Lancaster and Stillman, consultants and coauthors of When Generations Collide
, give a David Attenborough–worthy documentation of the lifestyle and habits of the Millennial Nation, the generation born between 1982 and 2000. Marked by attentive, “helicopter” parents, schools that propagate high self-esteem, and an ingrained comfort with/dependency on technology, the Millennials are tarred as flighty, entitled, self-involved dilettantes, but Lancaster and Stillman encourage managers not to judge but to coach and tap into such Millennial talents as speed, social networking, and collaboration. Lively stories illustrate the generation gap and general communication failures between “Traditionalists,” “Boomers,” “Generation X-ers,” and “Millennials.” The authors do an earnest job in encouraging the generations to attempt to understand each other. Their thorough analysis of how various generations can complement each other makes a strong case for the value of younger people in the workplace—though anyone over the age of 25 will be horrified by the tales of young workers' parents agitating for their offsprings' promotions—with said offsprings' full blessing. (Apr.)
