Not Everyone Gets a Trophy

The title of this book refers to the American education system, which recognizes participation as much as the final result. The author sees this approach as partly responsible for the behavior of generation Z. Accustomed to constantly positive feedback, young employees are difficult to manage, place little value on effort and hate routine.

The author seeks to relativize this negative perception. This generation, which grew up in difficult circumstances, has a jaded view of the working world and may easily be perceived as disengaged. But, in reality, it is primarily the work practices that have changed. Young employees certainly have few scruples about watching videos during working hours or leaving early. But they are also able to stay very late and work from home on weekends to finish projects or help their colleagues.

Rather than lamenting the supposed flaws of this generation, the author incites us to update our management practices. Generation Z possesses undeniable qualities, but requires great managerial investment to guide them in the right direction. Their desire for autonomy and transparency must be addressed, while simultaneously providing close management to avoid disappointment! Managers can accomplish this by breaking assignments down into small autonomous steps and setting up regular progress updates—while also continuously explaining how these tasks contribute more generally to overall company objectives.

A very good handbook to decipher Millennial behavior and take it into account in today’s business practices.