A couple of months ago I followed Jabez Le Bret‘s presentation about Millennial Employees on a national meeting agenda. He is an entertaining speaker and an excellent story teller. As every speaker hopes, one of his stories stuck with me.
When Jabez (a Millennial himself) was eight years old, his parents decided to purchase a new house. They took him along when house hunting, and asked his opinion about every neighborhood and potential residence. As he says, it’s not that he actually had a vote in the decision. His parents just wanted him to know that they considered his opinion important. What he thought mattered to them.
I remember visiting relatives when I was young. I was usually left to my own devices in the back yard. Bored, I’d burst into the house to announce my latest discovery. My interruption of the adults sitting around the table was met with “Can’t you see that we are talking?” I could wait an insufferably long time to be invited into the conversation or (more often the case), I’d get the message (“We aren’t interested.”) and wander off again.
I thought about how that contrasted with how we treated our sons. Under the same circumstances we would invariably stop the adult conversation and turn our attention to the child. We wanted to share their excitement. We wanted them to know that what they saw or did was important to us.
Extend that to the entire Soccer Mom culture. Days are arranged around children’s school commitments, sports, and other extracurricular activities. If I participated in an after-school activity, getting home was my problem, and dinner might or might not be available. Today, most parents wouldn’t dream of letting their child find their own way home, especially on a short winter day. The chariot awaits when they are done (if the parent wasn’t already watching the practice.) Dinner is served when they get home.
“Just listen to me.”
Do you still wonder why your Millennial employees feel entitled to offer an opinion on their job duties two weeks after their initial hire? They come into your office (expecting an immediate audience, of course), and opine on your operating methods, technology and perhaps your entire business strategy.
Our knee jerk reaction is some business version of “Can’t you see that we are talking?” We feel obliged to put them in their place. Perhaps not in so many words, but by pointing out that they don’t have the experience, training or tenure to make a real contribution.
But they’ve been raised knowing that their opinion counts. Adults all around them have reacted that way since birth. All their friends experienced the same behavior. Will they think their entire life to date was an aberration, or that you are the outlier? You become the one who doesn’t understand.
Opinions offered by Millennial employees aren’t a criticism of you or your company. They don’t have appropriate respect for your experience because they have little of their own to measure it against. It will come, but in the meantime take a few minutes to listen to them.
You may see it as pandering, but you aren’t going to unravel a lifetime of learning in one conversation. Hear them out. They are less concerned about changing things than they are about being acknowledged.
Thanks for reading Awake at 2 o’clock! Please share it with another business owner.
Two excellent blogs in consecutive weeks – wow – you are on a roll John!
The motto for our drilling company is, “one team, one fight”. I have learned everyone can contribute in a positive way, if the culture is such in a company that encourages employees to think, no matter their season in life.
Thanks Will. It only took ten years to have a streak!
Great message. Listening is one of several key ways to connect with Millennials. After working with about 10,000 of these early career employees, they definitely appreciate being heard.
Good one John and not even mention the Millennials are soon to be if not already the biggest segment of the workforce and along with that our biggest segment of customers and suppliers. I think we have no choice but to pay attention.
Thought provoking John. It is important to keep in mind that while a millennial may be an employee they are also a reflection of what is trending in the marketplace. Opinions can result in exploring how a business might make adjustments to remain contemporary and position themselves as leaders in their field.
Totally agree John. They want to participate and contribute.
John, Totally agree. Listening is so important. We start all our meeting with a ” Good Things Report” and get a lot of good feed back from the new employees, that see our organization with an entirely new vision.
John. It is interesting that the study of millennial is exposing truths that have always been there. For the last 50years, I have observed that you can build much stronger and better aligned teams if you listen to everyone. Some very great things come from observations of the new employee who sees things differently. If they are slightly off, then it provides you an opportunity to teach them something. They are more inclined to be open if they have initiated the conversation. Never miss a teaching opportunity or a learning opportunity.
Every group can contribute- but under the same rules as everyone else. The 2 ears/1 mouth rule of listen more than talking applies equally no matter your birthday. And every employee, no matter their hire date, should demonstrate the willingness to show up on time, work and contribute to a team, and work effectively without having to be babysat. That’s what builds up the respect that allows you to be critical. While millennials have issues, turns out we all do. Just don’t show up, knowing everything, not listening, performing poorly, and expect that you will get the other’s ear.