Merge Gupta-Sunderji delivers keynotes and workshops to help managers attract, keep and motivate their Millennials.

In my leadership consultancy practice, many of the managers and supervisors I work with fall into the Boomer (born before the mid-60s) and Generation X (born between the mid-60’s and 1979) demographics.  And increasingly, I hear them express frustration because they simply don’t “get” their younger employees.  I hear them say things like –

They don’t respect their elders!

She thinks he’s going to become CEO in his first two months on the job!

Don’t they understand that you have to work hard to get what you want?  You can’t just expect everything to come easily to you.

He acts like the office is a playground!

Now to be fair, not all young people think and behave this way.  But, at a broad and general level, as more and more young people make their way into the workplace, there is a shift occurring in attitudes and behaviours in organizations across Canada and the U.S.  This newly emerging demographic is called the Millennials.  Defined as born between 1980 and 1994, they are also often referred to as Generation Y.  There are 6.5 million of them in Canada, and a whopping 68 million of them in the United States.  Roughly half of them are already in companies and organizations across the continent, and the rest are on their way!  Because this generation was influenced by similar factors (technology, parenting style, and world events, to name just a few), it is not surprising that they have common characteristics.  Perhaps more importantly, these are the young people who are the fuel today, and the future tomorrow in your companies, and figuring out how to tap into their potential can only set you on the path to long-term success.  Sure, each person is different, and there are many exceptions, but understanding this demographic, even at a broad brushstroke level, can at worst do you no harm, and at best, put you in a position to harness the energy and intelligence that these fresh minds bring to the table.

Many authors on this subject focus on what is frustrating about Millennials.  True, they can drive many a Boomer or Gen-Xer manager crazy, and sometimes we all have a tendency to dwell on the negative.  But … if you, as a leader, can step back from the aggravation, these youth also bring just as many benefits to the workplace … if you can figure out how to tap into their strengths.  Consider this: as a broad categorization, Millennials rebound from set-backs quickly and adapt rapidly to change.  They don’t just talk diversity, they embrace it!  Because they see the world as one interconnected society, they are amazingly tolerant of different lifestyles, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and as a result, they accept others easily.  They have grown up in a wired (and wireless) world, so they are accomplished at navigating technology, and despite what they nay-sayers will tell you, they ARE masters at multi-tasking.  And to top it all off, they are optimistic, realistic, creative, inventive and innovative.  Now even if this isn’t true of EVERY single young person who falls into this demographic, aren’t the vast majority of these people worth finding and keeping?  Even better news … if you can tap into what makes each individual tick, you will discover that Millennials can be very committed, and they WILL make your company competitive and lucrative, and take your business to the next level of success.

It is possible that you may believe that these demographics are just generalities, and therefore you can safely ignore them, as you will likely only ever have to deal with the exceptions.  Unfortunately, Millennials aren’t just going to be your employees; they’re also going to be your customers, your suppliers, your competitors, and even your shareholders.  Heck, these will be the parents of your grandchildren!  In Canada, there are 6.5 million of them.  And if you’re American, you have 68 million of them to contend with!  This is not just a small rapid in the river or a little wave on the beach; this is a tsunami that is coming stronger and faster than you might realize.  The Millennials are here, and if you as a leader ignore them, you will do yourself and your organization a huge disservice.  Attracting, finding and keeping these Millennials won’t just happen.  It will take a concerted effort by you and your organization to understand, recruit, and motivate them.  But, as in most things, awareness is the first step on the way to mastery.

For more information on Merge Gupta-Sunderji, please contact Speakers’ Spotlight.

Tags: Boomers, Demographics, Gen X, Generation X, Generation Y, keynote speaker, Merge Gupta-Sunderji, Millenials, understanding younger employees, workplace issues