Professional Development doesn't Always Look Professional - Often it is Managing Egos

76% of millennials?believe professional development opportunities are one of the most important aspects of company culture.?

Millennials. In some circles, this word is bantered about like “Boomer” was a couple years ago, and both are equally arrogant in their assumptions, to me. Instead, leading millennials is an opportunity to discover not only a new way to approach business, but leading our teams. Millennials crave independence, trust, and opportunity to advance. Leading them is a complex task, in that it requires knowing what is important to the individual, not the group. Different from Gen X or Boomers. What is truly challenging is not only discovering the generalities of each generation’s preferences, but how those preferences influence the preferences of other generations in the workforce.

For Example:

Judy, a Boomer, tends to like to get instruction from her boss. Give her an individual project, with a deadline and a set of expectations. Follow up with her regularly, and she will produce a great result, right?

Sally, a Gen X-er, is similar, in that she will produce, but is probably going to find your regular follow-up a little irritating. Sally will, as a rule, look for ways to make the work more efficient, and easier to understand. Sally is going to look at Judy’s processes and likely rework them. Is her result “better”? Maybe, maybe not, but it will likely be easier to replicate.

James, a Millennial, wants to know you trust him to do the job. He wants to know the why behind the project, because his generation was trained to seek out the why as a method of discovering the how. James wants to meet with you on a semi-regular basis, so he can check in with you, and make sure he is on-track, and still has your trust in the project. James, likely, will have a “more complete” project, as he has seen the challenges from a different standpoint, because he asked different questions about it. Better? Maybe, maybe not. And one of the potential pitfalls for James is an over-focusing on the why’s, which can result in a clunky process that Sally has to retool.

But:

What happens to Judy and Sally when they see James walking into your office twice a week, when they only meet with you once every one or two weeks? Well, left unaddressed, feelings can be hurt, misunderstandings occur, and team morale suffers. Judy, who generally doesn’t care about meeting with you, suddenly is upset that James gets more of your time than she does, and wonders what future projects she is missing out on. Sally, who initially didn’t want your silly follow-up meetings, is now feeling pangs of jealousy because she doesn’t get to soundboard her project ideas with you.

Did any of you do anything wrong?

NOPE.

So, how do we lead a workplace that is more diverse than it has ever been – in age, gender, and race/ethnicity? Well, if you are able to crack that nut, you might be worth an incalculable number of dollars. However, it isn’t too hard to discover methods of leading that will help you navigate the process. Google is full of helpful hints and articles that go in to varying depths on how to negotiate the winding roads of leading multiple generations.

In general, though, I have found the best option is to let the preferences of one generation “bleed” into the preferences of the others.

For Example:

When speaking with Judy, asking – at the start of the project – how many times a week she wants to meet to discuss the project, and, as the project continues and Judy’s success continues, mentioning things like, “wow, it seems like you really have a handle on this. Do you want to continue on the same schedule of follow-ups we’ve been using, or do you want to lessen the frequency? Either one is fine with me, I just wanted to give you the option of adjusting, since you’re doing well.” (This uses the option of meeting less often [Gen X] and gives the praise of the individual’s efforts [Millennial])

When speaking with Sally, approaching the project with something akin to, “ok, I know you like your independence, and I am totally onboard with that. So, what do you think about meeting once on Tuesday for a project status update, and sending me an end of week email sometime on Friday highlighting the progress made on challenges discussed Tuesday. I know you’re gonna be fine, and I’m sorry for what may feel like busy work, but that way I can update my uppers on how we’re progressing. Does that work better for you?” (Acknowledges the need for follow-up, while also acknowledging that it feels like micromanagement – even though it isn’t – and gives admission from the start that you trust you’ve given this project to the “right” person)

When speaking with James, I would suggest starting with a plan to pare down the meeting frequency, based on progress and mutually feeling good about the project status. “James, so, to start, we’ll meet a couple times each week to make sure you feel like you have an ongoing good foundation of expectation and progress made. But, just know, that as you move through the project and have the success I know you will, I plan on probably shifting to a once-a-week meeting frequency, along with an end of week email update. This enables me to keep this process with other people on the team – picking the right people for the right projects, and helping them succeed, increasingly independently. Now, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be speed bumps along the way, and if they’re significant enough, we can always temporarily switch back to a twice-per-week meeting schedule. How does that work?” (Sets a clear expectation for James that he can refer back to, solidly plants the idea in James’ mind that you know you’ve picked the right person, and establishes the trust that when/if challenges arise, your time is flexible enough that you can make room for him)

Why is it important to do this? Well, a few reasons, actually:

1. You’re setting clear, individualized expectations for each person, according to their needs,
2. You’re showing them you believe you have the right person for the job,
3. And maybe most importantly for you, you have set the table for future complaints or frustrations from any of the three that the other two are getting more of your time or attention. It is easier to flex from this structure of a blended approach in these conversations – “oh, I’m sorry! I thought when we met at the beginning we talked about doing X, right? And I think we’ve followed through on that, but if you think making an adjustment now would be beneficial, we can absolutely talk about it. What kind of shift do you think would work best for you?”

Some of the “shifts” will be possible, and some will be silly and emotionally-driven. Regardless of which bucket they come from, it sets the table for genuine, honest conversation with your team member about how to move forward. A good leader will take copious notes, either written or mental, about the process and progress of the project, and use that data to determine future project assignment and supervision.

None of the “shift requests” should be seen as a reason to blackball any of them, nor should any of the three be given more important projects because they fall in line with your personal preferences. As leaders, these conversations should not be used as opportunities to bring up the past, gaslight, or blame-shift.

Leadership today is wildly different than when I started in the workplace. In the late 1990s, I was a chef, then restaurant manager. I sounded a lot like Graham Norton, until I realized I didn’t like me very much. Then, I was everyone’s buddy, until I realized I didn’t get a lot done. Finally, I have learned to utilize not only my personal strengths and weaknesses, but also my experience, learnings, and journey knowledge to lead teams from all walks of life.

And the basic, most true fundamental of leadership I have learned is – when you lead a team sufficiently so that they believe the entirety of the success was dependent upon them, you as the leader fail. When you lead a team sufficiently so that they believe they couldn’t have succeeded without you, they fail. When you lead a team sufficiently so that they believe they learned how to unlock parts of themselves along the way, and discovered new passions in their work life, everyone succeeds. That is leadership today – teaching how to learn how to succeed.

If you can achieve this, your team can be flame throwers, too. I have been lucky enough to see it occur, and it’s pretty gratifying when it does.

Oh, and that statistic at the beginning? When you accomplish the above, the 76% is not restricted to the millennial generation, and you create a team of self-starting, looking-for-the-next-opportunity success stories who will remember you for the rest of their career.

A couple helpful articles: