All posts tagged joel marc

Gen Y: A Professional Appearance?

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July 19, 2011
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Professional appearance in the workplace is something I’ve been mulling over for some time. It’s such a volatile issue among Gen Y. The Boomers and Gen X’ers have weighed in on their opinions about uniformity, professionalism, and non-discriminatory attire. Rather than take issue with their opinions, I’d like to approach this subject from the perspective of “collaborative freedom.”

Gen Y is notorious for its non-conformity to dress codes – for some, it’s sheer laziness, for others it’s about personal identity, but for most it’s about Freedom. Freedom to live life and choose one’s own measurement of value. The style in which a Gen Y dresses is most often a reflection of what makes that person comfortable. And Gen Y has an insatiable appetite for a “personalized” lifestyle…it’s the world we’ve grown up in. iTunes playlists, Internet Shopping, customizable options in everything (I recent bought a killer pair of headphones in my favorite shade of blue). Professional appearance in the workplace for Gen Y is less about “how I appear to others” and more about a visible manifestation of “what makes me comfortable.” It’s this feeling of Freedom that Gen Y feels so strongly about. When required to dress a certain way, Gen Y feels this Freedom threatened.

Freedom of expression comes with a price though, namely public acceptance and opportunity. Express a “freedom” that is too far out of popular culture and you face the possibility of ridicule and avoidance. This is where the clash between Gen Y and other generations generally happens. As Gen Y takes its place as the new 800lb Gorilla, it still doesn’t have popular opinion on it’s side, and it won’t get it either. Instead Gen Y will become the popular opinion at a tipping point, and guidelines within the Gen Y demographic will evolve about what is considered “professional attire” to them. At the same time, the term “professional” will likely also be redefined.

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Will Gen Y vote?

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April 5, 2011
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Vote May 2, 2011

Gen Y is Patriotic. Surprised? Most people are. The misconception that Gen Y’ers are apathetic about their country is a generalization that will have profound effects on the future of politics. I saw this first hand last year during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The stereotype that Canadians lacked patriotism was shattered. Never in my life have I seen such a showcase of Red and White. The streets were packed with Gen Y’ers in Jerseys, Canadian Flags, face paint, sing O’ Canada, and cheering for no apparent reason other then they were proud to be Canadian. The media took notice. Interviewing and running coverage on what seemed to be an unending avalanche of pride. And everyone was surprised.

A year later, I can say as a resident of Vancouver that this pride is still here. Sure the Olympic glow has worn off, but what has remained is a deep rooted respect and admiration for the things that make Canada amazing. If you wear the team Canada hockey Jersey today, people single you out with a smile or a “Go Canada!”, and we’re not even competing for anything.

The Vancouver Olympics gave Gen Y a venue and a reason to express their patriotism, and it was only the linchpin. With the upcoming elections, (Canada in May and the US next year) many pundits have been skeptical about voter turn-out among this voting audience, and for good reason.

While Gen Y is patriotic, in Canada, Gen Y is disinterested in our politicians. (I’m speaking about the general majority) Gen Y is disinterested in our politicians because OUR POLITICIANS ARE BORING. It’s one of Gen Y’s key traits: Bored Easily when unengaged. It’s fairly obvious that politicians, much like larger corporations, are out of touch with the differences of Gen Y, especially their driving appetite for authenticity.

This is where the two poles collide. You have the freshly minted, largest consumer demographic that is Patriotic and WANTS to vote, however none of the politicians recognize their need to be transparent and appealing to attract Gen Y’s vote. So what is going to happen? It’s anyone’s guess, but my prediction is that voter turn out of Gen Y is going to be larger then previous elections (see video below). And maybe, just maybe, for the next election, politicians will clue in to power that these new proles have.

To find out which Politician’s campaign matches your values, check out the innovative Vote Compass created by CBC.

[youtube XbGGjnoqfFs University of Guelph Vote Mob]

 

Outlier Experiences shape your Appeal

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April 3, 2011
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Rock band Yuca! One of my outlier experiences.

My brother and I were talking recently about the impact that outlier-type experiences have on shaping your career. We’ve both had our share of unique experiences that some could only wish for, like touring with rock bands and working in movies. As we’ve both pursued and developed our professional careers, we’ve noticed that many people actually downplay these outlier experiences. I’m sure you’ve heard some famous or successful person being asked, So how did you get here? or How did you become so successful at…? Everyone wants to know their secret, and the more bizarre their experiences, the more enraptured the audience is by them.

The irony is that these outliers can be seen as liabilities by decision makers who influence the early progression of our journeys. So we tend to downplay and distance ourselves from them to appeal to the common Beige-style acceptance of general culture (until we’re “successful” in the eyes of society). As I’ve been writing and thinking about Gen Y lately, I’ve noticed more and more of these outliers that may be misunderstood by older generations. In Gen Y’s ultimate pursuit of authenticity and individualism, they’ve followed much different paths to shape their personalities and creative inspiration then Boomers did. Here are a few of the misunderstandings I’ve observed:

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Why Gen Y?

Posted
March 31, 2011
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Yesterday’s article sparked some conversation about Gen Y, and again I couldn’t sleep. It seems that this subject has a strong undercurrent of support, although my Gen Y’er friends said they didn’t actually read the article, but skimmed it. If you don’t understand this reference, check out the graphic in yesterdays post, point number 8. Friends, it’s ok, this article has been optimized for the Gen Y reading experience.

I did some digging (references below) and it turns out that Gen Y has a population of a 76 million in the US. Technological advancement ranks as the highest asset Gen Y’ers feel they can successfully influence others about, whether it’s adoption or innovation. This is a crucial point for businesses to recognize as they go through the massive communications convergence this decade is bringing. While Gen Y’ers are considered disloyal to long-term career paths, this is a misnomer, as Gen Y’ers value mentorship and have an insatiable appetite for learning. When put in environments where they’re left alone, Gen Y’ers quickly grow bored and seek out new ideas and knowledge in the form of a job change. Businesses that provide mentorship and innovative stimulation have found Gen Y’ers are more loyal and productive.

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The Impact of Gen-Y on a Decentralized society

Posted
March 30, 2011
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I read an article yesterday by David Allison that kept me awake into the night. It was about Generation Y and their core differences from the Baby Boomers generation. David stated that in 2010, Gen-Y officially surpassed the Boomers to become the largest consumer demographic in America. It’s been in the back of my mind for the past five years that this was going to occur, yet I’ve been somewhat discouraged about the process. I am a Gen-Y’er, an elder of the generation actually, and it’s been clear to me that much of our core needs and desires have been sidelined by the retirement needs of the Boomers.

Author Michael Adams recently wrote a book entitled “Staying Alive: How Canadian Boomers will work, play, and find meaning in the second half of their adult lives,” which I gave it to my parents for their anniversary. In it, he describes that Boomers will continue to be actively involved in all areas of consumer society, embracing popular culture, technology, and even sustained careers. This is an interesting point because many of the proponents for the Gen-Y takeover are under the impression that the Boomers will go fading into the night. This is simply not the case. I see it in my parents and their friends all the time. Starting businesses, traveling, learning new languages, even going back to school! They are not the retirement-home crowd that my grandparents were.

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