Boomers & Millennials
In the words made famous by Rodney King, I want to share some thoughts about the relationship between Baby Boomers and Millennials, some of the most challenging, and yet, most rewarding amongst generations. In many cases, such as my own, Kim and I actually raised Millennials, and I like to think that we have great relationships with Chip, Kyle and Michelle, built on mutual love and respect. Speaking for myself in the workplace, some of my favorite employees were Millennials (she knows who she is!). I found them to be insightful, hard-working, committed, introspective, ambitious, creative and a joy to work with. On the flip side, there were others that were entitled, lazy, uninspired, self-centered, sheltered and borderline disrespectful of authority.
Feedback that I received from the latter about Boomers was that we were “outdated in our thinking and not progressive”, inflexible, put too much emphasis on success and not enough on individuality, narrow-minded, didn’t provide enough positive feedback in our 1:1’s and emphasized areas of improvement, and didn’t make the workplace “fun”
Given the fact that I grew up in a highly intense sales culture, it was pretty difficult to hear that the environment I created didn’t instill creativity and fun, but realizing that I was dealing with a new “breed” of individual, I knew I had to adapt to the “new reality”. My “one size” wasn’t going to fit all anymore. Millennials had very different needs and demands of the workplace, largely based on the values that they prioritized and the conditions that had evolved around them. Remember, they literally grew up with technology, and therefore, instant gratification. The world was shrinking and they grew up with a more global conscious. These was a highly tolerant generation, highly educated with a dissolved view of traditional hierarchical authority. They expected more of their managers, socially, morally and ethically. They are ambitious, and simultaneously unapologetically entitled.
Since it is likely, more often than not, that Millennials will largely report to Boomers at least for the short term, that Boomers understand the ways to get along and get the most out of their relationships with Millennials and find ways to motivate and more importantly, earn their trust. After all, without trust, the relationship isn’t going to last anyway and it is incumbent upon the manager to establish and earn it. Open, frequent and honest communication is tantamount. Holding and sticking to 1:1s, with a clear, collaborative and mutually agreed upon agenda should be set in advance of each 1:1. The millennial needs to have a voice in what will be discussed and I would encourage Millennials on this message to ask for input. Part of each meeting should discuss their individual professional development, with mutual accountability.
Second, set up specific metrics to track performance and milestones, with “rewards” or merit increases tied to each. This is fairly simple in a sales culture but should also be done for other groups. Millennials like to know that their performance is being recognized by their manager, and if the progress is going according to plan, then merit is given. This can even come in the form of “taking away” menial tasks that are perceived to be beneath the millennial. Millennials like to be considered as part of the team, so it’s important that their opinions not be dismissed and the work environment be inclusive. Since most Boomers will be 30 years their senior, it is important not to come off as condescending, so be sincere and genuine; Millennials are smart and will see thru a fake veneer.
Millennials, understand that Boomers have been working for 30 years. We have done a job for a long time and that counts for something, whether you value the experience or not. Someone in the company does and thinks enough of this experience to put the Boomer in charge, so please respect that authority. It serves no purpose to undermine this authority or to submarine your manager, in fact, it more often than not will only hurt your own career. Too often this is a lesson learned the hard way. If you have a criticism or opinion, be comfortable enough to voice it, but do so privately. More often than not, you will be heard and it won’t be taken personally if you do it constructively, and better yet, bring with you a recommendation or suggestion as an alternative. Too often it just sounds like a complaint or bitch session, but if you have an idea on what a better approach might be, you will earn respect. Remember, Boomers genuinely want you to be successful because if you succeed, they succeed. They understand the big picture. And if you’re happy, they have the opportunity to be happy. In most cases, Boomers are no longer trying to climb the corporate ladder; they are in fact trying to get to the finish line, so if you can help them do that gracefully, so much the better. Boomers are not in competition with you, in fact, they are your biggest cheerleaders, so use them that way. They want to be a sounding board, they want to be a mentor or coach, they want to be useful.
This relationship does not need to be adversarial, in fact, should be very collaborative. Open communication is critical and, for the Millennials, time is winding down. Boomers are all contemplating retirement and there is a vast amount of institutional knowledge getting ready to walk out the door. My strong recommendation is to use it while it’s there. I promise it won’t be time wasted.
