BusinessWeek had an article last week full of tips for employers on how to communicate with Gen Y employees. For the most part, it was kind of useless – ValleyWag even called them on it – made up of platitudes like “Don’t manage, mentor” and “Don’t conceal, communicate”, which run the gamut between obvious and oblivious but don’t get anywhere near real value.

I’m not exactly sure why older generations are having trouble communicating with Generation Y. They seem to regard us like they would a foreign language, looking to books and consultants and lists-disguised-as-articles for explanations on how to best learn what makes us tick.

But the dirty little secret behind all of this is that a lot of managers aren’t just looking for information about us — our habits, culture, attitudes, and so on –, they’re also looking for information on how to control. These employers don’t want to adapt. They’d much rather just figure out how to BS their way into the appearance of Gen Y friendliness.

They want to harness this changed workforce without ever really acknowledging our differences.

The only tip employers really need for communicating with Gen Y is this: don’t BS. Be honest. Speak plainly and directly. Don’t lean on hierarchies, memos, policies and procedures. Keep your explanations straightforward. And don’t you ever use the “because I’m your boss” card.

That may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. It all boils down to a simple “No BS” rule. Try that, and all the other ‘tips’ you need will start to fall into place.

Photo by fabblo. Licensed under Creative Commons

Tags: bs, communication, generational shift