Naked Generations

Join our Twibe

2009-08-24T10:33:00.002+01:00

We recently set up a Twibe for all of us interested in the Culture and Demographic surrounding Generation Y. We're now the fastest growing and biggest Generation Y focussed group on Twibes as far as we know - join us and spread the word! Do also connect with us on Facebook - all the links below:

twib.es/G3R

www.twitter.com/nakedgen

www.twitter.com/nakedgen_chris

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Generations/33391595546?ref=ts

thanks!

The Naked Team

Website goes live

2009-05-17T05:21:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone! Fantastic news. We have a brand new site. See www.nakedgenerations.com. We have tested it, made some refinements (such as allowing blog respondents to paste their own blog links into replies - giving you some traffic to your blogs too) and are now comfortable in sharing the resource with the world.

On the site you will find more than just the blog - also a story of how the business was started, a list of the growing team members involved in Naked Generations, some of the evolving services that we are offering to the global Top 200 brands, a list of locations where we are speaking at events, as well as research papers and the like.

We hope you like it, and, as ever, we really welcome your feedback - please email any thoughts to: info@nakedgenerations.com thanks!

Professional Networkers

2009-04-27T14:51:00.000+01:00

Have you ever taken a piece of paper and multiplied the number of staff you have by the number of people they are connected to globally? How many products/ services that you sell day-to-day are endorsed on these social networks? At your finger tips is a free user-endorsed brand marketing powerhouse that in most cases isn’t being used.

Isn’t it beyond belief that companies who live in the most international time in history have closed the doors on their future leaders of business accessing networking sites? Think about it for just a moment... the most interconnected generation in history is using Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, My Space and Ning and yet none of these connections are permitted to permeate into the world of work. Do all your staff even have your company name on their profiles? What would be the combined brand value of an update going out to all your staff’s contacts (the figure you came up with from the sum at the beginning) saying that they worked for your organisation?

Isn’t it beyond belief that all these connections are being kept purely for social reasons? Imagine the position a company would be in if it was able to harness the potential distribution opportunity, and knowledge gathering opportunity, that they have in their Next Generation employees all around the world. Our generation’s blurring boundaries between work and home life mean that out of all the generations they’d probably be the one most up for sharing these contacts.

Informal social information networks will continue to grow. This is a trend. Those that are on the front end of harnessing the ‘informal knowledge ecosystems’ through technological social networks of people will be the future leaders. We will go so far as to say that the companies that do not allow informal social networks and disconnect their employees from these worlds will lack the capability, through collaboration, to survive and will stagnate.

From the CIPD ‘People Management’ publication this month (23 APRIL 2009):

‘...networks are important and not only in good times. They are arguably just as important, albeit in different ways, during an economic downturn. Firms that recognise the importance of informal social dynamics and the technological platforms that power them will be more agile and better able to withstand economic shocks.’

Obama series 3/3: User Generated content and Community

2009-03-27T13:02:00.001Z

In the final part of the three-part series on Obama we’re looking at User Generated Content and Online communities.

Community

Obama used, very effectively, 16 social networking sites – ranging from ‘Facebook’, ‘MySpace’ and ‘Twitter’ to ‘AsianAve’, ‘Faithbase’ and ‘Eons’ – to build a community of supporters aggregated in one place to whom he could blog (well, someone on his behalf we imagine), and importantly with whom he created a two-way dialogue (as opposed to a web-based corporate bill-board of promises summed up in values, behaviours and future projects). Our generation probably learned more about Obama from social media than we did from his website, or any written document. Log on to any of these and we can rate him, tweet and retweet him, vlog in response to his vlog or offer an opinion. In so-doing we felt listened to. Furthermore Obama espoused the generation y motto ‘ask, don’t tell’. It’s genius. Generation Y wants a ‘conversation’, not just a static page of content and a load of promises. In these communities we can find out more about him whenever we want. He appears ‘transparent’.

Obama won this race with our generation because: his story had ‘viral’ quality (and we passed it round); He gave Generation Y a vision (and asked for their support to achieve it). He gave us ownership for achieving it (and used social media incredibly well to create a dialogue) with this voter demographic. Oh, and did we mention that behind every successful president is a 27 year old speech writer?

Naked Generations interviewed on BlogTalkRadio

2009-03-26T20:27:00.004Z

Heledd Straker, our Chief Intelligence Officer, was tonight interviewed on the BlogTalkRadio show hosted by Sarah Newton. The topic was 'How the Education System is failing Generation Y' amongst other things. Discussed were topics such as Thatcher and Blair's impact on the Education System and the possibility of Google Sponsored university blazers! Click here for the link to listen.

Obama series 2/3: Vision and Ownership

2009-03-23T08:00:00.003Z

We’re on a journey through the Obama campaign and in this second of three posts we’ll unpack two other big factors in Obama’s winning strategy: the way he used vision and gave ownership.

Vision

Obama created a new vision and was able to communicate it such that he achieved agreement from his supporters. This inspired a generation to take ownership for communicating this to their peers. It signalled their backing for the ‘audacity of hope’. ‘We are Americans’ he said, ‘We can do anything if we put our minds to it’. Why is this clever? It’s a story that appeals to our subconscious without believing that he is trying to sell us a vision. But he is already. He’s telling a third party story, (which includes the audience), that draws them in, because every time Obama says something the audience finds themselves nodding in agreement. One of our clients recently started a ‘cultural transformation programme’ and in this document they stated that the reason why they wanted to implement this new culture was that it would enable them to ‘transform their industry’. That is a bold claim. When we saw the faces of the Emerging Talent group that would be a part of the team to help do this, their eyes lit up. They realised they were on the edge of something huge, and they wanted to be on the winning side.

Ownership

On the campaign website Obama writes this: “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I’m asking you to believe in yours.” He was asking for their support. He didn’t just say, “I’m going to do this”, he said “If we really want this, If you believe it, I need your support to make it happen” Suddenly Obama and the American supporters were on a journey together. This led to enormous public participation in many different forms. User generated content played one of the biggest roles it will have ever in any election worldwide (remember Obama Girl?). Looking at this you might think, well that’s just stupid, a bit of fun. But how many views did this one piece of home-made video have? In excess of 13 million! Does it have to do with the girl in the video? Most probably! And...Does it raise the subconscious, is it viral (does it have a ‘pass it on’ quality), and did it appeal to Generation Y? Three ‘Yes-es’, better still, its UGC! They felt a part of a team and they knew that their role was to create as much publicity for their cause as possible. Another great example is the Microsoft ‘I’m a PC campaign’ – which created mass UGC. The paradigm shift is in the distribution ability.

Next stop: Online Communities

Obama series 1/3: Stories

2009-03-19T12:44:00.002Z

In the first of a three part series of blog posts analyzing the Obama campaign in more depth we're looking at how Obama used stories to bring Generation Y closer to his cause.

As a leader of today you are unlikely to have missed the election of America’s 44th President in one form or another. In fact, you’re probably wondering, how did he do that? Or, how could we do some of that? We know the Director of Internal Communications at Virgin is already asking this question on her blog: Can we replicate that in Virgin Media?

In this series we will unpack these two core questions – what was so appealing about Barack Hussein Obama that ensured he won the highest ever Generation Y vote for the presidency? And, then, what can we learn as we seek to engage the next generation of leaders, consumers and collaborators?

Digest these statistics: the BBC reported that Obama won the votes of those under 30 by 68% to 31 %! From the US-based CNBC news channel we can further add that this was the highest ever score of the youth vote achieved by any presidential candidate ever (since exit polls began in 1976). Here’s the crunch... out of the total number of voters 10% were voting for the first time, and in this group 72% voted for Obama, and in the sub-30 (largely Generation Y) category 69% voted for Obama (compared to just 28% in favour of McCain). So, Why?

First up, stories:

‘Behind every statistic there is a story’ said the newly elected President in his weekly video log (‘vlog’) from the White House, addressing the nation. Indeed he’s quite good at telling stories: with everyone from YouTube and to the tabloid newspapers telling his story across the world. ‘I stand here knowing that my story, is part of a larger American story... and that in no other country on earth is my story even possible’ (Obama). He only met his father once for a month when he was 10; his grandparents grew up in Kansas; they were brought up during the great depression; his grandfather fought in the army; his grandmother worked on an assembly line; we know the young Barack would be woken at 04:30 in the morning to do his lessons; that he would grumble at having to wake up so early and his mother would respond saying “well this is no picnic for me either Buster”. From this perspective he’s kind of normal. Loveable, almost.

We know his list of values: from ‘treating everyone equal’, ‘hard work’, ‘honesty’, ‘self-reliance’, ‘empathy’, ‘kindness’, ‘faithfulness’ and ‘Christianity’. We know he is able to connect with the ordinary voter in the middle class (almost half of his $670 million raised came from small donors giving $300 or less); with white collar workers (in fact the top two states by ‘donation count’ were California and New York – together donating close to $150 million – two of the most influential cities in the United States, business-wise); and business executives (for example SONY BMG Chairman Andrew Lack, who gave just over $30k).

We know Barack Obama! And that’s half the point. We know so much about Obama that it almost feels as if we know him personally. The ‘Stories’ insured he was first, amiable (the little boy called ‘buster’); second, admired (surviving against the odds and winning over the system); and third, ‘normal’ (his parents raised him on school and honest values). Oh... and he was extremely talented at telling his story. Generation Y lapped this up. They love stories, they love people that are inspirational that paint big visions and they have a tendency to side with the underdog – to make them believe that maybe, one day, that will be them.

Boomers aren’t generally that great at sharing personal stuff at work, they feel ‘Work’ and ‘Play’ are separate spaces, not so for Generation Y for whom there is significant cross-over and blurring.

Next stop: Vision and Ownership.

Generation Y and the Political Sphere

2009-03-10T09:00:00.000Z

In school, in business, in their online communities, Generation Y is known as optimistic, idealistic, passionate, and eager to make a valuable contribution. But not in politics it seems. In the political sphere, they are perceived to be cynical, apathetic and disengaged. This is reflected in the voting statistics: in the 2001 and 2005 General Elections, of the 18-24 age group there was only a 39% and 37% turnout, respectively (as compared with a 60% turnout in 1997 which were the younger Generation X). Additionally, in 2005 16% of those aged 18-24 were not even registered to vote, as compared with 2% of voters over 65.

What is the reason for this apparent incongruence? Some reports state that the apparent lack of political interest is down to age – as one’s age increases, so does awareness of how political policies impact life’s decisions. However, this does not explain the sudden drop in voter turn-out between the 1997 and 2001 elections. The Electoral Commission (2005) and the IpsosMORI report (2008) argue that Generation Y cares about political issues, but feels powerless to make a difference.

Indeed, Generation Y has experienced a government that appears not to listen to its needs. For example, tuition fees have been publically and widely discredited, yet they continue to create a generation debt-ridden from the outset. Another example was the 2003 Iraq War, which incurred the biggest protest march in British history - the largest participating age-group being 18-24 year-olds, at 16%.

This is a tragedy, since the passion of Generation Y, plus its considerable size (7 million in the UK), suggests that political parties would benefit from engaging with this population. In the US, President Obama used social media to empower young people during his Presidential campaign, with outstanding results: Obama won the votes of those under 30 by 68% to 31%. Of the 10% new voters, 72% voted for Obama, and 69% of those under 30 also voted for Obama. This kind of engagement sounds like the optimistic and idealistic Generation Y we know and love. And it can work in the UK too: if empowered by a political party and encouraged to vote, Generation Y could prove a formidable force in the 2009 General Elections.

Invest in a downturn

2009-03-06T09:44:00.003Z

Do you know what your workforce is thinking? The words (below) of ‘The Clash’ are actually about a rocky personal relationship between Jones and former Meat Loaf backup singer Ellen Foley that would soon implode. The lyrics seem to reflect the ups and downs concerning the relationship and the dilemma of sticking with or ending 'it' – whether or not you think there can be any correlation between a personal relationship and that between an individual and a company is up to you, but read these words and see if they ring any truth in what might be going round a Generation Y head in the current economic environment:

Should I stay or should I go now? Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble, An if I stay it will be double, So come on and let me know, This indecisions bugging me, If you don’t want me, set me free (The Clash, 1981)

Popular opinion seems to suggest that all that ‘infantile job-hopping stuff’ is over and Gen Y are on the back-foot. We think: re-think! If you aren’t investing in the short-term, are they likely to stick with you in the medium to long-term? But it’s not all about shelling out loads of cash.

Here’s two top tips for Managing Gen Y in a downturn: First, are you showing them that they are on a Journey. Really? Can you identify together where they are on that journey? What are the next steps? Can you find them a mentor to help them achieve these ambitions? Is their role defined? Do they know what they will be measured by?

Second, ensure you are Transparent about the future. Finding out through the papers that you are being fired isn’t great. If you know you have to let them go, let them know ASAP. We recently heard about a Y Gen who was told he was in the ‘at risk’ zone in a Baby Boomer dominated firm. What this really meant was that he was about to be made redundant. This isn’t just a relationship between the individual and the firm, it’s between you and your employee too. Who knows, this great person that you are having to lay-off today may be wanted again in 2-3 years (once they have more experience). The end can sometimes be the beginning.

Invest in Relationships, especially in a downturn.

When Cash is King, head for Social Media

2009-03-03T14:23:00.004Z

Have you ever considered the wealth of brand opportunity that Social Networking Sites (SNS) offer multinational corporations?

Twitter is receiving a lot of press at the moment – in part due to the £160,000 civil servant job that the government just invested in hiring a ‘twittercrat’. But what about the more community based SNS? Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace – what’s their potential?

Do some quick sums... how many people in your company are SNS-literate? This isn’t whether they know how to ‘tweet’, ‘RT’, create ‘#feeds’, or plant a ‘tweet bomb’ this is simply: do they have a profile with more than 100 friends? (An astoundingly low figure for most Y Gen profiles).

Now, if you have recruited around 500 graduates in the last 5 years - and the statistics say that most of these will have at least two SNS profiles (PEW 2009), what is the combined brand value of a 1,000 profiles updating their status to say they now work for your firm – and a little feed going to each of their networks of friends to alert the update of their job status?

If you are a product or service provider it gets much better... why not set up a competition (internally or externally) with a bottle of champagne as a prize (£60 at worst, but a healthy incentive for most Y Gen) for an individual or team to create a Facebook or Linkedin App that introduces SNS users to your company product or service.

Facebook recently had its 5^th birthday, and recently a bit of exclusive Nielson research, revealed in an NMA podcast (27.02.09), that nearly 50% of the UK population (17.6 million unique users) are now on Facebook! Isn’t it time you monetise the Social Networks of your Y gen?

What Dreams May Come

2009-02-26T11:03:00.001Z

“Young people born after 1982 are the most narcissistic generation in recent history”.

Dr Jean Twenge’s Generation Me (2006) marks her research into narcissism in Generation Y. As a result of over-indulgent and undeserved praise lavished on them by Boomer parents, Generation Y is apparently self-absorbed, lazy and entitled.

According to Dr Twenge, a key manifestation of this narcissism – and ironically the cause of pain and misery to Generation Y – is the pursuit of one’s dreams encouraged by parents and teachers. She argues that a lifetime of pampering has created a generation deluded in the belief that it can achieve anything without making the effort. This ‘delusion’ is revealed for what it is in business, when Generation Ys do not receive the quick promotions and recognition they expect for just turning up, causing them anxiety and stress. Life in business requires effort and dreams can fall quickly to ruin.

While controversial, Dr Twenge’s observations of Generation Y behaviour aren’t narcissism, but signs of naivety. Indeed Generation Y was brought up believing it could achieve anything, but as discussed in our last blog, educational institutions do not sufficiently prepare students for life on the outside; they don’t equip them with the business tools required to succeed.

3M empowered its employees with such tools with its “Permitted Bootlegging” policy, which enabled scientist Art Fry in 1974 to spend a portion of his working day to put colleague, Spencer Silver’s adhesive to practical use; thus inventing the Post-it Note.

Employers who recognise the pursuit of dreams as the desire to achieve can help Generation Y develop a personal vision or dream, which aligns with that of the company, and provide the tools to empower Generation Y (and so the business) to thrive.

To finish off, President Obama, arguably the mascot for achieving one’s dreams, had this to say at his address on Tuesday:

“...In my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.”

Get Generation Y to engage with your brand

2009-02-23T15:43:00.002Z

One of the key complaints about Generation Y is how naïve they are about how business works. There are already concerned discussions happening about Generation Z and how they will transition from the education system to the working world. The younger generations seem to be hugely unprepared for the life that awaits them upon exit of the education system, often to the dismay of employers who have to foot the enormous bill to fill this skills void. There is a need to create transparency and visibility so that expectations are matched on both sides.

In our previous blog we left you with the story of Electronic Arts, which has a Facebook page to attract and recruit the iGeneration, onto which student Mohammed Elnaiem asked for advice about which university to attend in order to increase his chance of getting a job with EA.

This signals the eagerness of Generations Y and Z to prepare for their future, but also the distinct lack of relevant career advice or training provided by education institutions – thus defeating the object of education. It’s a lose-lose situation.

Some businesses have taken to doing presentations inside schools, or sponsoring excellent candidates (much like the British ARMY sponsoring graduates through their university degree with the guarantee of a recruit after graduation). However, this conjures up futuristic images of ‘Google/ Goldman Sachs-sponsored children’s school blazers’ – which we don’t believe is the way forward.

The answer to the dilemma is for employers, rather than waiting until students are in their final year of university before trying to attract and train them, is to get involved with this population early on, engaging them in captivating experiences (to which they can contribute), which in turn may encourage them to tailor their educational choices towards a future career with your brand. A recent example is Nokia’s ‘Dreams Workshops’, which engages children globally in ‘sustainability’ events, designed to improve life skills and raise environmental awareness. So far Nokia has reached over 30,000 young people – that’s 30,000 potential employees worldwide.

Previously we have mentioned Coca-Cola’s efforts and another example of where this has worked is the iPhone applications: within 6 months of the launch of the Apple iPhone 10,000 ‘collaborators’ had created third-party applications for the mobile device. Most recently a 9 year old boy created one! (Thomson Reuters).

Establishing an early (experiential) relationship with potential consumers and employees, will both reduce the high training costs upon entry into the business, and greatly increase loyalty in the long term. It’s a win-win situation that can be created for any business.

Olympic president recruits Gen Y evangelists

2009-02-11T20:35:00.004Z

Jacques Rogge is the 66 year-old president of the International Olympic Committee, firmly rooted in the Baby Boomer population you might think. But not too rooted to try a spot of interaction with Social Media. The Belgian, talking to the Times Olympic Correspondant, gave no apology for not having a Facebook profile himself.

However, rather than risk the ignominy of “poking” Generation Y and not being poked back, Rogge is enlisting the 3,500 teenaged athletes competing at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 to spread the Olympic gospel for him. By asking each competitor to link a personal blog to Facebook, MySpace and other online networking communities, he hopes to reach the millions of under-18s more likely to play Grand Theft Auto than hockey.

The president even said that he wanted to hire more baggy panted, pink haired gen Y to work in his Geneva headquarters. The basic premise here though is that you use your own to reach your own. If you want to attract the attention of generation Y and even Z then... well, they are online, so the best and most transparent way to reach them is through the mediums and channels they are already using.

However, it wasn’t all optimism from the IOC president, saying: “Kids are attracted to visual, interactive forms of communication. It's not going to be easy for sport to counter that… You won't hear me saying sport is not fun - it is. But it requires austerity and discipline. The answer is achievement. You will never achieve in a video game. It is not really success.” I’m not sure that is necessarily a view supported by the audience he’s trying to attract.

Other examples of where organisations are starting to use online technologies to recruit and attract the next generation of supporters, or employees include political party communities (e.g. Conservatives), and corporate employers (Electronic Arts).

It seems this works as a recent post on the Electronic Arts Facebook wall read:

Mohammed Elnaiem (Saudi Arabia):

“do u employ people with game design degrees from singapore/malaysia and if u do can u recommend any universities because i want to become a games designer :)”

Medical uses for Facebook

2009-02-04T13:00:00.000Z

A new article highlights the benefits of Social Media for the medical world. In the article is given a description of how ‘Facebook users are coming to the aid of children who need life-saving transplants as the networking website presents its users with more serious dilemmas than they usually have to contend with as they stay in touch with friends. Campaigns launched on the site have inspired thousands of people to join groups urging them to become members of tissue transplant registers. Joining the registers helps widen the pool of bone marrow and blood donors available and increases the chance of a match being found for patients.’

Inspirational uses of Social Networking like this should at least deter even the hard-line skeptics away from thinking that Facebook is just for playing.

‘The parents of 23-month-old Iona Stratton, who fell ill with leukaemia when she was 13 weeks old, launched a Facebook appeal in October to find a bone marrow donor. The appeal attracted almost 7,000 members and they found a match in Australia within weeks’.

The Pope gets Video Blogging!

2009-02-02T10:55:00.000Z

The Pope, Benedict the XVI has launched his own You Tube channel in the hope of reaching the Digital Generation. In a video blog (‘vlog’), broadcast on You Tube (of course). Saying that the internet has become a ‘resource of upmost importance’ and especially for the digital generation, the Pope continued (text is linked to You Tube video): ‘Undoubtedly, wise use of communications technology enables communities to be formed in ways that promotes the search for the truth, the good and the beautiful, transcending geographical boundaries, and ethnic divisions. To this end the Vatican has launched a new initiative which will make information from the Holy See more readily accessible on the World Wide Web. It is my hope that this initiative will reach a wide range of people...’

The Vatican has committed to updating the YouTube site daily with papal news items produced by the Vatican television station CTV and Vatican Radio. They will further be translated into Italian, German, English and Spanish – to ensure its reach across language boundaries. Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, who heads the Vatican's social communications office, said the pope fully approved of the YouTube channel, saying Benedict was "a man of dialogue" who wanted to engage with people wherever they were (Source: Channel4.com)

This shows how committed the Catholic Church is to sending out its message and reaching the audience it aims to ‘recruit’. It will be interesting to see whether corporations – even in tech sectors – will follow suit, with their CEO’s reaching future employees. From our research we find that ‘viral’ communication such as this has a much greater impact on the ‘Digital Generation’ as it is reaching them using one of their preferred consumption mediums (youtube), which is also easy to share across networks, and uses visual media (pictures, stories, and moving images) which are much more likely to capture their attention than a page of traditional text. It’s considered to be more ‘transparent’.

Jon Favreau: boY GENius

2009-01-29T09:00:00.001Z

In the struggle to cut costs and grab what little resources are still available, many businesses are tightening their belts and changing their management strategy, from a ‘looser’ style, as preferred by Generation Y, to a more ‘authoritarian’ approach - thereby exerting maximum control relieving the feelings of fear of wasting precious time and money. Jobs have also suddenly dried up for Generation Y: 40% of the predicted three million unemployed at the end of 2009 will be under 25[1]. Does this mean that Gen Y needs to both ‘pipe’ and ‘knuckle down’, at least until the storm has blown over?

Well, how does this sound? Working most days till 3am and doing vast amounts of research in personal time, breaking only to spend a few hours gaming;-[2] This is the work pattern of Jon Favreau, the 27-year-old speech writer for President Obama. Hailed as ‘boy genius’[3], Favreau is the youngest Director of Speech writing to the White House on record. As a Generation Y, by all accounts he should be making ‘unreasonable’ demands of an employer; flexible hours, Facebooking his friends during work, and generally openly questioning the command of authority. Instead, Obama’s ‘mind reader’ works day and night for his ‘master’[4]. Jon organised a team of talented researchers, spending weeks gathering information from which he worked into the early hours crafting Obama’s speeches. And the result? From a little-known politician, Barack Obama succeeded against all odds in winning the Presidential election in November 2008 and is now taking his throne as, essentially, world leader.

This should send a strong message to employers that if their Generation Y really believes in the organisation, and that they feel trusted, they will reveal themselves to be an incredibly loyal, productive and all-round powerful workforce.

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/10/graduate-employment-crisis-rescue-package

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inauguration-us-speech

[3] http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/adaf9610-e708-11dd-8407-0000779fd2ac.html

[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inauguration-us-speech

Inside the Knowledge Generation Brain

2009-01-26T08:48:00.003Z

Lifelong learning is a known characteristic of Generation Y, manifested in business as a persistent thirst for a challenge and a demand for continuous training and development. Surprisingly, the cause of this approach to learning is not often discussed in popular blogs and literature.

Earlier this week I attended one of the RSA’s lectures, which explored the Science of Lifelong Learning. According to speaker Usha Goswami, Director for the Neuroscience in Education at Cambridge University, the brain is like a bank and investment from an early age can significantly increase learning ability later in life. She argued that babies brought up in a supportive environment are positively affected in terms of learning capacity and complexity.

Indeed, Generation Y is known by Strausse & Howe (2000) as the most watched and protected generation[1], where ‘helicopter’ parents packed their children’s lives with a myriad of learning-based hobbies, such as musical instruments, sports and extra-curricular school activities. Technological advances, such as the internet, have further increased this ability and desire for learning.

Now eager Generation Y has entered the workplace, expecting the same level of mental simulation from its employer. This can be highly beneficial to the alert employer, as when provided with a supportive environment, this population of young workers can be highly efficient and creative problems-solvers and aggregators of information in what we call ‘online knowledge ecosystems’ - thereby helping to reduce costs in the downturn and increase participation, ownership and innovation in the next boom.

‘The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled’
- Plutarch

[1] Strausse & Howe (2000), Millenials Rising. Pg9

President Barack ‘Hope’ Obama

2009-01-22T13:10:00.002Z

President Barack Hussein Obama was sworn into office as the 44^th president of the United States of America on Tuesday. Amongst the buzzing crowd of more than a million faces in the Washington DC Mall there was an air of anticipation and ultimately ‘hope’.

But, as you would imagine, we aren’t here to comment on the political accolades of of Obama, but the motivation of a Generation to support him to get to the position of, arguably, the most powerful man on the face of the earth.

Grab a hold of these statistics: the BBC reported that Obama won the votes of those under 30 by 68% to 31 %! From the US-based CNBC news channel we can further add that this was the highest ever score of the youth vote achieved by any presidential candidate ever (since exit polls began in 1976). Here’s the crunch... out of the total number of voters 10% were voting for the first time, and in this group 72% voted for Obama, and in the sub-30 (largely Generation Y) category 69% voted for Obama (compared to just 28% in favour of McCain).

So, Why? Here’s our analysis. What caused the best part of a generation to support Barack Obama over McCain? We see three elements: Vision, Ownership, and Community.

First, Vision: Obama created a new vision and was able to communicate it such that he achieved agreement from his supporters. This inspired a generation to take ownership for communicating this to their peers. It signalled their backing for the ‘audacity of hope’. Second, Ownership: Obama, whilst able to paint the picture, then actively sought the involvement of his supporters. He maintained, throughout his campaign, undertones of ‘You got me here’; ‘This is your doing’; and ‘Thank You’ – creating now almost iconic images of Obama clapping stadiums full of supporters: ‘It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy [and] who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep’ (Obama, Illinois, November 4, 2008). Thirdly, he used, very effectively, 16 social networking sites – ranging from ‘Facebook’, ‘MySpace’ and ‘Twitter’ to ‘AsianAve’, ‘Faithbase’ and ‘Eons’ – to build a community of supporters aggregated in one place to whom he could blog (well, someone on his behalf we imagine), and importantly with whom he created a two-way dialogue (as opposed to a web-based corporate bill-board of promises summed up in values, behaviours and future projects). In so-doing he listened to supporters, fence-sitters and cynics and espoused the generation y motto ‘ask, don’t tell’.

There’s one final thing. A sub-story perhaps, but one that is worthy of note. Obama has been using a generation Y speech writer – Jon Favreau. At 27 years old he has become the youngest ever director of speech writing to the White House. Significant? We think so.

Naked Generations addresses leading Energy Industry executives

2009-01-21T15:16:00.004Z

Get Energy Events, a global conferencing company, providing education and insights into the Energy industry, has invited Naked Generations to run a workshop at their annual Exploration and Production conference in London. The slot will be delivered by Christopher Lomas (Naked Generations CEO) and will be entitled: ‘Explaining Y: Understanding, Creating and Managing strategic relationships with Generation Y’. The session will ‘lift the lid’ on Generation Y and take attendees into the mindset of the generation. We will be explaining why it is critical for company leaders to understand this generation not just as Employees but as Consumers and Competitors too.

The conference will be held from the 23-25 March 2009 at the Business Design Centre in North London, United Kingdom. For more details see the Get Energy Events website.

Accidental Betrayal

2009-01-15T09:00:00.001Z

Michaela (a Generation Y) began working in a company after university, with an idealistic view to how she could create a successful career, based on the promises made by the company. She soon discovered that the reality was different to her expectations: espoused corporate values were not adhered to and her eagerly anticipated career opportunities were not as she had imagined. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Michaela left.

In late 2008 Naked Generations worked with a client, who was genuinely upset at their Generation Y turnover rate. They had made both a financial and emotional investment into their graduates, many of whom were leaving. The client felt hurt and betrayed.

From the outset the trust has been accidentally broken on both sides, creating a culture of distrust which is incredibly costly to business. The economic climate is tempestuous and treacherous, meaning that more than ever that employer and employee must unite in order to steer through the storm.

It must begin before graduates join, with employers setting crystal clear expectations about the job and of the employee. They also need to fully understand the expectations of their Generation Y in order to attract, retain, and leverage their skills into the business, thus rebuilding trust between employer and employee and strengthening a company from the inside out.

The Grass is Greener Where you Water it

2009-01-12T09:00:00.003Z

I recently had coffee with the MD of a significant fine jewellery company and we were discussing the retention of Generation Y and the costs of training this group. Although keen to leverage the skills of Generation Y, he repeated a line which I’ve often heard from older generations: “train them and they’ll leave”. Indeed, if an employee is well trained, they become more valuable and so more employable. And many businesses have suffered the blow of up-skilling graduates on training schemes, only for them to take their skills elsewhere shortly after.

There are two things going on here. Generation Y sees learning as a lifelong process[1], so if training stops, they will seek it somewhere else. Indeed, PwC’s 2008 Generation Y report revealed that training was three times more important to this population than cash bonuses, with 98% believing that mentors were an important part of their development. On top of this, the training will cause Generation Y to seek trust from the company to allow them apply what they have learned to their daily work.

Unfortunately, too often Generation Y is given a whiff of what they can have, such as increased responsibility and the opportunity to make a significant contribution, but are then informed it will be a number of years before this can happen. This is training for the sake of training, which serves no purpose in business. It’s like learning to drive and then being told you will have to wait five years before you can get behind the wheel of a car. What would this motivate you to do? Leave.

The moral of the story: keep them challenged, fulfil expectations created by the training, and in return they will give you loyalty, improved productivity, and a great return on your investment.

[1] http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=191002&d=pndpr&h=pnhpr&f=pnfpr, http://www.grb.uk.com/generation_y.0.html

Make ‘Flickr’/ MySpace/ Facebook your office!

2009-01-07T12:51:00.002Z

A recent article in the Financial Times (‘Social Networking sites elevate geeks to online gur us [1]’) illustrated how three young forward thinking and entrepreneurial individuals started making cash by having something as simple as a ‘Flickr’ [sic.] page! “Cant’ have been making much” I hear the pessimist say. Well an extra £9,000 p.a. worked okay for Kevin Meredith (a.k.a ‘Lomokev’). In February 2009 he will also release his first book (‘Hot Shots’) and it’s already on pre-order in Amazon! His clients now include shoe manufacturer Dr Martens.
Let’s try another example: Paul Griffiths (21) sold £500,000 worth of tee-shirts, hooded tops and badges from humble beginnings 24 months ago through a MySpace profile see: Babycakes Clothing (the profile has sound effects when we last checked, try http://www.bbycks.com/ if you’d rather see the site without sound!) and now he has a shop in Manchester, and employs 10 people! From what we can see though, this isn’t just a tee-shirt printing business, it’s a kind of ‘following’. There’s a blog; buyers can upload their photos of them wearing the clothing and they have BabyCakes parties... OK, so it’s not everybody’s ‘cup of tea’ but... for 21 it’s no bad effort.
So what can we learn? First, Naked Generations will be the first to say that we predict a trend: As the cost of higher education increases and the uncertainty of what were ‘permanent jobs’ continues, we predict that a noticeable portion of Generation Y (and Generation Z beneath them) will not enter traditional jobs or training programmes like the generations before them. Instead they will capitalise on the mediums of sites such as facebook, flickr, Ebay, and YouTube to sell home-grown ideas to the masses.
And if you’re still thinking (to quote Boris Johnson) “that’s a load of boulder-dash” and, it will never cross over into the real world listen to this:
Ms Lauren Luke (27) launched a series of video tutorials through YouTube about applying make-up to copy the styles of the likes of Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Leona Lewis. They were watched, the styles were copied, she received a whole lot of attention and now writes a column in the (UK’s) Guardian Newspaper weekend magazine. Oh, and just before Christmas she flew to New York to begin designing a make-up range for Barry M. Our guess is the Guardian is attracting the next generation of readers by using the leverage that Ms Luke has created for herself online.

[1] Bradshaw, T., http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68d9ef4c-d86f-11dd-bcc0-000077b07658.html Financial Times, 2 January 2009 (p.10)

British Government invites Naked Generations to Collaborate

2009-01-05T06:47:00.000Z

In a recent report, entitled: ‘Collaborative Partnerships’ the Foreign and Commonwealth Office sought to understand in depth how they could improve the relationships between the Government, NGOs and ‘Big Business’. Having been invited to the table Naked Generations was asked to write the Y Generation ‘Point Of View’ (POV). Referenced three times in the document Naked Generations was commended by the FCO in saying: ‘the work done by ...Naked Generations, in support of this report, highlights how big the gap [is] that governments and business have to close in engaging with younger generations... Governments and businesses that seek collaboration must provide a focused context or subject matter around which to base discussion. And should operate in the spirit of “Ask- Don’t Tell”, and should expect push-back.’
Naked Generations’ full submission was also selected to be included in the report which is being sent out to 100 organisations globally, including 20 governments, 9 international institutions, 19 high profile leaders, and distributed within the British Government (including No. 10 Downing St., the MoD and the Department of Health).
Chapters in the study included Understanding Collaboration; Effective Collaboration; Collaboration and its impact on organizations; Social Collaboration; and, a future thinking chapter on ‘Collaboration and its possibilities'.
For more information, or to understand how we could help your business/ organisation on a similar piece of work, please contact Christopher Lomas info@nakedgenerations.com.

Everybody is talking about it

2009-01-01T09:00:00.004Z

According to the media, the impending recession is here, and it’s likely to get much worse, leaving many employers wondering how Generation Y will handle this phenomenon, as they haven’t seen “hard times” like this before. However, this generation has been coping with a host of dilemmas from a very young age: innumerable school subjects (introduced by the National Curriculum), university courses, career choices, and a cliff-face climb onto the property ladder. Generation Y has suffered from overwhelm prior to this economic period, struggling with the “where-am-I-going?- -what-am-I-supposed-to-do?” syndrome, which has been referred to as their Quarter Life Crisis[1], the predecessor to the better known Mid Life Crisis - although without the Volvo estate to be traded in for the sports car.

In this environment, Generation Y employees will be a true asset for all managers: They have a sense of flexibility, while not “emotionally attached” to any employer, they are very committed employees. They have moved away from the ‘civil service’ attitude and their expectation for their work is for a more meritocratic approach that values talent. Furthermore they take redundancy in their stride, unafraid of change, for some they are facing redundancy for the third time before turning 30.

These younger workers are also said, in what is a back-handed compliment, to seek control of their own career development, which is an empowering state of mind in this present climate. They will also stay with an employer that values their hard work: The notion that they are serially disloyal and constantly at the ready to jump ship for their own career progression is flawed. This is supported by recent research which argues that 50% of Generation Y intends to stay with their employer for the next five years (although some Baby Boomers would still gall at this ‘lack’ of commitment)[2].

The younger workforce may not have lived through world wars or rationing, but they are ready for these uncertain times; they have been prepared by their own challenges and they will grasp with both hands the opportunities arising from the recession.

[1] Originally the term Quarter Life Crisis was coined by two Americans, Alexandra Robbins & Abby Wilner, who interviewed thousands of students for their book(“Quarter Life Crisis – How to get your head round life in your twenties”). They defined Quarter Life Crisis as a response to overwhelming instability, constant change, too many choices and a panicked sense of helplessness
[2] http://www.management-issues.com/2008/9/10/research/why-it-doesnt-pay-to-pigeonhole-gen-y.asp

Youth, Risk and the Virtual Realm

2008-12-29T09:00:00.003Z

High risks can reap high rewards, but they can also end in costly failure. So should employers welcome or shun risk-takers? Research has shown that Generation Y has a seemingly high risk profile. For example, Beck & Wade (2006) observe that online game-players are strongly encouraged to take risks, with trial and error seen the best strategy for success. They also argue that risk aversion accrues with age, following an increasing number of unpleasant experiences following failure.

So does this make Generation Y a liability to employers? While the evidence suggests that this population is naive around risk in the real world, it is important to observe Generation Y’s approach to risk-taking. An oft-used strategy for success, game-players mitigate risk by ensuring a transparent flow of information through the team and distribute responsibility amongst the other players according to their skill sets.

This demonstrates that, in order to succeed as a team, online game-players must take individual accountability for their actions and the risks they take. This implies a level of understanding, perhaps by even the youngest players, of responsibility distribution as an effective risk management strategy.

Indeed, the virtual world is not the same as the physical realm, in which Generation Y may not have the experience of older generations, but their risk-facing attitude combined with a strategic understanding of risk mitigation learned from online games could reap big rewards for businesses too.

Enviro Gen

2008-12-26T09:00:00.004Z

At Christmas time we look back on the year, celebrate the successes with colleagues and spend time with our loved ones. This time of reflection is important to Generation Y. Not only do they immerse themselves in friends and family-life, they want to celebrate their work, to be proud of the company they work for, and be pleased with how they are progressing and what they contribute to the overall picture (after all, theirs is a world in which public affirmation is ego fuel). They want to be able to re-affirm the values that attracted them to the organisation they are in.

Like everyone else, Generation Y employees value salary, holidays and health benefits from their employer, but they also seek a sense of challenge and equality in recognition for outstanding work. Additionally, Generation Y looks to the company’s social responsibility; its active role in the community and wider environment. Many young entrants into the working world will interrogate potential employers about their environmental record and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.. According to a survey, 80% of Gen Y respondents said they wanted to work at a green company[1] and another poll revealed that 50% reported that their shopping habits were influenced by the retailer’s sustainability and environmental policy.[2]

At this festive time, the so called “me” Generation, form part of the increasing demand for ethical gifts from charity organisations like Oxfam. Ethical gifts, such as “Build a Bog” or “School Dinners for 100 Children” from such organisations, satisfies their desire to get something meaningful. The online availability of such gift attracts the techno savvy Gen Y shopper. So you see Generation Y don’t just care about themselves, they also care about what is going on in the world around them and what the organisation they are working for represents.

In fact, one of the team at Naked Generations got married in November and received just such a gift as a wedding present: the planting of 25 trees and 100 school dinners for children in Africa! Brilliant!

[1] http://jobsearch.about.com/b/2008/08/04/gen-y-job-searching-goes-green.htm
[2] http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/09/14/47-of-gen-y-would-pay-more-for-green-brands/

Why, Why, Why, Why, and Why?

2008-12-22T08:47:00.002Z

Ask ‘Why’ Five Times. This sounds like the tactic of a typical Generation Y in business, always questioning the reasoning behind a task, frustrating managers everywhere with their seeming impudence and disrespect. This is in fact an established Japanese methodology which serves to improve the quality of a business process or product. Continually asking ‘why’ gets to the root of most problems and highlights areas for advancement. Lancaster & Stillman (2003) argue that Generation Y are always seeking to improve their environment, viewing learning as a lifetime process. This, plus their immersion in technologies from a very young age, makes this a generation of early adopters[1], as they are always looking ahead for what’s coming next.

This makes Generation ‘Why’ a potentially (and hitherto mostly untapped) valuable source for information on future trends, which can provide real opportunities for businesses. If leaders encouraged and harnessed this combined love of learning and technology, they could transform their Generation Y into future visionaries, keeping the business at and beyond the cutting edge.

[1] http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,46282,00.html

The answer to (un)employment is Facebook

2008-12-18T16:14:00.001Z

The ‘R’ word. Eeek! But in the midst of all that reality the ‘Facebook Generation’ are jumping online to share grievances and report they are now free to work for anyone! Business Week recently reported exactly such a story about a former DHL employee: ‘First he snapped an iPhone picture of his severance letter and posted it to photo-sharing site SnapMyLife. He also updated his Facebook status line and eventually joined a group on LinkedIn for former DHL employees.’
Says an MIT professor: "These new channels are providing a sense of community in an environment where there is a sudden, almost compelled, need…not to feel alone"
Our recommendation? If you are a brave breakaway start-up CEO or a growing international firm look to your network of Y Gens to bring in fresh talent and build connections!

Thatcher's Innovators

2008-11-24T23:12:00.003Z

Generation Y is often perceived as arrogant and self-centred, traits not well received in business. The first of ‘Thatcher’s Children’[1] were born just as Margaret Thatcher’s government came into power in 1979. During this Conservative reign, educational and social reforms were introduced, which directly affected the lives of Generation Y.

One such reform was the 1989 Children Act, which focused on the child’s relationship with the government. For the first time in British history the law recognised the child as an independent individual with rights and choices, whose voice would be heard above that of the state[2]. For example, if a social worker was considering removing the child from its parents, the outcome would depend on the wishes of the child, whose opinion was given more weight than that of the social worker.

Another significant policy was the Education Reform or ‘Baker’ Act of 1988, which again aimed to empower the ‘consumers’ of education – the children.[3]

These reforms encouraged children to believe that they were important members of society, whose opinions were to be taken seriously by authority; parents, teachers, and employers alike.
This mindset is arguably connected to Generation Y’s entrepreneurial spirit[4], a fiercely independent mindset, where they believe that their individual ideas can change society. And why not? Einstein discovered E=MC2 when he was 26[5], Frank Whittle invented the jet engine when he was 21[6]. If employers listen to Generation Y – the first generation to be recognised by the law as relevant individuals of society – they have the potential to develop innovations which will reap enormous rewards for business.

[1] Pilcher, J. & Wagg, S. (1996). Thatcher’s Children? Falmer Press, p1.
[2] Winter, K. & Connolly, ‘Keeping it the Family’: Thatcherism & the Children Act 1989, in Pilcher, J. & Wagg, S. (1996). Thatcher’s Children? Falmer Press, Pp29-42
[3] Wagg, S. Politics, Childhood and the New Education Market, in Pilcher, J. & Wagg, S. (1996). Thatcher’s Children? Falmer Press, pp8-28
[4] http://www.grb.uk.com/generation_y.0.html
[5] http://resource.npl.co.uk/docs/educate_explore/posters/bg_einstein_poster.pdf
[6] http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-83959095.html

Essential Virtual Time (EVT)

2008-11-21T16:15:00.003Z

Generations are often defined, and segregated, by new technologies. Baby Boomers were the television generation and it was often thought that the young Boomers watched far too much of it. Generation Y is the internet generation. Don Tapscott in ‘Growing up Digital’ (1999)[1] argues that, unlike their Boomer parents, where television could be watched by all the family, online games and networking sites are almost solely the realm of the young, which has created exclusivity and widened the generation gap.

This is reinforced by numerous media horror stories about the unseen force of the internet, with young people reportedly losing their lives to a fantasy online existence like World of Warcraft (Daily Telegraph, 2008[2]). This can easily instil fear into the hearts of older generations, who do not fully understand the gaming culture and so allow fear-based assumptions to fill in the knowledge gap.

This is why sharing is important.

‘Sharing’ will result in both an explicit and implicit understanding of a subject, and allows both parties to identify with the other via these new mediums, which previously was the cause of fear and misunderstanding.

So, to employers and parents: Encourage your Generation Y to share with you their online world. Invest in some ‘Essential Virtual time’ and allocate a couple of hours being shown the delights of Facebook, Twitter, World of Warcraft and Second Life. Not only is this is a key to building lasting and meaningful relationships with Generation Y; It’s also the future of your business. The ability to harness online distribution channels and to create networks and communities around your business products will be the most powerful tool in the next 20 years for getting feedback, analysis and new product – ultimately staying ahead of your competitors!
[1] Tapscott, D., (1999) Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation (McGraw-Hill: New York)
[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/3451069/World-of-Warcraft-release-revives-concern-over-games-addiction.html

Corporate Tribes

2008-11-17T08:56:00.002Z

Generation Y is inherently a generation of multiple, yet separated, communities – an interlinked set of ‘urban tribes’. They have always been grouped together in large numbers throughout school, and particularly at their universities. Generation Y now has in the region of 40% of its population enroll into higher education (Daily Mail[1]), which marks a significant increase from their parents generation, in which less than 10% of them went to university (Brunel University[2]).

This shift in expectation, combined with the increase in communications technology, and in particular social networking sites, such as Facebook (launched in 2004) and Twitter (launched in 2006) are having a huge impact on the expectations of ‘Community’ for Generation Y – and one which is worth considering for the big corporate giants.

In these online spaces Generation Y can ‘re-group’ their previously physical communities from school, university and even previous places of work. This is a trend and shows that this population exist simultaneously in multiple, and sometimes over-lapping communities, virtually and physically.

Why is this interesting to any big graduate recruiter? When these Generation Y enter business, for the first time in their lives they are separated from being in vast communities of like-minded and aged individuals. Not being in the majority off-line, they may seek solace in their communities online – to keep in touch with friends, share stories and gather opinions.

The Builder and Baby Boomer generations may not have strayed as far from home as the Generation Y entering the workplace today and so the ability to connect is an important daily/ weekly habit that employers would do well to allow. It is a social need. Furthermore, big ‘Blue Chips’ should encourage Generation Y to build new communities internally, physically, inside their companies, so that they ‘find a new home’ and become loyal.

Where their friends are, there their heart is also.

[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-547593/Number-students-going-university-falling-despite-millions-despite-millions-spent-recruitment-drive.html
[2] http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/history/memories/1960

Temp Generation

2008-11-08T09:01:00.001Z

One of the recurring complaints we hear about Generation Y revolves around the issue of ‘job-hopping’ as we have said elsewhere on this blog (“Gen Y playing leap-frog”). The Generation Y population seems to find it tough stay in one place for any length of time and it is giving employers a headache, putting a strain on both finances and morale. “It would be really helpful, especially in our line of work [relationship management]... if they could stay for at least five years” says one Investment Bank relationship director.

According to the RBS/ NatWest Student Living Index, the number of university students that also take on part-time employment is up at 42%, of all those in Higher Education. This is a sharp rise over the last few years, where previously there was a downward trend, and has gone up to as many as 750,000 in the UK per annum.[1] Student work also revolves around seasonal contracts (Christmas, Easter, Summer holidays), meaning that the concept of full-time work on a long-term basis may be quite an alien concept to most graduates, when they leave university – they’re not used to it.

This increase in contract work is supported by the expansion of the temporary work industry, which has grown five times more than national employment since 1990,[2] which correlates with the unprecedented numbers of redundancies during the 1990s (also well documented in previous blogs). From a commercial perspective, these two events suggest that many businesses believe it to be cost effective to hire some employees on a temporary basis. From a cultural perspective, however, the diminished idea of a ‘job for life’, plus the increasing availability of temporary work does not encourage a mindset of working for a corporate firm on a long-term basis.

This suggests that Generation Y graduates, rather than being lazy or disloyal, are merely working as they always have, on a short-term basis.

All of this supports the kinds of client requests that we see, who are asking us to build longevity into mindset and career paths of Generation Y inside their own businesses.

[1] http://www.easier.com/view/Finance/Household_Bills/Spending_Habits/article-195278.html
[2] http://www.salary.com/personal/layoutscripts/psnl_articles.asp?tab=psn&cat=cat011&ser=ser032∂=par362

Tech and Consulting major IBM 'booms' in Second Life

2008-11-05T23:59:00.005Z

IBM, the technology giant (with a turnover of almost $ 100 billion in the year '07-'08) has moved in to Second Life, big-style. Employing increasing amounts of real-life Second Life avatar controllers, from their new hub in India, IBM has recently reported a population 'boom' as they continue to grow the number of staff to service their customers through their online 'Business Centre' that was set up earlier this year (reports the Economic Times): "The business centre offer sales support across the world, allowing customers to visit IBM virtually and see products and solutions in 3D. This is a place for IBM sales people, clients, and partners to meet, learn, collaborate, and conduct business together virtually..." The benefits they say: people no longer have to travel in order to reach IBm - they can just 'log on' - and it reduces consumer costs.
However, the article also says customers still have to sign contracts, pay, and/or exchange 'sensitive information' over the phone or through the web (outisde of Second Life).

Naked goes 'native'

2008-10-31T14:50:00.003Z

We've gone all Gen Y and set up on Facebook! Find us by clicking the title of this blog (or click the link below) and link up with the business through the 'become a fan' link once you're logged in, and you'll see this blog and all our updates through the site. You can also subscribe seperately to our RSS feed. We've posted the full address we gave at the Brussels Talent conference in October on there too!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Generations/33391595546?ref=ts

See you soon!

NG Team

Gen Y playing 'Leap Frog'

2008-10-24T15:58:00.002+01:00

“Job hopping is fashionable and it gives me independence” – the popular opinion? Well, maybe.
But what is it doing to the Corporate P&L? Speaking to one significant Top 100 graduate recruiter, of over 1,000 graduates a year, we found that the investment figures were substantial, and the drain is too! This particular business was spending roughly £200,000 per graduate, in a 2-year window, and once they had completed their initial training programme they were so well qualified that they could work anywhere. No need to stay and do the spreadsheets, or ‘start from the bottom, and work your way up’. 'I’ll just hop over to another company and employ that skill i've got'.
50% of this companies graduates leave after 2 years, causing a £100 million drain on their investment. Over the next 5 years they are likely to lose half a billion pounds worth of graduate investment spend!
Another US based firm told us that they are struggling to keep graduates beyond the initial training period. From our own research we know that they are actually being sabotaged by the Facebook network! Here's how: Graduate and Post-Graduate recruiters from a major international bank had looked up who was on Facebook and had listed their employer. From this data they set up a Facebook group and invited across the relatively new entrants in the target firm (who had been training that group) to a dinner in London, in order to 'court' them! They were valuable. The attracting company didn’t need to invest in core skills, only cultural adaptation. Needless to say the dinner will have cost significantly less than the training - even at the Ivy!
And what are the positives? First, the aforementioned UK recruiter with its half a billion drain? They don’t care. They said that the fact that the grads were being trained in their firm and then left meant that the brand was getting out there and would return business to them in the future. A ‘long term’ investment I’d say. And, in the second example? Use Facebook and Y Generation networks to bring in new talent! Generation Y is the most connected generation, and they like to work with their friends – it’s the ‘Experience’ they care about.

Naked profiled in Sandbox blog

2008-10-16T00:06:00.004+01:00

Naked Generations was profiled in a blog about the CWC conference event where we were invited to share our vision about 'next generation leadership', by Sandbox, an international network of 'Future Talents' (sub-30, aspiring leaders). Sandbox's Christian Busch, said: 'Old management paradigms ... are outdated; New leadership models are emerging around Generation Y', and, referring to Naked Generations: 'Who could teach or rather share these insights and models better than those who have already employed them in practice?'

Maslow and Generational Motivation

2008-10-14T11:54:00.003+01:00

Why do we work? Security? A sense of identity? Self-fulfilment? Each generation is motivated by a set of needs and thus creates an environment which satisfies them. From this new world the next generation arises with a different set of needs. The causal relationship between generations’ motivations can be mapped onto Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow explains that different needs grow out of each other, beginning with physiological, then safety, belonging, esteem and finally self-actualisation.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964), cultured by Builders (1925-1945) grew up in aftermath of the Second World War, so when they embarked upon their career, they sought security and a sense of belonging (as a result of scarcity). The world had stabilised by the time Generation X (1965- 1978) entered the workforce, satisfying the lower three needs, meaning they were motivated by a need for esteem. Generation Y (1979- 1995) has grown up in an affluent society, with all four lower needs cared for, so they are seeking work which 'fulfils' them.

Companies created by Baby Boomers and Generation X cater for their needs, but not for Generation Y. If employers want to retain and motivate this population, they need to target their desire for self-actualisation, such as encouraging and realising innovative ideas, ownership of projects and helping them understand their identity within the organisation.

Generation Y enjoys security, money and status like everyone else, but they are reaching for something more.

EIIL Conference

2008-10-06T12:22:00.004+01:00

Naked Generations has been invited to Chair the European Institute for Industrial Leadership conference in Brussels, in October 2008. The EIIL is dedicated to developing a sustainable supply of future leaders for technology-led and manufacturing industry in Europe, and is committed to the continued professional development of engineers, scientists and technical professionals and to encouraging young people into careers in the technical professions. The conference will be addressing the specific challenges around attracting Generation Y into a technical career and will draw together Industry, Higher Education and Generation Y to aid knowledge transfer and best practice learning between the Generations.

Influential Technology

2008-09-20T07:12:00.000+01:00

30 years ago we didn’t have: the WWW; Personal Computers; Mobile Phones; Email; Ebay; iPods; Laptops; Online Social Networks; nor 24/7 service companies, says David Smith, CEO of Global Futures and Foresight, (GFF.com: 2008). In a sense, everything has changed: the way we gather information (the ‘Google’ effect); the way we listen to music (the ‘iTunes’ effect); the way we shop (the ‘Amazon’ effect); the way we make friends (the ‘Facebook’ effect); the way we entertain ourselves (the ‘You Tube/ iPlayer’ effect). And, increasingly we are not just seeing the shift to ‘Online’, but the global online ‘knowledge ecosystem’ is being sorted and ranked. Generation Y is growing up with access to information like no-one else before them. With their extensive social networks they have armies of critical analysts examining everything put up for review. Tripadvisor, Expedia and Amazon all employ ranking systems that allow consumers to rate products. This is the power of influence that the web is having in many spheres of life. Web 1.0 allowed one way communication – making promises (or offers of products for sale) on corporate websites. Web 2.0 and beyond is facilitating challenges, opinion and conversation. Logically therefore, a firm’s reputation for anything (product or service, internal or external) can be driven like a virtual share price, by the opinion of those that shout the loudest, online.
And, it’s not just about opinions. Now we have been living with virtual worlds for well over a decade, there has been third shift. Technology started out taking physical things into the virtual (e.g. ‘snail-mail’ to email), but now the reverse is starting to happen: Virtual ideas are becoming real world and ‘physical’ (e.g. prototyping in Second life). Online experiences are encouraging a new method of distribution and source of products. Leadership using these technologies to achieve objectives encourage faster analysis and decision taking in situations with imperfect information. Paul C. Edwards Professor of Communication at Stanford University, Byron Reeves, commented in an IBM case study, that nearly 50% of ‘managers with experience in multiplayer online games said that being a game leader had improved their real-world leadership capabilities’. So, do we see all of this as a Fear or a Benefit? With careful leadership, clear expectations and self management can we use all of this to further the way in which companies continue to evolve? Could organisations harness the characteristic energy of Generation Y to open new distribution channels and validate new product opportunities?

Future Talent in Oil, Gas & Power 2008

2008-09-18T23:07:00.002+01:00

Naked Generations has been invited to join the debate around talent in the Oil & Gas industry at the CWC conference in London. If you are there come and say hello! We'd love to see you there. We will be hosting one of the round tables in the afternoon of the 8th October to talk about 'Understanding and Leveraging Generation Y'.

Structural Stimulation

2008-09-14T09:08:00.001+01:00

Education systems and Parenting styles which are producing graduate trainees for firms today are very different to those of the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964). There has been a fundamental shift in the Educational system from the didactic model to a critical analysis model. The Plowden Report (1967) argued that schools must lay special stress on allowing children ‘individual discovery’, such that the individual would look ‘critically at the society of which he forms a part’. Play this out into the work environment: Boomers and Builders who have been used to a didactic style of education expect Generation Y (1979-1996) to adhere to the same. So, they expect Generation Y to accept their truths and work towards their goals, however, the education system has told them to question and critically examine; furthermore, the philosophical environment of (arguably, post [sic]) ‘post-modernity’ is teaching that there is ‘no truth’ – conflicting to the security of taught truths that Boomers accept. This will create conflict as Generation Y is seen to ‘know it all’ and Boomers are seen as backward and slow. Far from accepting the indifference to truth, commercial reality says organisations need now to create new ones, constantly being on the edge of innovation. The challenge is harnessing the abilities of Generation Y to be creative, entrepreneurial and excellent seekers of new information. At the same time, it is essential to allow Boomers and Generation X (1965-78) to provide a context for decision-making for these (relatively) new entrants into the corporate world.

Shifting Environments

2008-09-11T10:03:00.001+01:00

Generation Y is comparably different to previous Generations. Their beliefs and behaviours are being driven by a different set of macro and micro socio-economic and philosophical contexts. Take for example the Educational system which has shifted from teacher-centric (‘telling truths’) to pupil-centric models (‘discourse and debate’), according to Nick Pollard (Pollard: 2006). Leadership and follower experiences that they are gaining in online technology environments such as ‘massive multi-player online role-playing games’ (MMORPGs) is teaching them a different form of team structure to the command and control compositions still prevalent in many multinational corporate bodies – the legacy of a military culture derived from the Builder generation (1925-1945). This generation is growing up using ‘mash-up’ leadership structures (fast assimilation of teams, in order to achieve a goal and then dissolving the structure and joining with others to form new teams). They are stimulated through goal-oriented objectives, where they receive ‘immediate compensation for successful completion of a project’ (Reeves, Malone and O’Driscoll: 2008). The increase in the uses for, and speed of, Technology has inevitably been a major factor in driving a shift towards a culture of immediacy and heightened expectations. These are the ‘Generation Y’-ers that are coming into global businesses around the world that are being asked to operate under old paradigms. In these situations there can be a distinct mismatch between expectations and reality.

Online Partnerships

2008-08-14T09:09:00.001+01:00

Networking, socialising, interacting, selling and learning: it has all changed.

Companies that are realising this include Mercedes Benz who signed a media broadcasting deal with the online networking site A Small World (ASW) – their mission: ‘to aggregate the world’s most interesting people with the world’s most interesting information’ (as explained by CEO Joe Robinson). Olaf Göttgens (VP Brand Communications) from Mercedes Benz Cars explains how along with their competitors Audi and BMW they have launched Mercedes Benz TV in order to keep up with online representation. So, is TV, Radio, Magazine, dare I say it ‚face-to-face communication obsolete for the next generation? Emphatically no. Nonetheless, they communicate in many more ways than the Baby Boomers, even the Xers do. Online is a trend, more than a fad - and it is an important and strategic new opportunity to distribute (see BMW/ASW press release here).
Generation Y grew up with technology. They were encouraged to use it. You could drive from London to Paris in a time of 4 hours 46 minutes (according to ViaMichelin.com, and assuming you have a car already it would cost you about 60 Euros to fund the petrol). Instead you could fly in 1 hour 20 minutes with a low-cost airline for less money (alternatively you could meet up online).
The mentality for this generation is: ‘It’s here so let’s use it’. To have over 300 friends on Facebook is quite normal. (Do i need to have met all of them face-to-face? No. and where i haven't they are gateway's into other communities, pockets of information or invitations to events). Imagine being able to harness those networks through your employees for the reputation of your company. Its sheer innovative capability. The distribution opportunities. What will be the value of individuals in the 16-30 age bracket as influencers, or consumers in your industry over the next 3 years?

With so many people vying for their attention, what will you do to secure your distribution channels of the future?

What are they saying about your brand online?

Change Matters.

Charles Darwin had this sewn up, somewhat prophetically and ahead of his time when he said: ‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change’ (Charles Darwin, 1809-1882).

Jerry Maguire

2008-08-08T10:09:00.002+01:00

You might imagine that Y Generation feel so ‘entitled’ to access this online world, that they are just doing it to be noticed, maybe even that because the rules have changed and multi-million pound businesses are being created through online worlds that they are just trying to make a fast ‘buck’ – chasing the cash. To an extent, you’d be right (e.g. the million dollar web page).

Thankfully/ sadly it’s not that simple. Generation Y like the generations before them, recognise the need for work, and one Gen Y isnt necessarily as technology crazed as the next Gen Y (in fact, some of my friends are leaving online networking sites like facebook because they dont want all their details online). Nonetheless they want to work for inspirational leaders. Leaders who teach, trust and give ownership.
In the film Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) – famed for its ‘Show me the Money’ clip – there is a parallel story line to the one between Jerry and his Sports Stars. It’s between 'Jerry' and 'Dorothy Boyd' (one of the financial clerks (played by Renée Zellweger). Jerry and Dorothy leave to set up another firm after Jerry gets fired. Later in the film Dorothy explains why she left with Jerry:

Dorothy: The truth? I care about the job. But mostly, I just want to be inspired. That memo you
wrote... that inspired me. I'm here because of that memo. I love that memo.

Zellweger is drawn to Cruise because of a vision that he has for how business should be done. The challenge is delivering the vision, and together they do.

When Baby Boomer CEOs cast their vision, their challenge is similar – to align all the Generations behind that vision and to deliver, together. After their (2 week, 2 year or 5 year) training programmes Y Gens will pick teams/ bosses/ colleagues on the basis of ‘reputation’. Experience, you see, is everything for this Generation, and they are somewhat 'knowing' (or in Boomer language, impulsive).

Experiences are shared.

Online.

These also become very real, virtual, truths and leave a trail to the company. If Boomers are concerned about the amount of detail that their children (Generation Y) are leaving on online sites and to whom they are giving out their email addresses and mobile numbers, perhaps they should also be concerned about what this generation says about their company as well. Afterall, Generation Y is required for the succession of the business and has a huge influence on the recruitment of their peers into the workforce). What would be the response to this question:

Who had the biggest influence on your desire to join our company:

(a) Our corporate website

(b) The recommendation of the company by your friends

A thought to ponder: What could be the combined effect of a CEO or MD working in partnership with a generation that can spread (good) news across all of their network? As the CEO of a telecoms business or service provider are you harnessing the potential of the Y Generation in your business?

Virtually, anything is possible

2008-08-04T11:16:00.006+01:00

So who’s actually in ‘there’? A quick look at the Second Life map (powered by Google, notably) through a programme called ‘Slurl’ revealed some interesting facts: CNN has set up a news station to report on events in Second Life! Sun Microsystems has bought land for (seemingly, at the moment, 'just') advertising and Coca Cola launched a campaign (‘Virtual Thirst’) in 2007, through a viral You Tube format (of course!) to design vending machines to be used inside Second Life.
Coke set the online community the challenge of building a vending machine that could vend the ‘essence’ of Coke – the Coke experience (refreshment, joy, unity and experience). The contest challenged individuals to submit concepts for new world vending machines, an appliance that could vend virtual experiences. Coke assembled a virtual avatar board of advisors (metaphysical, real, people of course control these virtual characters) and worked with a marketing firm ‘Crayon’ and ‘Millions of Us’. Throughout the process, submissions were made through YouTube, MySpace and VirtualThirst.com. The winning concept ‘Lucky Puzzle Bottle’ by Ann Marie May (see 'You Tube' for the video) , was a concept that meant avatars had to ‘solve’ puzzle bottles in return for a coke experience ranging from ‘virtual snowball fights’ to ‘giant bubble rides’. The virtual contest was Coke’s first interaction with the virtual world – it was an opportunity for them to learn about virtual worlds. (Oh, and by the way, for anyone who enjoys Second Life it raised a huge amount of brand awareness for Coca Cola as well).
Coca Cola also (indirectly) sponsored a music concert in Second Life. The ‘early adopters’ of these new online worlds are there for extended periods of time – multiple hours. These companies, that are subconciously communicating their brand inside these virtual worlds, have an individual’s attention for a considerably longer amount of time than is possible in the real, fragmented, media world we are used to. Think, for how long does anyone really look at a billboard?
So what else, is it just about brand awareness? No. One London creative agency ‘Rivers Run Red’ has taken to creating ‘immersive workspaces’ online. Rivers Run Red (RRR) boasts these virtual opportunities to communicate with each other all around the globe cuts down on carbon footprint, air fares, and time. Moreover, clients can see their work in progress: through modelling avatars in the online space they can quickly see how designs are working out. So, it would seem reasonable to assume that their clients would be only the one’s on the leading edge of online and web technology (Google, Microsoft, Apple...?) Not so, it is Boots (No. 7); Penguin Publishing; and the charity Bernardos that show up in their online portfolio.

So is this all play, a fad or a trend?

At least one company, River Runs Red, has a multi-million pound (Sterling) turnover and seems to be getting a positive response from its clients.

So what about some 'big names'. People that would really know about whether this can work in big business. In his 'view from the Top' interview with the FT John Chambers (CEO and Chairman of Cisco Systems) said ‘Collaboration is the next big step in terms of productivity’ (FT.com). Cisco has also been working on this since 2000.

Another world?

2008-07-16T12:00:00.000+01:00

So, what’s all the fuss about ‘online’ and Web 2.0? What has changed? The World Wide Web (WWW) has fundamentally shifted up a gear in terms of what it can do now. Web 2.0 has changed the online experience from being ‘talked at’ to being able ‘to be in conversation’. It is perhaps this ongoing concept of interaction that is most distinctive. Web 2.0 has opened the door (for example) to Collaboration (Wikis/ Blogs), Recommendation (Tagging/ Digg’ing), Convergence (MySpace/ Second Life), Casting (Narrow/Wide/Video/Pod), and VOIP (Skype). What impact does that have on the average business in the real world? Take for example the ‘futuristic’ (but nonetheless, here today) world of Second Life [created by Linden Labs (http://lindenlab.com/)]. Just wasting time? Well, not so for Rob Hof of BusinessWeek who went ‘in-world’ and discovered a whole new parallel world with an economy that genuinely crosses over into our ‘real’ world. Hof (a Baby Boomer) found creating his avatar (Rob Cranes) very involving. He describes the ability to have a ‘...social experience. You can do almost anything… Create homes, buy islands and create a resort...” “ This is not just a business phenomenon… it’s entertainment at its root [but] there is an economy developing here…[Linden Labs] not only let people create their stuff (e.g. clothing)… they have ownership of the intellectual property they create [inworld]… they can sell it… it gives them an economic incentive to create it…” and they can turn it into real product outside ‘Second Life’, explains Hof. There is an internal online currency that is in fact exchangeable into real world money. The currency online is ‘Linden dollars’. The rate to exchange it into real dollars is roughly 300:1 (Lindens to USD). Money is exchanged back and forth through the creators ‘Linden Lab’ and Hof reports some people are taking out ‘thousands of dollars a month’. People could do this for a profession! Too far-fetched? Well, you aren’t alone – not everyone is a fan.

Next time: What about ‘real’ businesses? How is this relevant?

The Power of Online

2008-07-14T18:33:00.004+01:00

So, Can any of this online 'stuff', blogging, discussion, have an impact on anything like the scale of a multinational corporation. Well it seems so. Aided by the eternal 'opinion-based valuation' nature of the stock exchanges, a group of 'cyber coolies' (young graduates in call centres across India) have set up an 'e-union' that promises to attack clients and investors of their companies in response to the sacking of 400 of their graduate peers. By threatening to release information from inside the business to investors, they hope to incentivise firms to re-employ or compensate their peers. They claim the information would sabotage the share price of these firms significantly. The BPO ('Business Process Outsourcing') union claims that members of the Indian BPO industry were unlawfully sacked and should receive compensation or be reinstated.

It seems as though some of the loyalty to an organisation has left a generation and their loyalty to the management team has left too. Can it be restored? Watch this space.

Love Generation

2008-07-13T17:29:00.005+01:00

Baby Boomers have been noted for their love and involvement with Generation Y. Termed ‘Helicopter Parents’ (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article3734696.ece) Baby Boomer parents have developed a ‘love blanket’ for their children. Generation Y have grown up on praise. Every (Gen Y) child is a winner according to their parent (watch the reaction if anything is suggested to the contrary), and is taught they are able to make a difference in their own right. Gen Y grew up on compliments and validations as if it were oxygen. Any surprises, then, that they come across as a little over-confident? Enter Gen Y into the world of work… they see managers or Managing Directors about the age of their parents and expect the same acknowledgements will come. But, alas, there is money involved now. With nobody to validate their achievements – as generally they will be living away from home – and nobody to nurse their wounds if they are criticized, or to go back to their ‘teachers’ (managers/ boss) to challenge feed-back. So… they went ‘Online’. In search of likeminded individuals with whom to share their grief. Generation Y are notoriously bad at being internal processors – they externalize their feelings, and express in digital language! They talk online. No fears about sharing company information, there is no pride involved – just an expression of the injustice to them – and so within a few moments they perceive the grass to be greener somewhere else. Unfettered and disenchanted they move, to realize the same is true in ‘pastures green’ after all. But… the information is still out there – it forms a record in the online world and a reputation begins to develop. An exponential reputation. Information is published, shared, discussed, linked and noted. It becomes… like a ‘truth’. In some senses it is a truth - an ethnographic account of what happened from an individual’s point of view, just… expressed differently to the (Baby Boomer and X) generations before them.

So, what (if anything) can we learn in the middle of all this hype, subjectivity, pride and (essentially) just another point in time? Crucially, no judgment of any other Generation. Allow for individualism. I have been asked, “will Gen Y’s just become like Gen X’s and Baby Boomers eventually?” ‘If some Boomers have resignedly become the organization men and women they once mocked, others have unleashed innovative and entrepreneurial energies that in the long run may provide enough growth and opportunity for them to realize their dreams after all…’ (TIME Magazine, 1986).

So, that depends… on you (as a Baby Boomer managing X and Y’s; X-er in the middle; Y responding to Baby Boomers and X-ers).

Growing up

2008-06-11T21:22:00.003+01:00

Nurture. The Baby Boomers were brought up by the ‘Builders’ or ‘Veterans’ (generally those born 1925 – 1945). Many having been through World War I (‘WWI’) as children and all will have experienced in some way World War II (WWII). They were naturally conservative with food and possessions, taught to reuse and conserve what they had. ‘Builders’ were guided by the military discipline instilled through the course of the military action; were affected directly by the economic events of the Wall Street Crash in October 1929 and the years to follow, so named the ‘Great Depression’. (Rightly or wrongly) they communicated these learned values to their children – the ‘Baby Boomers’. Born in ‘two chunks’ (in the UK) between the generally accepted range of 1946 – 1964, the Boomers formed their own identity too. The preceding 20 years had made starting families challenging (not least because of the physical separation of families as they went on duty with their various military ‘outfits’), but now with men returning to handle the economy women were able return to raising a family. Boomers took on these learned values and pursued careers – taught by their Builder parents that a job provided income security – Boomers forged for themselves 20 or 30 year careers with one firm. Generation X witnessed the collapse of this trust as long term ‘expectations’ of job security between employer and (Baby Boomer) employees was shattered in the 1987 stock-market crash. Within 2 days the FTSE 100 had lost 22% of its value and panic struck (even thought the FTSE 100 actually finished two percentage points higher overall that year[1]! Look at this FTSE 100 (1985-2005) chart [2] from Yahoo! Finance and see how the index had been rising for the previous seven months and then ‘corrected’).
This was happening as this X-er Generation was entering the workplace! Loyalty, as you might expect, towards (multi) national firms went down the scale considerably. Gen X-ers were much more independently minded, ensuring their survival they learned ‘transferrable skills’. And it wasn’t just business shaping the minds of Generation X: the birth of the single-parent family became acceptable and this generation thus carries the ‘latch-key’ tag as parents in single-parent families were forced to work to provide for their family. Generation X was cultured to be independent and in work will ‘ring-fence’ their ‘bit’ and look after it. This is also the generation that started to interact with the Internet and online communication – at least as ‘early adopters’.So what about Generation Y? “Self absorbed” “Brash” “Divas [3]” “Ambitious [4]” “Demanding” “Confident” – Yes!

[1] The Motley Fool UK: Market Comment 19/10/2001, ‘Learn the Lessons from Black Monday’ (19 Oct 2001)
[2] http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=%5EFTSE&t=my&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=, ‘FTSE100 basic chart’ (15 May 2008).
[3] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/recruiter_forum/article1813031.ece, “How to Connect with Generation Y” TimesOnline (20 May 2007)
[4] http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/786810/mt-freshminds-work-20-survey-generation, “Work 2.0 Survey - My generation” (29 Feb 2008)

Is Gen Y ‘for real’?

2008-06-11T21:08:00.003+01:00

We have been hearing about the Generation Y and Baby Boomer stuff for some time now. My question remains, what are the real differences? I can get inside the head of Generation Y, after all, I am one! What separates a Gen Y from a Gen X or a Baby Boomer though? Is it so clear cut I can put a marker in the sand?
On 19 May 1986 TIME magazine published an article entitled “Growing pains at 40”[1] – the article announced the coming of age of the Baby Boomers, they had reached middle age. In the article Senator Al(bert) Gore (then 38 and Democrat of Tennessee), said “We wanted to change it all, to do it our way”. Sound familiar? Sounds like what Generation Y are shouting out right now. They have the energy and the passion to do so. With little to worry about apart from themselves they have the mobility to move around whenever and wherever they like. The article continues by referring to the Baby Boomer as the ‘enelegant’: "Pig in the python," a moving bulge that distorts and distends everything around it as it rumbles through the stages of life. Locked together in a crowded race, many Boomers have learned to use their elbows. The most outspoken members retain a kind of generational arrogance… Again, sounds familiar. Well, what about loyalty? ‘…Not only that, long absorbed in themselves, the Baby Boomers are a generation that has avoided or postponed commitment to others. Many have little loyalty to their employers and less to political leaders or ideas…[2]’ You can draw your own parallels I’m sure but allow me one just briefly; This is exactly how Generation Y are being described by Gen X and Baby Boomer commentators right now: ‘arrogant’, ‘self absorbed’ and ‘increasingly mobile’.
So are there any differences? Of course there are. And Yes, they are dependent on how they were raised, and Yes they are dependent on the environment in which Generation Y is growing up, and Yes it does have to do with Technology and the WWW.

[1] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961401,00.html “Growing Pains at 40”, TIME Magazine (19 May 1986)
[2] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961402,00.html “Growing Pains at 40”, TIME Magazine (19 May 1986)