"What's with the attitude, Gen-Y?"

That's not me asking the question (though, I must admit, it has been at the back of my mind for some years now) but a member of Gen-Y himself, someone who is at pains to understand why some young people behave the way they do. Read on...

I was startled out of my early morning reverie today by this Facebook message I received from a young man I admire deeply for his intelligence, his sense of humour, and his abiding commitment to his profession:

Is it just me acting senile or is the level of professionalism among the younger generation reaching appalling depths?

   
Here is the conversation we had via Facebook later in the day (this is an edited transcript; the young man, who is in his late twenties, shall remain unnamed for obvious reasons. I have labelled him Mr X below):

RP: Read my "accusations". THE READING ROOM: What happens when a crusty old journalism teacher takes on Gen-Y?

In the same post, read all the comments, too. By the way, what brought this on? And aren't you part of THIS generation?
 
Mr X: Hahaha! I meant the men and women a couple of years younger than me...
 
RP: Ah. Anyway, what brought this on?

Mr X: I've been watching plenty of them trooping in and out of office. All the same. Lackadaisical, lazy... and ARROGANT! I'm sure they're all not like this. But the ones I've seen... shocking.

RP: Do read my "accusations" and the comments in that post. And forward the link to youngsters who might benefit from reading it all.

Mr X: It's stupid little things — bunking work on a Monday because of an upset stomach (read hangover), walking into meetings late, leaving work undone...

RP: Yes. Do my "accusations" make sense now? Many youngsters I know thought I was being too harsh.

Mr X: Yes. Just read the article. All your accusations make sense. And yes, when I collared a first year here about this stuff, he seemed amazed. And then he bunked the next day because of a headache. And I think one comment in that article sums it all up. The one about disregarding traffic rules in order to be in class on time! Just one example. Pitch morning. Real pitch. For one of the biggest brands in India. Everyone's been in office all night, for nights on end. Meeting starts at 10. Hardly anyone leaves for fear of being late. Everyone is supposed to be in the office by 8. And everyone is there. Except for one of the newest, most junior employees.  He walks in at 9.50. Now no one wants a distraction before the meeting. So nothing is said.
 
RP: And...
   
Mr X: Later, in the evening, I ask him about it. His reply, I kid you not: I need my 8 hours! I thought he was joking. But he wasn't. That's like a journalist walking into office late on the day of the election results! Which is exactly what I told him. His reply to that: That's why I didn't become a journalist! Mr X 0, New Guy 2.
 
RP: Ouch!

Mr X: The sad part is, in a profession like advertising, these guys will get clobbered sooner or later. Because these things get noticed. And everyone thinks advertising is this cool profession where anything goes. Well, that's only if you're brilliant. And these youngsters are nowhere near that yet. It's not like they aren't good at their jobs. But stuff like this takes away from that. I'm sure when you started out, you wouldn't dream of walking out of office before your bosses left.

RP: There was no question of walking out till the job was done. Period.
   
Mr X: Exactly. And they're dumb! One of them uploaded a picture of a party. On a day when he was too sick to even answer calls!
 
RP: Is there a solution? Can attitude be taught? What do you think?
   
Mr X: Hahaha!

• Mr X did not want this conversation to be made public. But he was persuaded by my argument that his comments would be taken more seriously than mine since he is a member of Gen-Y himself. Thank you, Mr X.

When you're sickened by office politics...

...often the first thing you want to do is quit your job.

But you may want to do a rethink after reading what Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi has to say in Brunch, the Hindustan Times weekend magazine. "Don't quit! Just play the game" is her advice. And she explains how to do exactly that by outlining eight simple points with the help of corporate experts. Here are their tips:

1. Understand your surroundings
2. Keep your records straight
3. Play on the front foot
4. Keep up the good humour
5. Don't be part of a clique
6. Confront and communicate
7. No blame game
8. Your boss is no fool

Not surprisingly, the best advice comes from a journalist, Shalini Singh, who elaborates on Point No. 6:

Clear communication always cuts across office politics. Be transparent and back your arguments with solid facts. “Be polite, persuasive and firmly assertive when it comes to fighting for a ‘cause’. Also, if you need to clear misgivings, it is always advisable to confront the person one-on-one instead of sneaking to a senior. It bonds the team wonderfully,” says journalist Shalini Singh.

Read the article in its entirety here.

• By the way, Brunch is by far the best Sunday publication offered by any newspaper in the country. It is superbly edited, it is full of ideas, and it is beautifully designed. Hindustan Times does not have an edition in Bangalore, but I get to read Brunch every week only because it is supplied with Mint, and I'm grateful for that.

Dealing with office jerks

We have all had to deal with difficult people in the office, be they bosses or peers. Will understanding the reasons for their obnoxious behaviour help to reduce the pain of workplace conflicts? That is what some managers and coaches are betting on, according to this report in The Wall Street Journal, which was reproduced in Mint today.

Here are some excerpts:

Amid a growing focus on workplace quality, some managers and coaches are now using new techniques to identify the childhood origins of harmful behaviour at work and then rout out those patterns through training or outright bans on bad behaviour.

Sylvia LaFair, a White Haven, Pennsylvania, leadership coach and psychologist, has identified 13 different patterns of office behaviour—and the family dynamics that likely shaped them. Among the types are the “persecutor” who micromanages or abuses others. This person often grew up with abuse or neglect. The “denier” pretends problems don’t exist; this person may have grown up in a family where everyone feared facing unpleasant emotions. “Avoiders” are aware of problems but won’t talk about them. In a tense situation, their mantra is, “Gotta go!” “Avoiders” often grew up in judgmental families with weak emotional ties, Dr LaFair says.

The “super-achiever” is driven to excel at everything, breeding resentment by walking over other people. They were often called on in childhood to make up for family shame or tragedy. Another type, the “martyr”, does his or her work and everybody else’s too, but drives co-workers away by complaining, she says. The “martyr” often had parents who gave up their dreams for the child, triggering a repeat of the pattern. Dr LaFair documents the various patterns in a 2009 book, Don’t Bring It To Work.

Do you recognise yourself? Or a colleague?

Read the whole article here. It could help you.