Generation Y?

Over this winter term, I have been taking an online human resources class. While, winter term isn't typically my thing, since snow and ice doesn't exactly motivated me.. I found our recent topic of study a little more interesting…

Many of us have heard of Generation Y and the current growing generation Y gap? But many of us don't look for this gap or even notice it in our daily lives. While technology is continuing to grow and the current generation is "taking over", things are certainly changing!

Most of us, couldn't imagine getting our work done without our computers, cellphones, email, and the wonderful source of all knowledge.. Google. (Anybody else find themselves googling everything recently?… Oh wait, thats just me!). This generation wants answers and they want them now! But thats how most of us were raised! If I want to know how to make a grilled cheese, I don't have to get up, drive to the library, find a book, check it out, and bring it home and start reading. I simply pull out my phone and ask Siri "How do I make a grilled cheese"… and a recipe will pop right up! DONE! Took me maybe 30 seconds, and I'm off to make my yummy sandwich!

However, I think the problem is that some of the older generations, can't keep up with all of our changing ways and fast answers! They grew up believing that you start at the bottom and you work your way to the top. Nobody just walks into a new office place and gets a promotion the next day. Not unless your Steve Jobs… Oh wait…… He had to work his way up too.

Bottom line is that I think this generation gap has nothing to do with age. I think the problems simply come from two sources…

1) Communication! …. Generation Y is communicating is ways that require anything but face to face conversation. Text messages! Emails! Facebook messages! …. Wait, my phone is making a strange sound… Ohhhh, someone is trying to call me?…. Must be my mom! (Love you mom!)… While some conversations are appropriate to have in a text based form, others are not. And most importantly, generation x needs to realize that generation y is excepting feedback and encouragement constantly! … And generation y needs to learn that just because my boss doesn't tell me "good job!" every time I turn in my work, that it doesn't mean he doesn't like my work.

2) Patience! For those of you gen y's out there….

Patience (or forbearing) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties


Our generation wants answer and we want it NOW! We want to be famous and known NOW! We don't know how to work our way up! We want everything handed to us! While the younger generation needs to learn to work and wait for the good things to come… The older generation needs to learn to be patient with this newer generation.