At the start of a project I always do research. I don't go to the library. I rarely start by talking with an expert. I don't read a book or find an industry magazine. I don't even search Google. I go straight to YouTube.
I read recently that the average time spent on a task is only 11 minutes before attention wanders. YouTube fits my need perfectly. It is a wealth of knowledge, from a multi-faceted range of people, fed to me in short, visually interesting pieces.
I am a digital native.
There is a lot of talk at the moment around how to combine the four generations in the working world; the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, GenX and GenY. These definitions seem redundant to me.
The classification is based on the idea that people who have gone through similar experiences will have similar values. This idea, I think, holds water. The assertion that everybody who was born between 1978 and 1998 have been through similar experiences, however, is ridiculous.
We are working in a global world. Which by itself creates a whole load more issues. You want to learn more about the cultures people come from so you can better understand them- but you don't want to pigeonhole them with stereotypes. You want to be sympathetic of their values and life goals- but you don't want to presume you know what they want.
Most of the research I have come across is around how to accommodate this new generation of Digital Natives into the workplace, another ridiculous thought. Digital Natives, by definition, are adaptable and will create their own space in any work force.
It is the Digital Immigrants who are having trouble dealing with this.
I saw a interview with a bunch of GenY kids. They were asked why they expected to go on holiday two months after starting a new job. That was the first time that it had occurred to me that a holiday was seen as a reward. It was a luxury not a necessity. This simple statement, for me, optimizes the difference between the generations, the natives and the immigrants.
For me the reason to work is twofold. Firstly, to earn money so that I can do the things I want to do. Secondly, by not working I am limiting what everyone else can do. If nobody worked there would be no way I could go on holiday without walking, as there would be no pilots, no hotels, no shops, no phones- no internet. So I work.
There is a popular statistic going around at the moment that it took radio 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million, television 13 years, the Internet just four and Facebook three. The world is evolving faster and faster. Facebook gained 50 million new active users in first three months of this year.
The modern workplace needs to catch up with Digital Natives, and Digital Immigrants need to know how to adapt.
New teams will be virtual and temporary- doesn't this benefit the Immigrants as much as the Natives?
By being comfortable using online, collaborative software baby boomers can put off retiring, which many can't afford to do anyway. They can work in a virtual team from wherever they are.
So they want to move abroad? No problem, as long as there is internet. So they want to have long holidays? No problem, join a temporary team. Want longer weekends? No problem, job share.
The industry is so focused on hiring the younger generation because they are "tech savvy" they miss out on the potential of the baby boomers.
It is estimated that by the time I am 38 I will have had 10-14 jobs, I have already had 5 (I am 21 now). So if you want to invest training and resources into someone who is in it for the long run, I suggest someone from a more mature age group.
It is true that baby boomers have had quite bad press recently; The Pinch: How the Baby Boomers Stole Their Children's Future, The Baby Boomers Have Totally Screwed Us Over, and other such titles fill the Internet. But they must still be able to bring something to the table, right?
According to HR Management baby boomers are great project managers, they have focus and drive. They want success and they expect the same from the rest of their workforce.
In my experience this is what is missing from the Digital Natives, whether they want it or not. With so many distractions, and the blurring lines between information and entertainment, a good leader to keep the team on task will be a great benefit.
For all this segmentation the only thing left to say is that you must treat everyone like an individual. If you are struggling with a person- talk to them. Every single person has different expectations from work and different ways of working so embrace the difference.
You may just find that your differences complement their differences.
