Understanding, Engaging and Ministering to Generation iY

by Deacon Michael Bickerstaff | September 26, 2010 12:01 am

The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine recently sponsored a Major Speakers Series Event at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia.  The speaker was Dr. Tim Elmore and his presentation was entitled, “Understanding, Engaging and Ministering to Generation iY”. This is one of a continuing series of talks about integrating faith, family and work.

Listen to presentation by Dr. Tim Elmore…[1]

Topic Recap – by Randy Hain

Dr. Tim Elmore, President of Growing Leaders, Generation Y expert and the author of Generation iY, Our Last Chance to Save Their Future, delivered a riveting presentation to a large crowd at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia.    Dr. Elmore offered an overview of all the generations existing today, but spent the majority of the evening focused on Generation Y and Generation iY.  He made it clear that these young people are in trouble and they need our help.  With almost half of the workforce retiring in the next 15 years, Generation Y will be forced into leadership roles for which they may not be prepared.   With kids being over-exposed to electronic games, the Internet and a variety of gadgets (iY Generation comes, in part, from iPhone, iPad, iMac, etc.) they are developing traits which inhibit appropriate social interaction.  When that is coupled with “helicopter parents” not letting their children fail, trophies going to everybody on youth sports teams and the dysfunction in many schools today, we have children entering college and then the workforce who are not prepared for the real world.  We have to change course…and quickly!

Highlights from Dr. Elmore’s Presentation:

• Almost half of the workforce will be retiring in the next fifteen years. Because Generation X is much smaller than the Boomers, we must prepare Generation Y to lead.
• Early research summarized Generation Y this way. They are: confident, tech-savvy, social, creative, team players and have good self-esteem.
• Generation Y can be divided into two parts. I call students born since 1990: Generation iY, due to the impact of iTunes, iChat, iPhones, iPods, iMovies and the internet in general. They are more self-absorbed (it’s about I), impatient and entitled than their earlier counterparts.
• Generation iY often lives in Neverland. They are postponing adult responsibility. 26 is the new 18.
• They are growing up in the “Everybody gets a trophy” era where even 9^th place gets an award because we want them to have great self-esteem.  We are doing more harm than good- real life doesn’t award trophies for 9^th place.
• The School Disconnect:  These are Right Brain “upload” students attending Left Brain “download” schools
• 4 words to describe Gen iY: Overwhelmed, Over-connected, Over-protected and Over-served
• The greatest needs of Generation iY: Emotional Intelligence, Character Development and Leadership Perspective.
• They are EPIC in nature. To connect with them, remember they are: Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich and Connected.
• There is an UPSIDE!  They are confident, social, tech savy, family-oriented and influential.
• To train them, utilize images, conversations and experiences.

To purchase Dr. Elmore’s new book, Generation iY, go to: www.SaveTheirFutureNow.com[2]

Want to learn more about Growing Leaders, Dr. Elmore’s writing and the Habitudes program?

Growing Leaders:  http://www.growingleaders.com[3]

Habitudes Program:  http://www.habitudes.org/[4]

Tim Elmore’s Leadership Blog:  http://www.elmoreleadershipblog.blogspot.com/[5]

Articles by Tim Elmore:  http://www.growingleaders.com/index.php/articles.html[6]

Speaker Bio

Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and president of Growing Leaders, www.GrowingLeaders.com[7], an Atlanta-based non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. Through Growing Leaders, he and his team provide public schools, state universities, civic organizations, and corporations with the tools they need to help develop young leaders who can impact and transform society.

Elmore trains middle school, high school and college students with the skills they need to become authentic leaders with huge potential to transform society. Since founding Growing Leaders, Elmore has spoken to more than 250,000 students, faculty and staff on hundreds of campuses across the country, including Stanford University, Duke University, Rutgers University, the University of South Carolina, the University of North Carolina, Florida State University, and Baylor University. Elmore has also provided leadership training and resources for the National FFA Organization, and multiple athletic programs including, the University of Texas and Jacksonville State University football teams, the University of Alabama and the Kansas City Royals. In addition, a number of government offices in Washington, D.C. have gone through the Habitudes curriculum.

From the classroom to the boardroom, Elmore is a dynamic communicator who uses principles, images and stories to strengthen leaders. He teaches leadership to Chick-fil-A, Inc., The Home Depot, HomeBanc, Gold Kist, Inc., Home & Garden Party, Oti Consulting, Network TwentyOne International, and Purofirst, among others. He has also taught courses on leadership and mentoring at nine universities and graduate schools across the U.S. Committed to developing young leaders on every continent of the world, Elmore also has shared his insights in more than 30 countries — including India, Russia, China, and Australia, among others.

Elmore has written more than 20 books, including the best-selling Habitudes: Images that Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes®, Life Giving Mentors and Nurturing the Leader Within Your Child. In addition, he has appeared on the ABC Family Channel.

Elmore has worked alongside internationally recognized leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell for the past 25 years. According to Maxwell, “No one teaches leadership better than Tim Elmore.”

Elmore lives in Atlanta with his wife, Pam, and his two children, Bethany and Jonathan.

Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2010/09/understanding-engaging-and-ministering-to-generation-iy/

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