1.
Putting Gen Y in the
Leadership Chair
Recommendations for technologies
that will engage Gen Y and improve
your business.
Kelly Dwyer, Australia, 2011
CONTENTS
THE PRESENTER ................................................................... 2
INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 2
THE APPLICATIONS .............................................................. 3
EMPLOYEE INDUCTIONS ...................................................... 3
GENERAL COMMUNICATION ............................................... 3
KNOWLEDGE SHARING ........................................................ 3
MEETINGS ............................................................................ 4
OVERCOMING TIME AND SPACE .......................................... 4
PRESENTATIONS ................................................................... 5
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................... 5
PROJECT WORK .................................................................... 6
CONCLUSION ...................................................................... 6
.
USEFUL WEBSITES ............................................................... 7
GLOSSARY ........................................................................... 7

2. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
THE PRESENTER
Kelly Dwyer is a Gen Y, Team Leader of Systems and Quality for Wodonga Institute of TAFE in Victoria, Australia. A major
focus of her role is looking at the processes involved in doing business and how this can be streamlined for efficiency.
Kelly has a penchant for new technology where it has a practical application to the workplace. Kelly holds a Bachelor of
Business Commerce (Marketing/Public Relations) from Monash University and is currently completing The Chair
Academy through Victoria University.
INTRODUCTION
Indulged. Spoilt. Whiners. Lazy. Disloyal. Job‐hoppers. Overly ambitious. Selfish. Demanding. Questioning. Permanently
connected to technology.
These are just some of the negative connotations connected to the newest generation of employees and the upcoming
leaders, Gen Y. However, from a different view point, some of these traits could modify our businesses in very positive
manners.
The “Why” factor of Gen Y has the potential to explore our current business practices while the technological knowhow
could offer streamlined solutions and add dramatically to our bottom line. A Gen Y mind can often turn technological
developments into real life business applications through a little lateral thinking.
So what is currently available that will stimulate the mind and creativity of Gen Y? What will allow our employees to
work smarter, not harder, while also retaining the elusive Gen Y’s who in reality “go where they are wanted and stay
where they are appreciated”? (Triple J, Hack, May 2010).
We will explore this further by grouping together some business practices and linking them to hardware, software and
applications which could drive improvement across your business.
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3. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
THE APPLICATIONS
There are literally hundreds and thousands of technological applications available in the public domain. Some are user‐
pays, some are freeware or open source programs. Below is a sample of common programs and applications which can
be applied to business practices for increased efficiency.
EMPLOYEE INDUCTIONS
YouTube
 Businesses can set up their own channels and post videos relating to their business. This may include
instructional videos to induct employees into the business.
GENERAL COMMUNICATION
Microblogs / Instant messaging services
 Email systems are limited in capacity and as conversations go on, multiple copies of emails sit in users inboxes.
Instant messaging could be used to replace emails for general discussion and questions as well as replace
internal phone calls and voicemails.
 In the same way, voicemail messages can bounce back and forth sometimes leading to one or the other party
forgetting what the original contact was for.
 Freeware programs are available for businesses on a budget
 Could include status updates such as “In a meeting til 2pm” (replaces telling the receptionist on your way out
the door!)
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Moodle
 A free, open‐source PHP web application for producing modular internet‐based courses that supports a modern
social constructionist pedagogy.
 Helps educators create online courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content .
Moodle courses are almost always in constant development.
 Has the ability to link to hosted videos on YouTube as well as other rich media content.
 Wodonga Institute of TAFE is supporting staff with scholarships to spend time transferring courses to an online
platform. It has also been used to develop our Staff Induction Program.
Blogs
 Could be used as a way to record and report back on attendance at workshops and professional development
seminars. Where multiple staff would benefit, but only minimal staff can attend, this is a useful way to ensure
that people can get access to the knowledge and skills learnt.
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4. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
Wiki’s
 A website that allows the creation and editing of pages.
 Seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration.
 Can be used to develop corporate work flows or instructions as systematic improvements are made.
Multimedia
 Video/voice recordings distributed through podcasts when experts or support departments present to your
employees.
MEETINGS
iPad
 iPads are portable computer hardware devices that support applications (apps). An iPad in a meeting can
replace a notepad, allowing notes to be linked electronically to existing documentation or project files. iPads
also enable access to calendars so meeting participants can immediately transfer deadline dates or know if it is
realistic to expect to meet such timelines as all information is at hand.
YouTube
 A video‐sharing website for user‐generate content.
 Can find inspirational, funny, supporting video content to enhance meetings or set the scene.
 Try clips such as “The Lost Generation”, “Next is Now” or channels such as TED Talk.
OVERCOMING TIME AND SPACE
Google Docs
 A free online application which allows you to upload documents from your desktop and store them in “the
cloud”.
 Allows you to access, edit and view your docs from any computer or smartphone.
 Real‐time collaboration means work can get done more quickly and versions can be controlled.
Twitter
 A social networking and microblogging service, enabling its users to send and read messages called tweets.
 Tweets can be restricted to just their followers to enable privacy.
 Discussions can be facilitated through the use of a specific hash tag which is used be all participants.
 The benefits include ability to link to other web‐based resources (articles, images, documents) and the recording
of conversation and said links for business purposes.
 If you have a Twitter account, try searching for the hash tag #genychat.
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5. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
Discussion boards
 Facilitated through software applications such as SharePoint.
 Discussion boards enable group participants to review content and post comments and opinions, resulting in
collaboration and a mutually derived outcome.
PRESENTATIONS
iPad, iPhone
 Apps such as Keynote allow PowerPoint style presentations to be developed.
 Presentations can be made one‐on‐one at a moment’s notice (e.g. in the elevator – never miss a sales pitch!)
 New connections which dock both devices to instantly turn them into presentation devices to allow staff to
always be prepared. An example of this technology is the MiLi Power Pico Projector which has built in audio
features as well as projection capabilities.
Slide Rocket
 Web‐based hosting site for creating and sharing presentations. Enables users to upload presentations and be
able to access them anywhere without the hassle of USB keys or computer hard drives.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Twitter and Tweetdeck
 Twitter is often used by professional microbloggers who find and/or generate web‐based content and ‘tweet’
links coupled with applicable hash tags (e.g. #leadership, #geny) to enable those with a shared interest to find
the content.
 When following someone on Twitter you can add them to a list which you build to group together similar
Tweeters (e.g. Educational Leaders, Generations, celebrities, News).
 Tweetdeck is freeware program to manage the Twitter services you follow or hash tags of interest.
 Tweetdeck allows you to view your lists and/or hash tags in columns to separate tweets for easier access as
opposed to one continuous stream of information. It also has the added benefit of columns for other social
network platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
LinkdIn
 A professional networking site.
 Links to former colleagues on a business and educational platform as well as colleagues of colleagues.
 Provides opportunities for business development, job posting, candidate sourcing, and business profiling
(candidates can search for your business and decide if you’re worth working for).
 LinkedIn Answers is a feature which allows users to post questions, usually of a business nature, and linked
professionals can view and answer questions. A social educational experience.
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6. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
YouTube
 Channels such as TED talk provide access to hundreds of professional, educational videos.
PROJECT WORK
Shared spaces
 Through the platform SharePoint, groups of people from across different areas of an organisation can share
documents and resources while working on a collaborative project.
Google Docs
 The ability to not only share documents but also simultaneously collaborate on them reduces waiting time and
means all group members can work on a document whenever it best suits them.
 Particularly good for commercial partnerships which require tracking documents to be completed by both
parties to ensure processes are completed on time.
 Note that there are some limitations for file sizes and how documents are converted from Microsoft formats to
Google doc formats.
CONCLUSION
Hopefully this is just the launching pad for technological ideas which could help transform your business.
Technology has the capacity to not only bring real benefits to the way we do our business, but also has the capability to
bridge the generational gap by truly engaging Gen Y in the business. However to make the most of your Gen Y
employees and the technology available, you need to be very clear about what your business goals are.
If you are looking at harnessing technology in your business, think about which Gen Y employee might be the right
person to ask “Why” and then get them to follow up with “What?” and “How?”. Perhaps make this a regular part of your
business reviews, open the doors to new ideas and see what solutions come your way.
Who wants to work harder if there’s a smarter option available? You are only limited by your imagination.
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7. PUTTING GEN Y IN THE LEADERSHIP CHAIR
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.twitterguide.com.au Learn how to use Twitter – for beginners and Businesses. An e‐guide to get started and
use Twitter to benefit your business and personal life. Sells for $27.95AUD.
www.intramessenger.net Allows companies/communities and dispersed workgroups to create and control their
own network of instant collaborative messages
www.moodle.org Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management
System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that
educators can use to create effective online learning sites.
www.ted.com Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world. Videos available on a wide variety
of topics to inspire and educate. Available in a variety of languages.
www.iphonemili.com Developed MiLi Power Pico Projector (HI‐P60) for iPods/iPhones/iPads.
GLOSSARY
“The Cloud” As a metaphor for the Internet in cloud computing, based on how it is depicted in
computer network diagrams and a an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it
conceals. Describes computation, software, data access and storage services that do not
require end‐user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that
delivers the service. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing)
Tweets Text‐based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on a user’s profile
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter)
Microblogging A broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog
in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size. Microblogs
allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual
images or video links (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microblogging)
Moodle Modular Object‐Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (see description above)
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle)
Kelly Dwyer, 2011 Page 7 of 7