Diffusing the Gen Y Entitlement Challenge
After speaking to Cornell University alumni on managing multi-generational teams, I was asked the following question:
My question is about how Gen Y have difficulty when they aren’t invited to every meeting. This is seen by Gen X and Baby Boomers as a sense of entitlement. I’m wondering about language to use regarding those situations.
My answer is that Gen Y are used to having a voice at the table, and being listened to, from an early age. This can be seen as entitlement to Baby Boomers and Gen X, yet seem normal to Gen Y. No one is right or wrong; it’s just a matter of perspective. Remembering that Gen Y values making a difference, balance and the macro (among other things), I’d start by say something like this (a ** means time for the person to reply):
Ariana, I know how important balance is to you. So to help you maintain a sense of balance at work, let’s talk about your impact at work and therefore which meetings are valuable for you to attend and which are not as valuable to you or the organization.
Where are you making a difference at work? **
And what’s the impact of focusing on those areas for yourself? **
What’s the impact of focusing on those areas for the organization? **
Where do you need to focus to keep that impact strong? **
With that in mind, which meetings are best for you to attend? **
Which are not as important and will just add an imbalance of meetings to your day? **
Does this make sense to you? If so, try it and let me know how it goes! Email me at anne@anneloehr.com with your questions. I’ll be happy to answer directly to any queries you may have.
