In Defense of Gen Y: Making It in 2010

Generation Y. What picture comes to your mind when I use that phrase? Do you have visions of skateboards and laptops dancing in your head? Do you have preconceived notions of what they want, who they are, and how they operate in the marketplace? Whatever your perception of Millennials, you can be sure that they will challenge it.

I’m a part of Generation X – and frankly, for the most part, I like Gen Y. Millennials exude confidence, they understand and demand the need for work-life balance, and they speak their minds. That being said, I decided to sit down with a Millennial, and get the story straight from the generation that has caused such a buzz recently.

This week I had the opportunity to talk with Alec Johns of Absolute Development, a real-estate development company founded by Johns and partner TJ Frank in early 2006. Alec is a great example of Generation Y. He is an entrepreneur, creating his own destiny rather than having dictated for him. He is intelligent, financially savvy, comfortable with technology and not one to be boxed in either intellectually or in business. Alec has his hands in several businesses including a food company, and another company that produces a clinical laser device. Not only that, but he consistently donates time and resources to the non-profit organizations that interest him. He makes ya wanna get off the couch, doesn’t he?

Tabitha: Alec, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. So, tell me a little bit about what you do and how you got into it.

Alec: Well, I am an entrepreneur. I went to college for about three semesters and decided that I would rather work. My dad had his own homebuilding company, and I went to work for him. He put me through all of the departments in the homebuilding company, (through warranty, accounting, all of them). . . and as I was going through them he said, “Pick the one you like and run with it.” So I did.

I chose land development. Eventually, I took over the Land Development Department for the company and started developing land for my dad. After a year and a half I started buying my own deals, and I ran both his company and my own.

Tabitha: Now, I know that you have other businesses…what made you decide to expand from land development into other things?

Alec: I am the kind of person who likes to have my hands in a lot of things – and I like opportunity. You know, when the real estate market slowed down, I was fortunate enough to be able to weather the storm. (I am still weathering the storm – it isn’t over for real estate.) When it slowed down, my income for real estate went down, so I had to find other things to keep me busy. That was the major thing – I had the free time, because people were not buying land. I had to find something to keep me busy – because I can’t just sit still.

Tabitha: I understand! So, let me ask you about this restlessness – A lot of people are saying that Millennials won’t stay in one position for very long – or that they are always looking for the “next thing”. Why do you think so many of the people in your generation exhibit that pattern? Do you think you all have a certain level of confidence or is there an open-mindedness in your generation that allows you to do that? I mean, what do you think brings that dynamic?

Alec: I would hope that we are confident. It’s true, I see my friends stay in a job for a year, and then they are on to something else. You know, though, I think that the workplace has changed in our generation. People used to learn a trade and stay in it for the rest of their lives. I mean, I know people who have been doing the same thing for 60 years….and they are still working. As for my generation, I hope this pattern is because of open-mindedness, and not short attention spans or some kind of generational ADD.

Tabitha: Whatever it is, Millennials are on the move, and they are moving to the companies and the positions that are able to attract them. There are companies out there that want to acquire them because they are tech savvy and innovative. Can you tell me a little bit about how your generation would innovate as opposed to how a boomer might innovate?

Alec: Well, yes. I think you are right about our relationship with technology. [I think that is a tool that we would use to innovate.] I know a hairdresser who is 27 years old, and built his entire business and clientele through Facebook and MySpace.

Tabitha: So, If I were a company that was seeking out new grads, or Gen Y employees what would I do to attract them? What would make a Millennial want to work for me? What kind of benefits would attract someone like you?

Alec: You know, I think strong leadership would attract me, personally – someone that is going to be innovative and at the cutting edge of their industry.

Tabitha: So, let’s say you accept a job with an organization. What kind of things would keep someone like you there?

Alec: A healthy work environment where thoughts and ideas can be exchanged freely… A company that is all about responsibility. A boss with a “buck stops here” policy, that doesn’t blame all mistakes on the rookies, and I think a financially sound company. I like to see a company that runs their business as debt-free as possible. Debt really bothers me.

Tabitha: Let me ask you about that. I am discovering that a lot of people in your generation are truly financially astute. Millennials are getting their first jobs, and signing up immediately for a 401K. What do you think makes your generation respond to their finances with such competence?

Alec: You know, I think there are resources out there that are really starting to wake people up. I think that people have seen their friends or family members who have struggled. And I know that Dave Ramsey is huge all over the States because people are starting to see that credit card debt is pointless and that you can live within your means.

Tabitha: Let me ask you this – you grew up in a generation where there was a lot of turbulence. I mean, if we look back, it probably started with the Challenger explosion, and then school shootings, the Lewinski scandal, and 9-11, then Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – I mean the list could go on and on… How do you think that has affected your generation? I mean, has it made you more cynical or more aware of things? And how do you think that affects your approach to work from day to day?

Alec: Well I noticed in my social circle, that a lot of us were getting out of high school and college right around September 11th. The country joined together, and put political preferences aside for a while. I think it has helped our generation. I think we kind of got thick-skinned coming out of college. I mean a lot of people spent $75,000 on a good college education, and came out to find that there were no jobs. We went through a tough time, but I think that we are getting through it, and I think my generation is coming along.

Tabitha: So, how do you think that has changed your perspective on work-life balance? Is your work your life or does your life take precedent over work – or is it a combination? Do your work and your life intertwine or is there a definitive line between your work and your life?

Alec: A lot of people that know me say that I am a workaholic. I like to work; I enjoy working. But I don’t lose sleep over work. I mean, I leave try my personal emotions at the door when I come into work and I leave my emotions from work at the door when I leave the office. I try not to mix the two, because in order for me to stay mentally healthy – I have to try to separate the two.

Tabitha: One of the reasons I chose you, Alec, is because of the kind of person you are, and because of your success as an entrepreneur. Is there anything else that you would like to say about your own generation?

Alec: Well, truthfully, there are a few things that frustrate me about my own generation. We have all of this relationship with technology – and I think that sometimes that my generation abuses it. I think that sometimes between texting and emails, we are losing some of the English language. I think that people start to become slaves to their email box, but I think that as long as people in my generation have a purpose, and stay anxiously engaged in good causes, I think that we are on the right track.

I enjoyed talking with Alec. It was encouraging. His generation has truly grown up in a new age. A turbulent age that has made them tough. Now, I won’t deny that there are Millennials that are late for work, dress poorly, are selfish or argumentative, but every generation has a few of those, right? (I can feel a few Gen X’ers looking away.“Come as you are” – wasn’t just a song, right?) The truth is, that if the multi-generational workforce that exists today has been presented with a challenge in Generation Y. If we are going to focus on the future with this generation or even the generation after them – we will have to know them well enough to do business with them, to work with them, and to innovate with them.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or twoods@deltadallas.com.