Not Everyone Gets a Trophy

Not Everyone Gets a Trophy – How to Manage Generation Y
By Bruce Tulgan

Bruce Tulgan is internationally recognized as the leading expert on young people in the workplace and one of the leading experts on leadership and management. He is an adviser to business leaders all over the world, and a sought-after keynote speaker and management trainer. Since 1995, Bruce has worked with tens of thousands of leaders and managers in hundreds of organizations ranging from Aetna & Wal-Mart to the Army and the YMCA. He is also the founder of RainmakerThinking, a successful management training firm. Generation Y (people born between 1978 and 1990) is the most high-maintenance workforce in the history of the world. Gen Y, according to Bruce Tulgan, is like Gen X on-fast-forward-with-self-esteem-on-steroids. They are very tech savvy, and comfortable in fast-paced environments. Not only do they want to know what they get in five or ten years, but they really want to know what they are going to get tomorrow. They walk in the door from day one with very high expectations, and they think they know it all. They are confident because they grew up in the Decade of the Child. They were over-supervised, and told that “we are all winners” and “everyone gets a trophy.” The message of the book is simple: If you want high performance out of this generation, you better commit to high-maintenance management. Start with getting them on board fast with the right messages. The most common complaint heard from managers when it comes to hiring Gen Yers is that they often feel blindsided by a good hire gone bad in the early stages of employment. Managers need to develop a systematic effort to find the right candidates, develop recruiting campaigns and implement rigorous selection techniques. They need to get new staff members in the door on day one excited about the actual experience ahead of them. In Mr. Tulgan’s research, he often hears about this day-one disconnection between new Gen Y employees and their bosses. They will arrive to work on the first day excited and enthusiastic about their new challenges, only to find that their feelings are not reciprocated by the managers who await them. Gen Yers want to hit the ground running, and they need lots of support and guidance. From the moment an applicant accepts an offer to their first day on the job, an adviser or manager needs to stay in touch with that person – stick to them like glue. Managers also need to make day one the most important day. Train them one task at a time, give them the technology tools they need to be fast and efficient, and help them focus their energy and ideas on the tasks at hand. This will keep their excitement going past their first day. Managers also need to practice in loco parentis management. This is a Latin term meaning “in the place of a parent.” Gen Y is over-parented, and managers have to deal with that. You can’t fight the over-parenting phenomenon, so run with it. Your Gen Y employees want it and need it. Show them you care by getting to know the self each Gen Yer brings to work and investing time with them. Give them the structure and boundaries they need to be successful – let them be creative without being reckless. Keep track of their day to day performance, and negotiate rewards in small increments. The more you trade results for rewards, the more reliable their performance will be. Appreciation and respect aren’t always present with Gen Yers, so give them the gift of context. They are not used to hearing, “Because I said so”, and they are used to getting their way most of the time. The biggest mistake leaders often make is allowing Gen Yers to remain in their vacuum. Try and help them understand where they fit in the big picture by teaching them things like how to work well with other colleagues, how to shine in presentations and meetings, and how to deal with the ‘big shots.’ Explain to them exactly who they should be reaching out to (and not), for what reasons, when and how. Because Gen Yers have had more buying power at a younger age than any other young generation in history, marketers have targeted them more aggressively than any new consumer market in history. Gen Yers are used to thinking like customers. Many have little or no experience with the other side of the transaction, as a vendor. First, teach them that when they are at work, everyone but them is their customer. Also teach them the basics of customer service – say as little as possible, choose your words carefully, and problem-solve. Give them a reason to care about the service they are there to give. According to Mr. Tulgan, customer service is a skill that does not become obsolete. Gen Yers are often amazingly advanced in their knowledge and skills at a very young age, yet they often lack maturity when it comes to the old-fashioned basics of productivity, quality, and behavior. Teach them to make the most of their time; think in hours and minutes, not months or weeks. Next, set clear priorities with them and communicate those priorities relentlessly. Teach them how to live by a schedule by simply showing them how to plan ahead. Help them identify and eliminate any time wasters by creating a time log or daily diary of their tasks. Make plans and use checklists. Most importantly, teach them the values of good workplace citizenship. Managers can do this by creating shared meaning through shared language and experience. In the military, enlisted people are taught to salute and call officers sir and ma’am. Also, help them improve their critical thinking by teaching them strategy in the workplace. Teach them that reflecting on their own past experiences can be very helpful in business situations. Teach your Gen Yer how to be managed by you. Set clear ground rules up front – they aren’t mind readers, and managers shouldn’t expect them to be. Also set up regular in-person meetings with them, in the same place. This is a powerful statement that you care enough to spend time setting them up for success, and it also shows you are a caring manager. Make sure to customize these meetings to each individual. Give them “real” power, let them know where they stand, and spell out what they can do and what they cannot and may not do. When addressing performance problems, don’t sugar-coat honest feedback and definitely don’t withhold it altogether. Just be systematic, honest and positive about your delivery, and keep a constant feedback loop going. If Gen Yers get what they want/need from you, they are less likely to leave you. Once you’ve shown them the ropes and helped them grow and succeed, the next step is retention. Send the message that “it is a privilege and an honor to work here.” Google and the U.S. Marine Corps are a few examples of companies that have achieved this prestige. Retention is an important step because of the notoriously high turnover among Gen Yers. Your goal should not be to eliminate turnover because that will never happen. Focus on taking control of the turnover by pushing out the low performers, guiding and mentoring the high performers, and asking them directly what you can realistically do to keep them around for the long haul. You definitely want to hold onto the best and the brightest, so give these particular Gen Yers the most time and attention. Finally, no organization can afford to wait for those rare natural leaders to come along and fill each supervisory role, so they need to take the initiative to help build this next generation of leaders. Look for Gen Yers who love the responsibility and the service. Look for those who consistently practice the basics of management with discipline. Look for those who spend the most time patiently teaching. Look for those who want to lift people up and make them better. They will likely be your future leaders.