Leader's Digest #18 (15 October 2018)

LEADERS ISSUE 18

15 October 2018

DIGEST

MANAGING

MULTIGENERATIONAL TEAMS

This fortnightly publication is dedicated to advancing civil service leadership and putting it into practice contemporary leadership principles.

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PUBLICATION TEAM EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Segaren Assistant Editor Yvonne Lee Diana Marie Capel Graphic Designer Awang Ismail bin Awang Hambali Abdul Rani Haji Adenan

CONTENTS

ISSUE 18 I 15 OCTOBER 2018

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EMBRACING DIVERSITY, EMPOWERING AFFINITY JOB-HOPPING PHENOMENON: A MULTIGENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

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HOW TO PREPARE YOUR ORGANISATION FOR GEN Z

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RE-EXAMINING THE GEN Y LABEL IN MALAYSIA

Read this issue and past issues online at bit.ly/LEADSCS. Scan the QR code below for quicker access:

A CLOSER LOOK AT GEN Y AND Z IN MALAYSIA

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LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION, IT’S ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION. – Simon Sinek

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Embracing Diversity, Empowering Affinity

BY EVELYN TEH

“For the first time ever, we are seeing four generations of employees working side by side in organisations.”

How many times have we heard this (or its similar incarnations) discussed at human resources roundtables or talent management seminars? Whether your reply is in the form of a cheer, a groan or a shrug, it is undeniable that this concern exists and we are still finding a comfortable stance in resolving it.

With a multitude of resources available at our fingertips, it is not difficult to obtain good, practical tips on dealing with the different values, communication styles and behaviors of each generation.

One example of best practice in leading diversity is IBM, who created their Generational Diversity Programme based on 3As (Accessibility, Accommodation, Attitude).

These criteria are used to ensure that there is a fit between the employee’s life cycle and their needs. Having this programme embedded in IBM’s talent management strategy became one of the key reasons for its success.

Other examples include P&G’s online talent management system that allows key stakeholders in an employee’s career (including the employees themselves) to build a talent profile and plot pathways to their destination career.

Thus, this gives an opportunity for a more holistic voice to all those who are involved in developing an individual’s successful career. Try Googling keywords such as “leading multigenerational organisations” and the great examples are endless.

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Yet, this leads to another question begging to be answered – Is such tailoring necessary for our organisations? How can we ensure optimal tailoring for organisational thriving and avoid issues such as of organisational fairness?”

Tailoring and customising can require tremendous effort.

Depending on the characteristics of your organisation, these efforts can sometimes be the bane of cost-benefit analyses.

While tailoring talent management efforts is no longer a question of necessity, deciding the amount of tailoring needed for success is a constant challenge. There have been studies that show that generational stereotypes can be blown-out of proportion and can be an extrapolation of our own self-perception.

So, it is possible to have Gen-Ys who prefer face-to-face communication and Baby Boomers who enjoy using social media to network. Try handing a new iPad to your parents who may be Baby Boomers or Gen-Xers and you might find that they actually enjoy it and are more engaged than you are.

Catalyst, an NGO that focuses on diversity and inclusion as its mission cautions against over-generalising and encourages organisations to address its stereotypes lest we end up perpetuating negative stereotypes which can impact organisational performance.

Ultimately, we have our differences and we need to manage these differences. But how much do we focus on these differences, and how do we make these differences work? Perhaps it is in finding the right balance between leveraging differences and similarities.

Can we embrace diversity and empower affinity?

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A study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) titled Leading a Multigenerational Workforce shows that while we come from diverse generations, we still share similarities in some organisational needs: 1. We all seek fulfilment and a sense of purpose from our job; accompanied by a side of worthy paycheck.

2. We want to have job satisfaction and this is often a result of a good workplace culture.

3. We like to be recognised and appreciated in our role.

4. Career development is a high priority for most of us.

5. Flexibility and autonomy of time are important regardless of generations.

The same study also provides questions and a checklist that can guide talent leaders in assessing the management of generational diversity in their respective organisations. This can be useful input for any organisation to begin in leveraging the strengths of their diversity and affinity.

A common strategy to manage generational diversity is encouraging multigenerational projects. To empower affinity in diversity projects, talent leaders can build in “accountability sessions” which focus on clarifying roles, strengths and areas to improve throughout the project’s timeline.

The leader’s role is then to follow up on each of these sessions and align before moving along the timeline. This creates a platform for open feedback and accountability, whilst allowing the leader to consistently model accountability.

AFFINITY IN EMPATHY Diversity cannot exist in selfishness; it is just not the right soil.

An affinity in being empathetic complements the accountability principle. In managing diversity, it is important to be clear of your own responsibility and perspectives, but to also understand why people have different perspectives.

Talent leaders can roll-out the best diversity practices, but without a culture of empathy, the knowledge remains as SOPs and managerial-imposed instructions.

However, if today we were to start ensuring that our strategies in managing generational differences result in success, where would we start? A good starting point could lie in building an affinity through our organisation’s culture.

A key way to empower this affinity is to build processes that support the growth of empathy. For example, Leaderonomics’ induction requires newbies to personally meet people from different teams in their first week.

An organisation’s culture is a landscape that defines the strength of the produce it plants; this “produce” can comprise the vision, talent strategies, operational procedures etc. In the words of Dr Brene Brown, author of best-selling book Daring Greatly; “leaders place importance on strategy without acknowledging where they are standing to begin with.”

These small and personalised sessions induces a culture of curiosity and asking questions to promote growth of empathy.

The continuous process of curiosity questioning and obtaining answers allow understanding of different viewpoints which ultimately fosters empathy.

Imagine planting on infertile soil – it doesn’t matter how much you water, provide sunlight, or even increase the quantity of plants, it will be a matter of time before these plants die a natural death.

Empathy also reduces blaming and help people to realise that differences may not be as pronounced as what they have in common. Consistent behaviours are building blocks of a pervasive culture.

What are some ways then to ensure a strong culture that can embrace diversity?

AFFINITY IN ACCOUNTABILITY By living the same stance of being responsible for our own actions, we afford space for diversity management.

In a culture where everyone embraces the fact that they are responsible for the collective consequence at varying degrees, people are less likely to blame each other for bad consequences.

Without a common landscape, differences in perceptions and other unique behaviours are challenged in growth and often are uprooted. In essence, it becomes difficult to understand differences much less to further the organisation through leveraging these differences.

No one can deny that the one-box-talent-management-model is no longer effective, but before we start a wild goose chase on trying to implement tailored strategies, it is probably wiser to find a common core to grow our differences.

Often in multi-generational organisations, the blame attacks people as human – “These Baby Boomers are too old-fashioned” or “These Millenials just want things too quickly”.

Thus, regardless of how many generations come to the same workplace, with these values bounded as culture, we have a superordinate landscape that ties us together in affinity. This affinity then ensures engagement particularly in aspects where we are different from one another.

We fail to realise that we as individuals have the responsibility to question how fast or slow we want to move as a team and encourage a democratic conclusion to that.

So for today, ask yourselves, where in your organisation exists diversity and is there an affinity beyond this variety that you can empower?

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Job-Hopping Phenomenon:

A Multigenerational Responsibility

BY ELISA DASS AVIN

Did you know that 91% of Gen-Y employees leave their jobs in less than three years?

If you speak to some friends (or Google) about this, most of them would attribute these – one to two years’ work stint to the same reason – the “disloyal” Gen-Y! While many stated reasons are undoubtedly true, let’s explore other factors that have also contributed to this phenomenon, and see if we can minimise this culture and effects of job-hopping in the coming years before we welcome in the Gen-Z graduates.

What’s commonly read of job-hopping is that it is done for career growth, quick salary increments and a lack of company loyalty.

While that may be true in some cases, many fail to see that Gen-Y consists of key groups with distinct differences in their mindsets and motivations.

These are some key groups of Gen-Y in the current business world: The driven Gen-Y These are the Gen-Ys who probably have Travie McCoy’s Billionaire as their life’s theme song. Their vision board is flooded with dreams of retiring by 35, fancy cars, and dream holidays.

They will likely be the ones who will move from one job to another if the “price is right”. They work and play hard, but their underlying motivation is to be a high-income earner in the shortest time possible.

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The life-loving Gen-Y These are the Gen-Ys who believe in having meaning in what they do and who they do it with. Hence, company values and team dynamics are important to them.

According to Johnson Controls’ Gen-Y and the Workplace Annual Report, Gen-Ys look for a professional community place that they can emotionally engage in and that positively supports their wellbeing.

Their underlying motivation is happiness, work-life balance and being able to contribute to society at large.

The learning Gen-Y These Gen-Y executives believe in lifelong learning experiences. In the same research, Controls found that the top deciding factor for choosing a company for them is the opportunity for learning.

They look forward to continuous opportunities to learn as well as periodical challenges to their job so that it does not become monotonous.

The underlying motivation of this group of Gen-Ys is to avoid monotony and a lack of growth. They believe that if you stop growing, you wither.

With these motivations driving the Gen-Y, job-hopping can sometimes bring a lot of short- to middle-term fulfilment and results.

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Let’s look at how different groups of people can help minimise job-hopping.

1. Gen-Y employee The buck stops with the Gen-Ys as far as their decision to stay or leave is concerned.

Asking the right questions during an interview relating to their underlying motivation will help ensure a better culture fit in the company and among employees.

For the driven Gen-Ys, having a good understanding of their compensation, reward and career growth will help them decide if the company’s career advancement and remuneration package is aligned with their expectations.

For the life-loving Gen-Y, asking the right questions on the culture of the company can be beneficial.

And for those who are eager to learn, ask the interviewers about learning/mentoring programmes and opportunities for additional projects outside the job scope.

While pursuing their dream jobs, it will help to ensure that each step they take is aligned with their dreams otherwise they may end up disappointed and decide to leave the company in less than two years.

2. The employer (usually the Gen-X) As many reports have shown, Gen-Ys look for fair and justified compensation, work-life balance, continuous growth and flexible work arrangements. While many companies in Malaysia have extensive training programmes, more can be done.

In line with the three groups of Gen-Ys that we are addressing in this article, companies can do more: • Stretched goal setting with justified rewards for the driven Gen-Y. If they are looking for rewards, then help set them up for success.

Managers of these employees can set stretched goals with a clear definition of deliverables and rewards that follow.

• Know your company culture and represent it well in interviews, websites and other communication channels. This will help the life-loving Gen-Y decide if this is the work culture they wish to be a part of.

• Individualised learning opportunities for the learning Gen-Y. Allow them to look for opportunities to grow their scope of work or be involved in cross-functional projects to ensure continuous learning. Provide developmental feedback for these employees to help them see their blind spots. They are usually very open to receiving feedback if it helps them grow as a person.

3. The ever supportive parents (usually the Baby Boomers) Parents who cast a safety net over the Gen-Ys should stop! They will have to mature and be responsible for the decisions they make.

Some Gen-Ys have the luxury of leaving a company before securing another job because they have a “piggy bank” that never goes empty at home.

Most Gen-Xs have been loyal to their companies in the previous years as they fear the loss of income that may affect their livelihood. This commitment to providing for their children’s education, needs, and eventually marriage, is sometimes detrimental to the Gen-Xers.

As parents, teaching them to be responsible adults who bear the burdens of their decisions is more crucial than casting a safety net for a wishy-washy employee.

Once this “fortunate” group of Gen-Ys know that they can no longer land safely, then the decision to take on a job and stay with it becomes a deliberated one.

Regardless of which stakeholder of this job-hopping phenomenon you fall in – the Gen-Y employee, employer or the parent – we all have a role to play.

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A Closer Look at Gen Y and Z in Malaysia

BY LILY LAU

The iPhone – which was the invention of smart technology revolution – started in 2007.

So much has been talked and debated about Gen Ys over the last few years and yet, there are people who still complain and think that Gen Ys are naïve, lack respect and interpersonal skills, and have no loyalty towards employers.

The negative perceptions about Gen Y has not changed much and now, we have a new breed who is even more challenging and is growing up.

They are Generation Z, or Gen Z in short.

Who are Gen Zs?

They are a demographic cohort after Gen Y.

Due to the development of technology, Gen Ys commonly multitask with two screens while Gen Zs do so with up to five screens.

As a result, Gen Y is digital-savvy whereas Gen Z is digital-centric.

For Gen Z, they can’t comprehend if the world does not have Internet as they live in it.

For Gen Y, the technology was developed while they were growing up and it is something they embraced.

Comparison between Gen Y and Z (based on US studies) Gen Y: The Optimists (1981 – 1994)

Gen Z: The Realists (1995 – 2010)

There are numerous other names that describe them such as iGen, Homelanders, Screenagers, Global Gen, and a few others.

Raised on the Internet

Raised on social web

Two screens

Up to five screens

I prefer to describe them as the Apps Gen ‒ due to the emergence of applications for software programming, or Smart Gen as in integration of computing technology in mobile phones.

Communicate with text

Communicate with images

Share things

Create things

Present-focused

Future-focused

What’s the difference between Gen Y and Z?

Want to be discovered and different

Work for success

Luxury shoppers

Frugal shoppers

Digital-savvy

Digital-centric

Want to experience multiple careers

Want to work for themselves (entrepreneurial)

Teamwork-oriented within small groups

Global collective conscious

In the United States (US), Gen Ys are categorised as those born between 1981 and 1994, and Gen Zs as those born between 1995 and 2010.

Gen Y was raised in the era when the Web was created.

Google was established in 1997 when Gen Y was growing up, and they embraced technology with excitement.

Gen Z was raised on social web where platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp were created.

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*Note: There is no study on differences between Malaysian Gen Ys and Zs and the above is used as a reference for our understanding of Malaysian generations.

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Who are the Millennials?

To understand the issue of generations, it is essential to know the history of events that formed the core cultures, beliefs, values and mindsets that influence the formative years of people.

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Gen Y in the US

The 1980s was the time when technology expanded and the digital revolution started in the US. It is the Internet bubble where Silicon Valley became the centre of the computer industry.

When you hear of the term ‘Millennials’, you may think that they are synonymous with the Gen Ys. This word came into existence when the year 2000 marked a new millennium. In other words, those who were born in the late 1990s and grew up after the year 2000 should be defined as Millennials.

However, the definition of ‘Millennials’ in the US and Malaysia may differ. In the US, those born between 1981–1994 are considered as Gen Y, while those born between 1995–2010 (i.e. the Gen Z) are considered as Millennials.

In Malaysia, based on my observations and research, Gen Ys were born between 1985–2004 and they are the Millennials. Gen Z are those born from 2005 onwards and are post-Millennials.

Gen Y in Malaysia (1985–2004)

Ebay, Yahoo, Paypal, Amazon, and Google were some of the mega companies founded in the Silicon Valley in the 1990s.

Based on my survey, Malaysia was at least five years behind the US in the early 1980s for technology.

It was a period of growth with expansion and Gen Y wanted to break away from the norm and tradition, something which became possible through technology platforms.

The technology infrastructure was not developed until the Multimedia Super Corridor was created in 1996.

They grew up in a period of strong economy.

Crossing the millennium, the US went into a series of tragedies.

The dot.com bubble burst in the early 2000s, followed by the terrorist attack on Sept 11, 2001.

The country faced the Great Recession in 2009 which led to bursting of the housing bubble, high unemployment, and others.

Gen Z in the US

Unlike Gen Y, Gen Zs were born into a time of recession, terrorism, violence, volatility and complexity.

As a result, their characters and perspectives vary.

They became realists, seeking for stability and security.

They are frugal in spending although online shopping is the norm.

They want to create and do live streaming.

Teen obesity has tripled in the US since 1970.

While Gen Ys loved sports and adventure, Gen Zs see sports as a health necessity.

Malaysia underwent tremendous industrial development to capture foreign investments to manufacture high-end valueadded products for exports in the 1990s.

From 1988 to 1996, Malaysia’s economy expanded at 8 per cent annually, the second fastest after China. Per capita income doubled in the 1990–1996 period.

The Internet boomed after 1997 when the telecommunication industry opened with Maxis, Digi and U Mobile selling reasonable data packages, and with Nokia and Motorola leading the affordable mobile devices.

This was the time when teenage Gen Ys embraced technology with enthusiasm.

Similarly like the US, our Malaysian Gen Ys are highly educated and it is common to see them pursuing postgraduate studies.

Our culture emphasises the importance of education and Malaysian parents – especially those who did not get to reach their desired education level due to poverty – would do their best to provide.

Gen Z in Malaysia (2005 onwards)

Malaysia recovered in early 2000 after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, but it didn’t regain its momentum of high growth.

Their attention span has shortened to just eight seconds and they may not listen if you cannot engage them.

It went into a phase of flat growth without a major breakthrough.

Nevertheless, both generations have similarities as they are technology users.

We caught up with the advances in technology and the speed was up-to-mark with neighbouring countries.

They are collaborative and socially engaged.

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solutions. This denoted the development change of technology into social media.

What can you do for eight seconds? What can you teach so that they can learn in eight seconds?

In 2016, 92 per cent of the population had 3G data coverage and 64 per cent of people had 4G coverage access in Malaysia.

I believe the attention span of our Malaysian children is not far away from eight seconds, although there is no data.

However, as we were not a developed country yet, there was disparity in usage between children from urban and rural areas.

Definitely, the way things are taught has to be completely changed; no longer will pen and paper with massive memorisation suffice.

Nevertheless, digital technology is absolutely necessary for Gen Zs ‒ like the need for water and air to mankind.

Gen Y communicates in text and as stated above, Gen Z in images.

Books may no longer be attractive and may have to evolve into comic style storytelling. Lessons within interactive gadgets is potentially the attraction for attention.

Future of work with Gen Zs

With the oldest being 13, what is their future like when they join the workforce?

Are our corporations and industries ready to cater to their needs when they enter the work market?

To gauge the answers, we need to explore a few impending issues.

In terms of education, are we doing the right thing to equip them with the necessary skills?

Industry 4.0 is already under way and it is about smart factories with cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, etc.

More and more new jobs that never existed 10 years ago are coming up. Is our education system providing the content and skills that are needed by the industries of the future?

In the US, children’s attention span has been reduced to only eight seconds!

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Higher education will continue to have a place of importance, but they would be more selective. Gen Zs look for specific areas of interest or skills to learn.

General subjects like Bachelor of Arts or Science may no longer be valued as much. They prefer something more practical or that has immediate use.

Our Gen Zs have global awareness and travel widely.

This is also the current habit of Malaysians who have the spending power for travel, and family trips are common.

The above are only a few areas to highlight. Are you ready for the coming of Gen Z? After Gen Z is Gen Alpha, but many are still complaining about Gen Y.

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Comparison between generations in the US and Malaysia US

MALAYSIA Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

• Massive increase in births after World War 2 and the Great Depression.

That’s how the term Baby Boomers was used.

• Beginning of industrialisation to re-build economy • Vietnam War started (1955-1975) • Experienced the US Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) • John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 • Known as Hippies or yuppies as their profound culture for long hair, sex, drugs etc.

• They worked hard and created the back bone of economic development for the US

• In Malaya (at that time), our Baby Boomers can be likened to ‘Merdeka Babies’. They are the one who have seen pre-independence • There was no baby boom in Malaya at that time. Population is still small.

• Born during period of hardship, conflict, and struggle.

• Formation of UMNO (1946) and other political parties that paved the way for independence negotiations • The are mostly English-savvy compared to other generations • The British rule and the law are respected • Experienced The Malaya Emergency (1948-1960) • Federation of Malaya became Malaysia on September 16, 1963

US Gen X (1965-1980) Malaysia Gen X (1965-1984) • In the US, this is the golden era of economic growth where it became the World No. 1 country in terms of GDP. • The American Dream was the ideal where everything is possible, provided you work smart • The children are known as latchkey children as both parents were required to work as the US reached full employment.

• Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the moon in 1969.

• Many attained tertiary education which was not affordable for Baby Boomers.

• Faced oil crisis in 1973 and first gas shortage in US. • The growth influx of manufacturing goods such as automobiles, electricals, etc.

• Stock market crashed in 1973-1974 • Vietnam War ended in 1975 with massive losses and destruction.

• Their generational mission is to have a balance between work and family.

• The are also exposed to diversity and global business

• Our children were still playing wildly outside the house. It was safe to let them run around the neighbourhood.

• Malaysia started to industrialise with labour-driven and low-end manufacturing; gradually transforming from an agriculture to a manufacturing economy.

• Experienced May 13, 1969 incident • The New Economic Policy was implemented in 1971 to eradicate poverty and achieve national unity for economic transformation.

• First generation to learn Bahasa Malaysia as the national language which started in early 1970s • Colour television was introduced in 1978 • Many attained tertiary education which was not available to Baby Boomers • Dr Mahathir Mohamed became Malaysia’s 4th Prime Minister in 1981 • Launched the Look East Policy to emulate the success of economics like Japan and Korea and their work culture

US Gen Y (1981-1994) Malaysia Gen Y (1985-2004) • This is the emerging technology era that changed the business landscape.

• Silicon Valley became the widely accepted centre of computer industry in the 1980s.

• ebay, Yahoo, Paypal, Amazon, and Google were some of the companies founded in the 1990s in Silicon Valley.

• Era of Internet bubble • Believe education is key to success and it is common to proceed to postgraduate education • They are the most high maintenance generation as their expectation for salary inflated tremendously.

• Their generational mission is to be creative, using technology to break away from norms and traditions.

• During this period, Malaysia was undergoing tremendous development to capture foreign manufacture high-end value-added products for export.

• From 1988 to 1996, Malaysia’s economy expanded at 8 per cent annually, the second fastest after China. Per capita income doubled in the 1990-1996 period.

• Proton produced its first car, SAGA, in 1985.

• We are adopting technology at a relatively slower pace. Comparatively, our technology infrastructure lagged behind the US in the 1980s and early 1990s.

• Vision 2020 was launched in 1990 to propel Malaysia into an industrialised country.

• Multimedia Super Corridor was introduced in 1996 to facilitate infrastructure development.

• In the late 1990s, Internet boomed for Malaysia as the telecommunication industry was opened with Maxis, Digi and U-Mobile selling reasonable date packages; and Nokia and Motorola leading affordable mobile devices. This was the time when our Gen Ys who were teenagers embraced technology with enthusiasm.

• Our Gen Ys are latchkeys as they were brought up in enclosed environments by maids, their grandmothers or other relatives as both parents worked.

• Due to availability of financial support from parents, they pursued postgraduate education which resulted in high expectation towards work • By population, Gen Ys make up about 40 per cent and they are the largest group; they are the ‘Baby Boomers’ of Malaysia.

US Gen Z (1995-2010) Malaysia Gen Z (2005 onwards) • The US went into a series of tragedies during this period: - Burst of dot.com bubble in early 2000 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks - Great Recession in 2009 that led to bursting of the housing bubble,high umemployment, etc.

• Unlike Gen Y, Gen Z wan born into an era uncertainty, disruptions, and economic turbulance.

• While Gen Y grew up with computers, Gen Z grew up with touch screen, apps, and smart phones.

• They are realists who seek security and stability.

• Understand and worry about global warming

• Malaysia caught up in terms of technology and the speed is up-to-mark with neighbouring countries.

• Malaysia recovered in early 2000 after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, but it didn’t regain its momentum of high growth. It went into a phase of flast growth without a major breakthrough.

• In 2016, 92 per cent of the population had 3G data coverage and 64 per cent of people had 4G coverage access in Malaysia (source: MCMC) • World’s first DFTZ (Digital Free Trade Zone) was launched by Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib and Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba.

• There is still disparity in usage and connectivity in rural and urban areas.

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How to Prepare Your Organisation for

Gen-Z

BY CHRISTINE COMAFORD

Just when you thought you had millennials figured out, Generation Z is now entering the workforce. A whopping 72.8 million individuals are included in this group born between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s.

For Generation Z, safety means that they are looking for stability and that opportunities to advance within a company are based on performance. They want to know what the rules are, and that they are fair.

Are you ready? While we have learned how to create a culture where millennials can thrive, what Generation Z needs can be quite different. Here’s the line-up:

They’re okay with taking risks to stretch and grow. Is it safe to take risks at your company?

What does this mean?

Safety, belonging, and mattering are essential to your organisation’s culture and the ability for your team to perform at work.

For millennials, the greater the feeling of mattering and being seen for their unique gifts, the greater the feeling of connection with others, the greater the feeling that they are in this together and that they belong together.

Thus, the greater the feeling that they personally matter and make a difference and are contributing to the greater good, and the greater the success of the organisation and the team.

As leaders, mattering means creating an environment where they can be seen, acknowledged, appreciated, and their unique needs are honoured.

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They need an environment where they can be independent, competitive, and are very territorial. Roughly 35% of Gen Z-ers would rather share socks than office space.

Gen Z-ers are very entrepreneurial and want to ‘own’ their projects and areas in the organisation ‒here’s where the mattering comes in.

They see their peers experiencing mattering every day in their social media feeds, so recognition needs to happen on a regular basis; once a year is not going to cut it. Does your company culture work this way?

Tying it together

Both millennials and Gen Z-ers can be happier, more productive, more efficient, and more effective as team members now that you have identified which primary need – safety or mattering – is programmed into their subconscious mind so powerfully that they literally crave it.

What are you doing in your organisation to prepare for Generation Z?

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RE-EXAMINING THE GEN Y LABEL IN MALAYSIA

BY UMAR ZAINOL

If you are a heavy consumer of mass media, you are likely to have come across several declarations about different generational cohorts. This is particularly the case with the Gen Ys, who are often praised for their “can-do” enthusiasm and outside-the-box thinking and at the same time bashed for their purported brattyness and sense of entitlement. Gen Ys remain a misunderstood group that - despite heavy coverage - leaders rack their heads to make sense of.

As it stands, many of the findings for different generational cohorts we are familiar with stem from Western research. Among the most well-known findings are the Baby Boomers in the US, who were labelled so due to the spike in fertility that came after World War 2. Due to their background, Boomers in the US are often characterised as hardworking and idealistic. Similarly, studies of Gen Ys in the US began by understanding the context in which they were raised; the information age and technology. As a result of their environment, they are characterised as educated, tech-savvy and health conscious.

Since globalisation and social-media have allowed Western values to penetrate many other parts of the world, these findings could be applied to different countries to some degree of accuracy. A TIME magazine article highlights the case of China, where a oncetraditional, family-oriented culture is being overtaken by selfinvolvement and overconfidence; much like their Western peers.

Indeed, events such as the global economic downturn, terrorism and international tragedies have made its mark on an entire generational cohort worldwide.

But a closer examination in different countries uncovers a more complicated reality. In pinning down the exact characteristics of Gen Ys, many forget that there exist certain distinctions between Gen Ys in different countries due to their unique sociocultural environment.

In Spain, the dual effects of a fledging national economy unemployment and drop in education - has led to their Gen Ys to be unfavourably labelled ‘Generacion Ni-Ni’ (ni-trabaja, ni-estudia) or ‘mileuristas’, in reference to their minimum salary of EUR1000. In China again, the long-term effects of the now discarded One-Child

Policy have been two-fold: it has created a disproportionately male society and a high-dependency on adults (called ‘Ken Lao Zu’- literally translated to “someone who lives off the elderly”).

Academic studies acknowledge that generational cohorts are impacted by their shared experiences. Since human behaviour correlates to the ‘Person in their Environment’, (as postulated by Kurt Lewin in 1936, B=f(P,E)), a cohort is likely to have similar behaviour if they grew up in a similar setting. This is no different for Malaysian Gen Ys. But while Baby Boomers and Gen Xers lived through the May 13 racial riots and the New Economic Policy, their successors would be swayed by different events. Gen Ys in Malaysia could instead be more influenced by the legacy of its longest-serving Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Look East Policy, Vision 2020), the ‘Reformasi’, and perhaps global events such as the Bosnian War which received heavy media coverage in Malaysia at the time. Even in pop culture, the recent deaths of iconic American celebrities Chester Bennington and Anthony Bourdain was just as poignant to young Malaysians as it was in the US, spurring a dialogue on the importance of mental health. It is therefore necessary to explore the impact of both local and international events on Malaysians’ behaviour.

This kind of academic research in the Malaysian context is scarce, and with such high demand for generational studies, leaders are likely to adopt whatever findings they can muster on the internet and apply them to our own without thinking of the consequences.

Even labelling our 1940-1960 cohort ‘Baby Boomers’ may be inappropriate in itself: while Americans were experiencing a high birth rate and economic growth at the time, Malaysia was achieving independence from the British and were facing its own unique set of problems. Indeed, globalisation has allowed people from all parts of the world to have shared values, but forcing a label reserved for other countries to Malaysians would only hinder our understanding of our own people. Without this knowledge, leaders are facing the challenge of reconciling Western values with local norms. Particularly in the professional context, how will young Malaysians navigate a high-power distance when, much like their Western counterpart, they value an open relationship with their superiors ?

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To overcome this, Malaysian leaders should engage with different generations to determine how the environment and events around them shaped who they are. Leaders in both the public and private sector must commit to bridging the divide between generations by creating a safe and open environment for people to share their upbringing and voice their opinions so that we can obtain a better understanding of different generational cohorts and their values.

This can be done through several initiatives, including coaching, townhall sessions and company-sponsored gatherings.

The importance of local generational studies by country must not be ignored any longer. With a demographic consisting of nearly 12 million young people (most of whom have already entered the workforce), leaders must invest in studies that approach young Malaysians as a unique group experiencing exclusive events instead of just another offshoot of Western youths. Especially with Malaysia’s multiracial fabric, it may also be necessary to see how different ethnic backgrounds views key historical events. Before we pigeonhole another generation with clickbait titles, studies on Gen Zs must consider how recent events, such as GE14, the #MeToo movement and the fourth Industrial Revolution, will influence our future leaders.

Findings of major events by Malaysians Age- group 15–24

Defining events during formative years Introduction of GST, progress of communication technologies

Selected quotes “As a student, I feel it is very difficult to maintain the financial situation … Sometimes I have to cut down my expenses although I need it desperately, like books … Even books have GST; they say no GST but there is increment in the price.” (Indian, 21 years old) “I have a lot of appreciation towards … mobile phones, have a lot of value towards it because it’s something new, it’s something new in a way that it brings in a lot of convenience for a person’s life in the sense of communication.” (Chinese, 21 years old)

25–34

Political reformation, advancement of information technology

“… the reformation … that time was the reformation action and I was a student … around 1998, 1999, because I was in Kajang, the place which was influenced by the reformation and the situation with Anwar Ibrahim … I still remember that reformation.” (Malay, 34 years old) “… what I recall is the iPhone because iPhone has changed the market structure … Instead of just the keypad phone, now everything changes to touch screen, and we can connect everything, like projector, computer, phone call and we can check email anytime.” (Chinese, 29 years old)

35–44

Financial crisis, terrorism (911 incident)

“The thing that I cannot forget is during 1997 when I received a lot of offers for study. That time the economy was really down, I received offers to study, but I cannot go because all of the scholarships, study loan … freeze.”

(Malay, 35 years old) “When I was in university, I recalled the 911 incident. Then I realized that our society is getting out of control.

The more we get developed, the more out of control we are. This event impacted me, I felt afraid. Since this incident, I felt life is impermanent.” (Chinese, 38 years old)

45–55

Financial crisis, social security and development

“I think economy wise, that time was recession, during 1987 and 1997 when I was in form 4 or 5. During that time, my parents were very fortunate, they had saving and sent me to oversea to study. But until today, I value money and I don’t simply spend because of what we went through before.” (Malay, 45 years old) “I remember one of my relatives was staying in one of the blocks at Highland Tower … We didn’t purchase that condo or apartment instead we buy something grounded. We bought something else which is far from the mountain, or else landslide will affect our lives later.” (Malay, 48 years old) “I was born in 70s, at that moment not many TVs with colour images and our phone basically a dialled phone.

Now technology changes very fast … everyone has a hand phone.” (Malay, 45 years old)

56–64

Racial tension, pre-development natural disaster

“Major events, racial conflicts in May 13, I was in my Form 4 … only you started to realize eh, I am a Malay, that guy is a Chinese [Laughter]. My classmates, some of them, we are very close …” (Malay, 62 years old) “You know the flood of 1969. Worst flood in Malaysia in a sense that its kind of like affected a lot of people and all their houses were drown in the flood. Because I was with the Rotaract Club you know, and we were doing relieve work, charity work. I was involved.” (Chinese, 64 years old)

65 and Above

Formation of Malaysia, Independence, Insurgence of communism, Japanese occupation

“I believed the lowering of the British flag and the raising of the Malayan flag at that time was a very big event, in the sense that, you know, people were emotional about it. You know, they had to leave after having the … colonised this place for so long.” (Chinese, 67 years old) “That was a communist activity … At that time, communist activity was very alarming. The communist wanted to take control the country.” (Indian, 73 years old) “During the Japanese occupation, pretty messy here. We’re from rural area … Dreadful because there are robbery cases everywhere … We didn’t go to school during Japanese era. During British era, we were like back to normal. That time they formed Malaysia and Sarawak joined. Singapore did join as well.” (Indigenous group, 86 years old)

Research by Ting et al. outlining major events experienced by different generational cohorts in Malaysia Source: Ting, H., et al., Are we Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y? A qualitative inquiry into generation cohorts in Malaysia, Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences (2017)

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Tung and Comeau proposes a different set of definition and names for each Malaysian generational cohort Source: Tung, L. C., & Comeau, J. D. (2014). Demographic Transformation in Defining Malaysian Generations: The Seekers (Pencari), The Builders (Pembina), The Developers (Pemaju), and Generation Z (Generasi Z). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 4(4), 383.

Umar Zainol is a Programme Developer, Learning Innovation & Solutions, Thought Leadership Centre at the Razak School of Government. He is currently pursuing his Masters Degree at the University of Malaya.

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Every generation brings something new to the workplace, and millennials are no exception. As a group, they tend to be highly educated, love to learn, and grew up with the Internet and digital tools in a way that can be highly useful when leveraged properly.

- Kathryn Minshew

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