Millennials have now become one of the largest generations in the workforce, some of whom are managing other generations including other millennials. In fact, millennials are contributing to some major changes in the workplace that are likely to stick around for a long time. In the quickly transforming workforce which will consist of millennials by majority in a few years, instead of expecting them to mold to old systems, it’s better to learn how to manage them to benefit from their ideas and change our workplaces for the better.
Millennials have a reputation for looking for different things in a work environment. Having said that, in a lot of ways, they have similar desires to those of other generations. What makes this sound different is mainly because they’re more vocal about it. Yes, it might be difficult to manage your peers when you transition into your new role but being proactive and establishing a good relationship with them can help you succeed. Here are some guidelines on how to adapt your management style, when you’re in fact a millennial.
Promote collaboration
It’s time to let the notion of “work your way up” go. Millennials thrive in collaborative environments where they’re treated equally. They also prefer to be led and mentored by their managers, but not bossed around. In fact, they are happier in an organization that fosters collaboration over competition.
Don’t let them get bored
They grew up in an era of immediacy, they can be rather impatient and thrive on short term goals. In order to keep them engaged, recognize them and show them their opinion and feedback are valued. Encourage conversations about innovative ideas and use ongoing interactive training tools.
Help them grow
More than anything, millennials want to feel their employment is meaningful and makes a difference. Be creative in the ways you can help develop your team. Share the vision and mission of the company and show them how they can add to it with clear expectations. This will retain passionate employees who feel invested.
Support work life balance
Disconnecting from work is harder for millennials, as they’ve always been surrounded by easily accessible technology. Keep in mind, this is the generation that is more likely to check their emails at home, even in bed. Although in short term, this might help the company’s responsiveness, in the long run will result in mental exhaustion and counter productivity. So encourage them to take vacations and spend their weekends without checking their work emails.
Millennials ,like any other generations, want to work somewhere they not only feel valued in but are contributing value towards. So embrace their differences, recognize them, get creative in team building, engage and develop them, and let them take breaks. Stepping into a management role can be intimidating, but taking on challenges like this can be very rewarding and allows you to develop into a better leader.
Here is an interesting read from a millennial managing other millennials.
