Team Building Tips

So often when working with managers and supervisors I hear them use the word "attitude problem" when describing their difficult employees. But sometimes, when I ask a few questions I discover that what is really happening is a difference in expectations about what an employee's attitude "should" be.

This is particularly true when the manager is a Baby Boomer (born 1946 to 1964) and the employee is a Generation Y or Millennial (born between 1977 and 1995). These are often the age of the children of the Baby Boom generation! So a situation sometimes exists that pits the kids against the parents so to speak. That's a natural setup for disagreement.

However, since there are 73 million Baby Boomers and 80 million Millennials with only a relatively small number of Generation X's in between (approximately 45 million) the Generation Y's are here to stay and will definitely make their mark on the workplace.

These young people are born and bred on the internet, transportable technology, and instant access to everything and every one. They think it is natural and good to questions most everything. Many were parented by "helicopter" parents and have lived intensely scheduled lives. They expect to and often know how to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. They were thanked and rewarded constantly so that is their expectation when they enter the workplace. Yes, they have an attitude, but to them it is a normal, everyday attitude.

Managers, especially Baby Boomers, find some of their demands unnerving to say the least. Millennials want to know why all the time; they don't automatically assume they will work overtime, they believe in balanced lifestyles. They have grown up with both parents working and they aren't necessarily thrilled about that!   They want their work to mean something, contribute to the world, to make a difference.

It's pretty hard to make a call center meaningful unless they are calling for their favorite interest group.  Let's face it; entry-level jobs are often not the most fulfilling. So the millennial may be cynical and verbal and the manager thinks they have an attitude problem! The manager or supervisor often expresses frustration. They did their time as a low level employee and expected to do so. Not so for the younger generation. This is a classic clash of values and expectations.

However, these are the employees of the next few generations. So they are a market trend or force. Retaining the best and brightest of them will be very important.  So learning to work with them while guiding them toward meeting team and organization goals is the job of the managers and supervisors. How do you do that?  Managing as a coach/mentor rather than a boss/superior will go a long way.  And guess what? When I talk to these young employees, they think the managers have the attitude problem!

Millennials will change the workplace...no doubt about it; just as the Baby Boomers changed it. And that's a good thing. However it will require a lot of patience, a lot of understanding and a lot of willingness to see things from their eyes as well as your own.

To receive 21 Great Ideas For Rewarding Employees That are No or Low Cost click this url. http://www.KeyManagementSkills.com - For more about setting expectations with your employees, check out the workbook at http://www.KeyManagementSkills.com/resources - - Norma Smith Davis has 20 plus years of experience working with managers and supervisors...the hardest working people in organizations today.