8 Practical Tips for Gen Y Success (part 2)

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

53180 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/03/18/8-practical-tips-for-gen-y-success-part-24/8+Practical+Tips+for+Gen+Y+Success+%28part+2%292010-03-18+18%3A00%3A57Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

Here are the next four tips for Gen Y and managers to be successful during this economic downturn:

1. Be Appreciative
   The need to be appreciated is a need all people have, regardless of generation! When you appreciate something that your boss, your manager, or your fellow colleagues has done – don’t just tell them or drop them a thank you email – buy personalized stationary and mail them a card! Make a statement and voice your appreciation! Gen Y’s may prefer to receive a thank you via technology, but remember who you are talking to – older generations often prefer the ‘good old fashioned’ way (in person, over the phone, in a card), and they will appreciate your effort.
2. Challenge Yourself
   Don’t wait for your employer to provide ongoing training. Take the initiative and seek further training for yourself. Take leadership courses. Advance your skill base. Meet for coffee / lunch with wiser and more experienced colleagues and learn from them. The more you do, the more you learn, and the more employable you become.
3. Be Open to Feedback, Even If It Hurts
   Sometimes feedback hurts. When we receive negative feedback we often get defensive and dismiss it, especially if the communication of the feedback was poorly handled. But ask yourself if there is any truth in the feedback. Try to be objective. Ask people around you that you trust and respect what they think. Then ask yourself, what can you learn from this? What can you do differently? How can you use this experience to help you progress? The only way we will move forward is being willing to hear and learn from feedback, both positive and negative.
4. Think Big Picture and Volunteer
   Gen Y’s will often tell me that they don’t want to volunteer; after all, they have skills and degrees that seem ‘so much better’ than volunteer positions.  But this is a shortsighted perspective. Volunteering is such a simple strategy to get ones foot in the door of a company you want to work for. It builds relationships, increases confidence, and provides new skills. Volunteering may seem like a short term loss but is often a huge long-term gain (which is the heart of discipline and delaying gratification). Think big picture not just about today!

Tags: Feedback, gen y, Kudos, managers, success, Tips

8 Practical Tips for Gen Y Success (part 1)

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

53060 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/03/17/8-practical-tips-for-gen-y-success-part-1/8+Practical+Tips+for+Gen+Y+Success+%28part+1%292010-03-17+18%3A00%3A56Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

A few years ago I was speaking at a conference on how to successfully manage Generation Y, and I made this statement: “Gen Y’s want the same things that other generations want: respect, praise and recognition when appropriate, promotions, appreciation, balance, working with top leaders, opportunities to be mentored, consistent and specific feedback, challenging work, training, work perks and a great working environment. The only difference is that they are not afraid to ask for these things.

Lately I’ve been doing more talks to Gen Y’s and their managers about what they need to be successful during this current economic downturn. Here are the first 4 of my top tips:

1. Talk It Out – Don’t Just Quit!
   When personal conflicts occur, people keep their frustrations to themselves or worse, start backstabbing at work. This creates a toxic office culture and solves nothing! Be courageous and if you’re frustrated with your boss or fellow employees, have the guts to speak to them directly. Listen to how they perceive the situation, and try coming up with solutions. Personal conflicts will happen at all jobs, and often the bigger problem is the manner in which it’s handled rather than the conflict itself. Quitting is simply the easy way out – not the best way!
2. Ask – Don’t Demand
   When people demand (even in the nicest tone) it often comes across with an attitude of entitlement and can really rub people the wrong way. Instead of saying ‘I need to have Friday off to go to a doctor’s appointment” try saying “I need to schedule a doctor’s appointment – is it ok if I can take some time off on Friday?” Making requests in the form of a question will come across as being much more respectful to older generations.
3. Find a Mentor
   I’m convinced that one of the best strategies to not only make ourselves more employable and learn great skills but also to deal with generational gaps is mentoring! Gen X, Boomer & Traditionalist managers have been around longer, they have an incredible amount of wisdom and experience to share with Gen Y’s but here’s the trick – Gen Y’s have to take the initiative! Gen Y’s need to take the lead, and you’ll be surprised how many managers are thrilled that someone is asking them for their advice!
4. Ask & Manage Expectations for Feedback
   If you need more feedback (which I often hear from Gen Y’s) tell your boss. Ask how often you should expect feedback to help manage your own expectation. One Gen Y I coached told her boss “I really want to do a great job for you. So the more I know how I’m doing the better I will be able to meet your expectations. What is a realistic expectation I should have in terms of feedback? Monthly? Quarterly? Annually?”

Stay tuned tomorrow for my next 4 tips.

Tags: Dr. Karyn Gordon, Feedback, gen y, Gen Y Success, managers, Mentor, Tips for success

Practical Tips for Managers to Motivate Gen Y (part 2)

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

51970 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/03/09/practical-tips-for-managers-to-motivate-gen-y-part-2/Practical+Tips+for+Managers+to+Motivate+Gen+Y+%28part+2%292010-03-09+19%3A12%3A11Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

As promised, here’s part two of Practical Tips for Managers to Motivate Gen Y

1. Don’t Expect Them to Read Your Mind.

Skills and habits that may seem obvious to X, Boomer and traditionalists managers are sometimes not obvious to Y’s simply because they were born and raised in a completely different era! Tell them what you need, how you need it, when you need it and why you need it. Spelling it out will take time but will save you time in the end.

2. Set Boundaries from the Top and With Respect.

Its not the job of employees to figure out what is expected of them or what the boundaries are in their new job – boundaries need to be set and communicated from the top-down! Be clear about your boundaries, what you need from your team, what rewards they will receive for work well done and also any consequences if job expectations are not met. As long as you’re clear, and your expectations are reasonable and spoken in a tone of respect, Gen Y’s will step up!

3. Listen, Challenge and Give Feedback.

Gen Y’s often tell me that they are unchallenged and bored. They often say they ask for more work from their boss but their requests are either ignored or downplayed. Providing challenging work will not only help get more work done – but will motivate them to stay engaged and plugged into your company! Give them regular and immediate feedback. Let them know what they are doing that is good as well as areas that need work. They want to excel and the more they know how they are measuring up to your standards the better!

4. Ask Their Expectations.

Take time to find out what your Gen Y employees’ ambitions are. If they seem unrealistic to you, use a tone of respect and be honest with what you think more realistic expectations would be. Share your wisdom about what they can do practically to achieve these goals.

Tags: Dr. Karyn Gordon, gen y, Gen Y at work, Mananging Gen Y, Rypple

Practical Tips for Managers to Motivate Gen Y

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

51780 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/03/08/practical-tips-for-managers-to-motivate-gen-y/Practical+Tips+for+Managers+to+Motivate+Gen+Y+2010-03-08+19%3A06%3A36Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

As more Gen Y’s enter the workforce, many older generations seem puzzled and often confused about this “new generation”. They’ve heard stories, they’ve read articles and they wonder if managing this new generation is really going to be different.

As a consultant who works with all generations, I’m excited for this challenge in our workplace cultures! Why? Because I think Gen Y will force the rest of us to get our act together. They will encourage us to step up to the plate, communicate with respect, be clear about our expectations, and partner and work as a team.

I’ve worked with managers of all generations, so here are three tips for how managers can successfully manage Gen Y, especially during these tough economic times:

1. Focus on the Power of Influence, Not the Power of Authority
   Many managers believe that because of their position younger generations “should” respect them. However, many Gen Y’s believe respect is to be “earned” not “given”. Simply listening, praising work well done and being genuinely interested in your employees (which are basic skills great managers do anyways) will not only help retain and motivate them, but also inspire them to work hard for you!
2. Point the Finger Inward, not Outward
   It’s easy to blame, point fingers and throw our hands up wondering why this next generation is “this way”. They are often described as being entitled, spoiled and the “Me” generation. Yet we forget that as a culture we’ve taught them this! Instead of blaming them, we should ask ourselves the question – what can I learn from Gen Y? What can they learn from me? Simply changing our perception towards them radically changes how we communicate to them and how they communicate back to us.
3. Don’t be Fooled by Arrogance
   Often I read that Gen Y’s are ‘so confident’, yet Gen Y’s have often admitted to me that they battle with insecurity, anxiety and worry. Their insecurity is often covered by a mask of arrogance. As we go through this economic crisis, expect anxiety and insecurity to rise.  Simply investing into your employees, asking how they are feeling about the crisis (again a basic skill great managers do) will go a long way toward engaging and motivating them!

For further insight into Gen Y in the workplace, check out my post What Gen Y Really Wants At Work. Stay tuned for part two tomorrow to learn the remaining tips.

Tags: Dr. Karyn Gordon, gen y, Leadership, management, Managing Gen Y, Rypple

What Gen Y Really Wants at Work (part 2)

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

50350 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/02/23/what-gen-y-really-wants-at-work-part-2/What+Gen+Y+Really+Wants+at+Work+%28part+2%292010-02-23+19%3A40%3A10Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

As promised, here’s part two of What Gen Y Really Wants at Work

Management Style / Team

1. Team / Extended Type of Family

Unlike Gen X, many of whom grew up as latchkey kids with parents working all the time, most Y’s grew up with very involved parents. Because of this, Gen Y’s are used to lots of input and feedback! Many want their colleagues at work to be like an extended family. People who can support them and who they can joke around with but who will also challenge them.

2. Feedback

They grew up with constant feedback from parents, teachers, tutors, coaches etc., often telling them they can do anything. As a result, Gen Y’s need regular, specific and concrete feedback and I’m not talking about the traditional bi-annual performance review. One Gen Y told me that he started his job in September but didn’t get any feedback till almost January. In his frustration he told me “Karyn at university I’m getting constant feedback and grades about how I’m doing – right now I have no clue if I’m even close to what is required of me.” Getting regular, respectful and timely feedback is critical to engage and motivate this generation.

3. Respect

Unlike previous generations, this generation strongly believes that respect is to be earned, not given. So just because you are a manager, president, teacher, HR professional (they probably don’t care about your title), realize that they care first if you will respect them. In fact I don’t use my “Dr” title with them because it creates a barrier and most of them don’t really care.  What they mostly care about is genuine respect. When managers treat them with respect, honesty, and authenticity, they will not only listen but will want to please you.

Environment

4. Up to Date Technology

They want everything to happen fast and quick (after all that is what they are used to) so making sure that they can have the best and fastest technology to do their jobs will not only help engage them but also be their most efficient!

5. Balance / Flexibility

I strongly believe that every generation can learn from each other and one strong area the rest of can learn from Gen Y is their desire “to have a life”. They want balance and flexibility. They love goals and projects, so companies who have learned to be flexible around schedules but who have focused more on getting the job done with excellence have succeeded with this generation! After all, working at 2 am for most generations is unappealing, but for young creative Gen Y minds that is sometimes when their best creative energy flows.

6. Caring & Casual Environments

Remember: they want their work environment to be a kind of extended family. A place where people genuinely care about each other, work together and support each other (sounds good!) Managers who are more casual in dress but also in attitude will engage this generation!

Tags: Dr. Karyn Gordon, gen y, Gen Y at work, What Gen Y wants

What Gen Y Really Wants At Work (part 1)

Posted by Dr. Karyn Gordon, Dr. Karyn Gordon is one of North America's leading authorities on understanding and motivating Generation Y. She is frequently interviewed by national media (Entertainment Tonight Canada, Globe & Mail, National Post, Maclean's, Much Music) and speaks to national corporations (Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Doritos, PepsiCo, etc.) to provide insight into connecting and motivating Generation Y. You can find more from Dr. Gordon at drkaryn.com

50162 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/02/23/what-gen-y-really-wants-at-work-part-1/What+Gen+Y+Really+Wants+At+Work+%28part+1%292010-02-23+16%3A07%3A16Dr.+Karyn+Gordon

This new wave of talent, Generation Y, is passionate, talented and highly ambitious – they want to stretch, learn new skills, and contribute to great causes – but they also want a life. They want balance, to have fun and be part of a great team! But if their managers do not understand what they really need to thrive at work, their ‘I want things to happen fast’ attitude is often perceived as entitled, arrogant and unrealistic.

After talking with thousands of Gen Y’s, here are four of the top ten things they have said they want at work that will help them thrive (and also help your business to grow!) Stay tuned for part two coming this afternoon.

At Work

1. To Be Challenged

Remember, this is a generation that grew up with technology in an overindulged culture! They think fast, work fast (if they want to), and want to be challenged. Work that is too slow will bore them to death. So give them lots to do! One Gen Y told me that he was so bored that he asked his boss for more work (because he had already finished his assignments) but his boss just brushed his request off. He later quit.

2. Opportunities to Advance

They are ambitious. Many of them want to be VP or even President someday, and sooner rather than later. They want to work for companies that can partner with them to help them achieve their goals – short and long term! Pay attention to what they want for their professional goals, voice your expectations of what you need from them, but also let them know what you think they need to do to reach their goals.

3. Training

This is the most educated generation in history! They love to learn and stretch their minds (remember: it just has to be done in a fast paced way). Provide practical training in a variety of areas. One of the best types of training can be mentoring if its done properly.

4. To Know that Their Work Matters

Gen Y’s want to know that their work or smaller project is part of the companies bigger picture and goal. They want to know that all their work actually counts for something. So explaining how their project contributes to your companies overall vision is important!

Stay tuned for part two coming this afternoon.

Tags: Dr. Karyn Gordon, gen y, Gen Y at work, top 10, training, What Gen Y wants at work

Gen Y, Internet dependency, and Stereotyping

Posted by Nathaniel Rottenberg, Community Marketing

46870 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2010/01/26/gen-y-internet-dependency-and-stereotyping/Gen+Y%2C+Internet+dependency%2C+and+Stereotyping+2010-01-26+19%3A38%3A44Nathaniel+Rottenberg

It’s time for a little stereotyping. I’ve noticed something about myself, so I am going to use this observation to describe a whole generation. (A perfect sample size for unbiased and objective results: one).

In the spirit of transparency, here’s how I came to my conclusion:

Hypothesis: Gen Y lacks the motivation and determination to solve problems, because of our dependence on the Internet. (Nice way to say we’re lazy)

By no means do I think we are less intelligent or suffer from some genetic flaw that makes us less capable of solving a problem. I think we’re a little lazy. Yeah, that’s right. I said it. We’re lazy.

Gen Ys: don’t worry! It’s not your fault. I blame Google and the iPhone. Think about it: how many times have you been faced with a question or a problem that you didn’t know the answer to? I’m sure more times than you can possibly count. My generation doesn’t do what people for millenia have done before us, namely stopping at this point to try and figure it out for ourselves. Before a Gen X could even have started down that path, we’ve got iPhones in hand, Google query half-written. All of the questions that can’t be answered with a quick search get dumped in the “it wasn’t really that important” category.

Conclusion: As a result of having grown up with the internet, where answers are found within seconds, our generation has become overly dependent on the Internet to do our thinking for us.

Descartes said “I think, therefore I am.” If Descartes was around today he would have said “I Google, therefore I am.”

Tags: descartes, gen y, internet dependency, lazy, stereotyping

A Younger Perspective

Posted by Nathaniel Rottenberg, Community Marketing

27800 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2009/10/13/a-younger-perspective/A+Younger+Perspective2009-10-13+20%3A55%3A52Nathaniel+Rottenberg

Rules for Managing Gen Y is a profile of Alexander Younger, the founder and president of Toronto-based marketing communications firm Design Lab, and Jason Blessing, group vice-president and general manager of the Taleo small and medium business segment. According to the article, Gen Ys want to get involved, get frequent feedback, see the results of their work, and work in a team. As a Gen Y I thought that I’d share my thoughts.

The younger generation wants to know what’s going to happen; they want to feel in charge of their future and a significant part of everything the company is doing even though they may not have the experience to understand it’s not always feasible to have your hand in all those pies. — Alexander Younger

We’ve grown up with the internet, which gives us the ability to learn about anything we’re interested in very quickly. And we’re used to it being that way! So I do want to know about everything that is happening with the business. I get that it isn’t always possible for me to be up to speed on all of our activities. Managers: all you have to say, “this isn’t the right time for you to participate, but you’re learning and you’ll be ready soon.” Positive feedback.

Historically, performance reviews were viewed as an annual occurrence that everybody dreaded. That might be acceptable for older generations but younger generations absolutely expect that to be a more frequent process. It’s a process that engages them in the business. — Jason Blessing

Maybe we don’t understand how flawed the system is (infrequent, tied to salary and promotion, not really about personal development) because we’ve never experienced it.

We think a performance review is a chance to sit with the manager and find out what we’ve done well and what needs work. Seems like a no brainer that everyone would want this as often as possible. We simply want to know how we are doing so we can do better.

Younger workers expect to have a direct line of sight between their work and corporate goals. –Mary Teresa Bitti

Yes we do. I’m young, and have relatively few responsibilities which means I can choose what I want to do. In fact, most of my friends are traveling the world. I don’t want to be doing work that isn’t contributing to driving the business forward. And if it isn’t obvious, tell your Gen Y how their work will do so. I joined to help and contribute, and if I’m not doing that than I’m out. Bon voyage.

Younger workers tend to prefer to work in teams. — Mary Teresa Bitti

At school, working in a group meant safety in numbers a.k.a  a lower chance of failing. You could always count on the genius in your group to figure it out!

Owning a project is a scary feeling. But remember, if you don’t try you’ve already failed. And if you fail, and you will, you’ll learn. Not so terrible really.

Gen Y’s do you agree? Managers, does this give you a little more insight into our young and inexperienced minds? Read the rest of the interview at the financialpost.com

Tags: Alexander Younger, Design Lab, Finacial Post, gen y, learning, lessons, millenials, People, professional development, self-improvement

Weekly Release Notes: August 12, 2009

Posted by Nathaniel Rottenberg, Community Marketing

16120 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2009/08/13/weekly-release-notes-august-12-2009/Weekly+Release+Notes%3A+August+12%2C+20092009-08-13+15%3A06%3A52Nathaniel+Rottenberg

New and improved this week:

• Take Action! The take action feature allows you to share with your advisers the action you will take  based on their feedback. This is a great way to demonstrate to your advisers that their feedback has been helpful and you are taking steps to improve.

• The overall site performance has been improved making Rypple faster than ever!
• Facebook Connect has been taken to a new level giving you two new helpful features. The first time you login with Facebook Connect it pulls all your Facebook friends into your Rypple network contacts and then keeps them in sync over time. You can also now send your Facebook friends Rypples and we’ll let them know right in Facebook through notifications. Another way to get great feedback!

• On the ‘My Feedback’ page the ‘Trend my progress on…’ chart starts trending after you’ve used and an attribute three times instead of five. This is a great way to observe your progress over a longer time!

Look out for next week’s notes!

Tags: agile, bottom-up, business development, constructive feedback, Development, facebook, facebook connect, Features, Feedback, feedback is fundamental, gen y, habits, honest feedback, kaizen, learning, lessons, office environment, Performance Reviews, professional development, reflection, Release Notes, Rypple, startup, usability, User Experience

Introducing RyppleTV

Posted by Jordan Satok, Marketing

15110 commentshttp://rypple.com/blog/2009/08/11/introducing-ryppletv/Introducing+RyppleTV2009-08-11+18%3A53%3A12Jordan+Satok

Recently we began sending out Rypple branded Flip Video Cameras to some of our users. They made videos talking about how they are using Rypple with their companies.

The videos are also available on rypple.com/buzz, where you can also learn more about the individuals and companies featured in the videos.

Jenny Blake, the Senior Strategist of Training and Development at Google, and a GenY blogger made two videos talking about how she uses Rypple, both in her professional work at Google, and for her blog, Life After College.

John Kelleher, the CEO at R.J. McCarthy, made a video talking about how Rypple has virally moved through his organization.

Shawn Chance, the Client Services Manager at NEWAD Media, made a video talking about how they used Rypple within their organization.

Marg Campbell, the Executive Director at Delisle Youth Services, made a video talking about how she is using Rypple with her company, and why Rypple is better than traditional surveys.

Eric Cole, Vice President of Operations at Original Bread, Inc., a franchisee of Panera Bread, made a video about the feedback he has received from employees using Rypple.

We will be posting more videos to rypple.com/buzz over the next few weeks.

Tags: blogger, business development, buzz, community, customer outreach, Delisle Youth Services, Development, eric cole, Feedback, feedback is fundamental, gen y, Google, honest feedback, jenny blake, john kelleher, jordan satok, learning, life after college, marg campbell, NEWAD Media, Panera Bread, peer review, People, Performance Reviews, personal review, professional development, quick polls, RJ McCarthy, Rypple, RyppleTV, self-improvement, shawn chance, startup, team, team review, usability, User Experience, Workplace