Re-thinking the Millennial Puzzle

Millennials.  The business world has spent the last decade fixated on this growing part of the workforce, and still seems to be getting it wrong.  Armed with a belief that this population requires flexibility, fringe benefits, and fun to be happy at work, businesses are bending over backwards to make that possible.  Engagement efforts range from telecommuting to meditation rooms and are being offered whether they make sense to the business or not.  And guess what?  Retention rates remain low among Millennials.  Worse still, the effort to cater to them has led to resentment and frustration from older generations.

The problem is, we keep trying to engage Millennials based on beliefs that just don’t hold true.  Of course Millennials want high pay, loads of benefits, flexibility, and a full assortment of other goodies.  Who doesn’t?  Those perks may lead to placement, but they don’t build loyalty.  Loyalty is a by-product of motivation and has differed with each generation.  For Traditionalists of the Great Generation, loyalty was connected to fears of unemployment and the hope of a pension.  Workers didn’t qualify until they’d held their job for 20 years.   Boomers were enticed with health benefits and, as they were commonly the sole breadwinner of their family, job security led to loyalty.   Gen X’ers who often came from broken homes or latch-key childhoods, wanted security for themselves and their children – more loyalty.  Things are different today in ways that have nothing to do with coddling our youth.  Motivating factors just aren’t built from what they used to be.

To understand what Millennials want, consider how they are different from us – including how their up-bringing differed from that of any prior generation.  More Millennials come from families where both parents were actively involved.  Both at home and in extra-curricular activities (which with two involved parents was the norm) their egos were protected.  They routinely enjoyed heavy encouragement and received “participation” awards from coaches regardless of their skill or prowess.  The outcomes of this have both benefits and drawbacks.

An advantage of being raised with a high degree of familial security and a low sense of competition, Millennials matured in an environment that was highly inclusive and accepting.  As adults, they are far more equality based than any preceding generation.  Millennials are the first to see the LGBT community, mixed race and blended families, as normal and healthy parts of our society.  The disadvantage, as we often see it, they don’t recognize corporate and hierarchical structures in traditional terms.  Millennials are likely to have an inflated sense of self-worth and they are apt to over-step their authority or feel restricted by supervisors who try to reign them in.

But Millennials aren’t merely a product of high egos and doting parents.  Along with the feel-good environment Millennials experienced through their coming of age, they were also exposed to a world paralyzed by fears stemming from terrorism and a global financial crisis.  Through the internet, they possessed greater access to news and information, both local and international, than any prior generation.  These challenges and freedoms impacted Millennials in their development as well.  On the up-side, their awareness of global issues and needs reduced their egos and caused many to strive to find ways to make a difference.  On the down-side (for the business community), rather than finding security in long-term employment, they find it through social connectedness.  As such, Millennials are not likely to consider long hours and working over-time as respectable priorities.

So yes, Millennials are different.  But not in the selfish, self-centered way that they are often depicted.  Like every generation before, they look at life through their own lens.  To motivate them and build loyalty, you’ll need to call to their sense of purpose and their desire to bring positive change.  This may be environmental causes, local initiatives, human rights or global concerns.  Find out what inspires and encourages them (and other members of your workforce) and help them find a path where – through your company – they can make a difference.    

If you are looking to build loyalty from a Millennial, match perks to their vision of the future.  Hint – they aren’t really in it for themselves.

Are You A Decision Maker?

Gary and Jason (not their real names) have been business partners for over a decade. But while their joint practice is blooming, their partnership is in trouble. Why? Decision making, essential to the forward momentum of their business, has been stalled.

The impetus for this struggle is Jason’s assistant Damian, who is also his brother-in-law.  Damian is not able to keep pace with the growing demands of the job, and overflow work has fallen on the shoulders of Gary’s assistant, Brenda.  The result: frustration, resentment, and a bottle-necking of work.  Making matters worse, while Gary addressed his concerns with Jason, Jason held off taking any clear actions.  Now, communication between the two has become stilted, and both recognize the practice is beginning to suffer.  To date they have lost one large business prospect, and are at risk of losing two current clients.  Further complicating the situation, Brenda has become irritable and Gary is concerned she may quit. Gary and Jason are considering the need to divide the business, each taking a portion of the clients with him.  At the recommendation of their accountant, the two agreed to meet with a facilitator to discuss their options.

When I met with Gary and Jason, each expressed concerns about the health of their business and their partnership.  Both also acknowledged struggles on the customer service end.  However their solutions to these issues were not well-aligned.  Jason expressed a committed to staying together and hiring more staff.  Gary was set on separating their practice and ending their partnership. 

Through the facilitative process, Gary was asked to clarify his reasons for wanting to dissolve their business. As he expressed his concerns about Jason’s management (and lack thereof) of staff, Jason brushed it off. When Jason was asked to explain his position and his efforts to manage staff – he became defensive and resistant.

Jason’s failure to take action, or even explain his reasons for not doing so, had become the primary source of the contention between he and Gary. Yet he continued to point to other issues. What Jason struggled to realize: His brother-in-law was no longer the problem, his refusal to take action was.

I worked with Jason and Gary to identify the initiating event (Damian’s inefficiency) and the progressive costs resulting from Jason’s reluctance to address the issue head-on.

The cost of this indecision:
- Work suffered (with internal and external impacts)
- Decreased ability to earn money
- Anxiety and loss of sleep
- Damaged relationships (professionally and personally)

As the discussion continued, it became clear these costs were not incurred by Jason or Gary alone. Other employees were impacted. Clients were impacted. Their families were impacted.

I asked Jason, “Did you knowingly sacrifice all that (the costs previously outlined), to protect Damian from potential job loss or hurt feelings?” It seemed ridiculous, in this light, that Jason had actually done just that. Through the facilitative process Jason took ownership for the situation that had come to pass. And, he and Gary became realigned as they planned the steps toward stabilizing their practice.

Jason, like many people, had become paralyzed with fear. To avoid dealing with a difficult issue, he lived only in the moment – and the moment never felt right for giving feedback or terminating a family member.

The lesson is this: Indecision and stagnancy, regardless of the reasons behind them, will lead to more problems. Some far greater than the initiating circumstances. With this in mind, I encourage you to examine your own life – What decisions are you putting off? What is the price you are paying for that indecision? What help do you need to begin the forward momentum that will bring you success?