It probably wasn't a meddling 20-year old that called the cops.
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Let me tell you something! An exercise in self-flagellation
- Thread starter WildcatAlumni
- Start date
It probably wasn't a meddling 20-year old that called the cops.
I think it's more accurate to categorize someone by the generation who raised them, than by what year they were born in, e.g., Gen-X are the kids of the Boomers, Gen-Y were raised by the older/bred early Gen-X, Millennials are largely the spawn of Gen-X. I think how you respond or react to the values that surrounded you as you grew up make more difference than what was on TV or who was president.
I've spent a few years teaching and managing Millennials. My impression is that they're largely smart, motivated and interested in everything, with a worldview of "get yours while you can because nothing's guaranteed". Considering they spent their childhood years watching their parents get downsized, screwed out of pensions and fired just before retirement, it's hard to argue with that. They want immediate feedback and reward because that's what they were raised with - and that made me think of the "Anna Granville" letter where she complains that no one listens to her ideas. Also thought of a scene from a "Mad Men" episode (albeit set in a different time period) where Peggy sniffles that Don (her boss) never says thank you or that she did a good job, and he snarls in exasperation, "That's what the money's for!"
They've spent their formative years being shielded from risk or consequences. I had so many students who simply could not understand the concept of "it doesn't matter what you want or deserve or dream of, here's what you're doing". They have a firmly entrenched idea that if you follow the requirements, you get what you ask for. And that if you screw up but can explain sufficiently why it wasn't your fault, then nothing bad or permanent will happen. That unless something is roped-off and locked and clearly labeled, it's not dangerous (because in their experience, all dangerous things are). That everyone has an agenda, and everyone lies/spins things for their own ends.
I've spent a few years teaching and managing Millennials. My impression is that they're largely smart, motivated and interested in everything, with a worldview of "get yours while you can because nothing's guaranteed". Considering they spent their childhood years watching their parents get downsized, screwed out of pensions and fired just before retirement, it's hard to argue with that. They want immediate feedback and reward because that's what they were raised with - and that made me think of the "Anna Granville" letter where she complains that no one listens to her ideas. Also thought of a scene from a "Mad Men" episode (albeit set in a different time period) where Peggy sniffles that Don (her boss) never says thank you or that she did a good job, and he snarls in exasperation, "That's what the money's for!"
They've spent their formative years being shielded from risk or consequences. I had so many students who simply could not understand the concept of "it doesn't matter what you want or deserve or dream of, here's what you're doing". They have a firmly entrenched idea that if you follow the requirements, you get what you ask for. And that if you screw up but can explain sufficiently why it wasn't your fault, then nothing bad or permanent will happen. That unless something is roped-off and locked and clearly labeled, it's not dangerous (because in their experience, all dangerous things are). That everyone has an agenda, and everyone lies/spins things for their own ends.
Fester, I like your post, and it lends credence to my hypothesis that "generational" paradigms are more about upbringing and state of mind. I don't like the "millenial" paradigm as presented through military channels mainly because it leaves the door open for a "one size fits all" solution that doesn't fit my experiences leading sailors. Is it possible that the sterotypical millenial is more like the OP of this thread than the typical sailor? I believe so.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
The real life Anna Granville has been ID'd. She's not even an 1110. Unless you're an 1110 you shouldn't be complaining about the Navy.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
You SURE you want to know?
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
1830...
I'm not saying you don't do this, but there is something to be said for a boss who will pull you aside and counsel you when they see you walking into a proverbial minefield as opposed to one who lets you blunder into one. I mean I'm either a young Gen-Xer or an old one of these "millenials" depending on where you draw the line. But nothing infuriates me more than a boss who shows up to a midterm counseling or FITREP debrief with a whole bunch of saved rounds from the past 6 months that I could have learned from and applied if I'd heard them on the spot.
That said, this whole debate boils down to nittany03's Law of Generational Buffoonery. To wit: Every generation says their parents are screwed up. They're right; they are. Unfortunately, every generation is only 50 percent right as to exactly how and why their parents are screwed up. So that generation only fixes half the problems, and screws up as much as they fix. Then they have kids, who grow up and say "wow, my parents are screwed up." And the cycle continues.
Perhaps she bought into the whole James Bond "spy" narrative that never seems to die. This makes her impending departure a failure in expectations management.
Not to get off topic, but what makes you say that?
Sounds like a personal problem to me, but then- that was my conclusion when I read the article, so no surprises there.
Powerpoints and cubicle life didn't agree with her? I wonder how different things will be in the real world....
That's just poor leadership/management regardless of the ages of the leader or subordinate. I was always told that nothing on an eval or fitrep should ever be a surprise to the person being evaluated, good or bad. I had that happen to me early on...boss didn't like how I was doing something but never said one word about it until it showed up on a fitrep. And it was when I was a midshipman, too, which was double-plus ungood...the whole point of those days is to teach student officers, and you don't teach by fitrep.
My comment about Millennials wanting immediate feedback wasn't really intended to be a knock on them. More just a difference in attitude. They get frustrated when they don't hear immediately that they did a good job or to do something different. They're just conditioned to expect close attention and supervision.
Someone (here? SB? some blog?) made the excellent point that many in the current "young people" generation have the attitude of "get mine while the getting is good," and posit it's because they watched their parents lose their asses in various scenarios (S&L, stock crashes, pension fund liquidations, etc. etc.).
The getting has not been good as of late. Admin distractions, compressed dwell time, reduced flight hours, outmoded technology - all of this paints the outside as "better." Of course, little to nothing beats actually flying and working with other people that do, which is what keeps people in, more or less. If you start a pattern where the "good ones" get out at the earliest opportunity, or just aren't recruited in the first place, it's all to easy to lapse into a vicious cycle
That's what everyone wants to avoid. The disagreement is "how."
The getting has not been good as of late. Admin distractions, compressed dwell time, reduced flight hours, outmoded technology - all of this paints the outside as "better." Of course, little to nothing beats actually flying and working with other people that do, which is what keeps people in, more or less. If you start a pattern where the "good ones" get out at the earliest opportunity, or just aren't recruited in the first place, it's all to easy to lapse into a vicious cycle
That's what everyone wants to avoid. The disagreement is "how."
The question, or at least a question, becomes - is it just the "good ones" getting out? This isn't to suggest that everyone who stays should, but doesn't it come across a little self serving to suggest that "I got out because I'm better than this?" The Navy's difficult calculation is in figuring out whether enough so-called "good ones" are staying? I think an argument can be made either way.
LFCFan
*Insert nerd wings here*
As soon as she said "watchfloor" I was like "I bet she's one of us...how long is this going to take to get out of the bag?"