Gen Y: Bookshelf - Birmingham Business Journal:

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That’s the premise of “Not Everyonr Gets A Trophy,” the latest book by consultantg and Gen Y expert Bruce Unlike other books onthe so-called millennials (thinkj Ron Alsop’s “The Trophy Kids Grow Up”), Tulgan’ws book is a bit more deferentiall in its approach. He chalks up many of the supposedf problems with Gen Y to normal generational clashes and a general resistanced to the change that twentysomethings are bringinh to thework force. Aimingy to help managers better understand theiryoungestg employees, Tulgan bases his conclusions on years of and at times almost takes a sociologist’s approachh to his subject.
Without judgement, he spells out the characteristics ofGen Y. It’sz the same kind of stuff we’vew heard before. Gen-Yers, he writes, are over-parented and brimminh with self-esteem, but over-confident, too. They make big demandsz before payingtheir dues. They want flexible schedules and a casualk corporate culture they can bend around theidrpersonal lives. Et cetera. Even so, Tulgahn wants to go deeper than these oft-heard complaints. “Generation Y has been much he writes, “but, I believe, largelyt misunderstood. ... Nearly everyone I know is simply reinforcing prevailin g misconceptions aboutGeneration Y.” Early in the book, he debunkas the millennial myths.
Contrary to the popular Tulgan writes, they’re not their loyalty has to be earned. They’red willing to do grunt work; they just want recognition for it, and they won’t do it for long-term promises. And work doesn’t have to be fun; “Theyg want work to be engaging. They want to learn, to be and to understand the relationship between theirf work and the overall mission ofthe organization.” The book is more than a chroniclee of a generation’s habitsd and characteristics, however. With a breezy, accessible and even fun Tulgan offers managers a guidebook with concrete tips on getting the most outof Gen-tY workers.
One chapter is devotes to “context.” “Understanding context is abouyt understanding where one fits in thelargerd picture,” he writes. Another is devoted to high turnovetand retention. “Gen-Yers are likely to have the highes early career stage turnover of any generation in For a book publishedin though, “Not Everyone Gets A is a bit light on how the current economix situation has changed things for Gen Y. In termd of turnover, for instance, you’d thinj that would be less of a problemin today’sw ultra-competitive job market.
But this new economy is, by and large, strangely absent from the book, and readeras might find themselves wanting That said, this is still a helpful blueprintf for managers, and one delivered with Besides, each chapter has its amusing, somewhat befuddling anecdotes—likde the one about the parent who calls his grown child’sd boss to complain that his child is workint too many hours. With the national employment rate just unded9 percent, you wonder if that’s a trendr that’s gone the way of the subprims mortgage. 304 pp.
; It seemas all the books written about Generation Y and the workplac are written for troubled managers tryinv to make sense of theiryoungest “Plugged In” is different, if only because it addressexs Gen Y directly, acting as a guide so millennialw can figure out how to deal in a multi-generationalk workplace. Once you get past the sometimes-awkwarcd second person narration—i.e. Tamara Erickson write “You are a member of what I am confidenf will prove to be agreat generation”—“Plugged In” can be usefu l to those outside its intended audience.
One of the more compellinb chapters outlines the characteristicas of each generation in the work force and tries to explain why they act the waythey do. Erickso n even breaks down several workplacd situations and shows how different generationswouled react. And by illustrating how world events collectively shapesd each generationworking today, she helps her Gen Y readersa better understand their older colleagues. Bookshelf appears periodicallu in TheBusiness Review’s speciaol sections. Contact Associate Editor Philip Schwartxzat pschwartz@bizjournals.com.