What’s Up with Gen Y’s “Lack of Commitment”?

Someone recently asked me about Gen Y’s lack of commitment, saying “They’re not as dedicated at work as the rest of us”. My answer: It’s all a matter of  perspective.

Let’s take the case of Marie and Alicia. Marie, 45, has been a senior-level manager at the Generate Health Food Store for over 5 years. She ensures that the organizational values and standards are met on a regular basis. She is also Alicia’s supervisor.

Alicia, 27, just joined Generate one year ago. She is well respected by her peer group and loved by the clients.

Lately Marie has noticed that in general, the newer and younger members of Generate are not adhering to the standards she holds. She has also noticed this with  Alicia. Although Alicia can recite the organizational values and behaviors, she doesn’t seem to embrace them. For example, Marie believes that unwavering commitment means working extra hours and doing whatever it takes to exceed customer expectations Alicia is very committed to helping the customers when she is with them; she also leaves as soon as her shift is  over and declines any extra work from her supervisors.

Alicia is very surprised when Marie discusses her “lack of commitment” at a recent one-on-one meeting. Alicia feels that she is very committed to her customers and work; she gives 110% at work. She is also committed to her personal health and marriage, which is why she leaves work right at the end of her shift, so that she can exercise and spend the evening with her husband.

So how can Alicia and Marie bridge this generation gap?

1. Generate needs to define “unwavering commitment”, since it can mean different things to different people. Once everyone in the company understands what it means, then people can start from the same point.

2. Once the company has defined the components, Alicia and Marie need to discuss what it means to them as well. If they take the time to explain their perspective, they’ll understand each other’s behaviors better. And instead of saying “Alicia isn’t committed”, Marie may start to see that Alicia is actually very committed to health in many ways, not just at work.

3. Finally, Alicia and Marie need to determine each other’s ‘hot buttons’. If they know what potentially offends the other person, they can find ways to avoid that behavior.

It’s not always easy to do. However, if both people are committed, it is possibler to bridge the generation gap!