Mary is a twenty-something on Laura’s staff that is in her first professional job out of school.  At Mary’s annual review, Laura did what every good manager does, she asked Mary for her input on how Laura could me more effective in providing work direction or if there is anything in the way they work that could be done differently.  Mary told Laura that she thought she was a great boss and then ask why they had to follow a certain process for client visits because she thought there might be a better way.  Now, Laura could have given, the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” response and moved on.  Instead, she asked Mary, “What ideas do you have about how things could be done differently?” Mary then outlined a well-thought out recommendation for the process with great reasons.  Laura told me that her first reaction was “that’s a great idea” and she asked Mary to write up her recommendation so that Laura could get the necessary approvals for change (they do live in a hierarchical organization afterall).  Mary completed the written recommendation in a nanosecond, and Laura got the approvals very quickly.  This new practice made the operation a whole lot more efficient and effective and had other staff saying, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?’

Here is the lesson.  One of the many gifts that the Millennial Generation brings to the workplace are fresh eyes, an enthusiasm to contribute immediately, and the ability to see solutions that simplify the way things are done. When a baby boomer manager dismisses a suggestion of a Gen Y employee because they are too young or new or whatever, they leave that young employee with the feeling that they can’t make a difference where they are and increase the likelihood that person will be texting their network to find another job. In contrast, Laura’s response really helped Mary feel included and the fact that many loved the suggestion increased Mary’s credibility with everyone. And … because the manager has such a strong impact on job satisfaction, Mary is probably texting her friends about what a great place to work she has. This is a win-win for everyone!