expect of their bosses and colleagues, whether they still go to the office at all, which technologies they would like to find there, and what products they are interested in – all of this is currently being discussed at countless congresses, workshops, and camps.
As a consultant, Greisle does not shy away from contact with people. He has already interviewed many members of this generation and was able to find out what makes these new professionals tick. His basic assumption is that Digital Natives naturally integrate technical possibilities into their everyday lives: “They wouldn’t even think of viewing the Internet as some more or less strange ‘add-on to real life’,” explains Greisle. “They consider it quite absurd that surveys on the frequency of Internet use are still being conducted.”
Moreover, the numerous possibilities of communication and collaboration that they make use of on a daily basis seem to effortlessly fit into their individual work lives. “Interpreting this solely as the result of software and technical skills definitely misses the point,” says Greisle. “What we are talking about here is a change in work culture.” He highlights the following crucial points:
High-level networking is a necessity in everyday business – both at home and at the office – as it reduces spatial and temporal boundaries.
Collaborative tools – from chats to web office suites – belong to everyday life.
Extensive social networks are more reliable than colleagues you don’t know – even if all of these networks are virtual.
Research things instead of trying to memorize them. There is much more information available than could ever be memorized. Instead, search and find.
Try it yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new possibilities and to question limitations.
Develop a solution out of different components instead of reinventing the wheel.
Question recommendations and gather additional information.
Communicate fast, spontaneously, and personally instead of spending time on scheduling meetings.
Combine “always on” with flexible working hours to keep your life in balance.
Multitask and communicate on several channels at once.
Act fast and have confidence in the Internet and computers.
Greisle has observed that young people who have been socialized this way often find it difficult to cope with traditional working environments: “You can almost physically feel the cultural shock that young people with such behavioral patterns and extensive technological and systematic know-how experience when they join one of our companies,” says the consultant. “The traditional working and management structures of many companies thwart them completely.”
Among those who are at the beginning of their professional lives as employees at the moment, especially the well-trained ones take the liberty to select companies with an adequate working culture. “Being members of the Internet generation, they will also seize the opportunity to rate employers online.” Companies who do not adjust to the changed needs of their future employees run the risk of “lacking fresh blood and of choking new impulses and ideas with the conventional. The phrase ‘We’ve always been doing it this way’ kills employee motivation.”
So, what to do next? How can employers prepare for the challenges to come? Again, the consultant has compiled a competent list:
The prerequisite is to provide the tools. Resist the temptation to work with restrictions.
Get familiar with Social Web tools. This will allow you to join in – it’s less difficult than you might think.
Create a company culture based on trust – both within the management team and between managers and employees.
Communicate in an open and timely manner. Digital Natives will be faster than you anyway.
Attach importance to a good and respectful culture of communication within the company, and when contacting partners and clients.
Accept the new openness and take it as an opportunity. In the past, industry meetings were held every year. Today, they are held every day.
Sustainability is not a subject of discussion anymore, it is a culture. Put it into practice – socially, economically, and ecologically.
Create a variety of workplaces designed to meet the demands of modern working – open space offices that facilitate communication, adequate rooms for retreat, workplaces that foster creativity, home offices, and co-working spaces.
According to Greisle, Digital Natives think flexibly – employment is just one option for them: “Ultimately, it is up to companies themselves to attract them as employees.”
Interestingly, the somewhat older generation of 30- to 45-year-olds seems to adopt these new working principles more rapidly than experts thought. A recent Forrester Research survey shows that, currently, it is not the 18- to 28-year-olds – the so-called “Generation Y” – but rather the members of Generation X who promote the use of collaborative technologies in companies. The reason for this is simple: The less-than-29-year-olds don’t have the necessary seniority and influence within companies yet. Their older co-workers, however, have by now become aware of the importance of social media – which is why they constitute the fastest-growing group of Facebook users – and of the advantages of collaborative work that is independent of time and space. Moreover, telling their bosses how great these technologies are isn’t all they can do as many of them are bosses themselves. Thus, what I have described above increasingly seems to apply to people beyond the age of 29 as well – which is something I can personally attest to.
“Security is gone anyway. Just do what your heart is set on.”
Johannes Kleske probably wouldn’t want to be given a label as people of his age find generalizations and debates on generational differences rather annoying – yet there is no way around it: If Digital Natives exist at all, the 31-year-old is one of them. His main job is being a so-called “social media expert” – which means that he consults companies in leveraging new communication platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach a young, critical, and highly fragmented target group that hardly uses classic media like newspapers or TV anymore. Besides, Johannes is – in plain words – a big name in the Internet because he is smart, kind, upstanding, and a man of vast reading. He has more than 3,000 followers on Twitter. To give a comparison: I have just around 500.
I first came across Johannes in mid-2008 when my first book “Morgen komm ich später rein” was just about to be published. Back then, I was researching the web for the best and most successful blogs dealing with productivity and new working methods because I wanted to send the book to some ten experts in advance for reviews. Johannes, author of the blog Tautoko, was one of them. After he had twittered on the book, the number of visits to my page went up dramatically. In his world, Johannes undoubtedly has media power.
Besides, there is scarcely anyone out there who is more knowledgeable in terms of modern nomadism and self-fulfillment in the digital economy. His theses underline that a new generation with new questions to life and work has emerged – questions that neither most employers nor state and institutional structures have answers to. We exchanged opinions for several weeks via Twitter and e-mail, discussing, among other things, the new age of insecurity and how to prepare for the jobs of the future:
Johannes,
