Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y

CHAPTER FIVE

GIVE THEM THE GIFT OF CONTEXT

At the orientation, they went on and on about how this is my company now too. They want me to feel like I am an owner of the company. They said they look at us as “internal customers.” Then I get in trouble for talking too much in the first team meeting. My supervisor tells me, “You've only been here for two weeks; maybe you should just hold your comments and pay attention.” I didn't appreciate that too much.

—Gen Yer

The following story was told to me by a senior executive in a large automobile parts supply company: “We were downsizing the organization, but we were trying to do it through controlled attrition. So we were offering buyouts for senior people in certain categories who were willing and able ...