Thursday, October 9, 2008

the so-called Generation Y

I am not going to talk about the Gen-Y cops movie.. I can't even remember wat it was about. I know Ekin Chin ka belakon.. or I cud be wrong. ahhaha..

Right, this morning I went to work. I nearly finished the tissues on my desk because I have this serious sinus problem.. my nose keeps on running.. ahhaha.. awu barigali bunyi nya. I bet I looked like a clown just now.. nose so red, trying so hard not to sneeze.. cos it was so quite d office tadi.. Even if I drop my tissue just now, I bet they all will SHHHHHed back at me. ehehhe exageratting.

So yeah, I spent the morning reading stuff.. and since I am in charge of this Knowledge Management stuff (remind me to do a great blog about this one!!), I spent some quality time reading what being posted in the forum.

It was about the so called Generation-Y, the new phenomenon of young generations, and why it was being feared! Some called them the millenial generation... I would prefer calling them 'the spoiled brat' generation. Apologies if this doesn't suit the actual meaning, but I believe everybody have their own opinion about this. Thats wat make the world go round (and yeah I know about the earth revolved the sun and all that.. but u know wat I mean).

The article that I read is very interesting, I can't remember wats the URL, but I'll try to post it some day. They were talking about hiring this new generation, and y it will post trouble. Let me just summarise.

The new generation believes they are the special ones, because since little they are being nurtured by this.. "You son, are the best thing that ever happen to me... what ever happens you're always be my baby" bla bla praises. Its like being embedded in their head. "Like even if I did wrong, my mum won't mind, I am still the apple in my mum's eye". Some employers even complained that the parents become like a spokeperson to their children saying.. "I don't think my son/daughter deserves this appraisal.' The new generation are more upfront and can be demanding... they like to sell them selves and have these believe 'If you don't follow my demand.. I think I should go somewhere and sell my self. I bet they will follow me and LIKE me better..'. Its a very scary phenomenon, so the management need to have different approach to tackle this situation....

This has not happen to outside the country.. it also happens here in Brunei. Shocking. I remember reading an article in Borneo Bulletin about this. The blaming culture between the teacher and the parents. The parents blamed the teacher for not doing their job if their kids failed on their subject... and who to be blame after all?

Most of my family members are teachers.. so its quite normal for me to listen to all the teacher's comments on their student's behaviour. My sister even ask me how to reprimand the students who have not been submitting their homework. I told her to just ask them to stand on the chairs, like what my era used to do la. I was an angel kali ahh... I rarely stand on the chair... ehehehe. But my sister said this... Dunno if can do that anymore. They will complain to the parents and then the parents complain back, then I will get called, affect my performance tia.

Ok.. so how about making a 'hall-of-shame' for those who didn't submit their homework?'

My sister responded... 'If dat one, later the students complain la to the parents because drg kana malukan la apa la...'

All I have to say.. 'waaaa... very difficult nowadays ahh....'

Do u realize whats wrong with the above scenario?

1. The teacher cannot reprimand the students.
2. The students are more authorative than the teacher because the parents decided to butt in.
3. The parents tend to blame on the teacher if something were to happen to their children.

I remembered back in my years how very scared I was to make the teacher angry with me. Now, I can easily see how the students can easily mock their teachers. I heard stories *tsk* *tsk*.

I felt some how older when I see how the young generation acted nowadays la. No wonder some still thinks that I am 20 years old, because I don't dress dat well, I don't wear make up, except on special ocassion like attending weddings, function or hari raya. I usually just wear my shirt, jeans, scarf and a lil bit of lip gloss on the lips. Dun even bother lipstick, because they worn off over time. See.. so simple.

If you go to The Mall in Gadong... I called it the most hip and happening place in Brunei... you can see different style on the young generation nowadays. The punk style, hip hop style, gothic style, the retro style. The young girls, I dun mind if they are not muslims, but I am quite concern with the Muslimah actually.. they wore mini skirts, with leggings, wear those sleeveless things. Some show off their belly.. their hair so nicely done. Red lipsticks, mascara, blusher, complete make up on! I even saw one wearing knee-high boots with net-leggins and denim mini skirt running towards her styla friends. Wah lau.. and I tawt I can only see this in the tv.

If I were them in the past, I bet my mum will slay me before I even stepped out of the door. I wonder how they can escape their 'fashion' critics at home with that kind of attire. Who drove them there? I bet there were as young as 14.. its kinda hard to guess their age with all those make up on. Where did they buy those stuff and how? These questions revolve around my lil brain. I am more culture shock here in Brunei, then I was in UK... (tho there was this one time, but that one was a different story.)

I only know how to apply eye-liner in UK (my 4th year in Uni!!).. atu pun after kawan ku ajar aku... and I was forced to wear make up by my mom.. because 'macam org sakit jua usul mu kan attend org kawin ani..'. I still feel make-up is 'merimaskan' because you have to clean everything after using it... I don't wear make up to work, just lip balm and a spritz of pefume.

I had a very brief but interesting conversation with this HR person about the generation Y. I told her that I attended a course with the fellow grads, and one of the interesting bit that we discuss about is 'how to attract the young generations to work with us, and how to make them stay!'. She's very interested to hear my view, because I am young and a graduate my self. I told her, its not the same like the oldies, where people are blessed if they have work and money to spend on. Nowadays, kids feels its easier to ask for money than to gain. Everyday, they were given pocket money to spent in the schools. They can easily ask $$ from the parents to buy their wardrobe items. Most kids have mobiles nowadays, easy access to internet. More socially exposed than wat the past generation have. They are more opinionated because they grow up in that kind of society. Since they can access internet, astro, television.. they gain information not only from one-two source, but many. They are spoiled by choices! They are more upfront with their needs, one thing that interest them are gaining more profit than what they can work for! Money seems to play an important role to these materialistic society.

How can we attract them to work in a very challenging environment? Its kinda hard to ask a spoiled brat to do something that they are not willing to do.. and this has become an ultimate challenge to all the employer!

This morning I read a bulletin at my workplace about refering a friend to work with the company and get ur self a lump sum of 2500 if the friends got the job and stay after 9 months on the job. See, even we get paid if we can make our friends stayed in the job! Its dat serious! And I thought only the Credit Card have the refer-a-friend program. ehehhe

Ok.. my lil brain is aching to rest now. To end, today was not that bad. I won my self the new Ipod nano because I designed a logo. Check out Nano-chromatic.

I was thinking to sell it because I already have an iTouch. But then after I know its the nano-chromatic one.. i am kinda reluctant! Its a very nice blue. But yeah, I still welcome potential buyers. Email me if you are interested.

ps. Spot my red maxtor HD.. lovely aint it? ehhehe

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