Imagine a middle-aged supervisor telling a younger employee that he'll need to work 60-hour weeks on a new project. And the employee says: "No."

Or, picture the same employee threatening to quit if he doesn't get a plum assignment after six months on the job.

Think it can't happen?

Think again, says Wendy Lowe, who speaks across North America primarily on leadership issues and the subject of teen sexuality, pregnancy and social services.

Mike Dempster, Business Edge
Wendy Lowe says the younger generation Millennials aren't as comfortable with deadlines as older workers.

"There's a bit of a revolution going on," Lowe says. "Boomers created longer work weeks by putting more hours into their jobs so they'd be more competitive and more productive. Now these kids are coming along saying: 'No, no, I want to do more than just my job. I want time to skydive, mountain climb, spend time with my friends and family.' " As the executive director of a pregnancy-care centre in Calgary, Lowe works with a clientele of young women, volunteers and staff. But her organization recently has had to restructure the way it delivers programs and services to engage its audience.

"The shift has been significant," she says. Compared with the Boomers (born between 1946 and 1960) and Generation X ('61-'80), Generation Y (1980 and up) - or the Millennials as they're called - are strikingly different.

Among other things, younger people don't appreciate the Boomers' workplace experiences, don't understand deadlines, prefer collaboration, want diversity in their work and are controlled by their feelings.

"They will say: 'I don't feel like doing that right now,' " Lowe says.

That mindset appears to be a result of their formative years. Lowe notes that until they reach post-secondary education or enter the workforce, many young people have become accustomed to pleading their case with teachers and parents when they don't finish a task - and often, they win.

"Now they come into the workplace in a flatter accountability system and the business world needs results," Lowe says.

At the same time, young people want their assignments clearly defined, but then want their bosses to leave them alone.

"At work they just don't like people checking in on them. They find it intrusive," Lowe says.

Products of a "latchkey" generation, some of their attitude is understandable. This cohort arrived home from school and when Mom and Dad weren't there to help, they solved problems with their friends. It's why when they're on the job, they're often more comfortable collaborating with their peers than with older supervisors.

The Millennials also prefer to experience things for themselves, which can lead to conflict.

"When they enter the workforce or anything they are doing, the more experiential it is, the more jazzed they'll be," says Lowe. But if the job does not offer that dimension, many will have a hard time putting in the hours needed to finally reach any level of satisfaction.

It's a state of mind bound to frustrate an older worker, because young people fail to see that many of us worked for peanuts when we graduated and took years to see our salaries increase, Lowe explains.

Based on research and observation, Lowe sees four primary reasons for a rise in generational conflict:

* The information explosion. In the past, the business model dictated that as you gained knowledge, you climbed the ladder. The person at the top of the company ladder had the most knowledge. Now, nobody has all the information. Wise organizations will capitalize on this by creating a collaborative work environment.

* Technology has created a significant shift. Boomers can learn technology, but it doesn't come easily. We think about it, and we use it. But the younger generation doesn't think about it, they use technology naturally.

* The number of generations in the workplace. It's crowded. There are four generations in the mix: Boomers, Gen-X, Gen-Y and the older traditional workers.

* A shift in world view. This happened between the Boomers and Gen-X. They just see life differently; the Boomers' rational attitude versus the "I feel" mentality. Younger people are "incredibly open to spirituality, in whatever form it takes," adds Lowe, who notes the growing number of business books focusing on spirituality in the workplace.

"It's an interesting phenomenon that I think we'll see more of with Generation Y," she says.

"They will be asking: 'How do I make my job in marketing more meaningful?' Which raises the question: Will we see the best marketers only working for the things that their moral conscience allows?" Lowe says the jury is out on the type of workplace we'll see in future. The skilled Gen-Ys are just appearing in the workforce and as Boomers retire their positions are being filled by Gen-Xers.

Companies will have to adapt, Lowe says. She offers this advice:

* Businesses need honest dialogue between the Boomers and Generations X and Y and the creation of sincere mentoring programs. Many companies only pay lip service to mentoring, and often it's just retitling the supervisor who pretends he or she cares, she says.

"If there's one thing that the Gen-X and Gen-Y hate, it's hypocrisy. I think developing mentoring programs and training mentors to be effective will be critical. Companies must choose people who genuinely care and want to be mentors."

* Retention is critical. That means leaders must listen to what the younger generation really wants, examine the needs of the business and figure out a compromise.

* How do we communicate with Generation Y? Why does their job matter? That will take more work on the part of supervisors.

Finally, there is an argument that while young people have always been idealistic, many observers say that as they marry, buy homes and raise children, younger workers' circumstances change. They lose the ability to walk away from a job just because they don't want to work 60-hour weeks.

Lowe isn't so sure. She sees different signs. Young professionals such as doctors and lawyers are refusing to work the hours their older peers have accepted.

She personally knows young professionals who have bought modest homes in order to live a different lifestyle.

"I think we are seeing the threads of some fascinating stuff. We're seeing women take years off to have a family, to be home with their children. In effect, ruin their careers," she says.

"They're saying: 'The six- figure salary is lovely, but not at the price of other things.' " (Mike Dempster can be reached at miked@businessedge.ca)