My adult daughter and I had a conversation recently in which she was telling me things about her job that frustrated her and she said, “Dad, don’t take this the wrong way, but my generation is so much smarter than yours!”
I love it, don’t you?! I’m sure some of you are incredulous, but I think it’s very revealing of this generation. He went on to clarify that his main point about his generation being smarter is related to technology. And, on that score, pretty much all of us Boomers have to agree! The Millennium generation grew up surrounded by technology that most of us Boomers never dreamed of growing up. They’ve also grown up during a period of rapid technological growth, so they’re used to learning new skills and getting comfortable with innovations quickly and easily.
A wealth of information already exists on generational differences in today’s workforce, and much is said about how each group works, learns, and thinks. By focusing on those differences, managers are looking at how to change the way they train their workforce to accommodate some of those differences in learning and work styles. I’d like to talk about how we could better invest in training and include this amazing group of young people called the Millennium generation, to build on their strengths.
There are several key factors to consider when talking about investing in Millennials:
- Millennials are estimated to be a larger group than the Baby Boomer generation
- They are alleged to be easy to train and very open to being mentored.
- Organizations have finally embraced coaching as a key strategic initiative
If we’re right about this generation being so coachable and open to mentoring, and I believe we are, then we not only have an incredible opportunity, but also an undeniable obligation to take what we’ve learned about leading. uncommon and pass it on. us. This is our next great generation of leaders. If they want to learn and are willing to be trained, let’s step up and start the training so that when they are ready we can pass the torch to their generation.
If your company hasn’t embraced coaching as a strategic initiative, then it’s time to consider it. There is a whole generation of employees actively seeking coaching and mentoring. They thrive on it. Why waste that drive to learn and grow to be more productive?
Does your organization have an intentional and focused effort to develop this next generation of UnCommon Leaders™?
Up and Up!