Jeff pointed me to an interesting blog post about Generation Y (I call them Millennials) and innovation by Tamara Erickson. She focuses in on the impact of technology and the internet on this generation, which I agree is going to be a big factor for them. I like her point that it’s not just use of the technology that is impacting them. It’s the way the pervasiveness of this technology will change the way they think. It’s like the difference between learning to ski as an adult and learning as a child. Apparently ski instructors can take one look at you and figure out which one you are.

Erickson has seven good bullet points about how this generation is going to change the workplace with their different approach, several of which are points I made in my book. I’ll give you one example that is related to the notion of planning (since I just went on a tirade about planning on the Association Renewal blog):

Y’s coordinate, rather than plan — Y’s home in on friends like ships using radar and will bring this practice to the workplace. Work in the future will, in all likelihood, involve much more coordinating and far less planning or scheduling than is common in most organizations today. For a number of activities, this will prove more efficient.