Blogging is the New Staff Picnic

I’m tired of reading about how generation Y is slowly wrecking corporate culture. I first heard the grunts, groans and gripes of bosses across America on a segment of the television news-magazine, 60 Minutes. The segment called “The ‘Millennials’ Are Coming” discussed how a “new breed” of workers who are making it no fun to be in a managerial role in for the coming years.

It is true. Because of their entitlement issues among other things, a portion of Generation Y is giving bosses across America one giant headache. But we aren’t all that way. For the portion of Generation Y that is a little high-maintenance, well, I blame the Baby Boomers that raised them.

The Baby Boomers - the generation that kept their nose to the grindstone and did not even think to ask anything of their bosses in return - have raised their children to think they are the best thing to ever set foot on this earth. Baby Boomers wanted their children to have everything that they couldn’t have as a child. In the younger years, parents involved their Gen Yer in soccer, karate, and ballet where everyone got a trophy just for participating. In high school, parents were there to fight with teachers about the poor grade that their student supposedly did not deserve. And in college, parents continue to hound professors and faculty members about a variety of things ranging from the dorm room their child was placed in to the grade their student earned on his or her midterm. Where in all of this does a child raised by a Baby Boomer get the message that “life isn’t fair”?

These Baby Boomers that are involved with every aspect of their child’s life are called “helicopter parents.” The term is not that new. There are several in-depth articles on the topic. One article by USA Today and another in the Washington Post both address this problem of parents not letting go and quite literally “hovering” over their kids as they progress through early adulthood.

At this point, I don’t know of a quick and dirty solution. Most of the damage has been done. Management has tried to adapt to the special needs that many workers now have. It is a vicious cycle, really. As Baby Boomers continue to retire, all they really want is a little respect in the workplace from the generation that they raised. But the Baby Boomers are having a difficult time getting the respect they deserve after 40-plus years in the workplace. When lists start popping up regarding “top signs that your boss is trying to adapt,” you have to know Generation Y isn’t buying in to the “we’re cool, too” approach that some older managers are taking in the tech industry.

Management does not need to be hip and cool to gain a Generation Yer’s respect. It is about being honest. And I didn’t think of that. That is what Generation Y is blogging. My solution is for managers to start opening up via blogging. Join the conversation. Generation Y is already talking about their employers online; so for managers, a personal blog is the perfect way to get the truth and open up outside of the workplace.

Blogging can be where managers can approach employees without the rigid corporate structure. The way I think of it is that blogging is the new spring company picnic.

That should give everyone something to think about.

Until next time…