RenGen

A friend sent us a recent article from the New York Times called, "A New Generation, Poised to Reinvent." Of course the name spurred my interest, and I read on. It's a great article, based on a book that explains a term called RenGen, or renaissance generation. The author of the book, Patricia Martin, shares how the conditions we are in today will impact and transform the way we work and live in the future. Here are some highlights that piqued my interest:

• The young generation entering the workforce is both idealistic and cynical at the same time. They have learned to trust what they experience rather than what experts tell them. They value authenticity.

• This generation may have the largest group of entrepreneurs that the U.S. has seen in a long time. They want to do original work and live in a way that they design.

• Collaboration is especially important. They want to connect and create, not be given a directive. They respond to teaming, where a boss puts a question or problem on the table and everyone can jump in.

• We may see less of a formal mentor/mentee relationship and more of a model like a master/apprentice relationship. This model allows more hands-on learning and helps directly transfer the knowledge of the Boomer generation to the younger generation (which is so needed for organizations to keep its knowledge banks as Boomers retire).

Well, I don't want to give away the entire article, so click here so you can read it yourself. Interesting stuff!

Karen Rulifson