presentation style for your audience will help win over your colleague and effectively communicate your point during negotiations.

Tip #4: Paint the Right Picture

Each generation desires a different level of engagement with a project. If you are dividing up tasks for a group project, be sure to paint the right picture for each generation. I’ve noticed that Gen Y likes to know and truly understand the macro picture of whatever they are working on; they also prefer to share their opinion about it, if the idea is not originally theirs. It’s important that they know the end goals, so they can be assured their work is contributing to the overall aim.

Gen X prefers to just know their piece of the pie; they don’t want the big picture. “Just tell me what needs to get done and I’ll take care of it”, is their usual reply.

And Boomers are the only generation that wants both the macro and the micro details, at the same time. So when negotiating with each generation, be sure to paint the right picture, in order to be more effective.

Tip #5: Know Your Audience

My final tip to improve your negotiations with other generations is to make sure you know your audience. This will inform how you paint the picture and how you prepare your presentation.

Many people falsely assume that once someone is in the workplace, they have reached a certain education level, show a certain maturity level and utilize similar work ethics, styles and philosophies as everyone else. Instead, think of each generation as a tribe with its own culture, belief system and personality. Doing this will help you negotiate with your target colleague as an individual with unique needs.

Keep in mind the key events that impacted each generation, and know that it colors their beliefs and attitudes.  Armed with this knowledge, you’ll understand their position and expectations better and be able to tailor your negotiation approach to match.

Negotiating with the Generations (Part 1)

People often ask me how to effectively negotiate with other generations.  I find it useful to think of each generation as having its own language, based on the political, technological and social events that occurred during the formative years of that generation.

What does that have to do with negotiations? Each generation tends to negotiate based on its generational values, using its generational language. This month, in two posts, I will provide 5 key tips for negotiating with people from other generations.

Tip #1: Use the Platinum Rule

The Platinum Rule says, “Do unto others as they would do unto themselves.” In other words, speak their language. When in France, speak French. Don’t speak Russian and assume that you’ll be successful. In order to do that, you need to know what their language is based on.

Divorce, Watergate and the dot.com boom and bust had a huge influence on Gen X. The result is that Gen X can be seen as cynical, distrustful and ‘me’ focused. In addition, Gen X tend to be pragmatic, self-sufficient, the loyal opposition and believe in a ‘work hard/play hard’ mentality.

This is almost a 180-degree turn from the Baby Boomers who, due to the cultural events that shaped them, can be seen as optimistic, cause-driven and ‘team’ focused. Gen Y, on the other hand, values balance, making a difference in the world, global diversity and connections.

Each generation tends to negotiate for what’s important to them. So use the Platinum Rule and know each generation’s language and values. This will help you make your points more successfully when negotiating.

Tip #2: Mind The Gap!

My second tip for effectively negotiating with the generations is to Mind the Gap.  There will be differences in opinion when negotiating with each generation. To bridge these gaps, have frank and open discussions. You’ll likely find schisms between technology use, preferred work hours or work dress, attitudes towards punctuality or the expectations of working after hours.

When you encounter these, be honest and straightforward.  Start by saying, “I see that you prefer to negotiate face to face daily, while I prefer to use technology as much as possible instead. What’s the best way to move forward? How about if we meet 2 times/week instead of daily, and use Google docs in between our meetings?

This honesty will disarm your colleague and open the negotiations with transparency and integrity.

Next week I’ll post my last three tips for Negotiating with the Generations. Stay tuned!

The Giving Gap

As in most things, there is a difference in how each generation gives to charitable institutions and therefore a difference in how philanthropic organizations should approach potential donors.

Baby Boomers give to organizations they feel they have a personal connection to. As with their careers, they are more likely to be loyal to one charity or cause over the course of their lives.

Gen X and Gen Y give to non-profits based on causes they are passionate about.  They tend to give more to topical causes, such as war, politics and natural disasters.

While older generation tend to send in checks, and respond to solicitations by the mail, younger generations appreciate convenient and quick methods, such as the Haiti Text to Donate initiative.  Interestingly, all generations have a high incidence of donating a few dollars at the checkout at the grocery store.

When marketing causes to younger people, I believe it is important to focus on results and the track record of the charity.  Results are also important to Baby Boomers, but they also seek causes that they can identify with.  Both generations are likely to respond to calls by friends and family, either in person or online. Facilitating the sharing of information by creating easy to use apps and content will help current supporters take your message to their networks.

Are you a charitable or philanthropic organization looking to increase the effectiveness of your campaigns? I’d love to hear about your experience in messaging to the different generations.

Divorce and the Generations

The upcoming publication of Susan Gregory Thomas’ book, “In Spite of Everything: A Memoir,” has prompted several blog posts on the divorce rate of Gen X.

Gen X, the generation aged between 30 and 45, is less covered in the media than Baby Boomers and Gen Y. They are the folks working diligently at jobs they’ve had for a while, raising families and worrying about the impending mass retirement of Baby Boomers.

U.S. census data shows that 40% of Gen X were latch-key kids; half came from split families. They were in fact, “one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in US history.” As Thomas points out, these were two situations that Gen X parents wanted to avoid for their own children. But what she suggests in the excerpt of her book is that by building “comfy nests for our kids,” Gen X parents are forgetting to nurture their marriage, and ultimately many are finding themselves separating from their partners.

However, as the Wall Street Journal article points out, despite the oft-heard sensationalist statistics about divorce, divorce is currently at its lowest level since 1970 (it peaked around 1980).  There are a number of differences between marriages in 1970/80 and today; today people are getting married later in life, they are co-habitating first and they are more prone to marry “their best friends.” It remains to be seen if these marriages will hold or if they simply haven’t reached a breaking point yet.

It will be interesting to see how, and if, Gen Y uses the experiences of Baby Boomers and Gen X as they begin to build partnerships and families in the coming years.

Recognition in the Workplace

In light of our recent posts on Attracting Gen Y Talent and Retaining Gen Y Talent, we thought this new piece of research from Inspiring Talent, a global survey of employee attitudes based on responses from more than 4,000 employees, was especially interesting.

The researchers found a significant difference in the attitudes of Gen Y employees and Baby Boomer employees towards rewards and recognition in the workplace.  Meaning, recognition given in exchange for good work or extra effort.

38% of Baby Boomers said they believe they will always be recognized and rewarded if they work harder, while only 19% of Gen Y employees agreed.

This points to a fundamental difference in the concept of loyalty towards ones’ employer.  As we have written before, Gen Y employees are less loyal to their employers that the older generations.   Baby Boomers are more likely to have worked for the same employer over the course of their career, and younger professionals are likely to skip from workplace to workplace, courted by higher salaries or more attractive projects.

The research suggests that human resource directors and managers need to consider personalizing rewards for their employees, and develop a keen understanding of what motivates each generation.  Gen Y are looking for more immediate rewards and Baby Boomers are looking for longer term rewards. Delivering appropriate rewards will help keep talent in the long run.

Because, as the article points out, in the end, it is all about empowerment and everyone needs and appreciates recognition for their good work.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit of Gen Y

Is Gen Y a more entrepreneurial generation than the previous generations? This MSNBC article suggests that it is.  In general, people from Gen Y have seen massive layoffs, as well as peers from once lucrative financial market positions fall from grace.  At the same time, they grew up with supportive parents and the encouragement to “do what you love!” and “follow your dreams!” The Internet has lowered the costs of entry into business and many Gen Y are taking advantage of that to forge their own path.

However, as the MSNBC article highlights, one of the biggest barriers to starting a business is debt from student loans.  In a move that echoes the work of Baby Boomers, activist groups for Gen Y, by Gen Y, are working to create a Youth Entrepreneur Act to create incentives for young people to start businesses.

Will their entrepreneurial spirit provide a panacea to our ailing economy?  It has yet to be seen. However their generational personality dictates that they have the confidence and skills to give it a good try!

The Shifting Demographics of America’s Educators

A new report by the National Center for Education Information finds that the attitudes of America’s teachers are shifting, along with their demographics.

Take age, for example: In 2005, 11% of teachers were in their 20’s; in 2011, it was up to 21%. Certainly, older teachers are retiring (this year, 31% of teachers were Baby Boomers, compared to 42% in 2005). In addition, programs such as the national Teach For America, or state programs such as DC Teaching Fellows, designed to insert youthful enthusiasm and different skill sets into America’s public schools are popular with recent graduates (4.3% of teachers this year are new hires who have never taught before).  In a tough economy, these programs often offer a chance to get a Masters degree and and help pay off student loans.

Furthermore, initiatives such as Teach Now, offering alternative training for people looking to enter a second career in teaching are also having an effect.  While these teachers are more likely to be Gen X or Baby Boomers, they bring a new perspective to teaching.

These changes will have an implication on the next generation of educational policy; with the influence of Gen Y who are independent, entrepreneurial and digital natives, we can expect to see a different style of educating in the coming years. How would you like education to change?

The entire report is here.

On Divorce and the Generations

The upcoming publication of Susan Gregory Thomas’ book, “In Spite of Everything: A Memoir,” has prompted several blog posts on the divorce rate of Gen X.

Gen X, the generation aged between 30 and 45, is less covered in the media than Baby Boomers and Gen Y. They are the folks working diligently at jobs they’ve had for a while, raising families and worrying about the impending mass retirement of Baby Boomers.

U.S. census data shows that 40% of Gen X were latch-key kids; half came from split families. They were in fact, “one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in US history.” As Thomas points out, these were two situations that Gen X parents wanted to avoid for their own children. But what she suggests in the excerpt of her book is that by building “comfy nests for our kids,” Gen X parents are forgetting to nurture their marriage, and ultimately many are finding themselves separating from their partners.

However, as the Wall Street Journal article points out, despite the oft-heard sensationalist statistics about divorce, divorce is currently at its lowest level since 1970 (it peaked around 1980).  There are a number of differences between marriages in 1970/80 and today; today people are getting married later in life, they are co-habitating first and they are more prone to marry “their best friends.” It remains to be seen if these marriages will hold or if they simply haven’t reached a breaking point yet.

It will be interesting to see how, and if, Gen Y uses the experiences of Baby Boomers and Gen X as they begin to build partnerships and families in the coming years.