The last thing you need right now is another article about how hard it is to manage millennials. We’ve all heard the stereotypes about millennials and we all know how useful stereotypes can be.
What we truly know down deep inside is that stereotypes don’t help us do our job as managers and stereotypes don’t help millennials succeed in the workplace.
Here’s something that is helpful; tangible skills for expanding yourself as a manager so that you can feel even more effective with all of your employees including millennials.
Let’s face it, you are already a good manager – probably a great manager! You wouldn’t be reading this article if you were not interested in learning and growing. I’m guessing that over the years you have carefully collected a number of tools and you’ve gotten mighty good at choosing which one to use for any given situation.
But now, you may be tired of the options in your tool box and looking for a way to add in some new tools that will help you optimize your results as a manager, especially when managing millennials.
There has been such a flurry of articles and advice about how to manage millennials effectively, you would think that this is the first time we have experienced a disconnect between people in their 20’s and people in their 40’s and 50’s. It’s called the generation gap and in some ways, it is alive and well.
But here’s the great news! It’s not a huge problem.
The best kept secret about millennials is that it is easy to manage them in the work place.
You just have to be their coach and not their manager. And frankly, most Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers would prefer to be coached than managed too!
Many managers are finding that if they shift from a management mindset to a coaching mindset, they get better results with their employees.
That doesn’t mean to throw out your old tool box – those tools come in handy. But with some coaching tools under your belt, you will find a new world of possibilities when it comes to producing results – both for the bottom line and for dealing with workplace communication and conflict.
And here is the great news – you probably have many of these skills already. All you need to do is hone those skills and seek out support as you strengthen them.
So if you are ready to add some simple coaching tools to your managerial toolbox, here’s a great place to start:
- Stay open. Learn to ask open ended questions, be open to the ideas that are coming from your millennial employees and be open with your feedback when managing millennials.
- Be a great listener. Have you ever noticed that if you just listen to someone vent, they soon begin to talk themselves into a more positive point of view? That happens when you are truly interested and actively listening.
- Be curious. Find something to be curious about when talking to your direct reports. Pretend that you are a reporter and your job is to learn something new during every conversation. If you are truly curious, you cannot be judgmental or bored.
You are probably one of the busiest people in your organization and you may feel that stopping to listen and be curious is a waste of your time.
But here is my invitation; try it a few times and notice the results. You will find that if your direct reports feel truly heard and understood they will be able to produce more effectively and their loyalty to you and your company will grow day by day.
To learn more, I hope you will join me this Wednesday, May 11th on the webinar; “How to Keep Your Millennial Talent from Walking out the Door (and Keep your Manager Mojo!)”
To your success!
Jamee
Jamee Tenzer, PCC, BCC
Photo credit: le temple du chemisier via Compfight