Will work life balance change with the next generation?

Over the last week, I have had several opportunities to work with young people at Telstra. We had a work experience student for one week, a graduate spending 3 months in my team and I have also met with several young entrepreneurial customers over the last month. The questions they ask also give me a lot of food for thought.

Through the conversations with the grads and the younger customers I got to thinking - will the next generation solve the question around work and life balance? Will they have it easier than the previous generation or is it getting harder each ten years? Were our parents better at the whole balance question?

So I thought I would try to list my observations as to why the Nintendo or iPod generation may have a better ability to survive the whole work scene than their predecessors.

Born after 1980

1. The need for speed - don’t all businesses have super fast broadband
2. The need to parallel process - I am used to playing video games and watching TV and doing homework all at the same time –why would work be any different
3. Send me the link – I am used to getting links and connections to information I need – don’t make me read long reports
4. Send me a picture not text – I am used to getting photos on my phone, in my chat box at home
5. I don’t have time to wait for the answer – I will just post my question on a worldwide bulletin board and get the answer straight away
6. Just do it – I want to learn by playing with the program or the software not sitting in a classroom
7. I want to play – the computer is not a work tool to me –it is fun and I want to explore what I need to know to do my job
8. Tell me what the payoff is – I am used to winning at each level and I want to know how I will be rewarded
9. I prefer fantasy video games to reality TV - give me something creative to work on and own
10. I am always online or on my phone – so at work this is what I expect too

I would be interested in what you have to say about managing the expectations of our younger workmates and customers around how we work and live.
Here are some related generational articles I found while scouting around on the net

Generation Y: They've arrived at work with a new attitude (www.usatoday.com)
Beloit College Mindset List (www.beloit.edu)
Balance is Bunk! - The Book of Life (www.fastcompany.com)

Quote of the day

Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
Source: Rabbinical Saying (www.quotationspage.com)

By Georgie Lee, Adage Guest Blogger