Neuroscientists have been conducting experiments for over 25 years on what happens in our brains when we experience something as being fair or not fair.

This is interesting research. So often we see people become demotivated and not perform to their best because they perceive an unfairness eg: that someone is getting paid more than they should; that someone has a promotion that they didn't deserve; that someone got the blame or bore the brunt of management's wrath for something that wasn't their fault; that someone was asked to stay back late at work.

Demotivation means lower levels of commitment, lower productivity, poor energy levels and as for creativity, innovation and initiative - well, what do you think?

I don't know about you but I get frustrated with baby boomers who simply bad-mouth Gen Y employees and don't think more about why they behave the way they do. The next time a Gen Y'er frustrates you at work or at home - take a deep breath and think about the context that they are coming from - their brain physiology, their database of experiences and the matters they are fearful and worried about. It won't make them change their behaviours but it might enable you to engage your pre-frontal cortex, calm down, use your emotional intelligence, be a STAR and maximize all the great things that creative, energetic, demanding and wonderful young people offer.