More and more, I am noticing a change in the perception of younger people in terms of what constitutes a good career.
As part of my MBA, my cohort would often discuss this obvious shift. Many would argue that younger people no longer had a work ethic and had lost the sense of ambition they themselves had in their earlier days as young professionals.
However, one day I stood up when this was being discussed in one of our lectures and said. “I don’t think we are losing ambition. I think our values are just…different.”
And I knew I needed an example to explain what I meant. After all, I was the youngest person in my cohort, and the average person there had at least a decade more experience in the workforce than me.
But I had something they didn’t.
A love of cartoons and the eclectic memory of a neurodivergent (#DAVE).
And so I stood up and said with all the seriousness I could muster, “Have you seen Boss Baby 2?”
Before anyone could call campus security to tell them to come and grab the crazy guy in the floral shirt, I began to elaborate on my thinking.
In Boss Baby 2, there is a scene in which Alec Baldwin’s character is arguing with his niece about what it means to succeed.
Baldwin: “Take it from me. You have to be aggressive if you want to get ahead! Climb that corporate ladder until you are the last baby standing at the top!”
Niece: “Actually, I prioritise a good life-work balance and a positive environment where my ideas are valued !”
Baldwin : (Proceeds to laugh harder than when people tell him he can’t be mean in a voice-mail)
We are increasingly seeing a shift in values in the younger workforce. No longer are the Jack Donaghys (#30Rock) of the world seen as the epitome of success, but instead, we are seeing a movement towards the Phil Dunphy (#ModernFamily) approach.
Career, Family, and Passion.
We can see this in the rising number of startups for what I refer to as #VirtueTech.
VirtueTech is a term I personally use to refer to the mentality and grouping of technology that is created in service to what may be perceived as being in line with a person’s virtues and beliefs.
Some examples of this are :
– #greentech & #climatetech
– #cellularagriculture
– #daos and #decentralisedsystems
– #medtech & #healthtech
– #accesibilitytech
– #edutech (Education technology)
– #neurotech
But what does this mean for today’s managers?
We are currently seeing a shortage of young professionals in certain corporate environments and industries.
The classic Jack Donaghy approach would be to throw money at it. But the Phil Dunphys of the world cares less and less for that approach. Instead, they would sit and think about the moral impact of their work, and about the benefits it could give to the person beyond a paycheck.
Another way of explaining the idea of Donaghy vs Dunphy is via the famous Candle Problem.
In the Candle Problem, people are given a task that requires creativity. One group is given a cash incentive to complete the task as fast as they can, and the other is given nothing other than the satisfaction of doing the task.
Now, The Donaghy mentality would say that the person with the cash incentive would be faster.
The Donaghy would be wrong.
When I first learned of this result myself, my first instinct was to call BS. But then, the more I checked, the more I realized that the results were real. And not just that, but consistent.
And here we see the reason for the Dunphys, the reason for the rise in VirtueTech.
Intrinsic motivation.
That feeling of wanting to do something not for money, a pat on the head, or even to climb the corporate ladder to be the last baby on top, but just because you like it and want to.
So, what does all this mean for managers, companies, and corporations?
It means, that to appeal to the Dunphys, you need not talk to their wallet, but to them.
Talk about the morals and virtues of what their work in the company does.
Tell them why what they are doing is a good thing.
And maybe, just maybe, the Dunphys will surprise you with what they can do ๐
#behavioraleconomics #creativity #motivation #VirtueTech