8 Tips For Managing a Dynamic Millenial

Millennials bring a different and exciting worldview to the workforce.

Defined as individuals born between approximately the 1980s to the early 2000s, millennials have a distinct approach to life and work that may confound managers from previous generations.

As a group, millennials are sharp, thoughtful, inquisitive and curious. This may leave seasoned supervisors scratching their heads as they adjust to their younger team members. Here are eight tips to help understand the millennial mind.

Money Isn’t Everything

Quality of life is a prime motivator for the millennial. For example, there’s a rising movement among this group to seek financial independence at a young age so they can do what interests them and not have to stay with a job they don’t like just for a paycheck. Understand that an important mission, camaraderie, flexibility and a great work environment are all as important – or more so – than the size of their paycheck.

Meaningful Difference

Previous generations may have felt grateful to have a job, let alone a personally fulfilling one. However, millennials have the sense that if their current job isn’t checking all their boxes, there’s one out there that will. Millennial executives want to feel like they are making a difference and contributing toward a bigger purpose. It’s important for them to understand how their work matters and how their input fits into the big picture.

Make Some Noise

According to Digital Music News, millennials listen to 75.1% more music daily than boomers. Allowing them some freedom such as listening to their music with their cordless earbuds may reduce stress and promote productivity. Stress leads to poor decisions. According to Dr. Teresa Lesiuk of the University of Miami, “silence promotes a wandering mind” which results in boredom and lack of efficiency.

Offer Feedback

As the product of a very child-centric way of life where their activities took center stage, millennials are used to regular feedback on how they are doing. While this requires energy and thought from managers, appreciate the fact that this is a sign of their desire to grow and improve. The result of regular feedback is that millennial employees are likely to feel more connected and engaged.

Minimize Boredom

From a steady diet of increasingly sophisticated video games to immediate access to the world on their smartphones, this generation is constantly stimulated. If they find their work to be uninspiring, they will check out mentally or physically. Keep the challenges coming.

Be Flexible

Because this generation has been on the leading edge of rapid technological change, they proactively seek out better ways to accomplish their goals. They aren’t going to do something just because that’s how it’s always been done. Be open to new ways of doing things, from flexible scheduling to technology upgrades.

Provide Growth Opportunities

Millennials are adaptive, mastering every gadget, app and device created in their lifetime. Provide whatever training and development you can to keep them stimulated and growing. When in doubt, ask them directly what new skill they would like to master and then make it happen.

Remember that while these strategies are designed to appeal to millennials, employees of other generations can also benefit from them. So, apply liberally to make your company an employer of choice.

You may also like 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Friend Your Employees on Social Media. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on HuffPost, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Buy her new book, Modern Etiquette for a Better Life.