In GameChangers, I label the first generation to enter the Networked World workforce ‘Gen-Why?’ and make the following observations:

This is the most photographed generation in the history of the world. Practically from birth, ‘Gen-Why?’ has been MySpaced, FaceBooked, Flickred and YouTubed. We are talking about people who know how they look and what they sound like, and are well on their way to developing a personal brand. They possess more knowledge and are more flexible in their thinking than their parents. Improvisation provides the ideal platform for helping them put their look, their sound, their knowledge, their brand, to productive use.

And…

As employees raised (educated?) on video games enter the workforce in increasing numbers, the improvisational skills inherent in the gaming world will naturally become part of the ‘Gen-Why?’ business culture.

Samantha Maxwell is the founder and owner of CYA Human Resouces, an HR consulting company based in Los Angeles. In helping her clients deal with issues unique to Gen-Why and to the networked workplace, she’s on the fault line of a tectonic shift in business culture. In ten years, she says, 80% of the workforce will consist of Gen-Whyers. (more…)