I know I’ve written quite a bit about the youngest generation in the workplace , the millennials. I’m not trying to single them out or pick on them in anyway. It’s just that there is quite a buzz about this generation of workers that seems to get louder. Members of other generations , particularly Gen X and the Boomers , continually comment on the idiosyncrasies of the millennials. While they appreciate that generation’s ability to multi-task, its willingness to learn new things, and the techno-saavy it brings to workplace, the inability to accept criticism is what draws the most attention. In fact, I recently received a request to develop a training module to help Boomer managers provide feedback to what has been dubbed “the praise generation.
For better or worse, the millennials are a product of an educational and parenting philosophy that holds that one should only give positive feedback because the greatest fear is damaging the individual’s self-esteem. Now the millennial who has received all of this positive feedback comes face to face with a Boomer Manager who very simply , and not in a mean way, I might add , tells her that her performance is not meeting standards. The feedback devastates the millennial who says something that is the equivalent of “I’ve never gotten less than an ˜A’ in my life.
A good way to provide feedback to this praise generation is to use the what’s working , what’s missing conversation. The manager begins by saying here is what’s working well in the millennial’s performance (e.g., your written reports are always very thorough). Then goes on to what’s missing , in other words, what is the element that needs to be present for the millennial to take his/her performance to the next level? In this case, the manager might point out that what needs to be present is turning in the assignment on time. Sometimes this approach will work. However, be prepared for a “helicopter parent to request a meeting with you, the manager, if that parent thinks their little twenty-something adult has not received the exclusively positive feedback they so richly deserve!
I am a baby boomer struggling with the new millennials. I’ve no problem with the motivated ones, but the ones who spend half the day surfing the net and fail to deliver quality work are a real pain. On top of that they have this smug attitude (Perhaps from identifying a bit too much with the characters on “The Office”). My company has had generational seminars, but they all seemed to involve having older workers learn how to adapt to the millennials. But hey, guys, these people are all over 21 and they are all drawing a paycheck. Why should it be so one sided? They are not babies any more and because they job hop so much the chances are that they will have left the company well before the boomers. So why all the catering to them? It seems like companies are terrified they will lack workers when the boomers die off. But there is a better solution than kissing up to millenials with attitude: off shore outsourcing.