Professional Development

Sisterly Advice from an X-Y ‘Tweener

For a while now, I’ve been feeling a little out of place among Gen Y. Like you, I was raised on the “you’re special” diet of Mr. Rogers. Like you, I came of age via IMs and chat rooms. And, heck, I even have a blog.

However, like my fellow generational straddlers (I was born in 1981), I’ve noticed there are many differences between my younger Gen Y counterparts and me.

And, then it hit me. I’m like Gen Y’s big sister.

Being a big sister is something I’m very familiar with. My three younger brothers (all Gen Yers) would be more than willing to tell you that I have taken the role of big sister very seriously (sometimes a little too seriously).

Like any good big sis, I have some advice for you. But, first, please allow me to indulge in the differences betweens Xers, Yers and me, a ‘tweener:

• While I don’t quite have the infamous Gen X cynicism, I did love Nirvana and Pearl Jam and owned a flannel shirt or two.
• I was all about chat rooms in 1995, but didn’t really discover blogs until 2007.
• Napster was all the rage in college, but cell phones weren’t an absolute necessity yet (we used calling cards to call home).
• I remember Kennedy on MTV, but My Super Sweet Sixteen is totally and completely beyond me (and I hope you, too, Gen Y).
• I actually don’t mind working 50-60 hours a week because I’m doing something I enjoy; I have no desire to be a clock watcher.
• My parents are very important to me, but they wouldn’t dream of calling my teacher over a bad grade (or I wouldn’t dream of allowing them, at least).
• I’ve worked at the same job for 4½ years, but I’ve been promoted twice.

These are just a few of the many differences between me, and I believe my fellow ‘tweeners, and Gen X and Y. Of course, this list includes a lot of generalizations. But, after reading a ton of Gen Y blogs (which I do, by the way, consider my blog to be a part of), I’ve realized that either (1) these generalizations are, in fact, mostly true, or (2) you’ve totally bought into what others are saying about you and you’re perpetuating many of these generalizations.

Now, for the advice:

1.  Don’t discount the advice of your Gen X and Gen Y ‘tweener elders.
Yes, you love your baby boomer parents. We all do. But, many of us younger than Baby Boomers have been in the workforce a little longer (some a lot longer than others) and believe it or not, we’ve picked up a few nuggets that may be of interest to you. Learn from our mistakes. By the way, you do have a lot to learn, whether you know it or not (we all do).

2.  Keep touting your own horn.
I love the confidence of Gen Y. When you exude confidence, people buy what you’re selling. It’s ok to let everyone know how great you are (we’re all special, right?) as long as you do it with tact and grace. Remember that not everyone will be so thrilled with you touting your own horn (especially those who have done your job in the past), so some discretion may be necessary. That said, if you’re great at something, there’s no shame in letting everyone know it.

3.  You can change your company; just work slowly.
Gen Y is all about changing the rules to fit their lifestyle. Flip flops to work? Sure, why not? Come and go as I please? Of course! But, the rules that are in place now have been in place for quite some time. Let’s face it. Most people will not look kindly when some kid comes in and starts changing things up. As much as you don’t want to hear it, you are going to have to prove yourself. Once you’ve done that, you can start systematically changing the rules.

4.  Show them you care.
Before you go on “free Facebook” campaign at work, make sure you’ve shown your employer you care about the company. Yes, some rules are stupid. Yes, you should be allowed to Twitter whenever you want. But, look at it from employer’s perspective. How are you impacting their bottom line? How are you helping them improve? How can you do this and still get on Faceback and Twitter throughout the day?