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Coaching Generation Y

Guest post by: Jonathan Payne

Article Overview: The new generation entering the workplace has a different philosophy from those that have gone before. To accommodate both the new thinking and legitimate business interests, organisations should move to ensure that coaching is part of their organisational culture.

Coaching Generation Y

If ever there was a reason for organisations to take coaching seriously as a critical part of their culture it is the mindset of the young generation of workers now coming into the marketplace. Labelled by demographic researchers as "Generation Y" they have great expectations from the workplace and desire to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt their lives to the workplace. There is an expectation that work will include fun, rather than be separate from it, and that the objective of work is to enhance their life.

This generation has also been raised with the philosophy that no one loses, earning them the title "Trophy Generation", accustomed to getting trophies simply for participating. Sometimes accused of having an attitude of entitlement, this generation does not respect position as much as it respects ability. They follow those who they regard as worthy of their loyalty rather than those who have been appointed to leadership positions. Because they are not strongly dedicated to the win or lose dichotomy, this generation also rejects competition and office politics within an organisation.

This is also the generation raised on a diet of electronic games. True to the nature of these games failure is not a calamity, merely a learning experience. Even if you mess up and are wiped out, press the restart and try again. There is a shift away from learning the rules first before starting the action. The trend is to plough right into the situation to see what happens. Learning is done on the fly and is gained experientially rather than theoretically. The result is an apparent arrogance that believes they can step into the CEO's position directly out of college. Why do you need years of experience if you can work it out as you go along?

Ultimately, the emerging workforce does not subscribe to a "one size fits all" philosophy and seeks individual meaning, purpose and satisfaction from employment.

What then is the best way to manage this generation?

Older generations in the workplace might take the attitude that the youngsters must simply learn to conform to current business practice. The reality, however, is that they won't. But if this generation doesn't comply with current norms, is the expectation that business must change to fully accommodate their needs? If so, it leaves us with the unsettling prospect of allowing youngsters to crash and burn major projects, if not entire organisations, and see it as a learning experience, for which they should be rewarded, rather than a disaster for which they should be fired.

Clearly the new generation and current business must engage each other constructively and that brings me back to the increasing importance of coaching in the workplace.

The coaching process is a step away from mechanistic management and leadership by appointment. It allows for the personalised approach preferred by the new generation while also requiring accountability and responsibility. Coaching allows leaders to build constructive relationships with their staff and earn the respect they need to lead effectively.

Most importantly, coaching is a thinking process and provides a place for potential mistakes to be identified in the thinking rather than in the implementation. Organisations cannot allow themselves to become the experimental playgrounds of up and coming managers. They have a responsibility to best practices and sound governance to protect their employees, clients and shareholders.

Where the experimentation can happen, however, is in the thought process. A wise manager grooming a Generation Y'er will take the time to listen to the ideas of their protégé, take them seriously and help them think them through. They would ask questions about the motivation behind the thought and the possible implications of actions resulting from that thought. Disaster in the thought process costs nothing and is a genuine learning experience. Coaching helps that thinking to be uncovered before it moves into action.

It is inevitable that those schooled in the language of respect, hierarchy, learning the ropes and earning position will clash with the generation which believes it can do all things, needs to learn nothing, expects the workplace to adapt to it and wants to be in charge right away. For both generations to adapt to each other's philosophies, strong, constructive, understanding relationships need to be forged and that process must include sound thinking supported by rigorous coaching.

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Article Tags: coaching Generation Y, Generation Y, legitimate business interests, new generation



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