Book Club: Not Everyone Gets a Trophy

So for the record, I am not actually in any formal book club nor have I read this book yet but I did just watch a video book report of sorts by Chris Brogan on it and was interested.

So without going too much into a book I didn't actually read the RED are my thoughts on the book's description "Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y." (compliments of Amazon)


"This book will frame Generation Y (children born between 1978-1991) for corporate leaders and managers at time when the corporate world is desperate to recruit and retain worked in this age group. It will debunk dozens of myths, including that young employees have no sense of loyalty
(I'm not loyal to companies that slow me down),
won't do grunt work
(I'll totally do it, but not for too long. I want be feel like I am valued for my ideas and creativity not a monkey punching numbers... "We got that ambition, baby"),
won't take direction
(I'll hear what you have to say and give your way a try but if I have a better, more efficient way of producing the same result, admit defeat),
want to interact only with computers
(for me personally, that couldnt be farther from the truth. I can't wait to find a job where I don't have to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours straight),
and are only about money
(HA! What money?).

For them it's about what they will do for you today and what you will do for them today, not tomorrow, not five years from today, but today.
(Why put off tomorrow something you can do today? I will work for the future as long as I know it's actually going to happen. Too many times we work day in and day out with little or no hope for things to actually get better.)

He will explain why they have no interest in tying their futures to your corporation.
(See aforementioned reason)

But he will also make clear that they do have a well thought-out plan for themselves, one that requires that every job they take build up their skill sets, so they become more valuable employees for someone else--if and when you do not fulfill your end of the bargain, or drag your feet in doing so. (Could not agree with this more! After years of bosses being spread too thin to be concerned with my career development, I had to take control of my own career. I am learning so much at my job and using all of the available resources to advance my skill set but unfortunately, I'm more likely to take those skills to a company that values them)

But most of all, it will explain to corporate leaders that for this generation their personal life comes first, so that each job they take must accommodate itself to some need defined by their personal life. (I work to earn a living, I don't live to work. I want to be able to have the best of both worlds: A successful career and a family. But if I can't have both and am in a financial position to do so, my family will always be first)"

FINAL THOUGHT - Mr. Tulgan hit the nail right on the head with that bolded statement. In the past, I've gotten upset about not receiving recognition for projects that I've worked on - i.e. my name was left off a winning internal award. And while office politics was the reason I was not included, I felt more like a worthless worker monkey than an asset to the team. Clearly, if the spotlight is what I'm looking for, public relations is not the field for me. My sole job is to make other people look good.

So, I don't need a trophy but I should feel like the skills I bring to the table are valued, appreciated and recognized and if they're not, I am sure I can find an employer who will.