Saturday, January 9, 2010

Gen Y Leadership

a Biblical thought...
Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of y master, Abraham, because he had led me along the right path to find a wife from the family of my master's relatives. (Genesis 24:8)

a Book thought...
There are no educational, age, or gender prerequisites to be a spokesperson for God. Christ can use any person he chooses to be his messenger. (p161)
a Dave thought... from The Age
GENERATION Y finally means business. They are far better educated and more globally aware and technologically savvy than any generation before them, and they are about to turn 30 this year. The oldest members of this privileged generation are poised to grab the management reins and revolutionise the workplace to suit themselves.
They have emerged from the global financial crisis - their first mild experience of an economic downturn - more relieved than bruised, and now they are brimming with optimism.
The baby boomers love them - after all, they were the doting parents that raised them. And as the boomers' extended reign in the workplace draws to an end, social and economic forecasters predict they are more likely to anoint gen Yers as their chosen successors over the unfortunate generation Xers who have been politely waiting their turn.
They call it the Prince Charles syndrome and it's nothing personal about generation X, just that generation Y has continued its knack of being in the right place at the right time when opportunity or prosperity arrives.
''The gen Yers really do offer a compelling case to take over the leadership,'' says social researcher Mark McCrindle, author of generational tome The ABC of XYZ. ''They are well
equipped to understand the 21st century ways and their leadership style and work-life balance approach is very suited for these times.
''They get on very well with the boomers as they stay at home longer and are connected with their parents' age group, and they understand the changing ways with technology.''
Charmed as their childhood might have been, they copped their share of bad press growing up. Inter-generational sniping has labelled them as overindulged children who emerged into the workforce as disloyal, high-maintenance employees not prepared to work long hours to get ahead and unable to cope with their first taste of criticism.
But perhaps they have just been misunderstood. They might have their priorities straight in demanding a healthy work-life balance, suggesting that putting in a 60-hour work week should not be a marker for competence.
''The concept of the work-life balance for us moving into management-type roles is going to be a given,'' says 29-year-old Kathleen Walker, a corporate sustainability manager.
''The general consensus among anyone I speak to is if you are there until 7pm or working ridiculously long hours, there is something wrong and it's not an indication of how important or busy you are.''

Just a thought.

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