It had been a while since the game of generation bashing has had a look in but the floor is open again to generational commentary, stereotyping and general whinging following a research report on the values, attitudes, behaviors and demographic characteristics of American Gen Y | Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next
Born 1979 outside or upper end of the generational “age bracket” does nothing to change the fact that I identify most strongly with the Y Generation. While I can see in many friends my age, a stronger tendency to Gen X some of us never had the new generational “stereotypes” to qualify our actions.
Generation Y on Careers
I had to live my “traits” before they became widely touted indicators of our generation. My work career for instance in which I’ve had more than 10 jobs in the last 10 years. Inevitably, there were interviews in which I was asked to justify my job “hopping” to which my response involved learning, challenge, personal circumstance.
Now, in retrospect I can claim this as normal for an entire generation of people. No longer such an outlier, there is some reassurance to the fact that the following opinion is as true to me, as it is Amanda and probably millions more like us.
I don’t think that staying at one company for 20+ years necessarily correlates with building a career. Gen Y’s are more adaptive and willing to jump companies if it means advancing their career and lifestyle goals. I believe that this is a strength of our generation, not a weakness. I would rather change jobs many times to advance my career than allow my career to stagnate due to “corporate loyalty.” ~ Amanda, Tustin, CA : July 8, 2010 4:24 pm
Gen Y on Opportunities
Granted, I can understand that a CV of contract research and 6 – 12 month “career” efforts probably looked disconcerting to potential employers. And probably well it should because each job was for me about discovering something new about what I wanted to do with my life.
In some cases I learnt lessons about what I would do and what I could achieve but in most I learnt more about what I didn’t want. It was a process of discovery that has lead me to the clear realisation that as an employee other people were never going to allow me to challenge the status quo, learn and grow by testing limits. I was not made to fit the “employee” mold, a fact which I believe will prove true of many of our generation.
Being a part of “Gen Y” and soon to be a graduate of business school. I see my generation as one that will not sit in the corporate world to be told what to do when we know it is out dated. We want to be entrepreneurs and create our own opportunities. We will be a generation that wants social responsibility and making our communities better ~ Fletch, Omaha, NE : July 8, 2010 10:00 am
Gen Y Entrepreneurs
Love us or hate us by 2020 we will represent almost 40% of the New Zealand workforce. Maybe it’s time to accept that aspects of our work ethic, our ability to adapt quickly and easily to change for instance, are more suited to modern living.
Our entrepreneurial spirit makes us increasingly willing and able to take risks, our education has armed us with knowledge and insight and today’s technology allows us to connect, share and collaborate in new, more effective ways.
Today we recognise that we always have the option of working for ourselves and at Worknow we encourage this entrepreneurial spirit, the challenge of directing your own future and employing your talent, skills and interests to discover your dream job
Our Southern Maori Business Network gathered last week for the annual Hui.
Four generations of people, Maori and non Maori, representing businesses from concept and start up to long established success stories, in fields as diverse as recycled glass art, spot factoring and farming to native perfume, tourism and accounting.
It was a great success and although all good things must come to an end I returned to Dunedin inspired by the talents, intelligence and collaborative strength of those that attended the Hui.
I am encouraged by the vision of our people, our capacity for sharing and the enduring nature of Maori community. There were many highlights: great company, beautiful surrounds, delicious food, ongoing opportunities to learn and share and connect with people…
I’d like to Thank
Karen, Viv and Trish for making this happen. Awesome work ladies
The crews from the University of Otago Te Taituara Maori Commerce Students Association and Wakatipu High for your participation
Ta Tipene O’Regan for challenging us to work for the collective good and find new ways to envision and create our future
Llyod McGinty, for insight into the future of our green economy and the simple tips (from an energy consultant) like join powershop
Phil Broughton, for making accounting “sexy” his words but we believe him and the students were swayed in favour due to his engaging styles and real life application of knowledge
David Kennedy, for being funny while also making the important distinction that business can create logos and positioning statements but that brand is how our other people perceive our business
Richard Kerr Bell, for highlight the importance of values such as communication and trust in business
Robbie Paul, for evidence that our education system can innovate with today’s skills based learning, training and qualifications providing people with improved pathways to work
Don Rhodes, for challenging the forms of organisation that I believe in and helping me to practice the skills of listening and remaining open minded
Supporting People in Business
I’m am forever thankful to have discovered KUMA at a time in my work life where I was being misled as to the importance of values.
I will never forget the manager that advised that sticking to personal values (honesty & personal integrity) could create barriers to getting work done.
I have never before been so disheartened and am thankful to have moved well beyond that place with a slew of lessons about “what NOT to do”. If it had not been for the wonderful support I received from KUMA – the Southern Maori Business Network I might not have stayed in Dunedin long enough to discover all the other great people and communities that I now know are here.
I’d like to especially thank Phil Broughton and Suzanne Spencer for your support and encouragement and for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great network. It is an immense privilege to be a member of this board of trustees.
At that very first board meeting I discovered a true sense of caring and community (whanau) from a team of people proactively working to help others which confirmed that I could aspire to be in business to help people rather than on the basis of “what’s in it for us”. KUMA empowered me to believe in my values, aspirations and my motives and continues to help me be my most authentic self.
I am a member of an incredible web start up community called the Distiller: A collaborative support network of young and aspiring entrepreneurs creating an environment wherein we support and encourage each other, offer feedback and share the highs and lows of the new venture journey, together.
Throughout the year we hold 12 week “Sprints” as a primary means of sharing with and supporting one another. Each sprint is made up of six fortnightly “therapy sessions” : a forum to discuss the stepping stones towards our end goal.
Basically it’s about answering the question: where do you want to get to over the next 12 weeks? and then breaking this goal down into smaller action orientated tasks.
It is a practice in planning, intended to instill a sense of urgency and keep us focused on putting our plans into action. It is a great model and planning is an excellent disciple but a plan is only ever as good as it’s execution which of course comes back down to having the right people, as I discussed in lessons from an Angel
Failure to execute was seen as the number one reason that companies fail and for this reason – People – the management team is the number one factor influencing the angel’s investment decision.
It’s great to see that our Gen Y entrepreneurial spirit is being noticed in industry and investment circles. Another positive to hear talk of increased funding for young entrepreneurs.
I support the belief that failure offers a wealth of positive learning outcomes. I believe in collaboration, building shared intelligence and I recognise that we will always have much to learn.
Indeed, I welcome support for environments that nurture entrepreneurship, that offer networking and growth opportunities and increase resourcing options for young entrepreneurs.
“The industry knows where the opportunities are, and these young guys have the capability and capacity. We need to go to a forum where we can bring these elements together and allow the market to decide where the solutions are and where the investments happen…If government doesn’t do it, if the software industry doesn’t do it, if the investment industry doesn’t do it, it’s going to happen generationally…within the next 20 years as these kids grow from college to business, they are naturally going to get entrepreneurial understanding and experience. We can either do nothing and wait for that to happen or we can interject and start to facilitate a sort of collaboration, ” Source CIO
20 years vs 2012
Fortunately, NZ will not have to wait 2 years let alone 20 to begin seeing the value contributed by it’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
I am a member of a brilliant web start up community called the Distiller. We thrive on collaboration and continually seek ways to connect with industry.
We would welcome government, business, community and industry investors to “interject” but – so you know – the collaboration you speak of facilitating, the forums for connecting that you suggest, we are working on this already, perhaps even ahead of you on this one. Investment welcome:-) watch this space….
We, Gen Y, have the information, insight and connections to harness ourselves some rather impressive purchasing power.
Already we use tools like Trade me, to help establish market price and demand. Price Spy to inform us on competitive retail pricing and of course, there’s the ever present forms of social media (facebook, twitter, blogs) that we use to seek out recommendation from the people we trust.
Gen Y … are serious, independent information seekers who expect to interact with products and companies online as a matter of course,” … Their decision process begins and ends online, where they seek information, recommendations and validation…Collaboration is another Gen Y trait. As part of their consideration process, they seek recommendations and validation. Favorite tools include social networking, peer marketing, online support networks, text messaging and blogging. Source
There are always new tools or combination’s of existing tools entering the market. Tools like Bid Rivals, cashing in on the established Trade me culture and auction frenzy around low price deals. While here at Worknow we’ve set out to provide people a more cost effective way to connect with service opportunities.
In a world awash with online and mobile tools, it’s no longer a question about HOW to connect, it’s about knowing with WHOM we connect.
We humans are social creatures, so finding and connecting with other people – in part nature and in part need – is a process that is continually refined and enhanced.
Today’s online world has become a social space for seeking out and facilitating human interaction with the growing power of social search seen with the launch of twitter lists.
Literally, millions of lists created to organise diverse topics – Dunedin (location) Distiller (Group) Volunteering (Industry Sector) – as a collection of who, rather than what.
Worknow, connecting talented people with work opportunity
We’ve combined tools to help people find and connect with work opportunities based on their talent profile. A community marketplace using the familiar bid, buy and feedback system to help people find and bid for work on paying projects and offer time on volunteer work opportunities. As a community member you can use social networking tools to:-
Showcase your talents, skills and work experience, your values, interests and more…
Search and be found, based on the information you choose to share
Connect, communicate and collaborate with people of common purpose and vision
Build your online CV and living work history, a testimonial to your talents, skill and experience.
–noun
1. something that is intended; purpose; design; intention
2. the act or fact of intending, as to do something
3. the state of a person’s mind that directs actions toward a specific object.
4. meaning or significance.
“We aspire to create a world class business that helps people & effects change” Co Founders May 2009.
Social Entrepreneurship
It may be the Gen Y catchphrase du jour yet it encapsulates our endeavor to combine the best of both “non-profit” and “for profit” business models.
Rather than being opposite ends of a scale we believe there is a middle ground where the realms of “non profit” and “for profit” business combine for the greater good.
And it would seem we are far from the only people thinking like this with terms like philantrocapitalism, natural capitalism, capitalism 3.0, venture philanthropy and philanthropreneur being coined to define the synergy.
To be always learning
Yet it wasn’t inspired TED talks that led us to think this way. We’ve studied, watched and learned. We’ve been inspired and gained insight from those that went before us.
Our entrepreneurial spirit makes us increasingly willing to take risks, to experiment, to make mistakes and learn from them while today’s technology allows us to connect, share and collaborate in new, more effective ways.
Our efforts to effect change, by necessity must begin small. Yet we believe this Time Trade tool, in the hands of creative, collaborative people has the potential to transform communities and enhance the way we work together.
Business Week recently lead with a story entitled The Lost Generation discussing the effects of the existing job crisis on young people in the USA.
the continuing job crisis is hitting young people especially hard – damaging both their future and the economy…studies show that an extended period of youthful joblessness can significantly depress lifetime income
As today’s figures show, youth unemployment is also a problem here in New Zealand. Yet, suggestions around creating a sub minimum wage to encourage employers to take on young people does little to empower or improve their future earnings potential. It simply undervalues their time, skills and talent and feeds into the downward spiral of lower lifetime income.
We see ways to empower young people, support Gen Y’s potential, harness their talents and help them discover their place in the workforce
“…We seem to have focused wrongly on building CV’s rather than building businesses…” Sam Morgan
We currently have a wealth of talented young people preparing themselves to be employed rather than cultivating talents which could drive economic growth through the creation of new business and new jobs.
Things are changing on the education front but we believe there is opportunity to provide additional tools to help young people transition from study to work.
The solution we are offering incorporates work experience, education and elements of the traditional CV
1. We want to encourage Volunteer Work Experience as a means to build confidence and valuable work skills so we are facilitating a system of Time Trade (a.k.a Time Banking) to encourage, recognise and reward volunteer activity.
2. A Peer Mentoring Community connecting Graduates with recent Alumni who can share with students of the same / similar discipline their experience of the study / work transition and highlight the real life opportunities available in the marketplace.
Where to look, who to talk to, which skills are important etc. Existing examples include the future in tech initiative to which we hope Time Trade could be applied as a tool for rewarding their career ambassadors.
3. We are using social networking tools and talent profiles to allow young people to build a living work history, a CV with a wealth of testimonials to their talent, skill and work ethic. A talent profile against which they can also be matched with volunteer and paid work opportunities.
Youth unemployment is a major issue but it’s reassuring to know that there are many community based organisations stepping up to help keep young people engaged in productive activity despite the fact of high unemployment.
Using video and the recent 350 Climate Actions we sort to portray the the integral role social media plays in connecting and engaging with Gen Y volunteers.
Lani’s reputation preceded her, as did we in the Workshop format, so at the very least everyone coming to see her would have to sit through our presentation first.
We didn’t exactly stick with the abstract submitted but it was reassuring to see that at least three points that we made around Gen Y Volunteers:-
the use of social media
collaboration vs control
work experience
Were confirmed in person by the talented young volunteers (14 – 17yrs) that accompanied Lani on the road trip up from Dunedin.
Although we did not use the opportunity to discuss our own project hopefully between ourselves and the Otago Volunteering crew we provided some first hand insight into the collaborative and visual style of Gen Y volunteers.
Thanks toVolunteering NZ for the opportunity to attend and be heard.
Saturday 24th October 2009, International Day of Climate Action
This weekend I was absolutely inspired by the collaborative efforts and talents of our young people driving action and solutions for climate change. The leadership that encouraged and inspired action is living proof that Gen Y is a growing force for positive change.
The creation of a Spring Food Festival, that drew more than 15000 visitors to the Dunedin Railway Station on Saturaday, shows that collaboration – with a focus on solutions vs. problems – is the best way to get individuals, communities, countries in fact the entire planet to unite for the common good.
For more information on the wonderful work of 350 teams around aotearoa and the world check out some of these links:-
It’s time to provide greater recognition for all types of volunteer community work because while it’s not the kind of work that “pays the bills” it is the efforts of volunteers in our community, every single day, that connects and holds our society together. Massive Respect.
Using Technology to Connect with Generation Y Volunteers
We are presenting a workshop at the Volunteering NZ Conference – Wellington, Thursday 29th October @ 10:45 – to present the idea that online media is an effective way to reach out and engage with young people and encourage them to volunteer.
I’d taken for granted that non-profit organisations were already using online media to engage with potential volunteers. In fact, I know several that do www.350.org.nz is a great example of a non-profit that applies social media to good effect.
Yet, when we asked Otago University students recently where they would look for volunteering opportunities we recieved answers such as; in the newspaper.
Clearly, there’s a perceived notion that the non-profit world is still marketing via the old school methods which presents the opportunity to raise awareness and engage with Gen Y volunteers, online. And that’s not just my bias speaking either, it’s advice straight from the horses mouth.
“What do you think is the most effective way for organisations to promote or advertise to students?”
We’ve been asking Gen Y students variations of this question for weeks now and the following answer, reflects the opinion offered by more than five out of every nine students
“For students I think the internet. Internet for us, is our demographics best marketing tool. It’s what we do…social networking sites are pretty key… and get out to a lot of people really quickly”
Many Gen Y would describe themselves as always online “…’cause thats were everyone is, all the time…” The online environment is such an integral element of our life now days that we’ve begun simply to assume that if we seek information, answers or opportunities they can be found at our fingertips.
So despite having only 20 minutes, luckily, both students and the online usage statisitcs support our proposal that; online is a great way to connect with the next generation of volunteers. If you’re in Wellington on the 29th and interested in talking volunteering and / or time trade we’d love to talk.
Gen Y Entrepreneurs
Love us or hate us by 2020 we will represent almost 40% of the New Zealand workforce. Maybe it’s time to accept that aspects of our work ethic, our ability to adapt quickly and easily to change for instance, are more suited to modern living.
Our entrepreneurial spirit makes us increasingly willing and able to take risks, our education has armed us with knowledge and insight and today’s technology allows us to connect, share and collaborate in new, more effective ways.
Today we recognise that we always have the option of working for ourselves and at Worknow we encourage this entrepreneurial spirit, the challenge of directing your own future and employing your talent, skills and interests to discover your dream job