Are you ready for Generation Z? If you thought managing and leading Millennials was a challenge – Generation Z is a whole different ball game. Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2005, are the first truly wired generation who adopt quickly to new technologies. The leading edge of this generation are just entering the workforce. According to the most recent stats they now make up 40% of the working and consumer population. Chances are they are already working for you. The data suggests they will soon out number millennials. Are you ready?
The good news is that people are just people. Everyone wants to feel that they are valued and are treated with respect. They want to be included – not excluded – on matters that will impact them personally or professionally. They want to know that they have been heard and that their contributions to team success is not only encouraged but are appreciated. They want management to take a vested interest in their development by equipping them with the skills set they’ll need to take advantage of any opportunites for advancement.
No one likes to be micro managed. You need to inject some autonomy and allow them do their thing their way as long as it accomplishes the task on time and on budget. Timely face to face communication is important. They need to know how they are doing – good or bad. For the first time in our lifetime we have the potential of working with 4 different generations in the same workplace. Each generation communicates and interacts differently. Each generation is motivated by different wants. Each generation manages and likes to be managed differently. However, when you get right down to it the common denominator is that people are just people. Treat them accordingly and the challenges managing and leading each generation won’t matter.
Copyright (c) 2019. Brian Smith, Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and how he can help you and your organization visit: https://briansmithpld.com
Have you ever licked a 9-volt battery? (I’m not suggesting that you do – I’m just asking if you have). When adults do something that makes them feel good – that gets them excited – what are they more apt to do? If you licked a 9-volt battery and you liked that sensation – then more than likely you’d lick it again. I believe the key to motivating someone is to figure out what turns their crank – figure out what they are looking to get out of the deal. People do things for their own reason – not yours. All you have to do is figure out what’s in it for them and use that to get them to do what you need to get done.
Yes, I admit it. I was once a control freak! I was an “old school” micro-manager. Trust me – in my 40+ year career as an award-winning entrepreneur and general manager for a major corporation, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. I’m here to confess my number one sin in the hope that first-time supervisors, managers and business leaders will learn what not to do. I also think there’s a lesson here for seasoned veterans who developed their management style in the late 1960’s like I did. Social psychologist Douglas McGregor referred to it as a “Theory X” style of management. Managers who adopted this style believed that workers were inherently lazy and needed to be bullied or brow-beaten into performing their work. Employees were never to question authority. “Do as I say – not as I do. When I tell you to jump – the only thing you can ask is how high”. There are still a number of managers and business leaders out there who continue to manage and lead that way. They manage and lead by intimidation. I’m here to tell you the days of the “Bully Boss” are over.
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