New Kids On The Block
Clever title from Pam at We Know Engineers. Pam recently wrote a great article about Millennials and tips on how to manage them. Here is an excerpt from the article I found very interesting, along with some of the tips Pam shares. Make sure to check out the full posting!
I had breakfast with another associate this morning who reminded me of the need to involve and value the Millennials. This associate, who is 60, owns a firm that works in the A/E arena. Of his 9 employees, all but one are Millennials. He was bragging about how smart they are, how involved they are, and how much they want to contribute.
They relish responsibility, demand instant feedback, and expect to accomplish things. They are socially responsible and want to work for companies that are involved in good causes.
And, of course, they are the technology generation. My son didn’t know how to fax a document-he had never needed to. But if he has his way, WeKnowEngineers.com will soon be available on YouTube and podcasts.
Here are some tips on how to manage your Millennials.
- Create coaching relationships between your experienced staff and the Millennials.
- Give constructive feedback immediately-not once or twice a year.
- Treat them like a colleague or associate, not a subordinate.
- Don’t shut down when they ask “why” you do things a certain way. Explain. Turn it into a learning opportunity.
- Teach basic self-management skills, such as planning their time, assigning priorities, etc.
- Work with them to develop a career plan, with goals, timelines, resources, etc.
- Create a database of “go-to” people that can help them with their learning in different subjects.
Click here to read the full article.
