I'm finding it difficult not to be an idealistic youth. I don't think I want to stop – we've been learning that holding vision is what will help us move forwards, that pragmatism and old ideas lead to incremental change, but that we can do better. I am from the Net Generation. The generation that thinks it can have anything, do everything, can have its cake and eat it.
I recently read in the economist that us Net Gen kids are a pain to employ. Selfish, divas and poor team players, that need masses of support. In my first job, you could definitely have got that impression from me, but the truth was, my whole office was on constant procrastination mode - surfing the web and delivering the bare minimum. Staff were unenthusiastic, projects were accomplished sloppily and when I asked for guidance to make sure I was doing the best job I could, the management answered a different question to the one I asked.
I'm curious: Do we Net Genners threaten the Biro Generation because we are raring to go? Because we want to go FASTER than old habits and systems will allow us? Whilst we're all bored and itching in the office do you see us as lazy and uncommitted?
As a member of the Net Generation, I have at my fingertips the collaborative knowledge of MILLIONS of people and if you can handle me properly, through me, they can work for you.
Its time for managers to learn how to make use of the Net Gen.
Our business systems are not geared up for the information age just as society is not geared up for the Net Generation. Like it or not, the Net Generation ARE the future and the information age is here NOW. Perhaps you, as a manager can learn to help me fulfil my potential which, with tools like the internet is getting bigger every millisecond because I don't only use my brain. I can collaborate using the internet and access thousands of other Brains – what can we do for you today?
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ReplyDeletewoop woop! But i don't want to be managed- I want to manage- or do away with the idea of management all together. We're all way to networked and interconnected and responsible and smart for that shit anymore.
ReplyDeleteOr, to say it less petulantly. Rather than blaming people for mis-managing us- let's step up and be the change we want to see in the world.
Hiya Lady!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree - I guess I'm trying to pitch it to management level, recruiting Net Genners and looking at what they can do to access the talents of their net - gen staff within the constraints of current business models.
When I type 'I', I mean the net-gen in general - the very people that managers have called Divas etc - from the kid working at the supermarket to the likes of you and me - masters level students with work experience behind us. The opposite of the royal we :)
If we became truly collaborative - and what you suggest emerges as the new way people work, management, or lets say leadership, is still going to be there. In all the collaboration examples I can pinpoint as successful, there is underlying coding that 'manages' people. It also looks at things like: how long have you been involved, are you more or less respected...like wikipedia, whereby some voices are 'louder' than others - a new heirarchy emerging from the internet.
I think people need leading. Much as I manage others from time to time, I still like to be managed myself. Experience does stand for something and I love to have that support to draw on when I'm feeling uncertain, and the guidance I need to work at my full capacity.
I see ways for both things to occur. Maybe in the future you manage me, and I manage you - like we're plants that are watering each other (ha managed to slip that in).
I have no doubt that FAR will be stepping up to the challenge of being the change, but we can't go it alone - we need a people, and we need to help them to birth this emergent existence we desire to create for ourselves.
So next question - what is the future of management in a collaborative world? - Might be something we can add to the thesis - especially if we want to envision what a collaborative business, working sustainably looks like. :)