managing the millennials - pacepool.com · managing the millennials leading the 21st century...

©2016 Chip Espinoza www.chipespinoza.com

Managing the MillennialsLeading the 21st Century Workforce


The Generations at a Glance

•The Builders/Silents/Traditionals (1926-1945)

•The Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

•Generation X (1965-1982)

•The Millennials (1983-2001)


DemographicMetabolism


Throwing their weight around...

Population numbers in the U.S.


Millennials surpassed GenXers as the largest generation in U.S. labor force in the first quarter of 2015.

53.5 million-strong

PEW Research, May 2015


By 2020, Millennials

Will Comprise Half The

Global Workforce


The County of Orange did a workforce audit and 60% of its employees are eligible for retirement in 1 year.


• The mean age of family control in the family’s company is 60.2 years.

• The environment for innovation in family businesses improves when more generations of the owning family are actively involved in the business.

• By 2017, it is estimated that 40.3 percent of family business owners expect to retire, creating a significant transition of ownership in the US.

• Less than half of those expecting to retire in five years have selected a successor.

The Transition of Family Owned Businesses

Source: Family Business Alliance & Family Business Survey 2017


Millennial Fatigue

Definition

Millennialstiringofhearingabouttheirgeneration—particularlythemeslikeentitled,disloyal,andcoddled.


Biggest Challenges Millennials FaceChallenges

A lack of experienceNot being taken seriouslyNot getting respectBeing perceived as “entitled” A lack of patienceGetting helpful feedbackUnderstanding expectationsMiscommunication with older workersRigid processesProving my value

What Millennials WantTo have more opportunityTo be listened toTo be accepted To be rewarded for workTo be promoted fasterTo know how they are doingTo know what is expected of themTo have a good relationship with older workersTo have a say in how they do their jobTo be recognized

Source: Chip Espinoza, Ph.D. The Biggest Challenges Millennials Face in the Workplace and What They Can Do About Them


Perceptual Position


Perceptual Position

•First Position: See, hear and feel a situation as yourself.

•Second Position: See, hear and feel a situation as the other person.

•Third Position: See, hear and evaluate the situation as a detached observer.


• Primarily offspring of the Baby Boomers generation

• Current ages range from 15 to 35

• Teamwork has been emphasized throughout their lives

• They have greater access to education

So what’s a Millennial?


• 1 in 4 comes from a single-parent home

• 3 in 5 have working mothers

• Most ethnically diverse generation

• Closer to parents than previous generations

So what’s a Millennial?

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• They are environmentally & safety conscious

• Millennials can be exceptionally loyal customers—provided they feel they’ve been treated right.

• They don’t believe traditional advertising

• They want to be involved in how products are created for them

• They influence the consumer behavior of their parents

• They expect brands to give back to society

Millennials As Consumers

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• Millennials want a customer-centric experience in which they feel wanted and valued.

• Millennials seek customer service professionals who understand their preferences and make recommendations tailored to their specific needs.

• They will continue to utilize technology, and continue to expect the world around them to adapt to them quickly.

Millennials As Consumers



Millennials & B2BChallenges

A lack of experienceNot being taken seriouslyNot getting respectBeing perceived as “entitled” A lack of patienceGetting helpful feedbackUnderstanding expectationsMiscommunication with older workersRigid processesProving my value

What Millennials WantTo have more opportunityTo be listened toTo be accepted To be rewarded for workTo be promoted fasterTo know how they are doingTo know what is expected of themTo have a good relationship with older workersTo have a say in how they do their jobTo be recognized

Source: Chip Espinoza, Ph.D. The Biggest Challenges Millennials Face in the Workplace and What They Can Do About Them


Understanding Millennials

•Career Development is their love language

•Ambiguity is their kryptonite

•They will make decisions by indecision

•They expect authority figures to be “for” them

•They don’t do well with feedback that they do not consider to be positive


• The most critical aspect of integrating Millennials is the quality of relationship manager and Millennials.

• Knowledge transfer—tacit knowledge is only transferred through relationship.

• The people with the most responsibility have to be the first to adapt.

• My work is to move the discussion about Millennials to how to engage Millennials.

Working With Millennials


What defines a generation?

•Age

•Social and economic conditions

•Experiences during formative years (adolescence)

•Technology

•Pop culture

•Socio-political events


The Builders (1925 - 1945)

•The Great Depression

•Roosevelt’s “New Deal”

•WWII & Korean War

•GI Bill

•Golden age of radio & silver screen

•Rise of labor unions

•Polio (Poliomyelitis)


The Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)

•Vietnam & Cold War

•LPs & 8-Tracks

•Civil rights movement

•Credit cards

•Women’s lib

•TV & Rock-n-Roll

•Kennedy & King assassinations


Generation X (1965 - 1982)

•Persian Gulf War

•Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion

•AIDS

•Corporate Down-sizing

•Tripling of Divorce Rate

•Both parents working (latchkey kids)

•Video Games, MTV, & Computers


The Millennials (1983 - 2001)

•9/11 & Terrorism

•Columbine

•Cell Phone

•Facebook

•E-mail & IM

•Going Green

•Emphasis on Safety


Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Builders

Baby BoomersGen X

Millennials


Challenged Managers Successful Managers

Talked about how others needed to change to make it in the “real world”

Talked about their own need to change to manage in “today’s world”

Key difference #1



Believed there was very little they could do about their situation

Believed there was something they could do about their situation

Key difference #2



Punished their subordinates for challenging them

Allowed their subordinates to challenge them with new ideas, processes, etc.

Key difference #3



Felt that their position was the only power they had

Used the power of relationship vs. the power of position

Key difference #4



Felt that working with twenty-somethings made them feel older

Felt that working with twenty-somethings made them feel younger

Key difference #5



Saw Millennials as a roadblock to their own success

Saw themselves as the key to their Millennial employees’ success

Key difference #6


Overcoming The Bias of Experience

• The way “I” or “we” did it is the blueprint for everyone else

• Excuses leaders from the adaptive work they need to do

• Leaders who cannot suspend the bias of their experience fail to ask themselves questions like:

• Why am I bothered by their behavior?

• What threats do Millennial values represent?

• How will I need to change?


Organizational Bias

• Career advancement

• Organizational structure

• The bias about “voice”

• “It drives me nuts how they come in and immediately start criticizing what we have been doing.”

• “Isn’t there an unspoken rule that you have to be here a couple of years before you can talk in a meeting?”


Skill 1: Show The Big PicturePerceived Weakness: MyopicMillennials struggle with cause and effect relationships. The struggle is perceived as narrow-sightedness guided by internal interests without an understanding of how others and the organization are impacted.

Millennial Value: SimplicitySimplicity. One thing that will ring true to you if you have ever managed Millennials is that they exhaust themselves looking for an easier way to do something.


Skill 2: Make It Matter To ThemPerceived Weakness: IndifferenceMillennials may be seen as careless, apathetic, or lacking commitment, particularly by older generations who feel like they were taught to work hard whether it was “fun or not.”

Millennial Value: MeaningMillennials need to find meaning in their work. Whether through activism or a sense of accomplishment, they are looking to be fulfilled by their work.


Skill 3: Include The DetailsPerceived Weakness: UnfocusedMillennials, as a cohort, are recognized for their intellectual ability but are often perceived to struggle with a lack of attention to detail. They have a hard time staying focused on tasks for which they have no interest.

Millennial Value: MultitaskingMillennials are aware management perceives them as unfocused. They blame the perception on their ability to multi-task. They truly believe they can do more than older workers due to their grasp of technology and the speed with which they can access information.


Skill 4: Build A RelationshipPerceived Weakness: Self-absorbedMillennials are perceived to be primarily concerned with how they are treated rather than how they treat others. Task are seen as a means to their ends. Millennials are often preoccupied by their own personal need for trust, encouragement, and praise.

Millennial Value: AttentionMillennials are used to getting a lot of positive attention and they like it. Not only do they like it, they expect it. When they enter work life they anticipate the same consideration they have enjoyed at home, in school, and on the playing field. They want managers who will tend to their career development and act as an advocate for them.


Skill 5: Be Positive When CorrectingPerceived Weakness: DefensiveMillennials often experience anger, guardedness, offense, resentment, and shift responsibility in response to critique and evaluation. They want to be told when they are doing well but not when they are doing poorly.

Millennial Value: AchievementAchievement is the intrinsic value that drives the Millennials’ need to be affirmed. Feedback that is not interpreted as being affirming is met with anything from incredulity to counter attack.


Skill 6: Don’t Take Things PersonallyPerceived Weakness: AbrasivenessPerhaps due to technology, Millennial communication style can be experienced as curt. They are perceived to be inattentive to social courtesies like knowing when to say thank you and please. Whether intentional or not, their behavior is interpreted as disrespectful.

Millennial Value: InformalityMillennials value informality. It can be seen in the way they dress, talk, and negotiate organizational culture. While other generations understand the function of titles, Millennials see them as perfunctory, if not an impediment to building real relationships. They believe calling someone by their first name is a sign of closeness or respect.


Skill 7: Put Their Imagination To WorkPerceived Weakness: ImaginativeMillennials are recognized for having a great ‘imagination’ and can offer a fresh perspective and unique insight into a myriad of situations. Their imagination can also distract them from participating in a mechanistic process.

Millennial Value: Self-ExpressionMillennials value self-expression. They have both a desire and need to make their mark on the world. They enthusiastically embrace change and thrive on brainstorming, creating, and problem solving. They have high expectations of themselves and the organization in which they will work.


Skill 8: Create The Right RewardsPerceived Weakness: EntitledThe attitude expressed by Millennials is that they deserve to be recognized and rewarded. They want to move up the ladder quickly but not always on managements’ terms. They want a guarantee for their performance, not just the opportunity to perform.

Millennial Value: RewardMillennials value being rewarded. Like other generations, increased pay, bonuses, and promotions are enthusiastically embraced. However, Millennials also value time off and the opportunity to participate in community or social responsibility projects during company time.


Skill 9: Be FlexiblePerceived Weakness: AutonomousMillennials express a desire to do what they want when they want, have the schedule they want, and not worry about someone micro-managing them. They don’t feel they should have to conform to office processes as long as they complete their work.

Millennial Value: Work/Life BlendingWork-life blending is one of the most celebrated values of the Millennial generation. They don’t mind accessing work during their personal time but they want to be able to access their personal life while at work.


Thank you

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managing the millennials - pacepool.com · managing the millennials leading the 21st century...

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