The Mindset of the Buoyant Millennial

The Mindset of the Buoyant Millennial

 
At a recently concluded CMO convention, I chanced to pick up on a conversation between two gentlemen, I with my double espresso in hand. “Nice presentation there, David, but cut us young guys some slack…it’s a changing world and our leadership ways are different from yours,” said the younger of the two, visibly a millennial. This got me thinking. The young guy, dressed in a dapper two-button jacket was obviously construed as being cocky by the old timer sporting a double breasted three button. 
 
Very soon, as the baby boomers get phased out, it will be these millennials who will assume leadership positions. But are they ready for it? Can they handle various types of people belonging to different generations with a varied background? Can they truly further the organization’s vision without causing collateral damage? 
 
Most millennials want to make a hurried impact on the firm from day one. More often than not, they are teeming with zeal, ambitious to stamp their authority. They are also on the look-out, very early on, for a clear upward path. Retaining them and extracting their best, demands carefully planned corporate training programs. Else, they will move on. Most millennials also swear by the dictum “work hard, party harder.” Some of them have domestic obligations as well, possibly at the cusp of starting a young family. HR departments must be sensitized to this facet and react accordingly. A soft approach and awareness of such Hygiene Factors, goes a long way in talent retention. When speaking of Hygiene Factors, Motivation Factors go hand-in-hand. The current crop needs to be challenged regularly. Make no mistake though. Nothing comes for free. They will expect recognition of their efforts, monetarily as well as externally. “Andrew was responsible for inking the contract,” will never go amiss and will ensure retention of Andrew, your star employee, at least for a little while longer. A tick against his assessment meter will undoubtedly go a step beyond. 
 
Millennials are a curious case indeed. They are the driving force of many an organization. The powers that be need to be aware of the fact that the young-uns will not think twice before job-bouncing, if not cultivated carefully. Often construed as brash, these millennials are the ones likely to boost bottom lines by dint of their hard-coded technical skills. All it takes is to rope them in, under one umbrella that has the softer aspect embedded in it.  
 
 
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