Those born in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s are known as millennials. The reason that they are grouped as a separate generation is that their personalities are shaped by an admixture of use of consumer electronics and other personal technologies on one hand and parental guidance on the other hand. These two influences have given rise to some traits that are unique to these people. In fact, for some, they are a generation that are difficult to understand. A combination of millennials and elder generation can give rise to a confounding workforce which may be detrimental to the interests of the organization.  

Millennials are different from the elder generation in many aspects. Their choices, preferences, desires, and ideas are different from those of the elder generation in many respects. Since most organizations are now dominated by millennials, it pays to understand what motivates the millennial generation. There is no doubt that business success depends a lot on motivating its employees and managing the project, and it is the same with millennials. This makes the case for understanding the millennials and ways to manage them.

Involve Them In Decision Making 

The millennial generation is confident about themselves and is not bogged down by the onerous task of having to take tough decisions. It is not possible to take decisions or at least help in taking decisions until one has the standing to do so. So you need to make the millennials in your organization feel empowered and also involve them in decision-making processes, however, trivial that may be.

Appreciation and Constant Affirmation

Millennials crave for constant affirmation and appreciation for the work they are doing. They must be made to feel that they are doing a great job. So, as a manager, you need to tell these employees that they appreciate the work done by them and that their inputs are valuable to the organization.

Each Person Has to be Managed Differently

Though they are different from the elder generation, all of them are not the same. Don’t try to impose a “one size fits all” solution to managing all of them. While some of them look for continued guidance, others prefer independent action. In essence, they should make to feel that you understand them. Trying to go about dealing with them in the old may be disastrous for their confidence.

Being Flexible is the Key

Millennials don’t have great respect for rules. They are habituated to parents asking for their opinion on many aspects of daily life. They are habituated to taking part in decision making. In essence, they don’t like rules and decisions being pushed down their throat. If you press hard to comply with certain rules and decisions, you may lose a valuable employee.

Allow Ownership 

These people don’t like to be dictated, but they like to take responsibility.  They have a strong sense of entitlement regarding power, rights, rights to decisions, etc. You need to provide them with responsibility. However, handing over an entire project to such people may be counterproductive. It is a good idea to clearly define their areas of responsibility and make them feel that that they can flex their expertise, knowledge and decision-making ability in completing this part. 

Conclusion 

Managing millennials is tricky, but if you can do it well, you certainly have a trophy at hand.