Gaming and management

I heard an excellent interview on IT Conversations yesterday about how people that grew up with video games perceive and react to management. I think it is pretty accurate.

Moira also speaks with John Beck, at the Annenberg Center of the Digital Future. He warns that the “Gamer Generation” is about to enter the workforce — and that means change. John is the author of Got Game — How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever.

It’s very good, and seems obvious to me. What I don’t understand is how older people see work. To me they seem lazy and disorganized with no specific plan to improve or change things. Like they are “playing the game” half asleep. They seem more than willing to set up these elaborate punishment systems for things that I, and my peers, would not dream of doing.

I’ll give a vague example. We don’t want people to do something that is obviously dishonest and hurtful to the group, so instead of saying don’t do it (which again, I can’t stress enough should be obvious) they make an elaborate inefficient system to prevent people from being able to.

I really don’t understand the mentality of the generation that would do something that clearly is against the rules, and hurtful to the group for their own gain at work. And doing secretive things too, that certainly can’t be used to make you look good! It’s ludicrous.