Today I want to apologize to our young readers and also remind you that I do not like stereotypes. I have used the title only to get your attention.
The topic is one I am passionate about. Maybe it is because most of my daughters fall into this age group. It also may be as a result of being frustrated by the negativity that has resulted from opinions about this generation that were made popular before most of them entered the workforce.
The biggest barrier I see to leading this young group of employees effectively is the bias that has become embedded in the low expectations and lack of compassion for them.
In order for our businesses to succeed, we need young people with high ideals and great energy.
Every business was started based on a dream – high ideals and great energy drove business success.
We can rejuvenate our businesses if we learn how to tap into these two commodities that our young employees have in abundance.
All they need is a clear direction and sincere role models and coaches willing to invest their time to learn about what drives their young employees and then help them learn how to succeed.
HBR Guide to Coaching Employees – Harvard Business Review Press, suggest asking employees some simple questions in order to find out what drives them:
- What their understanding is of the company’s contribution to the world is
- How they see working together to achieve a common dream for the future might look like
- What they think they need to learn in order to accomplish their own success and that of the company
These questions would be a good starting point for establishing a meaningful coaching relationship with your young employees.
You might want to have your managers learn these coaching skills, contact me to find out how.