I was really angry when I got this message. Why? Two reasons: I disliked
the manipulative tone of "motivating the unmotivatable"; but, more
strongly, I dislike the term "Generation X" and the lumping together of
everyone in an age bracket of 15-35, 18-30 or whatever definition you
choose, together. This is not least because on almost all of those scales
I fit neatly in the middle: I was born in 1970...
Apart from the general fact that I think 15-35 (which was the age bracket
used in the advert) is such a wide group as to make any generalised
statements about them/us meaningless, I also don't like the generalised
statements! This stuff you see widely about my generation having no
intrinsic motivation, not wanting to conform or settle down or play the
game - some of it may for some people be true, but I don't think it's
generally so. In particular, the notion of "the slacker generation" that's
sometimes used I find rather offensive. I'm not a slacker, I work hard and
am committed to things, and I know plenty of other people of my generation
who are likewise.
But this is a prelude to the body of my message. I didn't send a short and
angry response along the lines of the above but more intemperate, because
I thought it would be a bad idea, and I should consult the literature a
little first. In doing so, I came across an interesting report from the
British 'new left' think-tank Demos, "Generation X and the new work ethic"
(written by David Cannon in 1994).
Cannon argues that the existence of Generation X is not so much due to
intrinsic factors as to a changing world environment, in particular: the
increasingly invasive media; the coming of worldwide consumer products;
highly accessible computer and communication tools; increased awareness of
global environmental, economic and health issues; and lots of travel.
This, he says, has led to an attitude which involves a decline in trust
and a reliance on the individual's own abilities; a need to keep one's
options open and be independent; a fear of boredom and a love of variety;
a demand for honesty; a high awareness of appearances; a blurring of
gender boundaries; and, most especially, a constant desire to learn new
things and to grow.
So far, so sociological. The thing which caught my eye was his final
couple of pages, where he talks about what kind of companies can most
attract Generation X people: "Organisations that can figure out how to
make their work and their workplace interesting in the eyes of the young
and the bright will have the competitive advantage. ... Many organisations
will fail because it is much harder to create interesting work than to
motivate by money and power. ... organisations which dream about getting
the best out of Generation X will need well-informed imagination and the
capacity to be a learning organisation."
He suggests the following strategies for doing this:
- research on attitudes difference between young employees & managers;
- new management and communications tools;
- more flexible working patterns (flexi-time, tele-working);
- new managerials styles ("managers as enablers, teambuilders & project
leaders");
- a new approach to career development (supporting learning through life,
not as a duty for employees, but as a right);
- managing the transition from equality opportunities to diversity;
- the Worthwhile Ethic (as in making sure that the work is ethically
worthwhile).
I'm really glad in the end that Peter Heineman's message made me
sufficiently cross to read this report! I think it speaks much to me, and
puts this Generation X thing in a rather more positive light. I certainly
feel rather independent and keen to constantly learn, and would strongly
distrust an employer that didn't want me to do so. Whether others of my
generation are the same I can't tell, I'm only me. But it certainly seems
to me a fairly good proposition that for Generation X, the natural place
to work is a learning organisation.
Learningfully,
Magnus
--Magnus Ramage Computing Dept, Lancaster University, LA1 4YR, UK Email: magnus@comp.lancs.ac.uk Web: http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/staff/magnus.html
"Humanity will not be saved by the computer, but by human beings" - Hans Kueng
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>