Millennials Are Today’s Leaders. What Is In Our Future?

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Not too long ago whenever I delivered a Generational Differences training workshop, I shared a slide that read, “Millennials Are Our Future Leaders.” But times have changed and now that slide reads “Millennials Are Today’s Leaders.”

This ongoing generational shift at our leadership levels and in the C-Suite which in large part ensures the company stays focused on its vision, mission, values, and policies is what I want to talk with you about. I’d also like to discuss what Millennials  (and some Gen Z’s) are doing differently as leaders and how we can all support – and benefit from this important – monumental change.

Times Have Changed / Are Changing

Throughout my career I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Millennials and now Gen Z’s. I’ve found their positive attitude, creativity, willingness to pitch in and desire to share unique ideas and perspectives refreshing. Additionally, I’ve also felt many of them were getting a bad rap by their Boomer and Gen X bosses who thought they were entitled and lazy. And sure, some Millennials are entitled and lazy, but I know some Boomers and Gen Xers who also fit that bill.

There are a few other things I’ve found is often true about Millennials. They don’t want to be bored and they want to have an opportunity to share their opinion – to contribute. They are often uncomfortable / unwilling to sit around for two years doing the same routine work to “pay their dues.” What is the source of all this impatience? For most Millennials, their Boomer parents (isn’t that ironic), taught them as children to ask “Why?” if they were curious. This is also true for the Gen Z employees that are following in the Millennials footsteps. Boomer parents also often encouraged their children to go after their dreams if they wanted something and to not listen to people who might tell them they don’t deserve it.

But all that is history, right? What is the impact Millennials are having now that they are moving into leadership roles? This is a great question.

Because Millennials are today’s leaders, they are having an important influence on corporate cultures. Millennials often bring a fresh, more casual perspective to our workspaces. And perhaps more lately than I’ve ever seen, Millennials feel comfortable with flat organizational structures. But don’t let their casual exterior fool you – they are very focused on being productive, successful, and proud of their work. A Deloitte study found that 62 percent of Millennials say work is part of their identity. And because Millennials are community driven, most of them (there are always exceptions) are very comfortable sharing that pride and success with their team.

If Millennials have shortcomings (don’t we all), one of their big ones is that they often need to unlearn many of the leadership skills they saw (and learned by accident), as they were growing up. Yes, even though they resist that style of leadership, there are learned biases they must unlearn like hierarchy, silos, the need to try to control, and the need to try to know everything. But with the support of mentors, coaches, and teachers / trainers, they are learning how to be leaders who are focused on traditional leadership qualities like results and accountability while also learning it’s OK to embrace softer-skills and encourage people… including themselves… to be their whole, unique, vulnerable, compassionate, forgiving, learning, evolving selves at work.  Hurray!

Let’s get back to how Millennials (and Gen Z) are changing leadership. To do that lets look at some of the baseline / general profile characteristics that have always been part of the Millennial profile and are still there. For example, they want to:

  1. Feel their unique experience and abilities have value – are respected.

  2. Feel their unique experience and abilities have impact – make a difference.

  3. Contribute to a conversation.

  4. Feel safe – respect each other’s individuality.

  5. Collaborate, be mentored, mentor others, and still have opportunities for autonomy.

  6. Be recognized for their contribution.

  7. Learn new skills – embrace continuous learning (a Growth Mindset).

  8. Enjoy work-life balance… which now includes some work-remote opportunities.

  9. Be friends / friendly with the people they work with (enjoy approachability).

I really respect this list. These characteristics all lead to a wonderful mix I’ve seen in action. I’ve noticed first-hand that in team meetings decisions are more thoughtful and impactful and buy-in / follow-through is so much better when everyone has an opportunity to share their ideas and perspectives. And this also has a big impact on building long-term trust for both the individuals and team.

What Is In Our Future?

Workplace evolution (change) is only going to speed up and this includes options on how we all work and communicate. Workplace acceleration is going to continue to shine a very bright spotlight on the importance of excellent communication… for everyone. As work continues to speed up, timing and accuracy will become even more critical, especially as more and more of us work in a remote or hybrid environment (and hybrid is not going away). We are going to have to intentionally, mindfully take some opportunities to slow down. And when we slow down we are going to have to be thinking about:

  1. Why we communicate. Pausing for a moment to fully grasp what our goal is and what needs to happen to move our goal forward should be an easy first step. But, it’s amazing how many times we write an email (for example) and as soon as we hit send we notice we have something more to say or something else we need.

  2. How and when we communicate. We now have many options on how we communicate – everything from the old-fashioned ways of being in-person or using the telephone, to using countless software apps to message, video call, email or update a shared file. These choices are a challenge because not only are there many ways to share information or get updates… even in the same company, but ideally, we should all be using these ever-changing tools in the same way, store information in the same way and adopt the seemingly never-ending upgrades and new functions in the same way.

Getting back to something I mentioned early in this article, Millennials (and Gen Z) want to feel like they are being heard, having input, making a difference, and being recognized. In short, they want to be acknowledged. And really, don’t we all? I have yet to meet a Boomer or Gen Xer who doesn’t want the opportunity to share a good idea they have or be recognized for a job well-done.

I know successful Millennial leaders who’ve figured this team culture thing out for themselves. They know their actions are more important than what they say. So, not only do they share the importance of community, responsibility, and values (for example), they demonstrate these qualities every chance they have. They talk about community, responsibility, and values when they are sending group communication to their team, they share community, responsibility, and values in meetings, and they demonstrate them when one employee is going through a difficult personal time and may need a few days off. But these Millennials also demonstrate hard work, taking charge and being responsible. They encourage everyone to do their best, give their teams opportunities to shine, and give them recognition when they do great work and work as a team – especially when they work to break down silos.

The successful Millennial leaders have also figured out that when there is a quiet person in the meeting, that this is their time to shine as a leader and to gently engage the quiet person by perhaps going around the table (or screen) and asking everyone a final open-ended question. For example, ask:

  • What do they see as the greatest opportunity?

  • What they see is the most important milestone / requirement for the project or the team to succeed?

  • What are they most excited about in relation to the overall project, or perhaps how the team is working together?

  • How do they see the project – or a decision that was made – meet the strategic goals or the values of the team / company?

The difference for Millennials and Gen Z from many of their Gen X senior coworkers and any Boomers is that if Millennials and Gen Z’s don’t feel they are part of a shared, supportive corporate culture – or able to build one – they are likely already looking for that culture somewhere else.

In closing, let’s not forget that we humble humans are social animals… well most of us are. If your work requires any sort of teamwork / collaboration, creativity, problem (or opportunity) solving, learning or development, take every opportunity to be face-to-face with the people you work with. If you are not in the same city and/or your hybrid workspace means frequent video calls, turn your camera on – let people see you. Seeing someone nod their head in agreement with you even when you are sharing an idea in a virtual meeting can do wonders to building trust.

If you are a leader – or hope to be a leader in the future, my recommendation is to start right now to find ways to build trustworthy relationships with the people around you – from family to friends to co-workers.

Conclusion

As I end this article, I want to give a shout-out to our wonderful Gen X leaders and coworkers. I will gladly say Gen Xers have been among the heroes in our workspaces for the last 20-years. They’ve had to put up with a lot. First, they were promised that when Boomers retired at 55-years old (does anyone remember the commercials for Freedom 55?) and that they would have their pick of exceptional opportunities. Then, a few recessions, market downturns and global instability arrived and Boomers kept working longer than anticipated.

I believe that Generation Xers have quietly been holding things together. Sandwiched between Boomers and Millennials, Generation Xers are able to bridge the gap. And Generation Xers whole existence as adults in the workforce has been one of constant change.

Thank you for spending time with me today and reading ‘Millennials Are Today’s Leaders. What Is In Our Future?’.

Bruce


Learn More About Bruce Mayhew

Toronto corporate trainer and executive coach Bruce Mayhew Consulting is in the people business… it just so happens that training and/or executive coaching is involved. Let us help you improve your productivity and employee engagement.

To learn more about how leadership training can to improve your skills call us at 416.617.0462.

Bruce Mayhew Consulting's most popular programs are Email Etiquette Training, Difficult Conversations, Generational Differences, Leadership Skills Training and Time Management Training

Related Workshops That Drive Business Success

Toronto based corporate trainer and executive coach Bruce Mayhew Consulting proudly offers leadership training and professional development.

Benefits, Challenges and Solutions of Remote Work, Hybrid Work and In-office Work

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Remote work is not going away.

The last few years have demonstrated people are able to work remotely. We finally broke many misconceptions about remote workers. We have also advanced the development and adoption of technology to assist in collaboration and project management between individuals who may or may not be distance-based.

The challenge we have today is to figure out our brave new world and how work will ‘be’ tomorrow for each of us.

Many of us want the best of both working in-office and working remotely. Before we get too far down this path I recommend we pause for a moment to accept one of the biggest challenges we are facing is that there is no one-size fits all solution for companies, departments and individuals. But one thing I am pretty sure about is that people who work fully remotely will be the minority; in-person contact just offers too much potential benefit for the individual and the company.

Let’s talk about benefits of remote work, hybrid work and in-office work

There are many discussions about how in-office work benefits the employer. So let’s do something different (and perhaps a bit controversial) and explore some of the important benefits to you and I as individuals to being in the office at least some of the time.

In-office work helps us learn to communicate more effectively, confidentially and respectfully. It’s the face-to-face, in-person contact that is important here. Benefits from in-person contact helps us communicate pretty much everywhere; from simple discussions and reading body language, to learning to listen for what people are saying as well as what they are not saying. In-person contact helps us feel and give empathy and helps us recognize when others are sharing or needing empathy; all which are great for build trusting relationships. In-person contact is also amazingly important during creative brainstorming sessions, not to mention in-person contact helps us learn, practice, and sharpen our leadership skills.

Remote work also helps dedicated employees get more done in less time with fewer interruptions (starts and stops). Remote work is also good for employees as they might feel less stress about work, have more time to spend on other projects or training which would enhance longer-term career aspirations, have more autonomy and feel more productive.

Remote work employees may also have the benefit (stressing the word may) because they:

  1. Have greater flexibility to support family

  2. Save money on transportation

  3. Save money on clothes and meals

Let’s talk leadership

Many people aspire to become talented and productive leaders as they progress through their career. Here’s the thing; experts around the world tell us leadership today is far less about being a subject matter expert and far more about building shared respect and trust with individuals. Being a great leader is about inspiring and supporting your team to want to do their best work as they pursue shared company goals.

One of the most important and challenging jobs of a leader is to inspire people who have a variety of personal and professional experiences, values, goals and who may even come from different cultures. This is a rewarding challenge that will require today’s leader to invest a considerable amount of time and attention into being great. And, as I suggested earlier, today’s leaders must also be able to have difficult conversations. Leaders must learn to share challenging news while helping others feel respected, supported, and to not be triggered into a defensive posture. To do this, great leaders have to be great communicators. Not surprisingly, these skills don’t just magically appear. Even the greatest leaders have had to acquire their skills through years of training, coaching and practice.

Can we all learn to be great communicators and build trusting relationships when working remotely? Yes, of course. But (you knew there was going to be a ‘but’), given today’s technology, our use (and misuse) of this technology, our workplace cultures, and past experiences, our success is almost always greater when we have at least some in-person experiences. Let me again share that there are no one-size fits all solutions; leaders and employees must understand different companies, different jobs, and different people will need different arrangements.

There is one more important benefit to in-person interactions. As I briefly mentioned earlier, when we are trying to come up with new ideas and brainstorm solutions, in-person idea-generation sessions are still best. They allow people to see excitement and body-language. In-person interactions allow us talk over each other in respectful ways and for everyone to follow the conversation from many directions at the same time. It’s an energy and rhythm that’s difficult to duplicate in an on-line format given today’s technology.

Let’s talk career-advancement

Imagine half of your teammates are in-office all or most of the time, physically seeing each other and going for coffee while the other half of your teammates are working remotely. It’s not a stretch to see how remote employees may be less top of mind and their accomplishments, participation, ideas and even future opportunities overlooked from time-to-time.

Is this ideal? No. Would almost all of us prefer if it wasn’t like this? Yes. The reality is that it would take a highly evolved workplace culture to find true balance between the experiences of in-office and remote workers. Might we get there in the future? I hope so.

It may seem unfair this burden falls 100% to the employee, but it is their career that is on the line, so I believe staying visible is an employee’s main responsibility no matter if they work in-office, remote or hybrid. You and I both know that even when employees are working in the office, staying visible is their responsibility. It’s just that as a remote and hybrid employee, staying visible feels different than when they used to work in-office all the time. So, how can any employee (and leader) be professional and proactive. Here are some examples:

  • Come to all meetings prepared

  • Do their work well and hand it in early

  • Help others when they can – but don’t let their work suffer

  • Say something positive when others do something great

  • Be on-camera during video meetings (and look interested)

  • For both on-camera meetings, in-person meetings and group phone calls, plan to sign-in or attend early if possible. When others show up, engage in casual conversation to support relationship and trust building.

There are also many other creative opportunities to stay visible. For example, imagine knowing a company retreat is being planned. Especially if it's not the employees’ job, I’d recommend making sure they are part of the organizing committee. Even the smallest role – like organizing and manning the registration table will give them major exposure.

Remote, in-office and hybrid workers must all accept there are pluses and minuses to every solution. As a remote worker part of your life may be easier (like zero transportation) and part may be less attractive. Meanwhile, your co-workers who go into the office may have the unpleasant experience of spending 1, 2 and even 3-hours each day commuting. In the end, we all have new elements to consider when revising our own, personal work-life-balance equation.

Note: This new environment is starting to level the playing field for people living with a disability who find either getting to in-office spaces difficult.

Let’s talk about moving forward – together

Five responsibilities organizations, leaders and employees (in-office and remote) will have to share, noting that some of the best organizations were doing these long before 2020:

A.    Be crystal clear with company, department, and project goals

B.    Communicate (and repeat) important messages clearly, often and respectfully… to everyone

C.    Set and track clear performance metrics (note, being in-office is not a quality performance metric)

D.    Follow organizational values and the unrelenting support of 100% respect for everyone

E.     Support the concept that change is the new standard

A: Whether you are all working remote, in-office, or hybrid, if you are not clear with company, department, and project goals your work quality and your feelings of pride will suffer.

B: Communicate is the best way to keep people focused on a goal and to be sure they feel pride in their work and are inspired by their community. It builds employee trust with their leaders and among each other. When leaders and employees are transparent and communicate often, this also helps others feel a sense of stability and calm.

C: When consumed by the busyness of an office, many leaders confess they sometimes forget the remote worker when setting project assignments. This is why it matters organizations help their leaders change the way they set tasks and evaluate productivity. Performance goals should measure many things. For example, they should:

  • Be based on objective value added to the firm’s core goals

  • Constantly support the values of the organization.

  • Be transparent, understood by everyone

  • Be tracked in real-time

A popular approach to tracking and evaluating productively is called Results Only Work (ROW). This is a brilliant way to measure success, regardless of if employees are in-office or remote. Even if you have all of your employees working in-office I encourage you to set and track what people accomplish in today’s world, a bum in seat is not a good measurement of a dedicated, high-value employee.

D: As a leader one of the most empowering things you can do is ensure everyone on your team knows how their contribution aligns to the company values. And hopefully one of those values is to ensure everyone deserves to be a member of a respectful, inclusive and equitable workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment, or bullying. When it comes to setting and tracking clear performance metrics, demonstrating company values should be at the top of the list.

E: Leaders have to help take the fear out of change and insert an expectation of change. People love routine because it feels comfortable and dependable. But today, routine means you are falling behind your competition and/or co-workers. How we worked 10 years ago is different than how we work today. How we worked 2-years ago is different. And I imagine how we work 2-years from now will be different yet again.

Moving forward will not only change the way we work, it makes sense that the actual work we do will change. Like always, part this change will be due to market demand and innovation. But change will also accelerate as we integrate new remote-work and hybrid work models into our culture – not to mention the new emerging technologies. For example, as we emerge out of a pandemic, half of my mother’s quarterly check-in / check-up doctors’ visits are now done by phone. During the pandemic all of them were remote unless there was something serious my mother felt she needed to discuss. Before the pandemic all her doctor visits were in-person. These are three significant changes to how my mother’s doctor works in just over two years.

We are living in a culture of change. The organizations, leaders and employees who will thrive will be excited about change and see it as an opportunity to grow and develop new skills. I believe our clearest path forward is for us to all adopt a positive perspective that focuses on saying things like, “What we did today was great, how can we make it and/or the process better tomorrow.” We must allow ourselves to be reflective – but in a positive “can do” way that honours and respects what we did today, not condemn it. Treat it like an After-Action Review (AAR) originally developed by the U.S. Army as a structured review process would encourage everyone to pause after a project and to explore three questions with a goal to learn from our experiences:

  1. What happened

  2. Why it happened

  3. How it can be done better by the participants and those responsible

Conclusion

Experts predict that as we move into a ‘new normal’ between 35 to 65% of employees will work hybrid with only about 10% working fully remote.

It is incumbent on everyone, leaders, and employees alike to make sure we all remain visible, front-of-mind, and reviewed based on job performance despite a remote status.

One last thing. When bringing employees back to the office either full time or as part of a hybrid work model, I strongly believe leaders need to be able to answer the following four key questions clearly and transparently. And I warn you in advance, if you tell the truth people will believe and respect the news you share even if it isn’t what they wanted to hear. But, if you try to fluff it off or treat today like it was 2-years ago, you will likely soon have a productivity and employee loyalty issue to manage… as well:

  • How can we bring people back safely?

  • Why are we bringing people back to the office?

  • What is our hybrid work strategy?

  • What is our workplace value proposition?

Thank you for reading ‘Benefits, Challenges and Solutions of Remote Work, Hybrid Work and In-office Work’. Together we can get the best of working in-office and remotely.

Be well and happy communicating, leading and creating a culture of belonging within your company or within your team.

Bruce

Learn More About Bruce Mayhew

Toronto corporate trainer and executive coach Bruce Mayhew Consulting is in the people business… it just so happens that training and/or executive coaching is involved. Let us help you improve your productivity and employee engagement.

To learn more about how leadership training can to improve your skills call us at 416.617.0462.

Bruce Mayhew Consulting's most popular programs are Email Etiquette Training, Difficult Conversations, Generational Differences, Leadership Skills Training and Time Management Training

Related Workshops That Drive Business Success

Toronto based corporate trainer and executive coach Bruce Mayhew Consulting offers leadership training and professional development across Canada and the USA.