Narrowing the Gender Gap

In the U.S., women account for over half of all entry level professional jobs, but only 37% of mid-management, 28% of VP/Senior Management, and 14% of Board and Senior Executive positions.

Narrowing the gender gap in leadership requires a critical look at generational attitudes and experiences among working women and the changing demographics of working mothers. It also necessitates a multi-faceted approach to expanding opportunities for women in business.

This is why the Interchange Group supports Catalyst, a nonprofit with over 50 years of experience conducting research and creating practical solutions that advance women in business. In lieu of holiday gifts and cards, the Interchange Group is donating funds to Catalyst's Changing Workplaces, Changing Lives Campaign, which will invest in:

• Longitudinal research to track long-term trends for women in the workplace
• An inclusive leadership initiative to equip women and men to lead 21st-century organizations
• Global outreach to support gender parity in new markets

I encourage you to choose a cause to support this holiday season that is meaningful to you!

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

The Working Mother of the Future

The number of working women in their 40s and 50s with young children will increase dramatically over the next decade. This is a departure from past generations of working women, who had children in their 20s and early 30s and were empty nesters in their 40s. Specifically, it will mean that:

• Women will be entering a timeframe of peak career and earning opportunities - defined by current workforce norms as between ages 45 and 55 - just as the demands on them as parents intensifies.
• Corporate America will see a rising share of female employees in senior positions - roles traditionally associated with significant after hour social obligations - with young children.
• Employers will experience a growing proportion of working mothers who will not be relying on the conventional economic, physical and psychological support structures associated with marriage.

Organizations that change their practices, benefits and cultures to accommodate the needs of working mothers (and fathers!) will be positioned to reap significant economic benefits in the coming decade. Recent announcements from Apple and Facebook that the companies will pay for egg freezing in support of women having high-powered careers and children is proof of this trend. 

For additional information on this important topic, download my new whitepaper, The Working Mother of the Future – How Demographics Will Force Change for Women at Work. 

To learn how to attract and retain top female talent in your organization, register for my December 4 webinar, What Women Want – Recruiting, Developing and Keeping 21st Century Female Leaders.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Ditch Your 9 Box & Simplify Succession Planning for Success

If you want to engage in successful succession planning, ditch your 9 Box. 

For those unfamiliar with the tool, the 9 Box is a chart commonly used to assess talent within an organization and to make succession planning decisions. Placement of succession planning candidates in the chart is determined by ratings of performance and potential – both based upon a 3-point scale (low, moderate, high). Each of the 9 boxes derived from the ratings is labeled. For example, the high performance/high potential category is labeled "Consistent Star." 

The 9 Box is touted as a simple way to assess talent and plan for the succession of key roles. I disagree.  The tool is overly complex and results in the following consequences: 

• Executives disengage
• HR loses credibility
• Managers game the system
• HR is burdened with extra work
• Participants lose sight of the purpose 

Succession planning it is not something to codify or get done in one sitting. It is a series of ongoing, strategic conversations about talent that take place at the executive level. These conversations require skilled facilitators and clear frameworks to guide dialogue about potential leaders for key roles. If you do not have someone internal who can objectively facilitate and who has credibility with the executive team, it is worth getting outside help. If you do not have clear parameters for evaluating potential talent against meaningful metrics, it is important to develop a straightforward method that will work for your unique industry, leaders, culture and business goals.

For more explanation, feel free to download my new whitepaper, Ditch Your 9 Box & Simplify Succession Planning for Success

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Career Advice for the Stuck Generation

Generation Xers feel caught in between "greedy" Baby Boomers, who won't move over to give their generation a shot, and "entitled" Millennials, who won't put in a decent day's work. Dwarfed by media coverage of Boomers and Millennials, Gen Xers have grown up to feel marginalized and ignored. This trend has continued into the workplace, as the needs of Gen Xers are consistently overshadowed by older and younger workers. 

As a generational expert and specialist on leadership development, I have the following career advice for the "Stuck Generation."

If you wish Boomers would get out of your way then help them to retool. It's not that they want to prevent younger generations from advancement. The problem is that many of them don't know how to move on (to retirement or to more fulfilling careers) and still support themselves, their aging parents and their children. Teach Boomers time management and delegation skills that will force them to work smarter instead of harder and longer, and you will help them reach the other side of the mountain more quickly. 

On the flipside, if you want Millennials to "toughen up" you will need to do a better job of managing their expectations. Invest your limited time in beefing up your company's interviewing, onboarding and career development initiatives. Millennials who know what is expected of them and what it takes to get to the next level will surprise you with their productivity and loyalty. 

And lastly, Gen Xers, I know you value your autonomy but even you could use a little help. Seek out the training you deserve to boost your communication and leadership skills. Otherwise, you'll play right into the stereotypes associated with your own generation. Or as the lead Gen X character in the film, Office Space, remarks, "It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care."

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Millennials Don't Want To "Lean In"

Recent media coverage of Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In, highlights the roles of women in the workplace and the bias and unfairness experienced by female professionals. Sandberg's powerful message is, however, distinctly shaded by her own generational lens and experience as a woman coming of age and entering the workforce in the wake of the women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Her "mission to reboot" feminism and to reframe discussions on gender uniquely reflects her Generation X values of autonomy and work-life balance, and misses the mark with Millennial women, who do not see gender inequality in the workplace and are either confused or annoyed at the negativity they think older generations bring to the subject. 

In order to understand women's issues in the workplace and to retain and engage them as employees, companies must recognize that generational differences among working women exist and that each generation has an equally valid perspective on the topic. 

For a critical reference guide on the generational traits, experiences and attitudes of American working women, download my whitepaper, "Millennials Don't Want To Lean In -- Why Generational Differences Among Working Women Matter To Companies," or please feel free to contact me directly for more information and insight.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Amy will be presenting on New Hire Onboarding and Succession Planning for the 21st Century at the annual SHRM conference, June 22-23, 2014.

Top 5 Drivers of High Potential Engagement

The science of Human Resource Management was literally developed in the 1920s and 1930s during a time when the generational ethos was one of self-sufficiency, organization, and productivity. HR practices today remain tethered to these tenets, and it is striking to see how ill-suited most companies are for the Millennial generation’s values of creativity, community and equality.

Millennials will set the tone for employee engagement and the changing employer contract for the foreseeable future. The pure size and influence of this generational cohort will affect the perceptions and attitudes of Generation X and Baby Boomer employees as well. To determine the best high potential engagement strategies for companies, we must look to the Millennial generation for insight.

Using Millennials as the norm, here are the top five drivers of engagement for high potential employees.

1. Transparency of Information - Millennials require companies to be transparent with information and to provide access to data, so they can perform effectively in their jobs and make decisions about their careers.
2. Connection to the Corporate Strategy - Millennials need line of sight to the business strategy to perform in their jobs well, and to understand that their work has a purpose.
3. Visibility - Millennials stay engaged when they get exposure to the senior executives who are driving the strategy and who have their own experiences to share.
4. Opportunity - Millennials are driven by opportunities to advance in their careers and to develop professionally.
5. Personalized Recognition - Millennials expect to participate in programs and receive rewards that are personalized and that recognize them for their time and efforts. 

Companies face unprecedented challenges brought on by demographic shifts, economic uncertainty, new technology, and constant, disruptive changes to their organizations. The Millennial leaders of the future will require new competencies and expertise to drive business performance. In return, these new leaders will expect their employers to engage them in drastically different ways than their predecessors.

Is your organization ready to make the change?

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Amy will be presenting on High Potential Engagement and Succession Planning for the 21st Century at the annual SHRM conference, June 22-23, 2014.

5 Strategies for Retaining the Class of 2014

The average tenure of a Millennial is 1.8 years. That should worry employers, given the high costs of attrition and imminent talent shortages forecasted. 55 million job vacancies are projected in the U.S. over the next six years, 31 million of which will come from Baby Boomer retirements.

As the Class of 2014 enters the workforce, employers must adopt these five strategies to engage and retain Millennials. Their bottom lines will depend on it.

1. Revamp Onboarding Practices with Millennials in Mind – Most corporate orientation and onboarding programs miss the mark with Millennials, contributing to high attrition rates in the first year. Critically assess and retool onboarding practices with Millennials in mind. 

2. Train Supervisors to Effectively Manage & Coach Millennials – Managers play a critical role in retaining this generation. Invest in corporate training to teach supervisors how to provide appropriate feedback and career development to Millennials. 

3. Provide Millennials Opportunities to Solve "Real" Problems – Millennials want meaningful work from the start of their employment. Challenge managers to provide new hires with projects that can make an immediate difference to the company. 

4. Establish a Sense of Community – 28% of Millennials report quitting a job because they didn't feel connected to the organization.  Build (and participate in!) social activities that foster the sense of community Millennials expect in the workplace.

5. Offer Debt Reduction – The median total indebtedness of college graduates with student loans is $137,010. Offer corporate programs for debt reduction to win big loyalty points from Millennials.

By 2018, the Department of Labor reports that Millennials will make up 50% of the U.S. workforce. The size and influence of this generation means that Millennials will continue to set the tone for employee engagement and the evolving employer-employee contract. Companies that implement these strategies will have a significant competitive advantage in their industries and in the labor market.

For more information and resources on this topic, log onto www.interchange-group.com.

Upcoming Events:

• Succession Planning for the 21st Century: Future Trends & Practical Guidelines for Building the Talent Pipeline, June 22, 2014, SHRM Annual Conference, Orlando

• High Potential Engagement: Key Strategies for Assessing, Engaging and Developing Top Talent, June 23, 2014, SHRM Annual Conference, Orlando

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Why Millennials Love You As Interns & Leave You As Employees

Millennials want opportunities for meaningful work from the start of their employment. They are ambitious in their professional development and look to the workplace to build their community and network.

Many companies are successful at providing Millennials with meaningful internships so that they convert to full-time hires. However, these same organizations often fail to retain their Millennials as employees, because the full-time employment experience differs too greatly from the intern experience.

This is why Millennials love you as interns and leave you as employees:

• Interns are urged to meet new people and explore the company, while full-time hires are discouraged from actively networking
• Interns receive messages such as "our doors are always open," while full-time hires hear "know your place"
• Interns enjoy explicit career-pathing guidance, while full-time hires receive little or no career development
• Interns work for managers invested in their experience, while full-time hires report to whomever has headcount, regardless of that manager's people skills

Intern programs are costly and must have a high return on investment to prove valuable. To succeed, and to create competitive advantages in their industries, companies must create a seamless transition and experience from intern to full-time hire. 

For strategies on effectively managing this transition, download my white paper, "The Rocky Transition from Intern to Full-Time Hire,"  or contact me directly.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Succession Planning Now for Successful Leaders Later

The Human Capital Institute (HCI) recently released their interview with me on my succession planning practices and expertise in building a strong talent pipeline for organizations.

This podcast, Succession Planning Now for Successful Leaders Later, addresses six critical succession planning issues facing companies:

1. What are organizations doing differently today to prepare Millennials for leadership roles?
2. What methods are effective in assessing and addressing talent for skills gaps?
3. How can organizations simplify the succession planning process or begin with an easy approach?
4. How often and with whom should you engage in the succession planning process?
5. Should "high potential" employees be informed of their status?
6. How can the scope of succession planning reach beyond the executive level?

Please feel free to listen to the free podcast and/or contact me directly with any questions or comments on the topic.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Succession Planning for Nonprofits

Demographic shifts are affecting society and its institutions in powerful ways. As America's population ages, we will see unprecedented transfers of authority and responsibility from the Traditionalist and Baby Boomer generations to Generation X and the Millennial Generation. The impact to nonprofit organizations and the boards that govern them will be especially profound. 

Consider this:

• Almost 60% of nonprofits Executive Directors are over 50
• Only 17% of nonprofits have documented succession plans for their Executive Directors

There are certain steps that nonprofit boards must take, as part of their governance duties, to establish executive succession plans. Without these plans, the financial and organizational sustainability of the nonprofit is at risk. 

In my consulting work over the past 12 years I have frequently been asked to guide nonprofits through the necessary steps to establish executive succession plans. I have simplified the process so that most Boards complete the plan within 1-2 months using my expertise as a guide. 

If you are interested in learning more about this approach, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at ahr@interchange-group.com.

For more information and resources on succession planning, onboarding and the multigenerational workforce, log onto www.interchange-group.com.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

The Top 5 Human Capital Investments for 2014

The Department of Labor reports that the U.S. labor force declined in 2013 by almost 550,000 workers, 76% of which belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 

2014 will be the year when demographics tip the scales and the supply of high-performing talent will begin to steadily decrease. Companies who cannot attract and engage Millennial and Generation X workers will suffer losses. Talent acquisition and management will become CEO level initiatives and significant investments will be made to five key categories:

• Attracting & onboarding top talent at all levels
• Engaging & managing Millennial workers
• Revolutionizing performance management & career development practices
• Building 21st century leaders
• Planning for the succession of executive & mission critical roles

In the coming years, organizations will rise and fall accordingly to how well they execute on these core initiatives. 2014 marks a sea change in human capital management. Are you prepared?

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Year End Strategic Planning - A Meditation

A good practice for executives is to stop long enough to look back on the year and determine what you intended, what changed, and where you arrived. 

I like to meet with my clients during fourth quarter budget planning to do this serious thinking. We sit down together to review the year that has passed and examine the state of the company. We look at what worked and what didn't work, and what we learned from each success and failure. It is a quiet time, often a reflective time. A meditation.

From this insight, we can plan forward. We reflect on the business strategy and assess the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as it relates to the most critical phases in the talent lifecycle:

• Onboarding, integrating and developing new economy workers into organizations
• Developing existing leaders to prepare them to move up, take on more responsibility, and guide the organization's growth
• Planning for the succession of key positions by defining future state roles and developing talent pipelines to succeed outgoing generations

From here we can set appropriate goals that will achieve and accelerate the results of the business strategy. We prioritize our objectives and initiatives for the upcoming year, what they will cost, whether we have the right resources, and how many steps it will take to implement these goals.

Once we have approved budgets, we then go over the goals and initiatives that we outlined in our planning. We edit those goals to align with the budget we have been given, ensuring realistic expectations. The result is that we are able to determine what we can realistically and economically achieve to drive significant change and competitive advantage over next 12 months.

Some examples of goals that my clients are setting for the upcoming year revolve around:

• Recruiting and retaining top talent in the face of increasing talent shortages
• Improving the accountability, reliability and performance of younger workers
• Increasing the ownership and commitment to corporate goals of midlevel managers
• Developing leadership competencies among high potential employees at all levels
• Executing the smooth succession plans for outgoing leadership
• Empowering communication and productivity across all generations and business units

This quiet review of the year and strategic planning for the next develops discipline and strategic oversight for the organization, and, over time, becomes knowledge. This is deep knowledge: of ourselves, of the companies we serve, of the industries in which we work, and how all of this changes (or does not) over time, year after year.

This disciplined practice is also what drives and advances thought leadership and professional development in the Human Capital field. I recommend it.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Upcoming Webinar: Succession Planning for the New Economy: Growing Your High Potential Pipeline for the Roles That Matter Most
Hosted by the Human Capital Institute
Live webinar on December 17 at 12:00pm PST
Webinar recasts on December 18 & 19

Upcoming Onboarding & Succession Planning Webinars

I am pleased to offer two webinars in December: one on effective strategies for onboarding "new economy" workers and another on growing high potential talent pipelines for effective succession planning. 

For more details or to register, click on the links below.

New Hire Onboarding: Practical Advice to Boost Performance & Retention

Hosted by Business Management Daily

Live webinar on December 11 at 10:00am PST

Succession Planning for the New Economy: Growing Your High Potential Pipeline for the Roles That Matter Most 

Hosted by the Human Capital Institute

Complimentary live webinar on December 17 at 12:00pm PST

Multiple complimentary webinar recasts on December 18 & 19

For further questions or insight on either topic, contact me directly at ahr@interchange-group.com.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Disaster & Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am feeling grateful for the basics: health, shelter, food, water, love.  

The need for disaster relief to provide those basics this holiday season is HUGE. 

As a result, the Interchange Group is donating EARLY this year, and in lieu of holiday gifts and cards, supporting various projects of the GlobalGiving Foundation, a nonprofit online marketplace that connects donors to causes and countries directly. Receiving top ratings by Guidestar and Charity Navigator, GlobalGiving centers on transparency, allowing donors to view and monitor the impact of their financial contributions.

Here are a few of the many disaster relief efforts to which you can donate directly through GlobalGiving:

• Typhoon Haiyan Survivors' Food Security Project
• Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction
• Relief Fund for Colorado Flooding Survivors

I encourage you to choose a cause to support this holiday season that is meaningful to you.

Thank you. Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Onboarding New Employees

96% of companies believe employees make their decision to stay or leave within the first six months of employment. If you are going to spend money and time acquiring top talent and paying them to work, why not prepare them to succeed and stay?

There is no one-size-fits all approach to employee onboarding. Every situation is unique and an effective onboarding program will have direct alignment to a company's long-term strategy and goals. However, the following pitfalls to avoid apply to all conditions:

1. Not having a clean and ready workstation on Day One
2. Assuming a new hire cannot be productive in his or her job from Day One
3. Cramming 20 hours of information into four dull hours of orientation
4. Neglecting the importance of cultural adaptation to the new hire's success
5. Ignoring the onboarding needs of mid- and senior level employees
6. Relying on organizational charts, rather than cultural norms and behavior, to explain lines of communication
7. Failing to address generational needs and differences in the onboarding process
8. Starting new hires when their supervisor is absent
9. Running a disorganized program
10. Adopting a "sink or swim" approach because it worked for you!

Employees who feel challenged, empowered and acknowledged during the first year of employment will reward companies with loyalty and productivity. Those who feel overlooked or marginalized will eventually leave for opportunities that better meet their needs. To what extent does your onboarding process fit the needs and expectations of your top talent?

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Tailor Your Onboarding Strategy to Each Generation

The Impact of Generational Differences on New Employee Onboarding
Effective new hire onboarding will be critical for employee retention and engagement in the future as demographic shifts significantly alter the talent landscape. America's 80 million Baby Boomers will be succeeded in their roles by a cohort (Generation X) that is half their size, intensifying the competition among employers for top talent. Compounding the situation are the Millennials, representing the youngest generation in the labor market and entering the workforce with drastically different expectations for their careers, including how their employers treat and develop them during their first year on the job. Failure to properly engage each generation up front will prove costly for organizations.

To stay competitive, companies must tailor their new employee onboarding strategies to each generation.

Onboarding Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers have always worked and played hard, often competing with their numerous peers to get ahead and display outward symbols of success. Their values center on professional identity and prestige while staying youthful and healthy. When integrating new Baby Boomers employees into the company, focus on:

• Professional Renewal – Will they have the opportunity to recalibrate their career goals and skills?
• Organizational Hierarchy – Do they understand the organizational hierarchy to effectively navigate professional relationships?
• Performance Management Process – Do they know how they will be evaluated and by whom?

Onboarding Generation Xers
Generation Xers grew up with divorced, dual-income, late-working parents. Although their work ethic is strong, they are unwilling to spend every waking minute in the office at the expense of their personal lives. Gen Xers want their employers to recognize them on the basis of merit and efficiency, not the amount of time spent in their chairs. To onboard them for long term success, emphasize:

• Access to Information – Do they know where and how access necessary information about their job and the company?
• Relevant Resources – Do they have the most pertinent resources to perform?
• Clear Priorities & Metrics – Are they clear on the performance metrics that the company and their bosses will be measuring?

Onboarding Millennials
Millennials are accustomed to and expect frequent encouragement and acknowledgement. Having grown up in a 24/7 world of global events and communication, they are motivated to solve large-scale problems and see blurred boundaries between work and the rest of their lives. To onboard this generation, provide them with:

• Community – Do they feel bonded to their peers, bosses, and subordinates as colleagues and friends?
• Corporate Culture – Are they clear on and enthusiastic about the company's culture and values?
• Professional Growth – Do they perceive their supervisors and HR partners as mentors who actively guide them in their careers?

Generational differences in values, motivations and behavior directly inform perceptions about work and the workplace. Thoughtful new employee onboarding procedures are vital to a company's bottom line, and can succeed if organizations are willing to adopt a strategic approach tailored to each generation.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Succession Planning, Part 2 – 5 Key Strategies

This is Part 2 of a series on effective succession planning. Part 1 focused on The 3 Main Tenets of Succession Planning. This post provides 5 key strategies for successful execution.

Succession planning is a dynamic process that takes place through a series of robust conversations about the future, which in turn develop the best organizational capacity to meet key business objectives. Companies need smart people involved who understand the goals of the business and are able to have productive, strategic dialog about the talent pipeline, and are able to execute on key decisions. Here are 5 key strategies will help to ensure a successful outcome:

1. Align succession planning with strategic planning - Companies must include talent planning in their strategic planning practices to survive and thrive in the 21st century.
2. Ensure senior leadership participation and training - HR should play a facilitative role in succession planning, but the real responsibility for managing the talent pipeline falls on senior management.
3. Consult with potential successors - Validate assumptions about the ambitions and expectations of employees, especially those from younger generations, to deter false senses of security about the future.
4. Break down organizational silos - Work to create company-wide teams and rewards, because it is too difficult to provide real development opportunities for employees when silos exist and managers hoard their star performers.
5. Update plans regularly - Incorporate regular reviews of succession plans into strategic planning and management meetings to ensure ongoing relevancy with future talent needs.

A company's success and legacy across future generations depend upon new approaches to succession planning. My whitepaper, The 3 Main Tenets of Effective Succession Planning, addresses this topic in depth. Feel free to download it or contact me directly for more insight and guidance.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Succession Planning, Part 1 – The 3 Main Tenets

75% of executives view succession planning as the top human capital challenge that could derail their company’s attainment of key strategic business objectives. Yet demographic shifts, globalization, emerging communication technologies and rising economic uncertainty have changed the playing field and altered what is required of 21st century leaders.  Existing succession planning models have not kept up.

The 3 Main Tenets of Effective Succession Planning

Companies with succession planning systems in place are set up to fail by complex processes. To ensure the ongoing success of the business and its legacy across future generations, organizations must adhere to these three main tenets of succession planning.

1. Succession planning should be a program focused on keeping talent in the pipeline. It is an ongoing process of preparation, not a one-time process of pre-selection.
2. Succession planning should be uncomplicated. The more complex it is, the less likely it will succeed.
3. Succession planning should extend beyond the top executive level to all tiers of the organization that play a pivotal role in the success of the business.

Part 2 of this series will focus on the 5 Key Strategies for Effective Succession Planning. To learn more now about the critical requirements and pitfalls of succession planning, watch, Building the Talent Pipeline to the 21st Century, or download any of existing succession planning white papers and resources directly from my website. 

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Gen X Bosses vs. Millennial Employees - Part 2

This is part 2 of a series on the contentious dynamic between Generation X bosses and Millennial direct reports. Part 1  focused on the Millennial generation and provided Gen X bosses with strategies to manage their Millennial employees. This post focuses on the Gen X experience and provides Millennials with tactics for managing their Gen X bosses.

Here are some strategies for Millennials to manage their Gen X Bosses more effectively:

Demonstrate Initiative:  Gen Xers were "latchkey kids" used to doing things on their own without supervision.  They expect the same of their direct reports. 

• Show your boss that you can solve problems with minimal guidance
• If you complete an assignment, ask for additional work to provide value
• Accept that sometimes you have to work late to complete projects

Follow Up:  Growing up, Gen Xers became risk-averse from the constant uncertainty of the energy crisis, the Cold War and AIDS. To mitigate threats at work, Gen Xers need to know that deadlines are being met. 

• Provide your boss with progress reports at regular intervals
• If you make a request and don't hear back, follow up to keep the project on deadline
• Let your boss know immediately if you won’t meet a deadline and what you plan to do about it

Mind Their Time: Gen X managers balance competing demands to meet business goals. Under constant pressure to "do more with less" they often don't have time for daily coaching to their direct reports. 

• Consolidate questions to email or scheduled meetings instead of interrupting your boss multiple times a day
• Be patient if your boss hasn't responded quickly to your email
• Avoid phone/tablet use during meetings with your boss to show active listening

My whitepaper, Gen X Bosses vs. Millennial Workers – The Contentious Divide, addresses this topic in depth and provides targeted solutions for Gen X bosses and Millennial employees for improving performance and retention. Feel free to download it or contact me directly for more insight and guidance.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy

Gen X Bosses vs. Millennial Employees - Part 1

A lively panel, "Millennials Speak Out: How to Manage the Gen X Boss," at last month's SXSW conference exposed the antagonistic attitudes between Gen X bosses and their Millennial direct reports. At the heart of this conflict are two distinct sets of generational values, motivations and behaviors that have become contentious, critical obstacles to performance and retention.

Here are some strategies for Gen X bosses to manage their Millennial employees more effectively:

Stay Connected:  Connected to parents and peers through close personal relationships and social media, Millennials are successful when they have an ongoing support and feedback system at work. 

• Connect frequently with Millennials using 2-minute debriefs or email/IM check-ins to answer questions and provide feedback.
• Mentor Millennials to offer guidance and reinforce company culture and norms.
• Take time to recognize Millennials by name on a daily basis.

Make it Meaningful:  Millennials want work to benefit society. They are more likely to perform (and less likely to quit!) if they feel their work has meaning and is connected to a bigger picture. 

• Explain the “why” behind your decisions - Don’t wait for them to ask!
• Acknowledge Millennials’ work and its significance to the overall project/company. 
• Provide (and participate in!) social activities to foster community.

Enable Teamwork: Millennials are peer oriented and likely to feel isolated and disengaged from their work when they can’t collaborate with their boss. 

• Promote cross-functional teamwork and communication to complete assignments.
• Include Millennials in brainstorming and goal setting sessions for their projects.
• Provide technology to connect Millennials to their network and information.

Part 2 of this series will focus on providing strategies for Millennial employees to manage their Gen X bosses more effectively.  Stay tuned!

My whitepaper, Gen X Bosses vs. Millennial Workers – The Contentious Divide, addresses this topic in depth and provides targeted solutions for Gen X bosses and Millennial employees for improving performance and retention. Feel free to download it or contact me directly for more insight and guidance.

Amy Hirsh Robinson, Principal, Interchange Group

Workforce Strategies for the New Economy