Lately I’ve been reading a variety of articles that focus on a range of topics regarding work, work ethic, leadership, purpose, and the entry-level-fresh-out-of-school workers, and I believe they send mixed messages. Granted, I’m a bit older than some of the age groups these various articles refer to; but, I do still connect with them and it rubs me the wrong way that there’s this overwhelming belief that Gen Y is lazy.
First, I do agree that there are some people who are young and fresh out of wherever who are truly lazy and think things should just be handed to them. That being said, there are always going to be people who think like that regardless of their age. Assuming it only exists with the Gen Y/Gen Me group is pretty much like walking around with blinders on. Now, moving on…
When I was still in grad school, the phrase ‘work-life balance’ was thrown around as frequently as the word ‘student.’ Everyone was talking about having a work-life balance, but truly achieving it was often unattainable. In the leadership field, we constantly discussed setting boundaries only to turn around and break them. BUT one thing we did talk a lot about (and actively practiced eliminating) was The Busy Trap. Oh yes, we diligently called each other out when we were purposely trying to be busy. We avidly sought out time each day to get quiet and appreciate how it reenergized us. We spoke about it constantly in classes. And, mostly, it worked. The work we did in grad school was meaningful. Things that weren’t meaningful weren’t on our plates.
Out in the ‘real world’ of working, busy is the cool thing to do again. Being busy and always having an over-flowing amount of work to get done so that staying late is the only option is the way to make you seem like you’re important. Being busy has always been a virtue in the business world. From my experiences as a grad student, I learned that the opposite is actually true. I successfully did more work when it was focused and meaningful than I ever did when it was just work. This type of over-the-top-come-in-early-stay-late work is what people refer to as a ‘job.’ Even more so, when they’re just doing it to look important, (which usually leads to a lot of wasted time). Then, on top of that, so often companies don’t have a stated, organized purpose and/or tasks that are clearly moving the company in that (not) stated direction, which makes employees’ tasks seem meaningless.
Now throw in the concept that Gen Y (aka Gen Me) are a bunch of lazy slackers who want everything handed to them. This leads me to the question, ‘What is hard work?’ Hard work to the previous generation (as still frequently exhibited by their work patterns and behaviors) seems like a desk full of paper work, meeting after meeting, late nights, and early mornings. Yeah, that may have earned them promotions and raises, but they’re overworked. They were providers for their families. These young adults who are now entering the workforce watched their parents (many probably still are) struggle and work late nights, missing their children’s baseball games and award ceremonies.
Here’s the thing, Gen Y look at work differently than their parents did simply because of their childhood experiences:
“Generation Y came of age watching their parents – many of whom were overworked and stressed out. Where the previous generation saw work as the primary part of life, Generation Y’s priorities are different. For Gen Y-ers, work needs to fit within their lives and many are not willing to shape their lives around work demands. They want a full life that includes ample time with family, friends, and free time to pursue outside interests. The most common request these employees make of their employer is for flexibility and acknowledgment of the obligations and responsibilities that they face outside of the office.”
Work-Life Balance is Generation Y’s Top Priority
So, there seems to be a disconnect between what the previous generations view as hard work and what they incoming generation sees it as. I can imagine that this probably comes off as lazy. I argue that it is not true; Gen Y just looks at work differently. They don’t want to be busy with work that isn’t fulfilling. They don’t want to work just to work.
Gen Y want to be doing something meaningful. They want to be working for a company that engages them and has a direct, impactful purpose. They don’t want just any old job…they want a vocation. So, Gen Y doesn’t just want to work to make money. Instead, they want to work to make a change. They want their jobs to line up with their purposes.
Of course, to previous generations, it might look like Gen Y are dreamy, non-committed drifters who are unable to work hard and put time and effort into their future. To many in Gen Y, though, they don’t want a job that made them miserable like their parents were (are). Those who are infiltrating the workforce see building their future as finding a calling and balance so that they can live more holistically than their parents did, and the disconnect in viewpoints is generating such a gap that prevents each group of workers from learning from each other.
todayshewrites 