Leaders dominate their domains. They surmount challenges. Truly speaking, how do they confront them? Not all alone, all the time. They get their teams aligned. So far, this is good going.
Here comes a shocking revelation! Not all leaders are fully equipped to take on challenges few years ahead. The narrative is changing.
What could happen to businesses when leaders can no longer orchestrate teams and deliver? What is the fate of leaders when their tricks run out of gas?
Before we delve into answers, let us deeply reflect the driving force –a seismic shift in workforce is impending. A recent Fortune article forecasted that millenials will be 75% of the Global workforce by 2025. This is a bigger challenge that limits leaders’ capacity to handle challenges. What worked until now will not be effective down the line. Leaders are in dire need for an upgrade.
Would you handle an electric drilling machine, the same way as you handle a nail? When offered a new set of tools at work, you have a necessity to master the method. Fortunately, machines come with an instruction manual, teams do not.
‘We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are’, recalled Max Depree.
Firstly, what is so distinct with Millenials?
- #1 Self-assertive – The parents are likely to have given the millennials an exalted sense of respect. They are the most self-assertive generation with heightened sense of entitlement. Helping them understand humility in workplace is arduous. With ‘Me-First’ attitude, they will accept anything which will be to their benefit, rather than interest of the organization.
- #2 Scale of responsibility – According to the Journal of Managerial Psychology, millennials tend to blame others more and, have lower chances of taking responsibility.
- #3 Status-quo disruptors – Millennials tend to have lesser regard for position. They love flexibility. Rather than being a conformist, millennials will disrupt the organization charts.
- #4 Great Expectations – Expectations of their employers are higher compared with the previous generations. They have easy access to information and greater technological skills. So millennials have excessive optimism, they dislike slowness in decision making, and support an inclusive management.
Explore life-changing techniques in leading millenials from Freddie, the Father Manager in an interesting business fable. Enjoy watching Freddie handle every practical day to day challenge you confront at your workplace in ‘Father Of Your Team’. Reviews from several global leaders indicate that these practices boosted their effectiveness in dealing with millenials. With over 50 practical tips for effective team management, Father Of Your Team is widely regarded as a soulful guide to modern day managers.
As per Qualtrics (Qualtrics is the world’s first employee management platform powered by predictive intelligence) survey,
67 percent of the workers surveyed said they would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a company that offers good mentorship opportunities. (Unconventional mentoring techniques from the chapters- Adjust Your sails, Feed your Focus and Differentiate without Distancing are immensely recommended by iconic leaders, coaches and psychologists. Wish to read ‘Adjust Your Sails’ for free? Mail reach@authorvenkat.com).
Qualtrics survey highlights the most important qualities millenials expect from their leaders
- Trustworthy — 81 percent (Do you wish to know how the three environmental catalysts – Empowerment, Priority Consciousness and Mentoring react resulting in teams trusting their leader quicker?)
- Respects work/life balance — 80 percent (The Chapter ‘Flying high with the Fine Balance’ from ‘Father Of Your Team’ has super-valuable leadership tips to assess work-life balance)
- Available and responsive — 64 percent (The Chapter ‘Cockpit to staying connected’ from ‘Father Of Your Team’– reveals proven techniques for engaging teams even when the leaders are constrained with time)
If you have begun noticing more millennial staff around, recollect the Malay proverb – ‘Prepare the Umbrella before it rains’.