Want A Glimpse Into The Future? Get To Know Generation Y
February 10th, 2009 by 
beafields People love to sit and ponder the future. I suppose given our current state of affairs, this is easier than thinking about today.
But, if you love talking about the future, here is a thought. I believe that Generation Y…their values, norms and world views…can show us what we can expect in the future. For today, I would like to ask you to consider 3 values Generation Y holds dear and how these are going to impact our lives in the next 5-7 years.
1) Scrutiny. Generation Y is a generation who not only can smell BS a mile away, they know how to use technology to strengthen their “BS Detector” and to let the world know when something is not adding up. Given the recent events on Wall Street, I believe that we are all going to be called to be much more honest and transparent (yeah…it’s a big buzzword right now with the Obama team). In the future, you can expect your business to be scrutinized on a daily basis. Generation Y is big on integrity, and if they are not sure that your business is on the up and up, just expect some fall out. It’s time now to go ahead and get your business/organization cleaned up (including people who don’t add up!)
2) Technology. Everyone talks about Gen Y being “tech savvy.” That is one way to say it. Another way to look at Gen Y’s relationship with technology is that is a mechanism for them to connect, get things done and speed things up. As Generation Y moves into adulthood, I believe we are going to transition to seamless technology (right now, for many of us, our access to technology is still in bits and pieces). As I was using a new iTunes App last week, I had a quick flash in my mind of every piece of information we need being stored in the palm of our hand and being able to control it with our voice and eyes (maybe I watch too many movies, but I do think Gen Y will take us in this direction…remember, flexibiliy, mobility and friends are huge values for Gen Y…and they need to have access 24/7…as we all are now saying we need!)
3) Talent Development. The Gen Y demographis is filled with rock stars. As competition increases on a global scale, I believe that we are going to be witnessing some incredibly talented people emerge into our business world. I would not be surprised to see a cure for cancer emerge from this generation AND a cure for our economy. As I watch young athletes and entertainers emerge, the talent just seems to get stronger and stronger.
Would love to hear your thoughts on Gen Y and our future. I believe there are great things ahead with our young leaders.
Posted in About Generation Y | 
1 Comment »
February 11th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I think you make some great points Bea -as usual-. but I’d like to add a fourth category:
Diversity. Older generations have put a lot of emphasis on something that is inherent in the gen-y population. 1 in 3 is a minority and in a recent survey 9 of out 10 children under 12 that said sthey had a friend of a different ethnicity. IMO, leaders can look to gen-y to instill a “who cares” mentality towards some of the things previous generations have considered corporate taboos.