Can the Millennials and Boomers play nicely in the sandbox together?
This topic has been talked about, blogged about, videoed about and has been water cooler fodder for almost a generation - and yes, it is still one of the number one frustrations in many business owners lives: The clash of the generations. I’m tossing my two cents into the ring - yes, not only can they play nicely together BUT they can make one heck of a power team!
Here’s how:
1. Embrace the younger generation’s uniqueness, tech savviness and need for autonomy. It isn’t bad - it’s just different.
2. Realize that in 2025, 3 out of 4 workers will be Millennials - they aren’t going anywhere, so why try to change them or make them be something they aren’t?
3. Can we say Mentor? Baby Boomers make fabulous mentors for Millennials - team them up right out of the starting gate! Define their roles as less boss/underling and more Yoda/Luke Skywalker. “Help you I will” - goes a long way.
4. Understand the way Millennials communicate - email and phone calls are so passe! Texting, IM - is in. What’s wrong with a little change up in the way we get our inter office memos, “Hey I’m running a little late” or “Sorry, I’m not feeling well today” or “Hey, I just landed that big sale!”. Text, phone, email - really what’s the difference?
5. Empower your Baby Boomers to step back, let the Millennials take over some responsibilities. Make it LESS work for the Boomers - not more!
Bring on that sand box! Embrace, Understand, Empower - it works!
Susan Powers
Partner & Certified Trainer
Learn more about Sue at http://www.linkedin.com/in/susangpowers
Back to Featured Blog Posts
You might also be interested in:
