On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Entitled Generation Hits the Workplace With Chutzpah and Plenty of Controversy

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Entitled Generation Hits the Workplace With Chutzpah and Plenty of Controversy I was grocery shopping the other day (one of the things I hate doing the most), and my attention was drawn to a mother with her two young daughters.Can you pick out some juice for Mommy? the woman asked her oldest daughter, who appeared to be about 6-years-old.The girl picked up a bottle of apple juice and turned to her mother. Look what I did, Mommy!Oh! Thats the BEST JUICE EVER. You did a GREAT JOB! Thats so WONDERFUL! Im SO PROUD of you! the mother gushed.Geez, I thought. Its only apple juice. Child didnt just negotiate peace in the Middle East.I continued on my way until I came to the dairy section where another mother was trying to talk her son into letting her place some cut flowers on his lap while he rode in the grocery cart. He was balking a bit, his lip sticking out while he contemplated his mothers request.Another mother stopped nearby as the boy finally held the flowers and his mother prepared to continue shopping.Wow! That is TOTALLY AWESOME! the other mother told the bo y. Arent you SO GREAT for helping! Youre the best helper EVER! What a TERRIFIC thing to do for your mom!Ooo-kay. Another child who didnt bring an end to world hunger, but was praised as if he did merely because he held onto a bunch of daisies.That grocery store experience was why the recent story about the Entitlement Generation (those born after 1970) caught my eye. The story found that the kids who have been handfed the constant youre-so-great feedback throughout their lives grow up to be (big surprise) a bit full of themselves.The problem, however, with these narcissistic youngsters seems to be that when they enter the workforce they continue to believe they are always the best, and always right. They drive older workers and bosses bonkers.Still, some experts believe these young workers may end up helping, rather than hurting, the workplace. Yep, it seems this brazen, brash, cant-stop-me-or-top-me generation may be just the shot in the arm many companies need to find innovative, energetic and creative ways to function.On the flip side, however, some experts contend that this generation often alienates and bullies others, and ignores good advice or common sense. Relying on these kinds of workers actually hurts, rather than helps, a company since their wrong-headed ideas can quickly hurt the bottom line, experts say.So, I guess the key is this: Weve got to find a way to nurture and guide these young workers in the right direction without totally squashing the chutzpah they bring. In other words, finding the ones who truly do select REALLY GREAT apple juice.