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Business nextBy Amanda Kramer
Rafael Carbonell, 31, and his wife Sol, 26, had traveled and worked in some exciting places - Argentina for a while, then San Francisco. But two years ago the moment was right for a change. For Sol, the inspiration would be pursuit of a communications degree. For Rafael, it would be a new workplace. And instead of having their new city dictated by an acceptance letter or job offer already in hand, the two set out to find the place that would offer the best balance of opportunity and excitement. At the top of their list were three destinations: Madison, Denver/Boulder, Colo., and Austin, Texas. They picked Madison. "We, and most of our friends, believe that you need to first choose the place you want to live," said Carbonell, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce's director of regional economic development. "We think of the decision as being a package deal, composed of both professional and personal components. Every place has a unique feel to it, its own characteristics. If the place feels right, the job will follow." EYE ON THE YOUNG Rebecca Ryan, just 34 herself, makes a living off of studying young professionals. As founder of Next Generation Consulting, Ryan helps companies understand how to attract and retain young talent. Sometimes you can find her in Madison, but she's most often reachable by phone - usually in mid-flight - scuttling across the country to engage workplaces and leaders in discussions about emerging business practices. When a company has questions about their young workforce - young meaning 20s, 30s and early 40s - Ryan seems to be the expert people are calling these days. And she's certainly familiar with the identity of this next generation - not only in the Capital Region, but also across the nation. She says the leaders of the next generation "are similar to the past generation in that they are 'anyone who wants to help.' " "I think one of the unique things about the next generation of leaders is that they're showing up in different ways, like online. The next generation of leaders is - at the highest profile - people like Sergey Brin and Larry Page who co-founded Google based on the maxim, 'Do no harm.' They're inventing, innovating, solving familiar problems with new technologies and irreverence for the past." While the types of work and workplaces that young high-level professionals find themselves in varies, Ryan said most of them gravitate toward, or are already in, the computer industry and related fields. "Fifty-six percent of all computer programmers are Gen X'ers (born between 1961 and 1981)," Ryan said. "They're scattered among the same fields that attract many knowledge workers and also start their own businesses in high numbers. It's interesting to note that less than half say they want to work for a very large company. Many next-generation employees want to work in a smaller company for a variety of reasons: they can be involved in making decisions, they can move more quickly, there's less bureaucracy." Today's up-and-comers are also looking to serve and stay tightly connected to the places where they live and work, she said. "Are they interested in their community? Yes, but they define it differently," she said. "USA Today ran a story several months ago about two fathers who were Boy Scout troop leaders. During the week, they coordinated all the troops' weekend activities via BlackBerry and e-mail. They only saw each other on weekends. This is a departure from doing 'business as usual,' which generally requires meetings, committees, and lots of clock time for each." IDEALIST OR SELFISH? It's critical that young professionals stay connected, explained Henry Sanders, 32, cofounder of the young adult civic group Madison Area Growth Network (MAGNET). Sanders cofounded the nearly 400-member organization with another young professional, Ward Lyles of 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin, a nonprofit that promotes healthy urban and rural communities. MAGNET targets 21- to 40-year-olds who want to network in the Madison business community. MAGNET boasts a handful of committees and brings in speakers like Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk or experts on first-time home buying. Lyles, a 30-year-old transplant from Vermont who works as the 1,000 Friends transportation policy director, said MAGNET can be particularly helpful for men and women who are no longer be in college and aren't "settled down" yet. "It's easy to feel like they're not connected," Lyles said. The organization has given Lyles a looking-glass view at the next generation, and one quality he's noticed is a reverence for a genuine work/life balance. "People may not be saying they want to make as much money as they can make," Lyles said. "It's about this work/life balance - a hugely important word. There's a greater portion of people who seek to have this balance. Instead of working 55 hours this week, they work 40 hours. It'll be interesting to watch as historians write about this generation; maybe it'll be called idealist, maybe selfish. All kinds of different critiques have a kernel of truth to them." MAKING IDEAS REAL Sonya Newenhouse is far from what one might describe as selfish. But, you could definitely call her an idealist - and one who's come up with creative ideas that have become realities. She's an example of what experts like Ryan try to describe when they're talking about the next generation. Newenhouse, 41, is the founder of Madison Environmental Group, a "build green, live green" research firm, and Community Car, a local member-based car-sharing initiative. Both businesses are enjoying success and Newenhouse said she's created workplaces that seem to encompass the qualities that young professionals love. "I feel very fortunate to have started businesses that are mission driven, and I'm seeing more people who want to do work that's contributing to community and society," Newenhouse said. She also agreed that another characteristic of this young generation is the desire for a job that complements a person's life."I get up every day and get to do the type of work I want. I have relationships that are wonderful around me. I lead a charmed, charmed life," she said. "And I've worked very hard for it." A NEW BATCH As far as leadership for the next generation, Ryan is cautiously optimistic. "I think we have pretty solid existing leadership here - the Mark Bughers, the Gary Wolters," Ryan said. Bugher, a Cabinet secretary in former Gov. Tommy Thompson's administration, is now chairman of the Madison Economic Development Commission and director of University Research Park. Wolter is chairman, president and CEO of Madison Gas & Electric. "However, in five years, in seven years, if we don't have a new batch of Gary Wolters and Mark Bughers, we're going to be in a world of hurt. We need to develop that next generation of leaders, and I do feel Madison is doing that. I am so optimistic about Madison's future. That's why I live here." kramer.news@gmail.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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