What characteristics define millennials?
A millennial is defined as a person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century. Also called Gen Y or Generation Y, “millennials” refers to individuals who were born between the 1980s and early 2000s.
Some distinct characteristics about them are that they are tech savvy and like moving up in technology to stay connected. Their transparency shows on their social media accounts. They have been raised with more praise and, hence, seek recognition for their contributions. They are wired for multi-tasking, hence, can handle diverse kinds of tasks.
“Based on how they grew up, there are many characteristics that make millennials, as a generation, better than the rest of us. How? They are a remarkably accepting generation in terms of embracing diversity. They have a heightened desire that money and capitalism be used for good. They are loud about their desire to make an impact and for companies to have a sense of purpose, cause, or belief.” (Simon Sinek, author and inspirational speaker)
Compared to their older counterparts, such young workers have the courage to withdraw or leave a job quicker, rather than suffer. They embrace entrepreneurial paths more readily and demand that companies give them more of what they need, which is their right.
As a downside, they tend to have low self-esteems, and are impatient to get what they want and overcome their challenges. Their addiction to their phones and the social media contributes to their struggle to form deep and meaningful relationships.
What can be done to help millennials?
The following strategies can inspire the young, build trust, and enhance support for personal growth and better results:
- No phone zone in conference rooms
It might seem like an impossible idea to sell, but it is worth the pain. Just as we have no smoking zones in the workplace, as smoking is injurious to health, consider phones a hazard to building trusting human relationships.
Right before a meeting starts, the small chats about work, exchange of greetings and smiles, or even sitting in silence is some sort of human engagement that goes a long way. But since most employees are busy texting right before their meetings begin, they lose the opportunity to bond. Hence, companies will have to strictly ban phones to enjoy the fruits of these relationships.
- Handwritten notes instead of typed ones
One might argue that typing notes is faster and easier, but psychology confirms that handwritten information can be processed faster by the mind and retained longer in memory. It also impacts critical thinking and decision making.
In case digital notes are a must, assign only one person to take them or transcribe handwritten notes after the meeting.
Sometimes all one needs is good old-fashioned leadership to break away from the overly digitalized and automated lives we have become accustomed to.
- Leadership needs to be taught
How do we expect our young force to lead, when we do not train them to become leaders? Most companies fail to teach their personnel actual leadership and instead focus on courses about customer services, sales, marketing, technology, accounts, and finance or compliance of policy and laws.
Leadership courses must include effective confrontation, active listening, and communication skills as a robust curriculum to polish human skills.
- Exchange of feedback needs to be taught
Youngsters like affirmations. They generally do not appreciate criticism. It is crucial to teach them the importance of feedback, be it negative or positive. Also, they must not only be taught how to receive and respond to criticism, but also how to offer positive criticism.
- They need to be mentored and shown heroism
A true mentor is never too busy to mentor. Also, leaders of the company should manifest their heroism and leadership skills in their daily tasks, and this can be far more inspirational than the celebrities and billionaires they are bombarded with on the media.
- Failures can be admitted and discussed
When leaders talk about their struggles and bad decisions and their consequences, it gives an insight to the youngsters to look into the real lives of the people leading them. They realize that the only way forward is not always upwards, and the reality of a successful career is very different from what they may perceive.
It also builds a ‘circle of safety’ as Simon Sinek calls it. This is an environment, where one does not fear admitting mistakes and learns from them.
- Falls are allowed
Nobody wants to plan for failure, as it can bring businesses down. But one can learn invaluable lessons, if faced with failures. Lots of responsibilities can be assigned to millennials on smaller projects. If they fail, encourage them: “Good fall, now try again.” We need to give them a chance – they might surprise us.
- Human interaction must be initiated
Since most millennials interact less with people and more with their machines and gadgets, they have under-developed human communication skills. Leaders are encouraged to bridge that gap and encourage human connection. Instead of texting and emailing, consider calling. Walk through the hallway to talk to them or ask questions.
- Self-esteem must be raised
As a leader, how would we want our children to be treated in a work environment? Treat these youngsters likewise. They need self-confidence. When we remember that our young force is someone’s son or daughter, we care more for them and help them grow.
Leading a young task force is a refreshing challenge. If the youngster starts trusting his employer, he will open up his heart and be more willing to give more of himself. This is a generation that must not be controlled but inspired and navigated to reach its potential.
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