Recently, I attended the 2012 Philadelphia Society for Human Resources Management annual symposium where Stuart Crabb, Director of Learning and Development at Facebook, was the keynote speaker.  Stu, as he prefers to be called, delivered a presentation about the Generation Y workforce, those born after 1979, and how their workplace expectations differ from their Generation X and Baby-boomer predecessors.  He pointed out how Gen Y workers are more values driven, have a need to know “why”, and are far more peer oriented than prior generations.  Along the lines of being value driven and peer orientated, the Gen Y workforce values learning not simply from those with more experience, but from everyone who is around them.  In other words, everyone matters.  What might this mean?  Is experience less valuable than before?  Are organizational hierarchies finished? Who really knows, but the from where I sit the real value in Stu’s observation is how much more closely the Generation Y workforce pays attention to those around them, regardless of their status, position, or experience.  In some ways, this heightened attention and more egalitarian attitude towards workplace learning is a real positive step forward, as it reflects an overall sense that everyone, indeed, does matter.  From where I stand, at work everyone does matter, so that’s why it is that much more important to make sure that how we communicate with others at work reflects this value.  When it comes to behavior, of which communication is a significant part, it isn’t necessarily the one who has the most experience that matters, but the one who treats others well that matters more, and that may or may not have anything to do with experience. And my prediction is that the companies and organizations that are best able to develop and foster more positive communication environments will the ones who will find the greatest future success.  And as far as the Gen Y workforce is concerned, that future is now, and so, coincidentily, is yours…