By John Baldoni

You know that new person who just took the cubicle down the aisle? The one who listens to his iPod and works out rhythms on his keyboard in the late afternoon? Yup, the one who is friends with the guy who wears neon-colored shirts so bright they burn holes in your retina. He’s also the one who works with the young lady in programming whose blouse reveals her tummy (flat, of course) and maybe has a tattoo on her upper shoulder.

Live with It
Sound familiar? Get used to it. Generation Next is here and will be with us until you and everyone you know retires. Before you say yikes, remember, these “kids” (the oldest of whom are in their mid to late 20s) are the offspring of the most self-centered, pampered and individualist generation the world has ever seen. Us—the Baby Boomers! [And hey, Gen Xers, you gals and guys in your 30s, get used to it; we thought the same of you, too. And besides: Nexters outnumber you—big time!]

Waves of research are beginning to flood in about this new generation as it makes its first forays into the workplace. First off, they are smart. Way smart. Tech savvy, too. They are intuitive with technology. Cell phones are to them what wind-up phones were to your grandparents’ generation. Consider these nuggets culled from the PBS’s Generation Next series: Google is a way of life, not simply a search engine. It is the source of information for many things global as well as local. Instant communications is a necessity; these folks are connected wirelessly 24/7. Empowerment is an expectation; I can be my own boss. Flexibility is an entitlement. That is, you conform to me, or I’m gone. (For more, see Newshour from Dec. 14, 2006.)

Where did these attitudes come from? Their parents. That’s right, us. We coddled, nurtured and pushed (gently). Such attitudes also emerged from their own personal observations, mostly looking at us. As many Nexters will say, their skepticism about work is born from watching their parents lose jobs through downsizing and offshoring. This generation, it seems, promised itself they would be different. Beholden to no single employer. So what’s a middle-aged (or about-to-be-middle-aged) manager to do about all this?

Get used to it. The Baby-Boom generation is fast approaching retirement age. Generation X is hitting its stride and filling middle management roles; some are being slated to take the top slots. Companies that want to remain vital and vibrant must attract newer and younger workers. Though these folks may not appear to be like us, they are our future; we must accept and adapt to them.