Workers in their 20s are giving their employers fits.

Managers frequently vent to me their frustration with a new generation entering the workforce. A hospital director in the Midwest put it this way: "I give my young workers instructions how to complete a task, and they have no qualms telling me that they don't want to do it that way."

The 20-something worker indeed has a unique approach to authority. They do not as a rule show disdain, or even rebellion, but tend to elevate their own opinion to an equal plane with a boss or supervisor. In that regard, they are accustomed to having a voice that counts. Titles and hierarchy mean much less to them than it did for earlier generations.

The threat of losing their job is not quite as daunting to this generation, either. They have grown up in an affluent era, so perhaps they take financial security for granted. Yet it is also the case that they are not willing to sacrifice their lifestyle and personal identity for a paycheck. For that reason, managers who are using the old carrot-and-stick approach with this crowd do not find much success.

Above all, younger workers are less likely to channel their passions into a job. They are apt to see work as a means to an end. The work week gets them to the weekend, and that's when the fun begins. They are wise to the transitional economy. They know that employers will not show them loyalty over the long-term - they have watched their parents pass through an uncertain career. So they see the job as a short-term contract that can be renewed, by both parties, as long as both parties are satisfied. This generation serves as its own free agent.

A few months ago, Mel Levine, a professor of child development and learning at the University of North Carolina, published a fascinating essay in the Chronicle for Higher Education. He argued with candor that college graduates are unprepared for the world of work. Here's a brief excerpt from the piece:

"In conducting interviews for my new book, Ready or Not, Here Comes Life, I heard repeatedly from employers that their current crop of novice employees appear unable to delay gratification and think long-term. They have trouble starting at the bottom rung of a career ladder and handling the unexciting detail, the grunt work, and the political setbacks they have to bear. In fact, many contemporary college and graduate students fail to identify at all with the world of adults."

It's a time-honored sport for an older generation to decry the potential of the newest pups on the block, of course. To his credit, Levine goes on in the essay to indicate how young people are the products of how we parent and educate in this society.

I see that truth most clearly as a Little League coach. I am convinced that children will rise to the expectations that you set for them in a supportive environment. So I reward kids as they succeed at a new level of skill development - their own skill development. I often hear from parents of the kids: "Could you please play Larry at shortstop today? It would be so good for his self-esteem." Well, Larry will feel better about himself - and the team will feel better about Larry - when he focuses on his skills and is recognized for that effort.

You clearly don't treat a college graduate entering the workforce like a Little League kid. But young workers do appreciate candor about the terms of engagement. The more they see their own self-expression and development recognized, the greater will be their connection to the company. An appeal to the universal duty of Work - "you should appreciate that you've got a job and work hard" - just won't cut it.

Managers also will have better success with the 20-something generation whenthey offer fluid job descriptions. They do not want to be a cog in the machine, easily replaced by the next sap who walks in the door. That doesn't mean that managers must compromise their position. Young people need leadership and structure as much as the rest of the workforce. Managers, you set the team's priorities then ask the workers what part they can play to make the team successful. The more younger workers can throw their passions into their tasks, the better will be their performance.

Overall, the 20-something generation is driving us to bring more imagination and democracy into the workplace. Now that's not such a bad thing, is it?