Cultivating Millennials as Leaders
Millennials make up the largest workforce in 2020 and create the next generation of leaders. Though, millennials aspire to be leaders, research indicates that more than 50% of millennials feel that they lack leadership skills. As present day leaders, you can make that difference by creating a learning culture for the millennials around you.
Nurture Curiosity in Leadership Training
Change is constant and millennial leaders must continuously learn and adapt. Provide them with:
- Varied on-the-job practices with role rotation
- Blended learning solutions instead of instructor-led trainings
- Role modeling leadership
Embrace Collaboration and Feedback
Collaborative relationships require continued conversations and feedback on performance. A report by Gallup in 2016 highlighted that only 19% of millennials reported receiving routine feedback, out of which only 17% found it meaningful. Moreover, only 15% of millennials actually asked for the feedback they wanted.
Create opportunities by:
- Encouraging individuals and groups to ask questions
- Providing constructive prompt feedback and also listening to the responses
Create Work-life Integration
The advent of technology has increased the pressure for modern day workers to be available 24×7 which threatens their work-life balance. Millennials value their work-life balance and hence they value the organizations and leaders that foster its’ achievement. Making way for:
- Flexibility in work schedule
- Using the right mobile technology to allow time optimization
- Opportunities to weave in physical and mental fitness with work
- Coaching the team to meet non-negotiables in personal and professional life
Reference: Deloitte’s Millenial Survey, Workplace Trends (2015), The Multigenerational Leadership Study, Virtuali and Workplace Trendes (2015) The Millenial Leadership Survey, Gallup (2016) How Millenials Want to Work and Live
