What Gen Y Teaches Us About Performance

Gen Y is now entering the workforce and questioning some of the traditional management and leadership styles. As a result, they often receive some unflattering labels, such as “needy” or “entitled”. Often these labels have nothing to do with Gen Y, as there have always been needy and entitled people within organizations. If we stop and look past the labels, Gen Y might be actually teaching us how to improve workplace performance. In fact, they might have a significant role in redefining and elevating human performance within many organizations.

Looking at the performance sciences behind these Gen Y labels, you will start to uncover many performance skills and attitudes that are essential for human performance. Here are a couple of those labels and what they can teach us about improving human performance in our organizations regardless of generation.

Always requiring praise

I sometimes hear: “Oh, Gen Y always need to receive praise about their work”. I will be the first to point out to anyone that you are not always going to receive praise for the work you do. This is why the skill of self-motivation is essential. In fact, what Gen Y are asking for is performance feedback. They need to know what they are doing well and where to improve in order to better their performance.

I couldn’t imagine a high-performance athlete receiving performance feedback twice a year from a coach, and honestly being able to improve performance. However, many current performance management systems are based on reviews that happen twice a year. This might explain the growing trend in many organizations that are starting to replace old performance review processes.

Looking for quick advancement

It is said Gen Y is just looking for quick advancement within an organization, and if they don’t get it, they will look outside the organization for better opportunities. What this actually translates into from a performance standpoint, is that Gen Y wants to be challenged and need to advance their careers, both financially and professionally. This attitude is very common attitude by most high-level performers who are looking to grow their career.

Organization’s performance benefits are numerous with these types of employees. They are keen and welcome challenging assignments and new responsibilities. Organizations that can retain this type of employee will be on the road to creating a strong human performance culture.

There are many ways organizations can improve organizational performance, and perhaps one place to start is to fully understand the performance improvement attitudes and skills Gen Y are now bringing to our organizations.

All the best in achieving your highest performance.

Paul Boston 

Paul Boston is the president of Actus Performance Inc., a high-performance development firm. Paul started his professional career working in the fast-paced and demanding world of marketing and advertising with Fortune 500 companies and organizations around the globe. At the same time, he started racing at the elite level of triathlons and qualified four times for the World Triathlon Championships. At that time, he discovered similarities between the approach to performance in his athletic and professional career. He then went back to school to study adult training and development, specializing in workplace performance skills. As an organizational high-performance development specialist, Paul works with clients to help them understand the fundamental performance values, attitudes and skills people, teams and organizations need in our ever-changing modern-day work world. Paul has published numerous articles and spoken to professional organizations across North America on 21st century workplace performance.

To learn more on how business performance is like athletic performance visit, www.actusperformance.com