Cheryl Palmer

CP: I think they are fine with responsibility as long as it does not interfere unduly with other parts of their lives. The new generation is interested more than working super long work weeks for just money. They want balance and they want to be well rounded.

CP: Generally speaking, the new generation does not have the older generation’s mindset about working one’s way up the corporate ladder as the norm. They know that this type of upward mobility may or may not happen.  For example becoming a mid-level manager may not necessarily lead to the executive suite.

But of course if young people do not take on additional responsibility early in their careers, they may not be given the opportunity later. An employer looking at their resumes may assume that they are not managerial material, or they would have been tapped earlier.

CP: The younger generation has to be savvy about the workplace and what the expectations are.  Many from this generation are easily frustrated and turned off by what they see as antiquated ways of doing things.  Once they rise into positions of leadership they can start to make changes, but until then, they will need to do some adapting.

CP: Working with a coach requires an openness to whatever may come from the coaching sessions.  Even though a coach will not tell the client what to do a good coach will lay out the different options available to the client so that the client sees clearly the pros and cons of these options.

People of the younger generation need to be willing to explore how assuming greater responsibility can be a positive thing and how it can fit into the rest of their lives.