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| Today's Greatest Management Challenge |
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Think about this ...
Millennials are the first generation to grow up without the need of an authority figure to access information. Millennials struggle with reaching up and managers struggle with reaching down. Without the ability to relate, knowledge acquired by generations will be lost.
Organizations are getting more and more savvy at recruiting Millennials. Promises of personal development plans, opportunity for self-expression, freedom to be creative, and meaningful work are important but they are only promises if managers cannot deliver on a daily basis. It is important for people at the top to take ownership of any change intitiative but this is one challenge that people in the middle have to be up to. It is well documented that people leave managers, not companies.
In our training events, one of the first questions is "How can I/we get them [Millennials] to change?" It is our belief that the people with the most maturity and responsibility in a system have to adapt first. It does not mean that Millennials do not need to make adaptations themselves but rarely will that happen without managers making the first move.
Making the first move is a daunting task when you are unsure of what to do. Unfortunately, many seasoned managers have found themselves unsure of what works and what doesn't. In our research, we have identified nine points of tension between management and Millennials. If proactive and equipped with the appropriate competencies, managers can turn tension into an opportunity to build trust with their younger employees.
The number one response from managers who attend our training is a feeling of self-efficacy. Once managers identify their specific strengths and weaknesses, they feel better prepared for today's greatest management challenge. The result is greater retention, knowledge transfer, talent development, and productivity. |
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