Asking the wrong question | Rethinking Millennials

RitaMurrayMillennials

A recent Harvard Review article was titled, “What do millennial’s really want at work? The same thing as the rest of us do.” Yes. True. The challenge is that we are asking the wrong question. It is not what we have in common that creates a need for understanding “generations in the workplace;” it is our differences that cause costly conflicts.

So, when I’m asked, “Why the social psychology hype? Are millennials really that different? My answer is always, YES, and intensely so. In fact, several industries are managing the future around a “Millennial Disruption Index” to identify and embrace, among other factors, the technology changes that have already and will continue to transform and recreate entire industries.

In light of abundant empirical data and our own research (my co-author, @HileRutledge) gained from conducting keynotes and hundreds of events, Generation Translation: Tools for Bridging the Gap and our Interaction Guide provide a powerful framework for understanding and even predicting some important workplace and interaction behaviors and attitudes, better connecting with them, and at times even influencing them. Chief among them:

  1. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. Effective leaders know the drivers, strengths, and challenges of the people they manage and the organizations they lead. The very relevant and powerful generational lens helps leaders effectively work with individuals, teams and organizations by considering the unique motivators, perspectives and strengths of each generation.
  2. MOTIVATION & RETENTION. Gallup reported in 2016 that 29% of Millennials were disengaged with their work or workplaces, with the remaining 71% either not engaged or actively disengaged. What’s more, six in 10 millennials say they’re open to different job opportunities, and only 50% plan to be with their company one year from now. The causes of this disengagement are actually quite predictable from a generational point of view.
  3. TEAM BUILDING & GROUP COHESION. Teams are complex; it is always a struggle to have groups come together, communicate, make decisions, share data and create a unified whole. Generational tensions are potential roadblocks to address. Generational interaction skills make team cohesion that much more likely.
  4. COMMUNICATION LITERACY. Formal correspondence, e-mail, face-to-face meetings, voice mail, Skype video, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter — what means of communication are culturally and organizationally most appropriate? Different generations have predictably different answers, and not surprisingly, different comfort levels with these different tools and approaches.
  5. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER. How do we glean critical content and cultural knowledge from those who have known and tacit knowledge — collected and experienced – and keep it in the system—passing it down to those newer to the group? This sounds simple, but it can be a cultural and interpersonal minefield that generational sensitivity can greatly demystify.

How can you reframe the questions you are asking about the revolutionary changes that are happening because of our generational differences?