At team-development sessions, I spend a little time beforehand with the leaders of the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about your business keeps you up at night?\u201d I ask them. \u201cAnd what\u2019s the one issue you seem to be dealing with over and over again?\u201d<\/p>\n
What they say about workers is very telling.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmployees below the age of 35 keep me up at night,\u201d is the usual answer, followed by complaints about that age group: \u201cThey are impossible to manage. They get bored so easily. They don\u2019t care the way we used to. Work and people aren\u2019t important. They want things done their way.\u201d<\/p>\n
If that sounds familiar, I have good news \u2026 and even better news. The good news is that your younger employees aren\u2019t all that different from other generations. The even better news is that they are completely different from other generations, and you can capitalize on these differences.<\/p>\n
If that sounds contradictory, welcome to the millennial generation. People born between 1977 and 1992 are walking contradictions. Here\u2019s how that plays out in the workforce:<\/p>\n
Millennials love working in teams<\/strong>. They will deliver as a team when you set your expectations high and provide individual, daily feedback on how they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n Millennials want to be plugged into the informational loop.<\/strong> Figure out what makes each millennial \u201ctick.\u201d Then tailor your message to their individual interests and motivations. <\/p>\n Millennials want to learn, and grow.<\/strong> They crave involvement and detest boredom, so ask them to lend their expertise to a project. Keep in mind, though, that millennials desire balance between work and home life. They may be unlikely to put in the kind of long hours you do.<\/p>\n Millennials love technology.<\/strong> Most millennials have tech skills you can put to great use. Not every millennial is a tech genius, of course. But virtually all of them want to be \u201cbest utilized.\u201d It\u2019s all about figuring out what fits them and you.<\/p>\n Millennials want to plan for the future.<\/strong> Millennials, like all generations, want to know where they stand with their boss and what advancement opportunities are available. Where they differ is that they need to know right now. Be up front with career possibilities and provide a road map to get from here to there. The day a millennial starts work is the day he or she wants to know \u201cwhat\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n Another issue foodservice leaders battle daily is cell phones. It seems impossible to separate a millennial from his or her smartphone.<\/p>\n Understand that a cellphone is a life tool for a millennial. Staying connected electronically is what millennials do\u2014so a simple rule of \u201cno phones\u201d won\u2019t work. You need to explain, in detail, why a cell phone can\u2019t be used or set rules on when one can be used.<\/p>\n Management is all about \u201cwhere we are\u201d\u2014so lead millennials where you want them to go. Help them build their skills, monitor their progress, and continuously finesse their performance based on a desired destination.<\/p>\n When millennials see you as their mentor, the team as their vehicle, and their role as essential and advancing\u2014then you will have employees who are improving your business.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At team-development sessions, I spend a little time beforehand with the leaders of the organization. \u201cWhat about your business keeps you up at night?\u201d I ask them. \u201cAnd what\u2019s the one issue you seem to be dealing with over and over again?\u201d What they say about workers is very telling. \u201cEmployees below the age of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExplanation and Guidance<\/h3>\n