Is Gen Y right for project management?
Fortunately, projects are ideally suited to the Gen Y approach to work because they offer the best of both worlds, which is the security and structure of deliverables, and the opportunity to demonstrate their creative flair. Deliverables should be determined in a clear, deliberate way with the project scope setting the direction. Give Gen Y the rules to play with and they will bring their own unique approach to any project, often with solid results.
Furthermore, there is no question that Gen Y is switched on. Given they have grown up in a world of mass social media, Gen Y has an uncanny ability to sort through the gloss to determine what is real. If your project management style is ‘all talk, no action’ you can expect Gen Y to walk. Gen Y demands their work to have meaning and deliver real, tangible benefits. They want to be associated with good stories and want to be proud of their achievements.
Getting the mix right
The project environment is a micro-organisation. Strong, healthy and successful projects are a product of the people, processes, infrastructure and culture driving their delivery. At the core, project managers need to ensure they attract and retain the right people to the right jobs, at the right time to achieve sustainable project outcomes.
‘Right people’ however does not suggest carbon copies of capability. As a rule of thumb, recruiting project teams using a best fit approach can be far more successful than just going by experience; be sure to balance your team with complementary skill sets such as young and old, experienced and new, local and international expertise.
Gen Y can add a brilliant and dynamic dimension to any project team. The challenge for project managers is to embrace that enthusiasm and keep ahead of it. Gen Y thrives on a ‘quick win’, but they also like to have visibility of the bigger picture. Better still, they like to contribute to shaping it. This need for involvement will challenge the thinking of Gen X and Baby Boomers because from their perspective, they are the experts. I often hear from these generations that Gen Y would do well to listen instead of talk!
The number one strategy to attract and retain Gen Y to your project team is to give them a voice. Like previous generations before them, Gen Y love to feel important. The difference with Gen Y, however, is that they demand the attention. Project managers need to ask them for their thoughts, their opinions, and their feedback.
Uncertain economic times
Having grown up in boom times, Gen Y has never known workplace uncertainty. Stable, well-established working conditions may well become important, and the youngest of the generations can expect potential opposition from the more experienced and more capable Gen X, who will be jostling for positions within projects.
The face of project work in the short term has changed. Organisations are beginning to discard plans for future initiatives, reduce the scope and size of current pieces of work, and even shut projects down altogether. The consulting and contracting market has tightened, seemingly overnight.
For project managers fortunate enough to be continuing to drive projects, now more than ever is it important to secure strong Gen Y talent to complement your team skill sets. In the long term, businesses cannot afford to ignore Gen Y’s potential and bypass them in organisational planning.
Employers must to understand what makes Gen Y tick and actively turn these perceived negatives into positives: they’re bratty, but they’re fun, they are flighty and fabulous. They challenge the norm, and vex their elders. They have all the latest gadgets—and know how to use them. Gen Y’s skills and abilities keenly match the needs of a fast-paced, globalised world. Managers should be embracing them in order to sustain their business.
