This document discusses strategies for managing and developing Millennial leaders. It notes that Millennials now make up about one-third of the US workforce and 15% hold formal leadership roles. While technology skills and multitasking come easily to Millennial leaders, challenges include supervising older team members, acquiring management skills, and navigating bureaucracy. The document provides tips for coaching Millennial leaders in overcoming these challenges such as building rapport, providing feedback, and increasing influencing skills. It also offers suggestions for recruitment, engagement, and retention messages focused on challenge, flexibility, appreciation, and community.

1. the Accelerated
Millennial Manager
preparing a new
generation for leadership
success
Diane Thielfoldt & Devon Scheef
Co-Founders
The Learning Café
www.thelearningcafe.net 1

2. Silent
1933 - 1945
Gen X
1965 - 1979
Millennials
1980 - 1999
Boomers
1946 - 1964
the 4 generation workforce
2
©The Learning Café
“Parents often talk about the younger generation as
if they didn’t have anything to do with it.” Haim Ginott

3. Silents are past the traditional
retirement age of 65.
Silents are the most likely
generation to read a daily
newspaper and watch the
news on television.
the labor force of those 65 to 75
is growing at a rate of 80%
shifting
demographics
3
©TheLearningCafé

4. Baby Boomers were the
largest generation of
children born in the
United States.
The last 4.5 million Baby Boomers turned 50.
75 million Baby Boomers are redefining
consumerism during the “Golden Years.”
Boomers @65 AARP
shifting
demographics
4
©TheLearningCafé

5. 65% of Gen X is currently
employed in full-time jobs.
Gen X is the emerging
management class in
American companies.
Gen X is firmly in
position as the leader
of American parenting
philosophy.
shifting
demographics
5
©TheLearningCafé

6. The Millennials are now officially
the largest and most influential
adult population in American history.
shifting
demographics
6
©TheLearningCafé

7. 7
Silents
2%
Boomers
29%Xer's
34%
Millennials
34%
Post Millennials
1%
©TheLearningCafé
shifting
demographics
“The workplace is changing; beliefs about work life balance,
career growth, and one’s control over career sets emergent
workers worlds apart from their more traditional peers.”

8. No news is good news How am I doing?
Once a year. Documented.
Silent Gen X MillennialsBoomers
Write a memo
Let’s have a meeting
Consider communicating with media and methods that may
appeal more to others than to you.
shifting demographics
communication
Fast & Frequent
© The Learning Café
8
Send an email
Text me

9. Command & control Entrepreneurial
Coach, Mentor, FriendCollaborative
Work first
Live to work
Work to live
Life style, work style
Silent Gen X MillennialsBoomers
Ask yourself how to create a climate that is relaxed, efficient and
brings out the best in others?
shifting demographics
climate
©TheLearningCafé
9

10. shifting demographics
career
Just do the work What are my options?
I want it all, now!Pay your dues
Slow & steady
Climb the ladder
Portable portfolio
Climb the jungle gym
Silent Gen X MillennialsBoomers
Acknowledge multiple definitions of career: job, role, gig, project,
contract, temp, internship, part timer, free agent.
©TheLearningCafé
10

11. Silents
11©The Learning Café
©TheLearningCafé

12. Boomers
12©The Learning Café
©TheLearningCafé

13. Gen X
13©The Learning Café
©TheLearningCafé

14. Millennials
14©The Learning Café

15. ©TheLearningCafé
• Driven, ambitious, with a desire to excel . . .
• We are not willing to sacrifice families, free time
or happiness to do it
• Use technology to increase efficiency
• Thrive when task switching
• The greater the challenge . . .
15
unmasking Millennial myths & misconceptions
Entitled or Optimistic
Needy or Interested
Lazy? or Multi-taskers?

16. ©TheLearningCafé
Entitled? or Optimistic?
unmasking Millennial myths & misconceptions
• The Trophy Generation. We know, not everyone wins.
• Expectation for more
• We want to better the world
• We want to make a big impact
• Our age will not hinder our success
16

17. ©TheLearningCafé
• Set expectations
• Provide status updates
• Frequent performance reviews
• Explain how our role contributes
• Coach us
Millennials are Worth It!
17
Entitled or Optimistic
unmasking Millennial myths & misconceptions
Needy? or Interested?

18. ©TheLearningCafé
• Teach us
• Challenge us
• Include us in the vision
• Tell us how we’re doing
• Tell us where we’re going;
and what opportunities lie ahead
• Loyalty must be earned
18
unmasking Millennial myths & misconceptions
Entitled or Optimistic
Needy or Interested
Lazy or Multi-taskers
Not Loyal? or Deliberate?

19. ©TheLearningCafé
• We are connected
• We share our successes
• We discuss our private lives
• We want to advance our careers
• Harness the power of our social
connections
19
unmasking Millennial myths & misconceptions
Entitled or Optimistic
Needy or Interested
Lazy or Multi-taskers
Not Loyal or Deliberate
Social Media or Connected?
Junkies

20. ©TheLearningCafé
coaching Millennial talent
 Challenge, stimulate, stretch
 Opportunities to learn, grow & develop
 Create an informal & fun climate
 Provide exposure to senior leaders
 Leverage networking & social media skills
 Encourage teamwork
 Emphasize collaboration
 Communicate w/technology
 Acknowledge their confidence
 Appreciate their contribution
20

21. ©TheLearningCafé
a “Good” Bosscoaching Millennial talent
2. create Climate
3. clarify Career
1. customize Communication
Create a positive, empowering, flexible work environment. Team
atmosphere is a reflection of management tone and priorities.
Make messages meaningful. Small, daily actions add up to a larger
communication pattern that either draws people in, or pushes them away.
Candid discussions about career aspirations, reputation, and sharing
the lessons of experience are vital to engaging M’s. for the long term.
21

22. ©TheLearningCafé
a “Good” Bosscoaching Millennial talent
• Ask about preferences
• Connect in person
• Express appreciation
• Tell Ms. “you count”
• At least once a month “ask”
• Engage Millennials in conversation
• 75 – 25 Listen-talk
• Fast, frequent feedback
1. customize Communication
messages that matter
22
This is the generation of communicating,
exploring and sharing. Are you?

23. ©TheLearningCafé
a “Good” Bosscoaching Millennial talent
• Walk around, say hello, greet Millennials
• Keep commitments & appointments with Millennials
• Find a sense of humor
• Celebrate successes
• Schedule lunch with Millennials
• Increase camaraderie-building events
• Be open to M’s. new ideas and innovation
• Be open to flexible work schedules
2. create Climate
energize and empower
23
69% Millennials believe office attendance is unnecessary
on a regular basis. What do you think?

24. ©TheLearningCafé
a “Good” Bosscoaching Millennial talent
• Clear expectations
• Career conversations
• Career development plan
• Offer career development opportunities
• Encourage informal mentoring
• Keep (or start!) giving feedback
• Help M’s build skills in place
• Discuss reputation
98% of Millennials place high value on coaching,
learning and development. How do you measure up?
3. clarify Career
coaching counts
24

25. Millennial workers, including managers, now
make up about 1/3 of the US workforce.
-- Ernst & Young LLP
25
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

26. 15% of Millennials are in formal leadership roles.
-- PayScale.com
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

27. 20% of midlevel
corporate employees
now report to a boss
who is younger than
they are.
-- Pitney Bowes
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

28. “Ability to retain new leaders, young staff” is one
of Top 3 Challenges for the nonprofit sector.
-- Nonprofit Finance Fund 2015 State of the Nonprofit Sector survey
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

29. Emerging leaders under
age 45 report high levels of
career dissatisfaction, driven
in part by lack of professional
development and
advancement opportunities.
-- The Packard Foundation
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

30. “What motivates me is to learn new things and do
new stuff. If I’m not learning, I lose my motivation.”
-- Emerging Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations:
American Express & the Center for Creative Leadership
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

31. Only 5% of
Millennial
managers are
perceived as
prepared to lead.
-- Ernst & Young LLP
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead

32. 2
3
Use technology to gain speed
and efficiency
Effortless multitaskers who
move rapidly among tasks /
topics
Connected communication,
networking and social networks
©TheLearningCafé
what comes easily for millennial leaders?
millennials
take the lead
1
2
3
©TheLearningCafé

33. 1
2
3
Supervise and gain respect
of older team members
Acquire and use basic
management skills
Understand and deal with
hierarchy, bureaucracy, and
status quo
33
©TheLearningCafé
what’s more difficult or challenging?
millennials
take the lead
1
2
3

34. 1 Challenge: Supervise and gain
respect of older team members
• Build rapport
• Create trust
• Be visible and available
• Tap their experience
• Prove you can work hard
• Understand differences
in workstyle & lifestyle
• Show yourself to be
an active learner
34
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead
1
Coach

35. 2 Challenge: Acquire and use
basic management skills
• Train & develop: delegation,
feedback, performance
conversations
• Provide practical job aids: talk
tracks, how to’s, tips
• Coach & develop emotional
intelligence and business
acumen
35
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead
Coach

36. 3
Challenge: Understand and
deal with hierarchy,
bureaucracy and the status quo
• Increase their influencing skills
• Coach on the “why” (history
and context)
• Build their organizational
acumen (savvy)
• Connect them with successful
change agents
36
©TheLearningCafé
millennials
take the lead
Coach

37. ©TheLearningCafé
Highlight the challenge, the stretch
“You” can make a difference
“You” will grow and develop
Lots of flexibility
Emphasize team & teamwork
“There’s a lot of challenge
& structure. You won’t be bored.”
messages that matter
recruit, engage, retain Millennial talent
37

38. ©TheLearningCafé
Set expectations
Give a lot of feedback
Personalize the conversation
Challenging work
Create an informal environment
Answer the Why?
coaching counts
recruit, engage, retain Millennial talent
38
©The Learning Café

39. ©TheLearningCafé
Enjoyable work environment
Create community, value diversity
Demonstrate commitment
to teaching & learning
Express appreciation
Celebrate Success!
retention realities
recruit, engage, retain Millennial talent
3939