Dealing with Millennial matters- Its important and not that DIFFICULT!

If you are in business of selling to or delivering through the Millennials, you would have surely experienced that the competencies required to influence and relate to them need to be different.  Women in general or parents of millennials are no better in dealing with them.

Chip, through his intense work in this area, offers through this book offer insights into the source of tension and also provide set of competencies that managers need to develop to be able to deal with Millennials effectively.  At the theme level, CHIP goads Managers to appreciate that:

1 They may be suffering from the unintentional bias towards self-experience, which pushes them to compare every action of Millennials with their own behaviour, when of that age.  Managers (mostly baby boomers)  perception of Millennials, reinforced through dialogue among their own generation , does not allow them to interpret the behaviours differently, or see from the eyes of Millennials

2  The onus is on the more mature partner to adapt and make relationship work– try to like them and not be like them

3  Millennials are the first generation who can learn, get informed, seek answers and manage their life without formally learning from and reaching out to the authority – thanks to technology, education and information access. 

How Managers perceive Millennials (and example of how successful managers address this!) :

1.  Autonomous and do not respect process adherence and schedule commitments as important (explain the importance of process linked to sustainability of outcome, allow flexibility wherever possible- some of the cause-effect connections are not obvious to them yet)  

2.  Believe they deserve and are entitled to the best whatever their contribution (explain the incentive scheme and differentiated rewards and decision-making criteria)

3. Self-absorbed-and indifferent- Preoccupied with their personal needs for trust, praise and encouragement-(recognise that jobs don’t define them, help outcome to their personal need- invest in creating interest)

4.       Defensive- they want to be told when they are doing well and not when doing poorly---(Dialoguing in coaching mode than evaluating mode helps)

5.    Curt and abrasive communication style with little regard to authority (Actually informality on their part may represent authenticity, don’t take it personally.)

6.   Unfocussed- They have hard time staying focussed on tasks for which they have no interest or consider meaningless—(No one has bothered to explain the big picture and value of their effort and yes they can multi-task)

7.       Argumentative-(Listen with open heart- Resistance is closer to commitment than compliance is)

Millennials expectations from Managers

1.   Don’t hold us from opportunities because of lack of experience—we shall compensate with enthusiasm and energy

2.      Listen, if you ask for my ideas, opinion or comments- show that I am taken seriously

3.       Explain, in sufficient detail, what is expected of them- show flexibility in defining the how and when details to us

4.  We also look for having good relations with older workers, to go to them as counsellor for tough times

5.   Provide rewards that are meaningful to us- don’t assume what motivates us!

6. Provide feedback on how they are doing in non-threatening and non-belittling way- show us the alternate way, instead.

Book provides several examples of how to deal with biases and tense situations while dealing with Millennials and what differentiates successful managers from others, based on serious field work and research.  Readers can surely relate to these situations and also can judge their own responses to identify where the tweaking in response during the next interaction would help.

Even if you believe that labelling of behaviours and responses based on birth years is too much generalisation and of limited help, still this book clearly reiterates that it helps to invest in understanding the other party perspective, while suspending ones biases and also to modify ones actions to evince that desired response and evolve the relationship to next level of effectiveness. 

Believing-in and Living the Engaged Employees Strength- The Kronos way!

 Engaged employees are a motivated and work-inspired lot- that helps organisation deliver great financial results.  Happy employees, not only serve customers better, but also help attract talent to support growth.  Yes, we understand this part. 

What Aron has brought out in this book is the greater alignment Kronos has achieved in with what we know and profess and how to live through these beliefs, supported by policies, practices, and leadership actions.  Chapter after chapter Aron shares how Kronos has strived, with ample success, to live through the values: open communication, trust, humility, family-first etc. 

Questions worth reflecting, if you want to go the kronos way! 

1. If living values (and exhibiting right behaviours) are important for your employees, how much weightage is given to HOW part during employee annual assessment?  Are there instances to convince employees that short-changing behaviours are unacceptable even in light of great outcomes?
2. If you believe that company is fully supportive of employees of all backgrounds, faiths, genders, geographical locations and religious orientations, then are your policies and practices truly non-discriminatory?  Are there instances wherein Organisation has taken public stand in response to external events, regulations or demands, in line with its stated Values?  
3. If you believe every employee needs a great manager. have you defined expected behaviours by great manager with inputs from employees?   Do you individually assess and share scores on these behaviours with Managers, using Managerial Effectiveness Index?  Have you provided managers training material, and other support, including psychological safety to work on the gaps?
4. If culture is important, have you defined and branded our culture itself, like KRONOS calling it work-inspired and linking it to its three core competencies: character, competence, and collaboration.  Do leaders show up every day mindful of their responsibility as culture’s chief caretakers, promoter, and voice.- , one personal interaction, e-mail, or public gesture at a time.  
5. If you believe, deep trust among team members is essential, then to what extent do you assume “positive intent” and competence on the part of others as the starting point.  Do you engage others by asking questions and listening, and putting your own “agenda aside to operate in the best interests of the customer and company.” Do you see a willingness to challenge one’s boss and stand by one’s beliefs often as marks of a truly engaged employee, so hence very much appreciate the arguments?  And yes, you do not micromanage, Do you?
6. Who owns career, it is an individual and not the organisation? If so, Do you hold grudges when your best people leave? Do you want to cut ties, and do you resent their subsequent success? Are your organizational policies designed to retain people at all costs, putting organisation short term interest ahead of individual career? Do you welcome Boomerang employees?
7. If you believe in the disrupting power of innovation and continual need to reinvent wining strategy, Do you have plan to self-upset your success formula, by asking team from within to be the biggest independent and empowered competitor – to design product, solutions or delivery model that has power to disrupt your winning game?
8. If collaboration is valued, then Is there platform for publicly expressing thank-you among colleagues? Do you publicly acknowledge great managers? Is there monthly dashboard that tells Management how are the recognition programs doing?
9. If strategy needs effective execution to deliver, then Do you brand and communicate the strategy, making it a tangible part of every employee’s workday and spurring two-way dialogue about strategy and its execution?  Do you communicate with the conviction that employees have ability to handle the truth?  
10. If family first is the genuine belief, does it reflect into your vacation policies, office time flexibility, financial support programs and even office location?  Are there several stories floating in office corridors to convince the new joinee that you really mean it? 

If leveraging people as powerful strategic weapon is your aim, then answers to the above would reveal enough to define your coming Monday priorities!  Reading the book will help you with potentail practices that can be applied with suitable amends in your organisation as well.