60 Minutes piece

This past Sunday night 60 Minutes did a piece on the generational issue called "The Millennials are Coming." (part two in a series that was started late last year.)

The story was pretty well done but there was one theme I had a hard time with, and I will start with providing a few of the quotes from the story that will help set up the issue:

1.) Marian Salzman, an ad agency executive featured in the story, said:

"You do have to speak to them a little bit like a therapist on television might speak to a patient," Salzman says, laughing. "You can't be harsh. You cannot tell them you're disappointed in them. You can't really ask them to live and breathe the company. Because they're living and breathing themselves and that keeps them very busy."

2.) Mary Crane, a consultant, also fatured in the story, said:

"The boomers do need to hear the message, that they're gonna have to start focusing more on coaching rather than bossing. If this generation in particular, you just tell them, 'You got to do this. You got to do this. You got to do this.' They truly will walk. And every major law firm, every major company knows, this is the future."

So, if I interpret their messages in a strict way, I may conclude two things about dealing with the Millennials: First I can never tell them I am disappointed with them, and second I cannot tell them what to do. I know, my interpretations of these themes from the story are harsh and maybe unfair, but I wanted to bring them up to make a point:

First off, there is no doubt these younger generations do see more out there. They do not view a hard separate line between work and life. They see it all together as a series of opportuntities for them. They also don't just like to be told what to do unless they understand where you are comng from and how that involves them. They will not, like some of the past generations, simply put their head in the sand in do whatever is told of them from the beginning....based on an organization chart, company policies, or an instant sense of authority.

So, it's not that we cannot "boss them" at times. It's that we cannot boss them right away. First you must develop that one-on-one realtionship. And I know that can be difficult when you have 40 people you might be managing in any one year. But, you have to do it. You have to learn about them as a person, both inside and outside the office walls. You have to know how their life interconnects. If they have an important family function or simply a soccer game on Tuesday at 5 pm, you'll need to consider that. The coaching point is a good one. But by coaching, you'll actually get to boss sometimes also. It's the order that is vital. See, they are not accustomned to that treatment in the coporate world, but they were at home. So, they will rebel unless you can do it right. And if you do it right, you'll know them and you will know when they are not up living up to WHAT THEY CAN BE, which is slightly different than what you think a standard off-the-shelf worker at their level should be. Once you know them, you aren't being harsh, you are telling them they can do more, based on what YOU KNOW OF THEM.

I have seen many millennials do things that were asked of them with no questions and no problems. But that only comes from a person where they have grown a lot of trust and a fostering relationship. They WILL NOT do that for anyone else. They are not accustomed to doing it and that would be against what has brought them to where they are today.

YOU CAN BE HARSH (in the right way as discussed) AND YOU CAN BOSS THEM. You can only do that, though, if you have first developed a strong, trusting, give-and-take realtionship. Oh and that must continue throughout the relationship.

Link to the story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/08/60minutes/main3475200.shtml