CAREER ADVICE:Set your goals - and don't mention the past

Dear Aoife

The people I now work with are a mystery. I am a mid-rank manager in my 50s and I am used to working in groups generally consisting of the ambitious person, the hard-working, the politician, the crybaby, the downright menace and the occasional thoroughly nice person - an asset anywhere, kind and helpful, sees trouble before it happens and has the wounded bandaged up before they notice the bleeding.

That was the make-up of pretty well any group I had to deal with. As manager, I needed to know their strengths and weaknesses, keep them busy and let the mischief-makers know that I knew what they were up to.

Today is different. I don't know these people. The latest wave are the brightest we've ever had, and the most difficult to handle. Like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead in the rhyme, when they are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad they are horrid. On the positive side, technical problems don't exist. We don't spend half the day on the phone to the IT department any more: they seem to know more than IT ever did.

But they are high maintenance. My big problem with them is keeping them in the office, and getting work done. It's like minding mice at a crossroads. Monday morning, Friday afternoon are downtime virtually.

During the week, there are appointments with physios, chiropractors, dental hygienists and the Lord knows what else, all taken as entitlements. When there's a rugby international in Paris, I watch it on the television with the lads in Donnybrook. They take a long weekend and stay in the Four Seasons in Paris. If I can get five or six of them into the office and working well for three of the five days of the week, we can motor through what we need to get through. They hunt in packs, look the same, talk the same, all spiky hair and skinny lattes. I should be getting to know them, seeing where they fit next in the business, but I just don't get them.

Dear Seamus

You are not alone. What to you is an alien tribe has a name. Generation Y, born since 1980 (some put it later than that) are confident, assertive, techno-savvy as you have noted, self-reliant and ambitious, up for a challenge. They demand a lot, their life path has taken them from Play Station to work station, and until the credit crunch of 2008, everything they wanted has been there for them. The phrase "instant gratification" was coined to describe them. Studies have shown that some regard work - which has to be challenging or they walk away - as a "gig" between days off, or trips to rugby matches in cities far away, as you have noted.

But you are a "baby boomer". Born between 1945 and 1964, yours is the post-second World War generation. Yours is the first generation to have a television in the home. Your upbringing, education and expectations were different. Your generation tended to be less questioning of authority, less assertive, expecting to having to work hard on your way up. No wonder these workplace butterflies bother you.

They are more assertive, in a way that you find challenging. They don't have the same burning desire to spend their whole life at work, because they've a range of other interests. But this doesn't mean that they're deluded or lazy. They've simply grown up with a different view of the world, and are more open and straightforward in the way they question authority and interact with others. So how do you motivate and get the best out of them? Quite simply, by doing all the things a good manager should do with any staff member, whatever their generation.

By listening and treating them individually, you'll find some Generation Y individuals really value challenging goals; so provide clear targets, offer feedback and support to succeed. Others value flexibility and variety, so they can work hard and play hard; so if you can provide a stimulating work environment and focus on results and not the clock, you'll be less stressed and the work will get done. They're expert at using social networking media to communicate with their peers and colleagues, which can leave some baby-boomers feeling really left out. So, as manager, create opportunities for cross-training, team and project working across the generations in your department. Provide hands-on training to develop their interpersonal and communication skills (as well as online or e-learning training too).

Coach and mentor them, but listen to their perspective on how things could be done more effectively too. Maybe even give them an opportunity to coach you, as well as each other.

I get the impression that their sense of entitlement also bothers you. Recognise that you have a talented group that works a bit differently.

Modify your approach so you bring out the best in them, and they'll deliver the results. When they deliver, well, they're entitled to the recognition and reward that goes with it.

Dear Aoife

I spent 15 years in a fairly large organisation which I joined after leaving college, and I got to a senior level. I thought I was there for life, but the business faltered and I - along with quite a few others - was let go. However, I got a few bits of consultancy work and applied for a few jobs. Somewhat to my surprise, last month I was called to interview and subsequently offered a job at the same level in a good company in a different sector. I'm delighted, but I'm a bit scared, to tell you the truth. I am worried about making the transition to a new sector and I want to make sure I settle in quickly and start contributing.

Dear Mary

First things first, congratulations. Nowadays, I hear quite a few stories like yours where the career world appears to fall in and then recovers. I take it that you have no personal connections with the new firm. That is good, because you got the job on merit. However, that can leave you a bit disconnected. The way to deal with your worries is to make a plan.

Even before you start, find out all you can about the new company and its rivals. When you begin working, you need to ask your manager what is expected of you, and how performance and success will be measured. In parallel, you need to work out what he/she really cares about, and who the other power-brokers are.

Look at the operational aspects of the job. Is your department just functioning, or is it working well? Make a 100-day plan for yourself, based on the objectives stated by your boss. Set yourself goals for the next three, six, nine and 12 months. And look for a few "quick wins" to show that you are making a difference.

Remember that management is a people business. If you don't have support, the best-laid plans fail. The "new broom" is often resented, subconsciously or otherwise. So spend time every week "putting yourself about" among people you work with. I'd be quite clinical about this for the first few months. Make a list of key people. Remember that you are managing up and down. Have a chat with X, coffee with Y, lunch with Z, and do it all in listening mode. Build relationships with those who will remember you in times of difficulty.

Don't overlook the receptionist - who sees everything and can give early warning of impending problems; and the librarian - who knows where everything is. A little respect goes a long way with people.

I want you to promise me that the only time you mention your previous firm is in answer to a direct question to it. Nothing grates more than "When I was in XYZ . . ." or whatever. Nobody wants to know.

However, if you can use what you learned in your previous job, putting it to the benefit of your present firm, and enhancing your reputation, who needs to know? Good luck.

• AOIFE COONAGH is head of the career development unit at Carr Communications. The case histories published are true, but details have been changed to avoid identifying individuals and companies. If you have a problem you would like to see featured, or wish to comment, e-mail askaoife@irishtimes.com