Gen Y: A Requiem for Google
It has been agreed, both implicitly and explicitly by the Baby Boomers that management is all about influence, power and of course – getting things done. The logic is simple and two dimensional; if you have the power, than you should not have any problem in getting things done via your influence. Simple. Logical. Full stop. No other explanation is necessary.
However when one ponders at the statement, one could clearly recognize the underlying egotism at work. The same branch of egotism that perhaps may have caused many dissatisfaction among many staff or members of various organizations. A manager or leader driven by this impetus at the end of the day resorts to the cunning of Machiavelli to ensure his influence and pride are unharmed.
The Baby Boomers tend to look the world in black and white. It’s either you’re up to it or you’re not, either you’re brilliant or stupid. This divisive and conclusive attitude towards life made them the ‘strict nanny’, not unlike the Thatcherite government in their approach.
Within Malaysia, particularly the civil service – this patronizing form of leadership is still very much prevalent. Much of it is owed to the fact that many of the members of the civil service actually do believe that such form of leadership is the only way to go. A much open form of leadership, which is open to criticism is frowned upon as ineffective, effeminate and lack balls. To clarify this point, I have been to a gathering where a very senior civil service officer within the Federal government has urged other officers to implement government policies as strict as “Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin”. In other words, tyranny is an accepted form of leadership within the civil service. Paying lip service to the leader would usually result in higher appraisals.
Being from Generation Y, I found that hard to accept. True, this form leadership do get things done – but to many extend this form of leadership is very much less creative, causes low job satisfaction, and not to mention daunting! The Generation-Y having seen the open and relaxed leadership pf Google, Facebook and many other Gen-Y giant companies do not desire to be ‘oppressed’ in such organisations.
The Gen-Y Dilemma
Generation Y, many of which had just graduated from universities found it hard to adapt to such form of management. Job descriptions are found to be not tallying with what they do everyday, discrimination in terms of perceived incapability by those from the older generation, lack of recognition and various other faults are found to be overwhelming. Those management dysfunctionality, added with a quasi-tyrannical form of management are quite overwhelming, propmting many to quit their job within the first six months of working.
Are the people of my generation demanding too much? Are the bosses of these organizations really are Stalin-incarnate? At the end of the day, it boils down to deliverance. The Baby Boomers generation has proven to be effective deliver of results, being able to cut through many hurdles to be where they are now. The Generation Y on the other hand has yet to prove themselves. Clearly so, since they had just started to embark on a long journey called. Life. But that does not mean that they lack the talent and wit to lead this world. True, they may tumble and some may fall – but for those who are not giving up, big reward awaits in the future. Generation-Y have to realize that not all companies are Google-like or Facebook-like. It’s like wishing everyone on the street is a supermodel. We have to make do and adapt no matter how hard.
The Baby Boomers must also learn to adapt to the new generation boarding their organization. They do not lead the same way, do not adhere to the same ideals, and are determined to see things differently and be different. Their goal: to be a better generation than the one before. Indeed, one of our Educational Philosophy to motivate the children to be better than their parents is now materializing. Accept them for who they are, guide them if they need assistance – but most importantly, do not trample on their ideas and ideals. It’s the basis of their existence. And give way to the young ones to shine, you don’t live forever to rule.
