Have you struggled with the generation gap between you and today’s younger employees? Do you find millennials to be a challenge to lead? You’re not alone and today, some proven principles and practical actions you can take to engage the millennial generation.
Guest: Chip Espinoza, Ph.D.
Author, Millennials@Work*
Co-Author, Managing The Millennials*
Director, Organizational Psychology, Concordia University Irvine
Who are the millennials?
- They were born between 1980-2002 range.
- These are many of our newer employees in organizations.
- “The millennials are the first generation that has not needed an authority figure to access information.” -Chip Espinoza
There is a dynamic in the workforce of a generation that doesn’t know how to reach up working with a generation that doesn’t know how to reach down.
“The people with the most responsibility need to adapt first in an organization.” -Chip Espinoza
“Ambiguity is the millennial kryptonite.” -Chip Espinoza
This generation is used to experiencing success and might not have run into failure much before.
They also assume that everything is negotiable.
Avoid getting caught up in defensiveness of a millennial who might be receiving positive feedback.
- Millennials are relationship oriented.
- Give feedback in a way that’s not formal.
- Maintain the strength of the relationship.
- Feedback must be timely.
- Have a conversation with them instead of a conversation about them.
Build a relationship with people!
Take the online quiz Chip mentioned at this link
Practical Action
- Have a conversation and build a relationship.
- Check out Coaching for Leaders episode #2 to discover the 4-step FROM model for doing this
Feedback
- Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/158
- Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback
- Next Q&A show is episode 161 and the topic is difficult conversations
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Hey Dave, I just listened to this podcast yesterday while exercising and was so impressed with the insight you and Chip presented, I have created an email to many of my contacts summarizing some of the content and suggesting they listen to the full podcast. Well done!
Bill
Bill, thanks for the note and glad that you found the chat with Chip helpful. Indeed, he’s worked with a lot of leaders on this and has tons of wisdom. I need to have him back for a follow-up chat – we could talk for hours.
Keep me in the loop on what you hear being valuable to your contacts.
I found this episode to be really valuable and insightful. I think people who are in the 30-35 range, right on the cusp of the earliest millennials, find themselves in a unique position when working with or especially managing people even 5-10 years younger.
The eldest of the millennials tend to have at least some of the vestiges of the older generation’s traits – like respect for titles (doctorates, etc.), direct and formal feedback, “putting in our time” before getting certain privileges. When welcoming the younger millennials into the workforce, the casual comportment, perceived entitlement and preferred electronic communication methods can be a real challenge.
What stuck out to me the most was when Dr. Espinoza said that people with the most responsibility need to adapt first in an organization.
There’s a quote from one of the early Christian Church fathers that goes something like, “if you are first among them, you must be first in humility.”
If you are a leader, you must be a humble leader.
The idea of suspending one’s own bias makes a lot of sense, regardless of state in life. The old “put yourself in his/her shoes” adage.
Speaking frankly, there tends to be a problem of generational conflict in the workplace when young employees are too naïve and even overly self-confident to want an older person’s guidance (“I’ll go find it on Google), and the older employees are too puffed up and stubborn to want to adapt to or even hear a rookie’s ideas.
In this case, it does make sense that the one with more life wisdom (the elder) needs to adapt and humble himself first to go down to the other person in an effort to be an effective mentor, to be able to build trust, respect and credibility thereby having a real impact and leaving “mini me’s” wherever he goes.
Thanks, Dave!
Tyler, glad to hear this episode was helpful. I agree, both parties need to take the time to reach out to each other.
There absolutely are generational challenges/changes in today’s workforce, as we talked about on this episode. In addition, some of this is also new language for what I would call an old problem.
It’s always been the case that leaders benefit from taking the time to be the first in humility. That’s as true today as it was a generation ago — and I’m certain will be true 100 years from now, too. =)
I enjoyed this podcast and its relevancy to today challenges or opportunities for others and me. I don’t know if I misheard two points:
1. title isn’t important: this is only true when the millennial addresses others, but not for themselves. I asked many millennials this question and they care. Some was more specific where title is relevant to what they actually do and show their progression.
2. Millennial is relationship oriented, yet at the start of the podcast there was a mention that millennial does not have a need to build relationship.
The podcast’s quality is consistent; I appreciate it.
Kimthu, thanks for listening. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my remarks. Your observation is correct on the first question. I am basically talking about salutations. They highly value informality and view it as authenticity. Yes, to acquire a title is important to them as a sign of progression. When it comes to organizational socialization — titles are not as important to them as they are to Baby Boomers. Position and belonging are more important to older generations. Voice, respect, and acceptance are important to Millennials. One could argue that titles engender the aforementioned. That is where Millennials struggle.
Your second question is a great observation! Previous generations were more dependent upon authority figures for upward mobility and information. The last place a Millennial will go with a question is to an authority figure. Prior to the workforce, most Millennials experience authorities figures as being “for” them (relatives, coaches, teachers, youth group leaders, etc.). Quite frankly, authority figures in their lives take the initiative to help without a great deal of initiative from them. As a result, the Millennial expectation is that the relationship is already built and they need not take initiative. Thus, they are relationally oriented but see the relationship as being established with little effort on their part. This is not a deficiency. It is sociological conditioning. Work may be the first place they experience an authority as not being “for’ them and worse–antagonistic to them.
Chip, thank you so much for these thoughts — so much appreciated!