We are the most marketed to generations ever and it’s starting to have an impact on how managers manage to achieve peak performance.
Those hitting the workplace for the last few years are known as ‘Generation Y” or “Millennials” (sometimes categorised as born after 1988) have had a totally different experience of life. Since they were children they have been segmented, targeted and become sophisticated consumers of everything from toys, computers and clothes to education and now their workplace.
For some companies at this time of year they are in the midst of competing for the best Gen Y graduates, others are trying to figure out how to sell to them and in the future most will be working out how to compete with them! Either way, understanding them better has got to give some advantages.
If you are fortunate enough to manage them, you might be confused for why I say fortunuate… {grin}
Research has shown that this is the most high maintenance workforce ever, yet the one that will bring the highest return on investment if you handle them right.
This is where my ‘Business IS Personal’ philosophy comes in. Interestingly enough, Gen Y, despite many complaints about being late, turning in poor quality work and being ‘too big for their boots’ actually respond very well to a firm management style. Firm that is, not authoritarian. Gen Y don’t respect seniority the way that their elders were taught to but they do respect those who know how to do their jobs and who are genuine with them.
They want to know that you care about their success and the best way to do that is to give them work bit by bit and spend time with them to bring them up to speed quickly.
Turn their work and the corresponding rewards into bite-sized transactions and understand and teach them that you are buying from them, not the other way around. Then watch them rack up the points to peak performance as they seek to gain the rewards they want.
Find this interesting? You might like the ‘5 Key Trends to Peak Performance’ video available free from www.UnaDoyle.com.