Managing the "Where's My Trophy?" Generation
by Barry Frey, Senior HR Consultant & Certified Talent Management Consultant
Baby Boomers grew up hearing, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Generation X was the under-supervised generation of latchkey kids know for their skepticism and distrust of authority. Generation Y, the latest group to enter the workforce, is the over-structured, over-parented, self-esteem generation. They grew up on a diet of frequent positive reinforcement from adults and instant information via the internet. The good news is they have high expectations of themselves. But they also have high expectations of employers. In his book, Not Everyone Gets a Trophy, author Bruce Tulgan shares his insights regarding what motivates Generation Y, and how to manage them.
According to Tulgan, Gen Yers have extremely high expectations of their immediate supervisors, are quite comfortable about openly disagreeing with an organization's policies and decisions, and are likely to be less obedient regarding their supervisor's rules and instructions. This combination of ignoring those in positions of authority and yet demanding so much from them makes them extremely challenging to manage. His prescription includes three key elements:
Soccer is actually a useful metaphor to use when thinking about Gen Yers, because so many of them have played in school and independent leagues. They tend to base their expectations on what they experienced from their coaches, parents and other adults they encountered. Supervisors can capitalize on that. Think about what a coach would do if a new player showed up and needed to be integrated into the team and turned into a successful, self-motivated achiever.
Get them up to speed quickly with a highly structured onboarding process.
Gen Yers respect competence and have an intense fear of appearing incompetent. (Imagine what it feels like to go out on the soccer field and make a mistake in front of your parents and teammates). If your organization takes a sink or swim approach to orienting new employees, you'll lose Gen Yers on day one. The orientation process is critical. Plan it thoroughly and execute it without a hitch. Have a structured process designed to make them feel welcome and teach them what they need to know. Tulgan actually recommends Marine Corp boot camp as a best practice example of successful onboarding.
Once they are oriented, don't leave them alone to sink or swim. Gen Yers need a high level of engagement from their leaders. They learn best in an environment where they get step-by-step training on a just in time basis that allows them to practice each new task as they go. Remember, immediacy is their byword. They want to master one thing, move quickly to the next and they need frequent positive reinforcement along the way. This often doesn't' sit well with baby boomers who were supervised by WWII generation managers and often tossed onto the front lines to figure things out for themselves. However, it's the way Gen Yers have been conditioned as they grew up. If they don't get this kind of structure and positive reinforcement, they feel like they are in a leadership void.
Use a hands-on, firm, direct but open, almost parental, management style.
One of the paradoxes of Gen Y is that they want to do things on their own, but they expect structure and limits. Again, think soccer. There is a lot of room for creativity, as long as you play within the rules. Make sure they know what the rules are. They are used to being given guidelines about what to do, how to do it and when to do it by adults, then being allowed to go play the game as it unfolds.
Start spelling out expectations from the beginning. Be clear about what, how and when. Follow up regularly one-on-one with coaching and praise when praise is due. Give clear goals and measurable benchmarks. Provide boundaries and structure so Gen Yers know how to "Keep the ball in play," and what behaviors will get them a "conduct card." Be a coach, stay engaged, give pointers to help them improve, and recognize progress and success.
Teach them how to create their own structure, but one that will enable them to be effective in your organization.
Another paradox about this self-confident generation is that, in spite of their desire for independence, they haven't learned how to manage themselves. The structure they grew up with was imposed upon them by adults. Left to their own devices, they logged on to the internet or jumped into a video game, started pointing and clicking, and figured things out for themselves. They learned by using a trial and error approach with no deadlines or parameters, and no real cost for failures or dead ends. They are in a rush to get hands on, but actually have no sense of a big picture. They may lack a time frame and often seem to have a sense of urgency about the long term.
Start by teaching them how to use their time effectively and to set priorities. Set priorities for them and be prepared to repeat them until the priorities sink in. Make sure they know the high priority items, give them positive reinforcement for devoting time to the right things, and give them clear, specific feedback when they don't. Stay engaged until they learn.
Help them identify and eliminate time wasters, but don't confuse multi-tasking with time wasting. Remember they grew up doing homework while listening to an MP3 player, sending text messages and watching TV all the time. What's distracting to a baby boomer may be energizing to a Gen Yer. If the job is getting done well, safely, and within the allotted time, they are probably not being distracted.
Frustrating as it may be, Gen Yers need help with schedules and being on time. Their lives were overscheduled, but their parents told them when it was time to get ready and leave. They often simply haven't' learned how to plan. They need coaching with the basics of time management and require help when planning their work schedule into their life. Their tardiness may often be due to an inability to plan rather than deliberate carelessness. The solution is simple - teach them the basics of planning and time management. This includes prompting them to take notes and make checklists for themselves.
Finally, when coaching Gen Yers, stress solutions; don't dwell on problems. Tell them about the next step they need to take to be successful. Ask them "What steps can you take to make an improvement?" "What changes can you make?" Don't ignore problems. Coach them to find specific action steps they can do to correct the problem. Remember, telling someone they did something wrong doesn't help them improve. Showing them how to do it right is the key. In fact, it's what every great coach does.
Many feel Gen Y has the potential to be as hardworking as their grandparents - the WWII generation. By providing your Gen Y employees with positive, engaged leadership, you can help them achieve their potential. They respond well when given clear expectations and guidance, along with a healthy dose of positive reinforcement.
Barry Frey, is a Senior HR Consultant with LMA Consulting Group. He is also a Certified Talent Management Consultant. Contact Barry at 717.509.8889 or via email bfrey@lmaconsulting.cc.
Developing People and Building Organizations to Lead and Succeed
Current Events