# Presentation: 029479

## Generation Y Perspectives

## Meet Garret, Kristen, Aaron and Nick

***Meet ******Garret, Kristen, Aaron****** and ******Nick***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## Our friends think that we are rocket scientists and astronauts

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## Because we work here

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## But truthfully, we tend to work just as much here.

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## Last week, we interacted with people from here ...

***... ******friends, family, classmates, colleagues, even strangers.***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## They all wanted to know more about what we do at NASA.

- TM

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## So we got to thinking...

***Why aren’t ******they****** connected to NASA?***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## Why isn’t a whole generation connecting to NASA?

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## We are part of Generation Y.

***This presentation is our ******perspective******.***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## That’s $124B through the first lunar landing (FY06–FY18). 

***That’s ******$124B****** through the first lunar landing (FY06–FY18).***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## NASA has a brand and a message.  

## We don’t want to talk about that.

***We don’t want to talk about that.***

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## We want to talk about why our generation isn’t connecting to it. 

## Because we aren’t connecting to it... 

## ...young people, both inside and outside of NASA.

## And we think they SHOULD connect to it.

## Because what NASA does is important.

*...**to everyone. *

- Because what NASA does is important.

## The world is connected today in ways that are shattering traditional communications concepts. 

## Slide 20

## And NASA is in a position to lead the world in exploring new frontiers. 

## It is a responsibility.

*It is a *_*responsibility*_*.*

## 01 Connected Generation

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## The traditional concept of top-down, one-way communications strategyis dead.  

## (It is NOT dying. It is dead.) 

## Generation Y is a completely new generation.

## 2000

*Roughly speaking, Generation Y is defined as -*

- 1977

- 8

- 31

- <  Birth Date  >

- < Current Age >

## There are over 70 million people in the U.S. belonging to our generation

## And just like the Baby Boomers, we are a large group of people that is IMPACTING society

## Births (in thousands)

- Birth Year

**Baby Boomers**

**Gen Y**

**Gen X**

**Notes:**
Birth rate v. birth number - double check what the definition is.

## 47%

- and is projected to be 47% of the workforce by 2014.

- 25%

- Generation Y is currently 25% of the workforce

## But what defines Generation Y?

- But what *defines* Generation Y?

## Impatient if delayed... but highly adaptable.

- Impatient if delayed... but highly adaptable.

- Instant information

- Attracted to Large Social Movements

- Wired

- Expecting (NOW! Not 5 minutes from now)

- Global

- Interdependent

- Quickly bored

- Mobile

- Likes mentors

- multi-tasking

- empowered

## And there are a lot of things that made us the way we are.

## We were the first generation to grow up with cable in our homes

***...******Studies say this leads to ******shorter attention spans****** ***

***...******And chronic ******boredom******.***

## We are used to DIVERSITY

***...******after all, we grew up in diverse environments.***

## TALK SHOWS

***TALK SHOWS***

***And****** ******REALITY TV******.***

## 		it is an interactive experience!

***	******	*****it is an***** ******interactive experience******!***

**And our ****lives**** and ****outlooks**** have been shaped by this.**

## “Everyone deserves to have their say.”

***“******Everyone****** deserves to have their say.”***

***“******Getting ******heard ******and****** having a say****** are not only ******easy******, they seem ******natural******.”***

## Wait! 

*Wait!*

- You just described my generation.

## Maybe there are some similarities. But there are very important differences.

## Such as different formative experiences.

## Baby Boomers were shaped by:

- Civil Rights

- The Feminist Movement

- Gay Rights

- Handicapped Rights

- The Right to Privacy

***And,***

- Vietnam

**The Cold War**

*The “Big Three” TV networks*

*The Kennedy and King Assassinations*

_**Baby Boomers**_** were**** ****shaped**** ****by:**

***Rock Music***

## 9-11

*Columbine*

**The 2000 Election Crisis**

***9-11***

***Cable***

***Reality TV***

***The Iraq War***

*Terrorism*

***Internet***

***Columbia Accident***

*Cell Phones*

***Gaming***

*Starbucks*

## And those life experiences made us:

- Lack trust in corporations and government
- Focus on personal success
- Have a short-term career perspective
- Gets easily bored
- Extremely independent
- See no clear boundary between work and life
- Empowered and optimistic
- Sacrifice economic rewards for work-life balance
- Expect to work anytime, anyplace
- Connect with people in new and distinctive ways
- Comfortable with globalization
- Racially and culturally diverse

## 02 Perspectives

**Notes:**
No picture of Barrera is going to beat this one. We should take one picture of all of us together somewhere though for this slide. Any thoughts on where we should do this? Panera with the laptops all up facing different directions would be a cool idea. What “descriptors” do you guys want to add?

## As a whole, people of Generation Y are not interested in space exploration. 

***This is a ******FACT******.***

## A majority of Gen Y between 18 and 24

- Are not aware or not engaged in NASA’s mission

**Notes:**
We need to “Gen-Y-ify” this slide! Any takers???

## 40%

**Support** is higher among Asian-Americans.

**Forty percent** oppose NASA’s mission

**Opposition** among Gen Y Hispanics is higher

**Notes:**
We need to “Gen-Y-ify” this slide! Any takers???

## 39%

## And maybe that’s because NASA is not engaging Generation Y

## 45-54

- 55-64

- # of employees

***For example, here’s the profile at****** NASA Johnson Space Center****** for the workforce ages 45-64...***

## 30-34

- 25-29

- <24

- # of employees

***... ******compare that with the profile of the younger workforce ages <34.***

- Gen Y starts entering work force

## If our generation is asked to pay the majority of the tax bill for the vision for space exploration, we need to be engaged in NASA’s mission.  

## 03 Rules of Engagement

## So how do you reach an 

**entire generation**** **
- with a brand and message?

## First, better understand the audience

**First, ****better understand**** the audience**

## Then focus on getting us interested again 

- Then focus on getting us **interested** again

## Slide 59

## Our generation is not interested because:

**We ****don’t ****see the point.**

**We ****don’t**** understand the facts.**

**We ****can’t**** participate.**

## Instead of telling us what you want us to hear ...

**Notes:**
This is a HUGE point. If you can think of a better way to show this or say it, feel free to try...

## Facilitate a discussion with Gen Y and allow us to participate in the NASA mission

## Share a compelling story

## Touch our lives in ways familiar to us.

**Touch**** our lives in ways ****familiar**** to us.**

## Utilize “social media”

## Spark conversations

**Spark**** **_**conversations**_

## But please be timely

**But *****please***** be**** ****timely**

## Reclaim an image as a leader of innovation.

## What would an innovative,collaborative, participatory NASA look like to us? Here’s a few possible future headlines.

## “Explorers Hired: NASA's recruiting advantage” 

- “What My Teenager Taught NASA About Marketing”

- “NASA uses social media to improve public image and reach target audiences”

- “Open innovation leads to budget savings and improved reliability of Constellation spacecraft”

**Notes:**
This is pretty tough to read. Also very traditional. Nick- maybe you can pick out a few of these instead of having all of them here. Also, how hard would it be to have these headlines show up on a “fake” newspaper??? Maybe they could be layered as if you could go through the presentation like you were just tossing some newspapers on top of each other? That would be SWEET!!!

## NASA employs the smartest engineers in the world to solve its toughest problems using collaborative innovation

- “NASA openness spins off into the first private spacecraft to land on the moon”

- “NASA flattens organization structure and improves innovation”

- Astronaut twitters from Space during EVA

- “2 million Digg votes for latest NASA press release”

**Notes:**
This is pretty tough to read. Also very traditional. Nick- maybe you can pick out a few of these instead of having all of them here. Also, how hard would it be to have these headlines show up on a “fake” newspaper??? Maybe they could be layered as if you could go through the presentation like you were just tossing some newspapers on top of each other? That would be SWEET!!!

## “Students from elementary school in Nebraska control Mars Rover from classroom”

- “Employees awarded with new incentives to innovate at NASA”

- “NASA switches back to Macs”

- “NASA uses persona based approach to tell its story”

- “NASA enjoys increases visibility, credibility, and audience exposure”

**Notes:**
This is pretty tough to read. Also very traditional. Nick- maybe you can pick out a few of these instead of having all of them here. Also, how hard would it be to have these headlines show up on a “fake” newspaper??? Maybe they could be layered as if you could go through the presentation like you were just tossing some newspapers on top of each other? That would be SWEET!!!

## What does your local Gen-Y’er think about NASA’s future?

## she commented: “Hey, that’d make a great T-shirt!” 

**she commented: *****“Hey, that’d make a great T-shirt!”***** **

**When we asked a local Gen-Y’er what she thought about this image:**

## We couldn’t agree more!

## There are a number of things that NASA is doing that are on the right track!

## Slide 77

## 04 The Challenge

## By no means is this “the answer” 

## ...after all, who are we anyway? 

## 	Just some Gen Y-er’s who got hooked by the NASA bug and want to help.  

## But we’ve done a lot in 4 months... 

**	****Co-op Alumni Mentoring**
**	****Spoke to several management teams about Gen Y (10+)****Created the Flat NASA Experiment Blog****Created the leadership forum**
**	****Inspired public regarding NASA careers using Facebook**
**	****Established connections at Rice University****Developed this presentation**
**	****Outreach.  Lots of outreach**
**	****Developed Co-op Advanced Planning Team (CAPT)****Collaborated with Wired Magazine on Article Concept**
**	****Connected NASA to Twitter****Facilitated the JSC PAO New Media Project with CAPT****Led the planning of Yuri’s Night Houston 08**

**Notes:**
Can we work on this list? I don’t know the best way to say this stuff. We don’t have to talk about all these- our point is to say that we got 4 people together and started doing some stuff on our own and bam- look, we’ve done quite a bit in just a few months! 

## With only 4 people.  

## 	There isn’t one ultimate communications strategy to solve NASA’s problems once and for all. 

**...****it’d be a lot easier if there was. **

## 	So the challenge is to take this and create new ideas.  

***Creative***

- Collaborative

- Open

- Purposeful

- Because the NASA we want to work for and connect to is like us:

- Participatory

- Bold

- Exciting

**Innovative**

- Timely

- Connected

**Notes:**
Any thoughts on this slide? More descriptors? Is this thought clear? Can we do more with graphics to make this more appealing? Images? The actual words aren’t all that important- they’re just there to create the effect that says “NASA needs to change or it won’t ever really grab us”

## 	But we – our generation – want  to be a part of the solution. 

## And it is OUR future.  

**Because space exploration ****is the future****. **

## Everyone’s future. 

## Slide 89

## References

- Center for Cultural Studies and Analysis. *American Perception of Space Exploration: A Cultural Analysis for NASA*. Philadelphia, PA: Center for Cultural Studies & Analysis, 2004.
- Hopkins, Robert. *Strategic Communications Framework: Implementation Plan*. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2007.
- Space Foundation. Space Awareness Initiative. *America's Spacepoll: An Annual Research and Analysis Project*. Colorado Springs, CO: Space Foundation, 2000.
- Dittmar, Mary Lynne.  Engaging the18-25 Generation: Educational Outreach, Interactive Technologies, and Space.  Dittmar Associates Inc.  Houston, TX
- Smith, Tom. Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2006. General Social Survey.  National Opinion Research Center.  University of Chicago
- NAS Insights.  *Generation Y: The Millennials.*  NASA, 2006.
- Kohut, Andrew.  *How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics, A Portrait of “Generation Next”.*  The Pew Research Center, 2007
- Rasmus, Daniel W. The Next-Generation Workforce and Project Management.  Academy Sharing Knowledge (ASK) Magazine, Fall 2007.
- NAS Recruitment Communications. *Generation Y. The Millenials* _[www.nasrecruitment.com/TalentTips/NASinsights/GenerationY.pdf](http://www.nasrecruitment.com/TalentTips/NASinsights/GenerationY.pdf)_, 2006
- Zelon, Barbara.  *Conversation Constellation Strategies*. Houston, TX: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2007.
- Live Birth Data collected from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005067.html.