THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Dealing with the New Kids on the Block-the Millennials, not the revitalized boy band-can be a challenge for managers. I know. My 23-year-old son works with me part-time while he finishes school.

TRAITS OF THE MILLENNIALS

I recently heard this generation, born from 1981 to 2000, referred to as the most affluenced generation. Other people have referred to them as being coddled. I'm guilty. Somebody drove my kids to school every day until they could drive themselves. With Atlanta traffic and child predators out there, I couldn't let them walk to school. The very idea!

These young people are focused on the present: "what can I do now?" At a recent conference, an associate and I were sharing stories about how we had to step up to management roles at the ages of 24 and 26. We bragged (if we're honest) about how we had to manage a dozen or more people, all older than us. A Millennial at our table sighed and said, "I sure wish I had a story like that to tell others." He is itching for an opportunity to make a difference.

I had breakfast with another associate this morning who reminded me of the need to involve and value the Millennials. This associate, who is 60, owns a firm that works in the A/E arena. Of his 9 employees, all but one are Millennials. He was bragging about how smart they are, how involved they are, and how much they want to contribute.

They relish responsibility, demand instant feedback, and expect to accomplish things. They are socially responsible and want to work for companies that are involved in good causes.

And, of course, they are the technology generation. My son didn't know how to fax a document-he had never needed to. But if he has his way, WeKnowEngineers.com will soon be available on YouTube and podcasts.

A column in Newsweek entitled "The Dumbest Generation? Don't Be Dumb" pointed out that the Millennials don't know history, great literature, and other facts that the older generation had to commit to memory. The Millemnials don't have to remember; if they need information, they just search for it on the web.

HOW TO MANAGE MILLENNIALS

Baby Boomers coined the term "continuous learning." What we viewed as novel, the Millennials demand. Just-in-time, continuous learning is expected. One Millennial said, "I would have loved to stay with this company for more than a year or two, but they just didn't have anything left to offer me."

Here are some tips on how to manage your Millennials.
* Create coaching relationships between your experienced staff and the Millennials.

* Give constructive feedback immediately-not once or twice a year.

* Treat them like a colleague or associate, not a subordinate.

* Don't shut down when they ask "why" you do things a certain way. Explain. Turn it into a learning opportunity.

* Teach basic self-management skills, such as planning their time, assigning priorities, etc.

* Work with them to develop a career plan, with goals, timelines, resources, etc.

* Create a database of "go-to" people that can help them with their learning in different subjects.

Next time: How Millennials can manage up. Have a great day.

Pam

P.S. Millennials are also sometimes referred to as Generation Y. "Millennials" is the official term.