TIPS FOR CONNECTING WITH MILLENNIAL EMPLOYEES

I work with organizations of various sizes. But regardless of the size, I hear a common theme when talking with seasoned C-suite managers:

• “How do you communicate with these young people?” 
• “They have no passion.” 
• “I can’t get them enthused or engaged with the job.”

These comments often referring to Generation Y or, as they are more commonly known, Millennials. 

If this is something you have said or thought about, this is for you! Let’s dive into what this generation really is about and how you can effectively communicate with them.

WHO ARE MILLENNIALS?

Millennials are individuals who were born between 1981 and 1996. Currently, as of January 2022, they are between the ages of 27 and 42.

WHAT HAVE THEY EXPERIENCED?

Now, let’s look at what this generation grew up with!

Millennials were the first to witness and grow up with the transformation of the internet, cell phones, and Tivo. 

They witnessed the events and shifts that occurred within our country due to large events like 9/11 and the major school shootings of Columbine and Sandy Hook.

They experienced high school or their young adult lives during the 2008 recession.

Generation Y made a big impact on the election of our first African American president, Obama, and the legalization of gay marriage.

They experienced a lot of change and pivotal moments as children and young adults. And I believe they have a lot of passion because of it all.

MY GENERATION…GEN X

When it comes to seasoned managers making these comments, I am often talking to those of my generation, Generation X.

As someone from Generation X, I remember the days of black and white television, rotary dial phones, and party lines.

With Baby Boomers for parents, I grew up valuing my independence and resourcefulness.

Every generation is going to be different based on their experiences during childhood and adolescence. 

I bet your parents or grandparents didn’t understand your generation at that time. Mine sure didn’t!

I mean seriously?! GenX was referred to as slackers! And from my perspective, that is the last thing we were.

So when you look for training organizations to communicate effectively, I encourage you to make sure that training includes how to communicate with ALL people. ALL generations. 

TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH MILLENNIALS

So, how do we communicate what we need or want with GenY?

Their personalities and behaviors are similar to others. But the way you communicate might need to be different than what you once were used to doing. 

If you want to connect with your employees, you must learn to meet them where they are in their lives using their mode of communication.

Here are some quick tips for talking to Millennials:

• Understand many Millennials prefer to text rather than call. Remember! Age of the cell phone when texting was largely introduced.
• Emails are still good, but won’t be viewed as urgent as text messages.
• Face-to-face conversations are still desired.
• Communication might need to be less formal.
• Connect with them – we all need connection.
• Ask for their thoughts, opinions, and feedback.
• Make clear your expectations of their work.
• Keep things brief – no long, drawn-out explanations are needed.
• Equality, equality, equality. They appreciate fairness in the workplace.
• Guide them in a way that allows them to discover what their passion is at work or discuss what tasks might meet their passions. Then? Help them nurture that! They want to make a difference.
• And for Pete’s sake – do NOT make jokes about their age!

I’d love to know your thoughts on more ways to effectively communicate with Millennials. Reach out to me at Carol@CarolGrubbe.com.

Carol Grubbe LLC: Communication Made Simple

Understanding how to communicate with your employees is as simple as knowing their communication style.

Companies are in a “war for talent” as they battle for the finest blazing employees.

Not only are companies looking for the top of their class team members but also those who will take their businesses into the next stage by offering creative and modern new ideas. 

However, these employees are demanding flexibility, diversity, increased wages, and genuine leadership who can take them to the next level. 

Are you war-weary,  exhausted, disheartened, and losing hope trying to find good talent? 

Let’s try something new. 

Let’s focus on the employees you DO have and improve your talent. 

Many times organizations are on the search for something better. Someone who will fix things when all you needed was to look right under your roof. 

Let’s train those who are on the battlefields now. 

Middle managers have one of the most challenging jobs. They not only have to deal with different people and behaviors. They also have to understand and perform their job.

Oh! And let’s not forget about reading between the lines of what the Board or C-Suite truly wants from them. 

If you want to step away from the war for talent, let’s train your current talent! Set them up for success, and give them the tools they need to focus on leading their teams. 

Train your managers about developing each employee, motivating them, and delegating to those who can do the job well. 

Let’s teach your managers things like the fact that some people don’t want someone hovering. Instead, that individual is more likely to do the job better if given some autonomy.

Let’s train your managers to know what to look for when an employee is disgruntled and how they can understand and validate why they feel that way. 

Let’s coach your managers on how to keep an employee focused when they might be late to work often or not hitting the deadlines. 

Let’s coach your managers on how to engage with their employees based on their individual needs; how to recognize that some employees want public recognition while others despise it.

Instead of battling for talent, I encourage you to train your current talent to be the best they can be.

Want a taste of how to do this? Reach out to schedule a Lunch’n Learn for your managers! You can email me at Carol@CarolGrubbe.com with Lunch’n Learn in the subject line.

Martin Luther King Jr was and still is a true leader today.

MLK knew how to communicate and did so well. He got his point across that change is needed and not doing so would be fatal. He knew how to energize his followers with wise and precise words, giving them a vision of the future. 

I was introduced to his “I Have a Dream” speech in grade school. But listening to his voice while following the script today is so moving.

His words were powerful. His voice was commanding. His emotions were dramatic. He committed to his vision and created alignment among people.

I ask you to take 20 minutes of your day to honor this exceptional leader by listening to his voice and following the words in his speech. Click here to do so.

When you think of investments, I imagine the first thing that comes to your mind is your retirement fund. From a business standpoint, leadership and management training is just as crucial.

Merrion-Webster definition of the noun “investment” is “the outlay of money usually for income or profit”. The definition of the verb “invest” is “to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return”. 

Let’s break these up as if you are a business owner or you are fully responsible for the success of a business. Maybe you are the CEO, CFO, Manager, or Supervisor. 

Your “investment” is to spend money to receive a profit or income. What are your current investments in your business? 

My husband, Karl, and I have owned rental properties for years. We would spend my commission checks when I was in software sales on distressed properties. Then Karl would sustainably fix them up.

When doing this, we would use our formula to determine if the investment was good. Meaning with the money we spent, would we be able to profit from it?

Because the profit became Karl’s income, it had to be a good investment. 

We were determined to “invest” or commit our money to the property because we knew the financial returns of doing so. And thankfully, Karl was excellent at calculating the success of our business. 

However, there were pitfalls, at times, which we learned from quickly. 

What is your investment? 

Where are you spending money to make a profit? Advertising, branding, expansion, technology? 

Do you have a line item for learning and development (L&D) to use towards your most valuable assets – your employees? 

According to the Association of Talent Development, the average organization spent $1250 per employee on workplace learning in 2021. And according to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report, close to half (49%) of companies have increased their L&D budget in 2022.

Let’s narrow that down even more!

Where is it that these companies are focusing that budget? 

The largest focal point, at 49%, is leadership and management training. 

This doesn’t surprise me considering how many managers are thrown into a leadership position just because they were excellent at doing their previous job. But just because someone is good at one thing doesn’t necessarily mean they will make a good leader.

Saying that I believe that each individual has major potential if given the right tools and education. 

Just like when Karl and I had invested in those properties by fixing them up, you too, have investments to make in your employees. So, I encourage you to invest in their managers to ensure you receive a healthy return and profit!

Employees are your company’s number one asset. Your managers, though, are the ones who impact those employees. Your managers can be a huge contribution to whether or not those employees grow, thrive, and stick around for a while. They can heavily impact whether you have a healthy or unhealthy company.

Invest in your business. Invest in your managers. If you are interested in learning how I serve businesses to do just that, schedule a free discovery session with me at www.carolgrubbe.com/discover.

Carol Grubbe LLC: Communication Made Simple Understanding how to communicate with your employees is as simple as knowing their communication style.

As a manager, you play a very important role.

Why? Because you have a huge impact on the well-being of your employees!

You have the option to reign power over your team OR to inspire and uplift them.

And one of those options is going to have a more positive impact than the other. Can ya guess which one?

But to do that often requires intention.

I think managers often lead from a mindset of power and authority because that is what we have been conditioned to do. Sometimes it is out like you’re on auto-pilot or leading from a place of reaction. But where does that get us?

Usually an uninviting work environment with employees who despise coming to work.

That is not good for anyone… your employees, the company, you.

But let’s be realistic. What do you actually need to do as a manager in order to be one that inspires, uplifts, and creates a welcoming work environment with employees excited to be there? 

Here are three tips to provide such a thing.

DEFINE EVERYONE’S ROLES

One suggestion is to make sure that everyone’s roles are clearly understood and agreed upon. Do YOU even know what each person’s responsibilities and roles are? Do your employees know these?

If this is not the case, evaluate and construct the definitions for the different roles on your team with your team. I repeat, with your team. 

When you allow people autonomy and choices, people are happier.

Consider the strengths of each person as well as what lights them up, what brings them joy.

And to take another step further? Write these out for everyone to reference.

RECOGNIZE YOUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE WORK THEY DO

Whether you believe their work to be superb or mediocre, do you recognize your employees for the time and energy they give to the company? 

Take the time to show your employees that you value what they do. And when you do, consider showing appreciation in different ways.

For example, one person might appreciate a note on their desk while another might appreciate recognition at a team meeting.

PROVIDE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Another way to inspire and uplift your employees, is to show you care about their future. Provide opportunities for your employees to develop within your company.

Take some time to talk with your employees to consider what their next steps might be. Employees want to know where they can see themselves in the future and often want to be part of that decision.

Again, autonomy and choices!

These are just a few tips to get you thinking. But what actually happens when you, as a manager, begin to focus on your employees and bring them into the conversation?

As a manager you have the opportunity to show people you hear and see them. And you can do this through the power of communication.

For more tips on how you can inspire and motive your employees, get your copy of 5 Tips for Motivating Your Employees at carolgrubbe.com/motivate.