Brought to you by thedigitalgangster — who will be discussing each chapter — video style. Thanks DG!

This video is about the founder of the Glimpse Foundation

New CareerBuilder.com Study Reveals Significant Gap Between Generation Y Workers and Co-workers

A new survey by CareerBuilder.com points to more pronounced generational gaps in communications styles and job expectations in the workplace. Titled “Gen Y at Work,” the survey was conducted from June 1 to June 13, 2007 among 2,546 hiring managers and Human Resource professionals across all industries.

Nearly half (49 percent) of employers surveyed said the biggest gap in communication styles between Generation Y workers (employees 29 years old or younger) and workers older than them is that Gen Y workers communicate more through technology than in person. Another one-in-four (25 percent) say they have a different frame of reference, especially in terms of pop culture.

In terms of job expectations, 87 percent of all hiring managers and HR professionals say some or most Gen Y workers feel more entitled in terms of compensation, benefits and career advancement than older generations. Seventy-three percent of hiring managers and HR professionals ages 25 to 29 share this sentiment. Employers provided the following examples:

– 74 percent of employers say Gen Y workers expect to be paid more
– 61 percent say Gen Y workers expect to have flexible work schedules
– 56 percent say Gen Y workers expect to be promoted within a year
– 50 percent say Gen Y workers expect to have more vacation or personal
time
– 37 percent say Gen Y workers expect to have access to state-of-the-art
technology

Over half (55 percent) of employers over the age of 35 feel Gen Y workers have a more difficult time taking direction or responding to authority than other generations of workers.

“Generation Y workers are an important segment of the workforce and literally the future of companies and organizations,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. “They grew up in a technology-driven world where standards and norms have changed and often operate under different perspectives than older co-workers. As companies cultures evolve with each generation, you see all workers benefiting from a variety of viewpoints and work styles.”

Fifteen percent of employers said they changed or implemented new policies or programs to accommodate Gen Y workers — changes, Haefner points out, that would have likely benefited workers of all ages. Examples include:

– More flexible work schedules (57 percent);
– More recognition programs (33 percent);
– More access to state-of-the-art technology (26 percent);
– Increased salaries and bonuses (26 percent);
– More ongoing education programs (24 percent);
– Paying for cell phones, blackberries, etc. (20 percent);
– More telecommuting options (18 percent);
– More vacation time (11 percent).

Mari Moss, who is featured in Chapter 24 of Millennial Leaders.   She is one amazing Gen Y leader!

Mari Moss abandoned a promising entertainment career following the shooting death of a friend and moved back to her hometown of Canton, Ohio, to combat violence. She is the founder and executive director of Present Your Talents for Peace, a non-profit organization showcasing the talents of Stark County youth. Mari is also a volunteer producer and director of PEACE TV (Positive Events in Arts Culture and Education Television), a youth oriented broadcast program. Her efforts provide young people with positive alternatives to gang violence, drug abuse and other risky behaviors. Mari`s vision is to be a positive inspiration to young people and encourage them to make positive changes in their lives.

I encourage you today to check out what Mari is up to through  www.youtube.com/PEACETV.  Her videos are truly inspiring!

Great blog entry from Mike Masterson.  Mike is a top sales director for IBM and is also a great coach!  So here you go:

Check it out - What do you think? The Millenials Are Coming… A new generation wave is coming

By Mike Masterson

Here’s my opinion

I think there are a variety of dynamics at play here which will make it a lively topic for a long time. As you know - the attitudes towards the Gen Y profile comes from many lenses and causes - contribution from corporate america, from parents, media, society, economic, and from the influence of the peer groups from all generations - most importantly from each own. And in each perspective we sit - it truly depends on what the Gen Y individual learned in their own cycle of influence.

Read the full post here.

By Bea Fields

Jason Dorsey, who is featured in Chapter 20 of Millennial Leaders, was featured on 60 Minutes last night in the segment called Here Come the Millennials. It was a great segment, and I want to congratulate you Jason! Great job!

To see the segment go to CBS’ 60 Minutes Website

The comments on the CBS website have been very negative.  I have commented one time…just tried to add a new comment to the CBS site, and their system is not working.  So, I want to say this:

Blaming Generation Y for being entitled, lazy and narcissistic does nothing to help our communication across Generations.  As Baby Boomers, we have raised our kids to think they can “be it all” or “do it all”, and we have built them up to expect the unachievable.  We have told them since they could walk and talk that “You are special” and “You have to be competitive…you have to get the Ivy League Scholarship”.  Jason Dorsey, a top Gen Y Leader even said so on the show last night.

So where does the responsibility fall?  I believe that if Boomers want to see something different happen in our families and workplace, we have to take the first step…to get in there and learn from Gen Y and help lead them.  To blame Gen Y and call them names simply points the finger back to Boomers to say “This is how you raised your kids”.

The Boomers (and I am a Baby Boomer, so I am “entitled” to say this) who are complaining are at the root of the problem, and I don’t say that lightly.  How did we feel when the Silent Generation was up in arms about our cry of “freedom, sex, drugs and rock music”?  Our parents were saying the same thing about us!  And, we turned around and used this same sense of entitlement and indomitable self esteem to raise, teach and coach Gen Y.   As I have always said “If you spot it…you got it!”  Gen Y is simply a more tech savvy, more enhanced version of the Baby Boomer Generation.

And…on the work ethic.  Why would Gen Y want to work 60 hours a week like Dad or Mom…who worked and worked only to get laid off or fired (or end up in the hospital with a heart attack)?   Maybe Gen Y has this whole thing figured out.

This issue is not about Gen Y.  This issue is about the clashing of mindsets between Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y, which is how our world evolves…this is not 1970 or even 1980.  This is the year 2007, and the world has changed and is changing.  Things are going to look  even more different as the next generation comes on board (and Generation Y might not “get” the next generation just like Boomers don’t “get” Gen Y).  So, if you really want to see this situation improve, then get in there and do something about it.  You can start by looking at what behaviors you are enabling (are you running to the principal every time something happens?  Are you calling your son’s employer to find out why he didn’t get a raise?)  It’s time that we all grow up and support Gen Y in becoming the best leaders they can become for our future.  And by all means…stop calling them names and resisting their efforts…that does nothing but make things worse!

Jason Dorsey, who is featured in Chapter 20 of Millennial Leaders, was featured on 60 Minutes tonight in the segment called Here Come the Millennials. It was a great segment, and I want to congratulate you Jason! Great job!

To see the segment go to CBS’ 60 Minutes Website

Delioitte recently had an internal film contest for employees to create films that could be used to recruit Gen Yers. The the first-ever Deloitte Film Festival, a new approach to leveraging employee-generated content to bolster Gen Y recruiting activities and drive workforce engagement.

Here’s how the program worked — the program where they recruited their own folks to make videos

Here’s how the program worked (and it did work):

Digital video production kits were offered to the first 250 registrants to encourage maximum participation.

Due to high levels of interest, Deloitte had to make an additional 100 cameras available to teams.

More than 370 short films were submitted by teams of one to seven members from offices across the U.S.

Each video offered what the company said was a “candid and unfiltered view of Deloitte’s culture of inclusion, leading edge talent and innovative workplace.” (Exactly how unfiltered it was is always difficult to say from the outside.)

The submitted films were posted on an internal “You Tube-like” intranet site where they were viewed and rated by Deloitte employees, with the best films integrated into campus recruiting programs.

Finally, in a corporate social responsibility bonus, the company integrated the program into its “Community Involvement Initiative” — according to the multimedia press release, “upon completion of the film festival, cameras and equipment will be donated to nonprofit organizations, including FilmAid International and IFP, that use the power of film to support displaced people around the world.”

370 +short films were submitted by teams of Deloitte personnel from offices across the U.S. firms. The submitted films were posted on an internal “You Tube-like” intranet site where they were viewed and rated by Deloitte employees. (Why not share them externally on You-Tube??)

The best-rated films will be integrated into campus recruiting programs, Deloitte said.

Generation Y is the fastest-growing population in the workforce, representing 22 percent of all workers. By 2010, approximately 10 million more “Gen Yers” are expected to join the working world, outnumbering their predecessors, according to RainmakerThinking, Inc.

Nice original approach, but shouldn’t they be asking perspective candidates to submit YouTube videos during their application process

Some info for this blog taken from PRWeb and other sources…

In chapter 12 of Millennial Leaders, we honor two leaders from St. Cloud Minnesota:  Mayor David Kleis and 14-year old Austin Lee.

Austin has been featured all over the news for his leadership and expertise at such a young age.  You see, when Austin went to Mayor Kleis and told him about his ideas for a new skate park, Kleis was extremely impressed…so much so that he appointed Austin to the Parks and Rec board…now that’s a bold move.

Austin’s dad, Jeff, is such a humble man…he quietly goes about supporting Austin, and he did post about Austin being featured in our book in his blog View from the Cloud (you gotta love that blog name!)  He apologized for apperaing to be braggadocious, and so I did leave a comment for Jeff…here is what I said (and I believe this heart and soul).

“Jeff…Thank-you for mentioning about Austin. I have been telling the world about him, so I can say with confidence that he is one amazing kid (as I am sure your other kids are).

As a parent of three college-age kids, I know how it feels to “brag” about your kids…but you know what…I think that often parents don’t say enough great things about their kids. We are their advocates, so it makes me smile to hear you stepping up and being proud of Austin…and telling people about it.

What many people don’t know is that when our kids put their heads on their pillows at night, they want to know that their parents love them and are proud of them…so I encourage you to continue putting out to the world all that Austin and your kids are doing. It is certainly something to share!”

So, if you are reading this and you have children…do one thing tomorrow…brag on them to one person…it will make your child’s day!

As a perfect example of the mash up of technology, networking and traditional / non-traditional media that Gen Y is using , I offer this.

Within days of the release of our book, Millenial Leaders, one of the leaders we highlighted, Eric Green a/k/a “The Digital Gangster” created a video on YouTube thanking us for inclusion in the book.  But, in typical Gen Y fashion he didn’t stop there. He also challenged himself and his friends to create 25 videos in total to highlight each of the themes and individuals that are featured in Millenial Leaders.

You can join them in generating content about what you think about the book, this Generation, or your own leadership successes or opportunities by adding your own video at YouTube.

For those of you who have not had a chance to watch the PBS Documentary, Speak Up and Be Heard, you can view the full series here: (Good stuff!)

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation-next/documentary/

You will need to download Real Player to view all.

The documentary includes an interview with Jean Twenge, who we feature in Chapter 2 of Millennial Leaders.