Gen Y for the Gen X

I believe I am a borderline Gen X, according to Wiki by the year I was born and according to traits I read about Gen X-ers. We are gorgeous, lovable and simply fabulous. No. Ok I lied. That is what my mirror tells me everyday :P

Anyway, a big part of the team I work with for the past 5 to 6 years have been Gen Ys. And there have been a lot of discussions in HR and Management communities in recent years on managing Gen Ys for Gen X *read old* bosses like yours truly. 

But, my best insights come from actually opening myself to engage with them and observe their perspective on things.

And all that talk about us being different, I must say is mostly true. But the point is, to embrace the differences and capitalize on understanding and using these traits to motivate them.

Things like they have to believe in the cause of doing anything so explain the context of your strategy or assignment to them. The why and not just the what. 

They are opinionated so use them when you need honest feedback. 

They like visibility and recognition so give them praise, celebrate their wins and get them involved. 

They appreciate regular feedback, so point out clearly when they need to improve.

They're respect must be earned and doesn't come from authority or positions, so stay on your toes boss!

They 'work to live' not 'live to work' so respect their need for work life balance, as long as they are delivering. You'll get the best out of them.

And...this is in no way related to maturity. Over the years I have found maturity is not necessarily a factor of age but more a function of what gets thrown to you in life but that's a topic best left for another day.