November 2007: Moving Into the Future with Generation Y

As Bea Fields Companies, Inc. and Five Star Leader move into the future, we will be investing a great deal of energy in the direction of Generation Y Leadership.

Over the past 18 months, as we have been conducting interviews and research on Gen Y, many people have looked our way with a puzzled look...something telling us that they don't see how this fits into an executive coaching platform and why we would ever want to take on a project like this.

So, to answer this question, let us just say this: Generation Y are our future leaders and will be the largest buying population by the year 2010. As coaches who work with leaders of high growth companies, if we are not knowledgeable about Generation Y and how they are changing our world as we speak, we will be missing a huge piece of the puzzle (as a matter of fact, 70 million pieces of the puzzle, because by the year 2010, Generation Y will be 70 million strong in the workforce).

We look forward to bringing you the resources and strategies you will need in order to reach Gen Y...The world's great next generation!

Bea Fields, Scott K. Wilder, Jim Bunch and Rob Newbold
Co-Authors: Millennial Leaders: Success Stories From Today's Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders.

Are You Reaching Gen Y?

One of the first steps to take in the direction of reaching Generation Y rests in your ability to effectively communicate with these 20-something young men and women. Knowing how to use their communication tools will give you a wonderful advantage when attracting them into your business. Take this quick quiz to see if you are positioning yourself to reach Gen Y:

1. Are you using text messaging?
2. Are you blogging?
3. Are you using Instant Message?
4. Are you visible on social networking sites? ( Facebook, MySpace, Second Life, Twitter and You Tube )?
5. Are you podcasting?
6. Are you using video to mass disseminate your message?

If you answered "yes" to all of the above questions, you are most assuredly moving in the direction of reaching Generation Y. If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, I encourage you to look closely at implementing these communication tools over the next six months. One thing to note: The majority of Generation Y does not use e-mail as a main communication vehicle. As e-mail marketing becomes more and more difficult, the most savvy marketers will make the shift and will move light years ahead of the people who don't make the switch.

Gen Y Spotlight for November

Josh Kowitt and Scott Neuberger: CollegeBoxes.com

Josh Kowitt and Scott Neuberger started their journey to business success as college students at Washington University in St. Louis. Their business, Collegeboxes, a storage and shipping solutions company, makes life easier for college students and has created a profitable business for the pair. They have been featured in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small Business and Entrepreneur.com. Inc. Magazine featured the duo among the country's top entrepreneurs under 30 in 2006. They are featured in chapter 10 of Millennial Leaders: Success Stories From Today's Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders. Congratulations Josh and Scott!

Read about Josh and Scott by visiting our experts page: http://millennialleaders.com/meet_the_experts.html

Traditional Companies Changing Their Policies for Gen Y? Not Fast Enough

By Scott K. Wilder

A new survey by CareerBuilder.com points to more pronounced generational gaps in communications styles and job expectations in the workplace. Titled “Gen Y at Work,” the survey was conducted from June 1 to June 13, 2007 among 2,546 hiring managers and Human Resource professionals across all industries.

Nearly half (49 percent) of employers surveyed said the biggest gap in communication styles between Generation Y workers (employees 29 years old or younger) and workers older than them is that Gen Y workers communicate more through technology than in person. Another one-in-four (25 percent) say they have a different frame of reference, especially in terms of pop culture.

Read the full article here

PBS Documentary Highlights Generation Y

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to watch the documentary Speak Up and Be Heard by PBS earlier in 2007, it is now available online for full download. Great stuff!

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation-next/documentary/

Have a wonderful November and a very happy holiday to those of you celebrating Thanksgiving!