Mentors, teamwork vital to Millennials
First published: Sunday, August 19, 2007
Social, optimistic, well-educated, achievement-hungry, collaborative, inclusive and hopeful.
These are adjectives used to describe the Millennials (born 1980-2000) who are entering the work force with even higher expectations then Generation X.
In a competitive business world, the differentiator is always people. Boomer and Gen X managers are now perplexed by the Millennials coming in the door, and the generations begin to clash.
Boomer and Xer managers begin to ask "What can managers do to be prepared for managing this generation? What kind of workplace will attract, retain and motivate the Millennials?"
When attempting to tackle management issues with any generation, especially Millennials, managers must consider generational influences, learning and communication preferences, and what research tells us the Millennials want from their jobs. Influences. The Millennials grew up in the 1990s and 2000s. They were raised at a time when there was a shift in parenting style. The Millennials are not the "latchkey kids" that Gen X became. Rather, Millennial parents focused on family values and focused on their children.
The school system reinforced these values by shifting its focus to the individual child and by reiterating to the student Millennial "You are special."
Millennials were also profoundly influenced by the Oklahoma City bombing, the shootings at Columbine and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. As such, their No. 1 workplace concern is safety. Learning. Millennials prefer to learn from technology and from experimental tasks. They also look for learning to be entertaining and interactive. They learn best from working with a team toward a specific goal. Communication. Millennials respond best to motivational, optimistic instructions. They want to be told what the end-goal is and to be encouraged to work toward that goal. They also love electronic communication and may even prefer it over face-to-face interaction.
What do Millennials want from their jobs? First and foremost, they want to feel safe at work. They want to see a workplace where access codes are necessary. They also want to learn new skills and be challenged on a daily basis. They want their ideas to be treated respectfully. They want to work with positive, optimistic, friendly managers and have flexible schedules.
Some tips for managing Millennials: Mentoring. Formally establish a mentoring program in the workplace that welcomes newcomers and helps them navigate the workplace. Mentoring can also offer the positive reinforcement Millennials need to thrive and provides Millennials a channel through which to offer ideas. Teamwork. Consider assigning tasks to teams or groups of people and evaluate the outcome of the entire team rather than evaluating the individual. Being able to work on a team is valuable to the collaborative Millennial who wishes to learn from others but also have an opportunity to offer new ideas in a friendly environment. Structure. Millennials have grown up with structure and supervision and seek out role models. Provide leadership and guidance. They are unlikely to take initiative on their own.
They need positive motivators who will instruct them and give direction in a respectful way. Technology. Take advantage of the technological skills of the Millennial and accept that the Millennial will expect a certain level of technology will be used. Windows XP will be old news.
For more information on managing Millennials, consider "When Generations Collide," by David Stillman.
Workbytes is written locally by and for Gen Xers learning the realities of the workplace. Catherine Hedgeman, an Albany attorney, is principal in the Law Office of Catherine M. Hedgeman and is involved with a local young professionals' group.
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