Managing a Millennial
by Emily Chardac Monday, May 23, 2011
Contributing writer Emily Chardac spent over four years in an international recruitment office serving individuals of over 80 nationalities. Recognizing the challenges foreign workers experience when transitioning into a US work environment, Emily has been has focused on HR/benefits since 2007. She earned her Masters in HR from Marquette University with a focus on international business and French. Emily can be contacted at emily.chardac@gmail.com.
The millennial generation are those born in the 1980s and 1990s and can be described as individuals who are developed in digital communication, technology, and open to controversial topics (politics, gender, race, etc). As you probably know, I'm in the millennial generation.
A Lesson Learned
In my very first professional job, I was very lucky to have had a wonderful boss, mentor, and let's face it, work dad to help me understand the workplace. One of very first lessons I learned as a young professional is not to jump to conclusions too quickly. In a world of need-to-know information at the click of your mouse, it's easy to come to a conclusion rather quickly.
Was I irresponsible? No. Not researching all the facts? No. In fact, I was getting all of the research spot-on, but I didn't take into consideration some of the historical viewpoints of a specific policy, procedure, or existing thought process. Admittedly, I was missing an important piece of the puzzle. In my current position, sometimes this historical component makes up to 50% of how the future of the project is presented, designed, or implemented.
If you notice that a millennial on your team is struggling, mentorship is fantastic! Whether you are a baby boomer or millennial yourself, guiding your co-worker through some of your personal "lessons learned" is a great way to show the individual the big picture.
Communication
Another weak spot that I see in the millennial generation is communication. E-mail, instant messaging, and social media is great -- but it's creating havoc in those social relationships that we need in the workplace. I know it's easier to address conflict in an email, but solving the issue face-to-face is best, no matter how uncomfortable it is for you. Solving sensitive problems through cyberspace could send an indirect message that you are passive, not assertive, and maybe submissive. Not exactly the best qualities when you're looking at a promotion.
Communicating to a millennial can be a challenge depending on your managerial style. I have found that millenials thrive in fast-paced, positive, and collaborative environments. If the communication techniques are too one-way, the individual may start to resist. I don't have any reasons or solutions why this seems to be the case, but don't fret! I think all communication efforts can be phrased perfectly when the correct words are chosen. For exaggeration purposes here are some examples:
Manager: "You screwed up this project again."
Offended Millennial: I quit.
Manager: "How much longer until this project will be completed correctly?"
Sarcastic Millennial: However long it takes me.
Manager: "Do you have a few minutes? I need you to talk me through your project so I can understand it better."
Millennial: When would you like to meet?
As you can see, the same message is being sent, but in three delivery methods. I'm not suggesting you coat everything in sugar, but I think this strategy holds merit from a managerial perspective.
Everyone is a Winner Syndrome
Yes, it's true. Everyone earns a trophy these days and you don't have to be particularly talented. I don't write that to be insensitive; indeed the individuals involved worked hard for the end result (assuming good intent). Be careful with the signs of this wicked syndrome... you may have to go the extra mile to pay a few compliments to get the results you're looking for.
A Lesson Learned
In my very first professional job, I was very lucky to have had a wonderful boss, mentor, and let's face it, work dad to help me understand the workplace. One of very first lessons I learned as a young professional is not to jump to conclusions too quickly. In a world of need-to-know information at the click of your mouse, it's easy to come to a conclusion rather quickly.
Was I irresponsible? No. Not researching all the facts? No. In fact, I was getting all of the research spot-on, but I didn't take into consideration some of the historical viewpoints of a specific policy, procedure, or existing thought process. Admittedly, I was missing an important piece of the puzzle. In my current position, sometimes this historical component makes up to 50% of how the future of the project is presented, designed, or implemented.
If you notice that a millennial on your team is struggling, mentorship is fantastic! Whether you are a baby boomer or millennial yourself, guiding your co-worker through some of your personal "lessons learned" is a great way to show the individual the big picture.
Communication
Another weak spot that I see in the millennial generation is communication. E-mail, instant messaging, and social media is great -- but it's creating havoc in those social relationships that we need in the workplace. I know it's easier to address conflict in an email, but solving the issue face-to-face is best, no matter how uncomfortable it is for you. Solving sensitive problems through cyberspace could send an indirect message that you are passive, not assertive, and maybe submissive. Not exactly the best qualities when you're looking at a promotion.
Communicating to a millennial can be a challenge depending on your managerial style. I have found that millenials thrive in fast-paced, positive, and collaborative environments. If the communication techniques are too one-way, the individual may start to resist. I don't have any reasons or solutions why this seems to be the case, but don't fret! I think all communication efforts can be phrased perfectly when the correct words are chosen. For exaggeration purposes here are some examples:
Manager: "You screwed up this project again."
Offended Millennial: I quit.
Manager: "How much longer until this project will be completed correctly?"
Sarcastic Millennial: However long it takes me.
Manager: "Do you have a few minutes? I need you to talk me through your project so I can understand it better."
Millennial: When would you like to meet?
As you can see, the same message is being sent, but in three delivery methods. I'm not suggesting you coat everything in sugar, but I think this strategy holds merit from a managerial perspective.
Everyone is a Winner Syndrome
Yes, it's true. Everyone earns a trophy these days and you don't have to be particularly talented. I don't write that to be insensitive; indeed the individuals involved worked hard for the end result (assuming good intent). Be careful with the signs of this wicked syndrome... you may have to go the extra mile to pay a few compliments to get the results you're looking for.