Nicole A. Lipkin - Y in the Workplace: Managing the Me First Generation

Table of Contents

Let me ask you, have you ever looked at one of your Gen-Y employees and wondered where on earth he or she came from? Are you struggling with finding the best way to connect, motivate, or even understand them? Then this book is a must read for you! Finally a book that explains not only why they act the way they do, but what drives them in their decisions and expectations. It also provides great, easy to execute strategies on how to build strong and collaborative relationships in our time-crunched world. Kudos to Dr. Lipkin and Dr. Perrymore for finally giving us the ultimate users guide to Gen Y!

Stacey C. Cunningham, CEO and chief strategist, SCC & Company

Boomers and Gen Xers who shake their heads in frustration as they speak of Generation Y will be nodding in appreciation after reading this smart, fair-minded, and extraordinarily readable explanation of what makes our future leaders tick.

Wes Mann, editor, Investors Business Daily

Gen-Y employees are quickly becoming a force in the workplace. This outstanding book will help every leader better understand and manage this talented group of employees.

David F. Jones, management consultant and executive coach, DavidJones Group, LLC and author of Surviving and Thriving after Losing Your Job

In Y in the Workplace, Nicole Lipkin and April Perrymore offer practical guidance to help understand the unique challenges posed by the growing number of Gen Ys at work. Although grounded in psychological and motivational theory (as evidenced by the tidbit references they serve Shrinkwrapped), the book is easy to read and replete with practical advice to address Gen-Y behaviors. Savvy managers of earlier generations will read this book and follow the recommended actions. Savvy members of Gen Y will read this book to better understand how they are perceived and, consequently, to adjust their behaviors, capitalizing on their Gen Y strengths and aiming to become highly prized, low maintenance employees.

Joseph E. Sinclair, SPHR, human resources manager, Evonik RohMax USA, Inc.

Psychologists Perrymore and Lipkin have created wonderful ideas on how to incorporate the members of Gen Y into the corporate world. They offer specific strategies (such as the Ice Cream Sandwich) that will help both managers and Gen Yers to create a shared vision of success.

M.L. Corbin Sicoli, PhD, professor of psychology, Emerita-Cabrini College

A majority of my work force fits this demographic to a T. Many of the characteristics described in terms of approach to dress and work behavior is evidenced to me on a daily basis. This book provides wonderful psychological insight to Generation Y but the key pieces were the coaching suggestions based on the theoretic underpinnings. They were easy to pick up and remember and equally easy in application. I have used a few successfully and was amazed at how much easier it was to get some to move their needle using your suggestions. It is clear that Drs. Lipkin and Perrymore are speaking from in-depth experience and understanding of this frequently perplexing group.

Steven Gilbert, RPh, MBA, BCPS, vice president of operations, PHL Care Center, Hospice Pharmacia

Y in the Workplace is a must-read for managers, presenting a clear-eyed look at the generation now in their 20s. Too many other books focus on unsupported ideas of Gen Y as rule-following conformists, but this book tells the truth businesspeople need to know: that this is a generation of independent thinkers with all of the both bad and good things that go along with that. This is the first book Ive seen that discusses the workplace implications of Gen Ys true generational personality, in all of its individualism and desire for work-life balance. Even better, it offers concrete solutions about how to work with Gen Y. Absolutely essential.

Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me and coauthor of The Narcissism Epidemic

As someone who deals with high-powered Gen Y students every day in
the classroom, I can only imagine what employers must be up against. But do
not despairhelp is on the way! Nicole Lipkin and April Perrymore have
discovered how to bring out the best of this talented but distracted generation.
It turns out that Gen Y employees actually workbut they work differently.
Read this book and find out how to coach them to success.

G. Richard Shell, Thomas Gerrity professor, Wharton School of Business and coauthor of The Art of Woo

To our family and friends, our personal giants.

Writing this book has been a life-changing process that would not have been possible without the shoulders of our own personal giants. Together we would like to begin by thanking, Michael Snell, our agent, for believing in our idea and turning our dreams of writing this book into a reality. We also would like to thank the Career Press editors and publishers for their support, their dedication, and for making this book possible.

Thank you to our devoted reviewers who took on a non-paying, part-time job without even realizing what they were getting themselves into: Ethan Lipkin, our Everything Expert and our Gen X Cohort, for being an unending well of information. We appreciate your humor, critical thought, creativity, and ability to challenge us with the other side of every thought. Till Manthey, our Critical Eye and Gen Y Advocate, for your unique perspectives, grammatical expertise, funny comments, and insightful thoughts. You forced us to challenge our perspectives and ideas. Soryoung Rosa Kim, PsyD, our Fellow Psychologist and Gen Y Expert, for your compassionate and diplomatic feedback and incredible input. Your insight and wisdom encouraged us to look at all sides comprehensively. Diane Perrymore, our Human Resource and Business Expert, for your experience, advice, and support. We are especially thankful for your rapid and inspiring responses to our frequent questions and requests. Stacy Cunningham, our Business and Coaching Expert, for putting us on the right path every time. We see you as our beacon that guided our writing, and this book, in the right direction. And Jennifer Perrymore, our Business and Marketing Expert, for listening, reading, and commenting on our thoughts and written words with the utmost honesty. We are thankful for the way you think about the world and that you have remarkable ability to see problem areas and offer solutions.

We are thankful for all of our interviewees/business leaders who graciously provided their experiences and stories. We appreciate the time of our library consultant, Ann Schwelm, who quickly found the research for which we were looking. We are grateful to our Generation Y students and clients of the past and present. Your talent and potential constantly amaze us.

A special shout out to Chapter House Caf and Gallery, the independent coffee house where we spent more hours than we spent at home. Thank you to the welcoming owners and staff for letting us camp out with an endless source of comfy chairs, coffee, tea, and goodies.

We are appreciative of each other and the synergy we have shared during this process. To write a book with a close friend lends to being able to work and play at the same time. Heres to broken laptops, long hours, all of lifes experiences during this writing process, amicable disagreements, warm-hearted conversations, and a beautiful friendship.

Nicole has been honored and humbled by this process and the support and love that she has received. She is deeply appreciative of all of her beautiful and wonderful friends and family who made this process possible by standing by her side, cheering her on, and providing a few laughs along the way (you know who you are). She would especially like to thank her brother and friend, Ethan, not only for his help with this book, but also for being her greatest support and the person who encourages her to chase after her dreams. She would also like to thank two amazing friends, Till and Rosa, not only for their contribution to this book, but also for their unconditional faith and their unending love, support, and encouragement for all of her big ideas. Her two fabulous cats, El Guapo Meatball and Kreplach, also deserve a big thank you, because they still seem to love her even though she was spending more time at the coffee shop, then spending time with them. She would also like to acknowledge the memory of her parents. Without their grace, humor, love, and strength, she would not be the woman she is today.