Leading generational experts, public speakers and cultural translators Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman,were kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about their essential and insightful examination of the Millennial generation in the work force The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace.
The authors describe how twenty-something employees are creating drastic changes in organizations, dispel the many myths that have arisen about the generation, and share ideas about how to build connections between older workers and the younger Millennial cohorts.
Thanks to Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman for their insightful, informative, and comprehensive answers. The responses are greatly appreciated.
What was the background to writing this book The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace?
Lynne C. Lancaster: We pitched a book about the Millennials a few years ago and our agent said, “the workplace isn’t ready—they aren’t really making waves”. When we pitched it last year the response was more like “holy cow, help us with these Millennials!” By that time we’d hired two Millennials ourselves, and we enlisted them to help with the one-on-one interviews, and with capturing the voice of their generation.
David Stillman: As an Xer, I would add that even though Millennials were showing up at work, Xers still felt hip and cool. As soon as there were enough Millennials to rock the Xers’ world, the book became even more important to write.
Who are the Millennial Generation and why are the members of this generation different from the Baby Boomers and Generation X cohorts?
Lynne C. Lancaster: They are the next baby boom, with approximately 80 million members born 1982 – 2000. They are more high tech, fast-paced, collaborative, and diverse than prior generations, but ultimately it’s not so much about how different they are fundamentally it’s about how differently they approach the world of work. For example, this is a generation that would think nothing of emailing the CEO the first day on the job, texting a comment to the boss, or bringing their parents to a company open house. Yet, they are also passionate, skilled and excited to be successful at work. So we can’t let differences in approach create clashes and get in the way.
David Stillman: This is also the generation that has been told they are great at everything and are showing up at work with a huge dose of self-confidence. What we’ve come to realize is that yes it’s often annoying, but in reality they are good at a lot of things and that much of their confidence is well deserved. OK, but still a bit annoying.
We often hear that Millennial employees clash with their Generation X colleagues, and also their Gen X and Baby Boomer managers. What is the reason for these clashes, and how can they be reconciled?
Lynne C. Lancaster: The clashes run the gamut from little things like etiquette (what language to use in an email, how to dress for a meeting), to big things like being willing to pay dues before you get promoted. We like to see people examine issues from the perspective that no one’s right or wrong, we just come at these issues from different viewpoints. If you can figure out why someone sees the world the way they do it’s lots easier to get to common ground.
David Stillman: Most of us know what makes our own generation tick and we just assume we know what makes the others tick. Clashes arise because we try to treat the other generation like our own instead of taking off our own lens and see the work world through the eyes of a different generation.
One aspect of the Millennial Generation is the role of their parents in the workplace. Why are the parents of these employees so involved in the working lives of their children, and how can employers prevent this causing a problem?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Boomer and Gen X parents treat their kids like their best creation. There’s a lot more information about parenting available, and a lot more ways parents can interact with kids—so they dive in and do it. Maybe it’s a reaction to our own parents not being hands-on enough. Plus, our country has become more affluent and the parents are often successful people who have a lot of perspective on jobs and work. Why wouldn’t we turn our work skills to our kids’ benefit? That being said, it can be pretty annoying when the boss gets an irate call from Dad about Junior’s poor performance review. Employers need to coach managers on how to handle such inquiries professionally, and how to work with the Millennials to become more independent.
David Stillman: The one ironic part of this phenomenon is that many of the executives who complain to us about this on the job, are the same ones who parent Millennials, and who are poking their noses in their children’s workplace.
Lynn C. Lancaster (photo left)
We often hear that Millennials are seeking meaning in the workplace. What does this mean and how does it compare to the search for meaning in employment that has been expressed by Baby Boomers in the past?
Lynne C. Lancaster: It’s similar in many ways. Millennials have been raised by Boomers who said “If you’re going to work as hard as we have, do something you care about.” Perhaps Boomers are turning inward at this life stage and looking for deeper meaning themselves. The difference might be that boomers found meaning through achievement at work, like moving up the ladder and getting ahead. Millennials are good with those options but are also looking at organizations to see how they are giving back externally, for example what types of good works they do in the community and abroad, and do they allow employees time off to participate.
David Stillman: Let’s be clear…we all want to find meaning in what we do everyday. What has changed is that for the other generations, the model was to work hard, pay dues and then ascend into meaningful jobs. With Millennials, they want to understand how they are making a difference from the get-go. That doesn’t mean that every employee needs to feel like Gandhi, it just means that we have to connect the dots early on to how even the entry level positions help achieve the overall mission.
Do Millennials expect to have their voices and ideas heard in the workplace as part of this search for meaning?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Yes, we’ve been including them in every discussion and decision at home, so it’s not surprising they expect to have a voice at work. Interestingly, in our interviews with Millennials many of them expressed feeling isolated at work. They are looking for connection and camaraderie in the workplace because they are in general a very collaborative group. They want to know someone is listening when they weigh in on things.
David Stillman: The mistake to make is to assume that wanting your voice to be heard means you expect to be making big decisions. Millennials know the boss gets to make the final call, but they are more engaged if they had a chance to pipe in with their opinion. So this can lead to better engagement and believe it or not, it also leads to great, new, and fresh ideas being put on the table!
Many Gen X and Baby Boomer employers point out that Millennials have a strong sense of entitlement and don't want to pay their dues. Where does this entitlement come from?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Better to ask “where does this perception of entitlement” come from. Sometimes people think Millennials are entitled because they ask for a lot when first hired, or they expect to be promoted based on merit rather than paying their dues like prior generations did. Some Millennials are given higher pay than older employees because they are in a desired profession and that’s what you have to pay to attract them. Other Millennials get pegged as entitled because they ask for feedback and praise all the time. We feel like often this isn’t entitlement at all—it’s a form of engagement. But it raises a lot of red flags with older employees about fairness and that’s what managers have to juggle.
David Stillman: Let’s face it, when someone asks for something that you didn’t get to ask for, you are going to be perceived as entitled. This is a two-way street and Millennials also need to work on respecting the freedoms that they have to ask for things that the previous generations didn’t have the luxury to request.
Does this charge of entitlement affect how Millennial employees are recruited and how they expect to be treated at work?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Absolutely! When a recruiter perceives a Millennial as entitled, he/she may very well pass up on the candidate – when in fact, the candidate could be perfect for the job. Again, what is often perceived as “entitlement” is really “engagement”. If a candidate is asking for a lot of information from the start, that doesn’t mean they don’t expect to work for it. Also, many of these recruits have been trained by Boomer parents to be up front and ask for what they want.
David Stillman (photo left)
Millennial job seekers are said to arrive with great expectations of what a workplace should be in their lives. Does this mean that traditional training and orientation techniques need an an update?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Yes, we’re seeing more and more companies adopt robust onboarding and orientation programs that help Millennials get up to speed. They don’t always have the exact skills employers expect. For example, they may be great with technology but don’t know Excel or other workplace software. Also many Millennials haven’t worked a whole lot during high school and college so they are coming to us with lots of experiences, but not necessarily work experience. Employers are learning to screen better for skills sets, not make so many assumptions about what Millennials know, and do more remedial training to get everyone on the same page.
David Stillman: Another component to this is keeping in check how you go to market with, and the realities of, the job. Sometimes the recruiting process can be so exciting and “sexy” that Millennials expectations are not set up to match how the job will really be.
Millennials have grown up with instant technology. Does this desire for a faster pace carry over to the workplace as well?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Yes, they’ve had everything at the push of a button and can be stumped by why it takes four months to change a mistake on the company website. We can help by allowing them to pick up the pace and implement new ways of doing things where it’s appropriate. They can help the other generations by learning when to slow down and take their time.
David Stillman: We also need to remember that this generation was born to multitask. They have grown up on the couch watching TV, surfing the web, listening to music, doing homework and texting all at the same time. Rather than fight this…strategic managers will find ways to allow for more multitasking, and are uncovering that this generation really can tackle a lot at the same time.
If there is anything that everyone knows Millennials for it's their complete comfort with technology, the internet, and social media. Are the Millennials natural networkers and natural reverse mentors for the less technology and internet savvy Boomers and Gen X employees?
Lynne C. Lancaster: So many companies today are instituting multi-faceted mentoring programs for this reason. New employees with fresh information can have a lot to teach established workers and workers with experience have a lot to teach Millennials. Why not have mentoring go both ways?
I just interviewed a Millennial who is participating in a reverse mentoring program at a federal agency in Washington, DC. She said when she heard it was mentoring she balked because, “I didn’t want a program where someone else knew everything and it was assumed I knew nothing.” When she learned she could be a reverse mentor she signed on immediately. Millennials have been mentoring parents at home their whole lives and are pretty darn comfortable doing so.
David Stillman: The most important piece is to look at Millennials as capable of being mentors. Many of the older generations are threatened that Millennials may have a leg up when it comes to something like technology. Unfortunately, ‘ego’ can get in the way. Even more so…many are quick to accuse Millennials of using technology for just fun and games – especially social networking. The reality is that Millennials are often using social networking to be productive and effective on the job. Even more so, savvy leaders are not assuming they are wasting time on social network sites and instead are deploying Millennials to find new ways to use this cutting edge tool.
One of the most widespread observations made of members of the Millennial Generation is how they are always in groups and work best in teams. How can employers utilize this tendency for the benefit of both the Millennial employees and the organization?
Lynne C. Lancaster: Don’t let your Millennials get too isolated. Put them in work teams where they can collaborate and socialize. Make sure they meet other Millennials. Provide mentors, and check in frequently. That’s the best way to show you care about their success at work and to help them feel truly connected to your place of business.
David Stillman: Prepare my generation (Xers) to deal with this. For Xers who are extremely independent and want to work in their own space at their own pace… having SUPER collaborative Millennials can be annoying and not something Xers are ready to manage.
Many of us see great things in the Millennial Generation and what they have to offer. What is the first step a company and its managers should take toward welcoming and utilizing the great things that Millennials offer to an organization?
Lynne C. Lancaster: In onboarding interviews, managers should ask Millennials what are some of the talents and skills they bring to the organization. Allow them to choose projects that showcase what they know how to do. Then make sure you notice the things they shy away from. After a lifetime of working in groups, Millennials might tend not to opt for the jobs they know they aren’t great at. As managers we have to encourage them to step out of the comfort zone and try something new even if it means that might fail.
David Stillman: Sounds simple…maybe even trite…but get to know them. Don’t assume you know their generation because you’ve surfed YouTube and have a Facebook page. Find out what makes this generation unique. Best advice: Take a Millennial out to lunch.
What is next for Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman?
Lynne C. Lancaster: We’ve been business partners for 13 years now and friends longer than that. I know we’ll continue to research, write and speak together, but we’re also talking about new creative projects that will use additional skills. Maybe something for the stage? David’s great at pushing me out of my comfort zone and I hope he never stops doing that.
David Stillman: When you have a partnership that is as magical as ours is, one thing you don’t do is stop collaborating. All I can say is STAND BACK!
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My book review of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman
Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman (both in photo left) are nationally-known generational speakers, consultants, researchers, and the authors of the best-seller When Generations Collide (HarperCollins), and The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace (HarperBusiness/2010). Through their firm BridgeWorks, Lancaster and Stillman provide organizations with keynotes, training, corporate entertainment, and trainer certification. They have appeared on CNBC, CNN, and the Today Show.
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