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Newsletter | Fall 2011 • Volume 19 • Issue 3This issue: Generation Gap: The Millennials
One of the things I am most frequently asked about by our clients is “How do you get the Millennials/Gen Yers to share our work ethic? How can we get them to make meaningful contributions?” The specifics cited vary but follow similar trends. For instance, in several companies, when leadership meets to discuss moving people forward, Millennials are often ignored. They sit in their cubes and text everyone, even the person in the cube next to them, rather than walking around to talk in person with others on their projects so people get to know them. Managers encourage them to do so but it rarely happens. The Millennials continue to text. Another complaint is that Millennials don’t want to work the long hours and days necessary at times to meet a deadline for a project. Managers state Millennials only want to work Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 5. If the two examples seem familiar, it’s because they are just a sample of the many concerns managers have expressed as they ask for suggestions on how to change Millennials’ behavior. However, perhaps we are looking at the Millennials from the wrong lens. In the accompanying article, Teresa Hall Bartels offers an excellent perspective of working with the Millennials to produce a strong and positive workplace for everyone. In a change from our usual format of several articles on a subject, we are highlighting Teresa’s as the only article in this issue. We know you will enjoy her article with the insights it provides. Please let us know your reactions to the format change as well as the content. We appreciate your feedback. Sincerely, Pat Smith-Pierce |
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WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THESE MILLENNIALS?
Pose the question with most seasoned managers and you will see a variety of facial expressions, ranging from puzzled to exasperated. “I don’t get it,” exclaimed one department manager. “Our young associate showed up on her first day of work with her mother! She came to help decorate her cube, make sure her daughter was safe and had everything she needed to be successful in her first job!” “Who do these young people think they are?” asked another. “They think they ought to be Vice Presidents next week!” “We hired this bright young person straight out of college and put him on a leadership development path, invested a lot in his training,” another business executive told me. “After one year, he said he wanted more variety and took all that investment with him to work for a competitor!” These comments reminded me of the popular Broadway musical of the 1960s, later made into a movie: “Bye, Bye Birdie.” In the movie version, Paul Lynde and Dick Van Dyke sing about the travails of dealing with rebellious young people, asking the universal question: “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?" If you’re old enough to remember Paul Lynde and Dick Van Dyke, you can probably relate! The Millennials, alternatively known as Generation Y, were born between 1982 and 2000. While many of them are still winding their way through junior high school, the early Millennials are already making their presence known in the workplace. Ultimately, they are 72 million strong – roughly 24% of the U.S. population. They’ve been shaped, for better or for worse, by the events of their lives. As children, they have experienced an onslaught of constant information. Technology brought the horrors of the Oklahoma City bombing, September 11 attacks, and mass murder shootings of Columbine and Virginia Tech into their living rooms – or bedrooms. Personal safety shows up in surveys as their number one concern. Having been raised by optimistic Baby Boomer parents, they’ve learned to reflect on these situations and feel empowered to take positive action. They’ve been participants in family decisions and most of them genuinely like their parents. However, these optimistic parents have also been called “helicopter parents,” overly involved in their children’s lives and scheduling their kids from toddlers onward with lessons, camps, teams and non-stop “learning opportunities.” As a mother of two millennial sons, I confess that I’m guilty of having told them they are “special” (they really are!) – and sometimes these young people don’t connect quality outcomes with the need to expend effort.
Because they are so connected to their parents and their friends, Millennials expect the workplace to be a collaborative place where ideas can be generated and implemented – now! This collaboration is not bound by traditional hierarchical organization charts. They want to be included and they may be just as likely to offer ideas to the CEO as to their peers. (I even heard about one young recruit who sent an email to the CEO on her first day of work, inviting him to lunch so she could share her feedback on the recruitment process she had experienced!) The speed of their lives does make them impatient; they seem to want everything to be “microwavable!” And their preoccupation with texting has left them with the impression that spelling isn’t important – and that face-to-face communication is optional.
So, what’s the matter with these Millennials? Nothing. Whatever the issues that Millennials bring to the workplace, they also bring enormous energy. They use technology like Boomers used pencils, are brimming with ideas and they know how to put their ideas into action. What they really need are managers who will provide the type of Leadership they both need and want. Because we are in positions that require us to manage an increasingly diverse workforce, we must learn how to be exemplary leaders. I work with leaders to coach them toward better leadership practices, as researched and published by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner in “The Leadership Challenge.” Over 30 years of research, with millions of leaders, has consistently demonstrated which practices and behaviors lead to the best results. I think these behaviors are particularly important for managers who need to lead Millennials in the workplace.
Inspiring a Shared Vision – Most leaders know how to determine strategies – that’s how you gain competitive advantage. With Millennials, it’s especially important to also talk about vision – where are we going and why is this important? Although you might not see these competencies on your performance evaluation, you’ll find your work group performing at a higher level if you can help them connect their long-term interests with the big picture of what you aspire to accomplish. That means you need to take the time to find out what their long-term interests are – and help them to envision a compelling future. Challenging the Process – Great leaders know that innovation comes from actively seeking new ways of doing things. Be willing to let Millennials suggest ideas. Listen to them and create a climate that allows people to take appropriate risks and learn from mistakes. Notice the “teachable moments” and take advantage of these opportunities for Millennials to “learn forward.” This may also mean being more flexible about work “rules” including flexible scheduling and job sharing. This doesn’t work everywhere, so it’s up to you, as a leader, to figure out how much risk your organization will tolerate. “We’ve always done it that way” doesn’t fly in today’s competitive economic environment. By loosening the constraints, you may unleash innovative solutions and measurable results that your Millennials help to create.
Millennials are talented, eager, connected and concerned. They see work as but one facet of a life that easily blends with their many other interests. They need guidance, genuine interest, leaders who listen and show them respect. It’s up to us to be those leaders! |
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The Insight Communication Group 1425 W. Schaumburg Rd #311 Schaumburg, IL 60194 (847) 895-6527 (847) 895-6576 FAX office@ticgltd.com www.theinsightcommunicationgroup.com |
Editor Dennis Hamilton CEO and Founder Patricia Smith-Pierce |
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Copyright 2011 The Insight Communication Group Ltd. |
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Dear Readers:
Teresa Hall Bartels
Constantly connected through Facebook and YouTube, their lives have given them ample opportunity to become multi-taskers, appreciative of diversity and members of a community called “the world.” Many of them have traveled to places their parents have only read about. They care about human rights issues in Myanmar (and know where it’s located), hunger in Somalia, civil unrest in Libya. And they believe they should – and can – do something. These are realists who also want to be engaged in a larger purpose and meaningful work.
Modeling the Way – Millennials are quick studies. They will know whether your values align with the values you talk about by observing how you act. Spend time and energy making sure that they know what the company’s values are and show them how those values align with their desire to make a difference in the world. Follow through on the promises you make to them – Do What You Say You Will Do. And ask for feedback. You might be surprised how willing people in your work group will be to go the extra mile when they believe that you are showing them, through your behavior, how to be a leader without ego.
Encouraging the Heart – Catch them doing something right and acknowledge that. Millennials have grown up with lots of praise and they expect and appreciate recognition. Research has shown that people who engage in at least three positive interactions for every negative interaction tend to be more effective and productive than others. Great leaders find ways to celebrate accomplishments and creatively reward their people – with sincerity and specificity. Millennials will respond to leaders who are authentic and real with them. They may not remember everything you say to them – but they will always remember how you made them feel.
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