For those of you that have followed this blog, heard me speak or have been a participant in one of my MBA classes or workshops, you know that I’ve opted for the dissenting opinion on this youngest generation in the workforce.
I am consistently wowed by the mix of passion, the earnest desire to make a difference and the wicked-smart common-sense and technological savviness of the Millennials. Unfortunately, a fair number of contemporaries (read: experienced leaders and managers) preoccupy on some of the quirks and differences of this group as compared to others in the workforce. In my opinion, they do so at their own peril.
I was thrilled when the professionals at CW Bulletin, the on-line supplement to Communication World magazine invited me to share my thoughts on this new generation and to offer some guidance for leaders on how to harness the talents and fire of these young knowledge workers. The result is my latest article, aptly named: Leadership and the Millennials.
Along with the article, there are a number of additional resources and links to books or news segments that have been published on this topic. If you are a manager or leader looking to stay on the top of your game and looking for ideas on gaining an edge in an increasingly age-diverse workforce, you owe it to yourself, your team and your organization to spend some time on this topic.
Enjoy the article and feel free to open up the discussion here or at CW Bulletin and I will join in. Last and not least, thanks to Amanda at CW Bulletin for the article opportunity and encouragement on this topic.
Art, your article confirms my observations about this new generation of young people coming into the workforce. Most of the negative comments come from people who are not open to change, and are therefore somewhat intimidated by a generation of people they do not understand. When “seasoned veterans” judge Gen Y-ers as lazy or self-interested, you can almost always trace it back to a lack of understanding.
As you rightly point out in the article, not all Millennials have positive motives and there are always exceptions to every rule. However, the majority with whom I interact want to be successful and want to help others succeed. Coaching and mentoring are the keys to leading this great new generation. -Michael
Michael, thanks for your comments. I love the perspective that you offer on those “not open to change.” You are very right. It’s easy to view “different” as bad…it takes extra effort to look for the good. And you are absolutely right on the coaching and mentoring comment. -Art