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REWRITING THE RULES OF MANAGEMENT

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things.”

—Apple Inc.

You are ready to shake things up. You don’t mind rocking the boat, going against the grain, or charting your own course. The road less traveled—why not? The path never traveled—absolutely! A shortcut to any path or road (traveled or not)—well, that’s more like it.

After speaking with many millennial managers, it is apparent you are not afraid to rewrite the traditional rules of management that you feel aren’t working anymore. When you think through the traditional rules of management, it can be a bleak picture. You think about:

Command and control

Authority telling you what to do

People executing orders or demands

Rules, regulations, and policies

Hierarchy and a chain of command

Looking up to find out information

Organization and discipline rule

Ideas and initiatives coming from the top

Shunning eccentric ideas from people who want to change the world

Doing whatever the boss says to do

Millennial managers are not going to do something the way it’s always been done just because it’s always been done that way—especially if it doesn’t make sense to them. When you think of modern-day management and the values that your generation is instilling, you think:

Consensus building and collaboration rule

Look out to find information

Ideas can come from anyone or anywhere—including the bottom

Being a leader people want to follow

Adjusting management styles to fit different people

Helping employees grow and develop

Engaging and empowering Listening, understanding, and working together

Making mistakes is okay

Thinking differently is encouraged

Even the individual words used in this list are brighter, more positive, and more inviting. This is the language of millennial managers. You want your organization to make profits and progress, but you also put a priority on people and passions.

If there is a faster, quicker, easier, or more fun way to do something, the millennial manager will find it and take that route. You don’t mind throwing tradition or process aside if you can improve efficiency. You are accustomed to having a lot of data at your fingertips at a moment’s notice, and you don’t mind offering a new, different, or unconventional idea if it will be beneficial—even if it shakes things up.

You grew up with change—in an environment where a six-month-old phone is outdated. Your generation has lived in a world that is ever-transforming itself, so you don’t mind if your workplace reflects this “normal.” On the other hand, for older generations that may be more comfortable with security or proven strategies, they may not mind going along with the flow to keep things steady and consistent. You can see how tension may arise between the “why don’t we just try it” millennials and the “why don’t we stick with the plan” elders.

Now you’re not shaking things up in a negative or revolutionary way, but you will tweak the ideas and structures that you don’t think work anymore.

TEARING DOWN THE LADDER

“Tear down this ladder!” I have talked about this theme before, but millennial managers will bring down the corporate ladder. Again, it’s not all about looking up at a boss; it’s more about working together as a group to solve problems.

This notion of connectedness greatly impacts how you perceive hierarchy in the workplace. With social networking, connections can be made like a spider web. In previous generations, a chain of command was just that—a chain. It started and ended at specific points, and movement up or down could only be made one link at a time. While fundamentally you don’t have an issue with authority, you don’t think about hierarchy the same way other generations do.

In a keynote address, Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point,¹ compared and contrasted the idea of hierarchy versus the millennials’ idea of the network. Millennials don’t think in terms of hierarchy, as they are accustomed to looking “out” for information instead of looking “up.” The Internet and social networks give you the information you need. Gladwell analyzed the traditional view of hierarchy through a couple of prominent social movements. When you think about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, that was a hierarchy. There was a clear leader—Martin Luther King Jr.—and there was a structure and order in the people below him. Now take a look at the two big millennial-driven movements of recent years—Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring. Who was the leader? Who drove those initiatives? No one really. They were inspired by social media and the power of the collective. Again, a dramatic difference from other generations with a powerful impact on what you will be like as a leader.

For millennials, it’s not about the hierarchy ladder. It’s not about busting your tail and working countless hours to move up a rung on the ladder, to climb slowly toward the top. For millennials, that sounds exhausting and unfulfilling. You want to make a difference, and you want to do meaningful work. That doesn’t mean you want to be tied to your desk and controlled by your job so you can maybe earn a few extra dollars one day. For millennials, it’s not worth it. Millennials are turning this career ladder—where the only way is up—into career scaffolding. You can take the ladder up toward management, but you also can take the parallel route for a career transition. You can go up, around, or across to try out different jobs, and you can even take the walkway down for less responsibility. There are different options to fit different people at different points in their lives. It’s not the “up-or-out” burn-out idea of the corporate ladder.

Companies such as Deloitte have embraced a similar idea, termed the “career lattice.”² Not everyone wants to bust their tail and work up toward senior management. Maybe a dad wants to take a step back to a less time-intensive role while raising his kids, or maybe a salesperson would like to make a career change into human resources at the same company. More organizations are moving away from the “up-or-out” philosophy to retain and engage top talent. Millennial managers will support this idea of a career lattice as great employees are shirking from the idea of “climbing the corporate ladder.” Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and author of Delivering Happiness, shares, “A lot of people work hard at building a career so that one day down the road they think it will bring them happiness. And most of the time, when they finally accomplish their goal, they realize that it doesn’t really end up bringing happiness or fulfillment for the long term.”

Likewise, millennials aren’t game for putting in five to ten years climbing up this corporate ladder to one day, maybe, possibly, hopefully, reach that point of happiness or success. Millennials want to have that all along the way. Your generation is more inspired by building relationships, having meaningful work, and making a difference. These are the ideas and values that inspire you, and these are the principles you will share to inspire your people.

BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS

Millennial managers are breaking down the walls—figuratively and literally. Millennials do not want obstacles that put “walls” in between levels or groups of employees. Your generation does not understand or see any benefit in bureaucracy. Why go through a ladder of people or jump through hoops to try and reach a decision? Millennial managers will just say come directly to me, and I will answer your question. Millennials see bureaucracy or gatekeepers as a waste of time. Productivity is all about accessibility. Millennial managers have an open-door policy because if their employees need information now, then they want to provide that. Millennials solve and handle problems as they come up—on the spur of the moment. Their team members can feel free to pop by their desk to ask questions or bounce ideas off of them because “closed doors” or bureaucracy hinders the free flow of information and stifles productivity.

I talked about transparency of information, and millennials want their physical work spaces to be transparent as well. Millennials are breaking down the mahogany desks and doors to the corner office, and they are creating open workspaces. No one has to wonder what happens at that big, executive meeting, because now the conference room is behind glass doors. The physical space is transparent just like the culture.

There are fewer cubicles to create artificial walls, and more companies have open floor plans to allow for the free exchange of ideas that can come from anywhere—the assistant account coordinator or the CEO sitting right next to him.

Young professionals who run or lead companies are making this statement that they are no better than their newest employee. The CEO of 37signals—Jason Fried—sits on the open floor next to his team. He doesn’t shroud himself in secrecy behind closed doors.

Millennials are also breaking down the walls between people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2011, twenty percent of millennials are Hispanic, and millennials are more racially diverse than any generation before them. One of the most multiculturally aware generations, millennials see and connect with people first, and they are open to differences—gender, religion, age, culture, experiences, sexual orientation, and the list goes on. In general, millennials are tolerant and accepting, and they appreciate the richness that diversity brings.

Millennials embrace the new term of “Conversity®,” which is the idea of finding similarities among people that open you up to the differences that surround you. Millennials grew up with diversity, so it’s like second nature. Alexandra Levit, author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, recalls poignant interchanges with two different millennial employees at two different companies. When talking to managers about diversity, millennials made a statement along the lines of, “Why do we have to have a special program for diversity? Diversity should be a given. You should be able to walk into the lobby and see all kinds of faces.” For your generation, it’s hard to understand that people need to be taught about diversity. You grew up with it, and you’re accustomed to it.

In an ever-changing economy and world, the successful organizations and leaders will be those who can understand and work well with diverse teams and people. Millennials have grown up in a diverse world, and they expect their workplaces and teams to be that way as well. Your generation will continue to forge a path and break down the barriers to create an open, transparent, accepting, and diverse workplace.

COMMUNICATING ON THE FLY

Talk in person—what? Talk on the phone—why? Just e-mail, tweet, or text. Millennials are making business communication much more casual. Many millennials are of the opinion that long, four-sentence paragraphs in e-mails will never be read, and most important things can be said in 140 characters or less. According to a 2010 study by eMarketer, 43 percent of 18to 24-year-olds say that texting is just as meaningful as an actual conversation with someone over the phone.³ Do you text your employees, colleagues, or bosses about work on a regular basis? It’s becoming more and more common.

At a national conference for HR professionals, a keynote speaker touched on how technology and the young generation are pushing us toward a new normal.⁴ He posed the question that hinted at a new future for our business communications, “What about a real-time performance review via Twitter?” Instead of a formal, annual review where you sit down with your manager, what about a running chronicle of tweets that keep track of your employee’s strengths and development areas throughout the year? That sounds more transparent, casual, and open for millennials. Your generation will continue to push the bounds and incorporate new technology into your work life, communications, and management role.

Technology will be the immovable force that millennials carry with them. In fact, 24 percent of millennials say that “Technology use” is what most makes their generation unique, the number one answer.⁵ As a millennial, you have grown up with technology and the Internet. I would call you a “digital native.” Xers and boomers—myself included—are “digital immigrants.” Some of these technological advances are a little foreign to us, but technology is integral to your life. You can’t imagine life without computers, smart phones, and techy gadgets. You lead a connected life with the help of social networks like Facebook and Twitter and 24/7 connection. Eighty-three percent of millennials either sleep with their smart phone or place it right next to the bed!⁶

Since technology is so innate for your generation, millennial managers tend to communicate via technology rather than the old-fashioned face-to-face meetings. Technology will help you communicate, learn, and manage on the fly. You listen to a TED talk or an educational podcast on your way to work and make sure no important e-mails come through when you’re hanging out with friends in the evening. You don’t mind sending off an e-mail or text over the weekend or when you’re out of the office because you are always connected. And the assumption is that everyone else is connected as well. As managers, your generation will communicate on the fly and expect your team to do the same. Communication—anytime, anywhere.

WORKING WHERE AND WHEN YOU WANT IT

Since you can reach someone anytime, anywhere, then why not work where and when you want? Millennials are all about flexibility. Life isn’t solely about work for millennials, and they want work to work with their schedule. As stated, flexibility is one of the most important perks to millennials, and you can bet that they will pass that perk along to their teams. This way of thinking starkly contrasts to the ideas of the boomers who have a much stricter view of how and when work is done.

Again, work and life aren’t on two different ends of the balance bar; it’s not either work or life. They can happen at the same time and in the same spaces, so there isn’t a clear dichotomy for millennials. There are no clear boundaries, so work and life integrate to be—just life. There will always be some jobs that are tied to a workplace, but more and more industries are being creative with how they can offer their employees flexibility, and millennials will champion this cause. Your generation is all about the final product. Are you getting great work done? If you are, then it doesn’t matter when or where you do it. Work from the coffee shop, tune in at night, go for a run during lunch, or swing by the dentist in the morning. As long as you’re all set to make a great presentation on Friday, then your millennial manager will not mind.

PLAYING AT WORK

Who said work shouldn’t be fun? Your generation is not excited to trudge through a long work day or boring work just to get a nice paycheck. Simply consider this statistic from MTV’s study “No Collar Workforce,”⁷ which says 89 percent of millennials want their workplace to be social and fun (compared to only 60 percent of boomers). Furthermore, this same study shows that half of millennials would “rather have no job than a job they hate.” That’s pretty revealing.

Millennials are staking their claim in the workforce by saying there is no reason why work and play can’t coexist. Millennials want work to be enjoyable, and this doesn’t just mean pool tables and happy hours. It also means you want work to be rewarding, to be meaningful, and to contribute to something bigger than yourself. Partly due to your casual nature, your generation doesn’t think work has to be stiff and professional to get things done. You actually argue the opposite, which is if people are having fun and being themselves, then everyone will be more creative and productive.

As a manager, you will make sure your team is enjoying work. All work and no play is not a millennial mantra. Your mantra is to work hard and play hard. “Playing” ranges from spending time chatting with colleagues, celebrating someone’s birthday in the break room, eating group lunches, and working on projects together. In fact, 93 percent of millennials want a job where they can be themselves.⁸ Life is too short for work not to be fun.

For millennial managers, creating fun and keeping their employees engaged will be an important initiative. Many of the “Best Places to Work” honored by business magazines and newspapers have happy hours or beer carts that go around on Fridays. They have office Olympics and games—ping pong, foosball, and hula hoops—in the office. Isn’t fifteen minutes of ping pong in the afternoon good for stress levels and creativity? Millennials think so.

Rewriting the Rules

These are just a few ways millennial managers will shake up the workplace and rewrite the rules of management. Paul Spiegelman, author of Why is Everyone Smiling? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity, and Profits, shares “Millennials managing in business can have it all—a company that not only makes money, but makes a difference in the lives of all of its stakeholders.”

You will make a difference. You will question the traditional rules of management and business and forge a path toward collaborative and open leadership. You know your values and your principles, but managing and leading a team is not easy and rewriting the rules of anything can be particularly trying. You will be tested, you will be questioned, and you will be doubted. At first, your times of frustration, confusion, or fear may outnumber your feelings of triumph and clarity.

Millennial manager and marketing professional Amanda aims to be “like a duck in the water.” From the surface, she seems calm, cool, and collected, but beneath the surface, she’s working ferociously and paddling like crazy. Because one thing is clear. You’re not afraid of standing up for your values and charging fiercely toward a more open, diverse, flexible, and fun work environment. This book will help you get there. It will give you the insight, skills, and tactics to bridge the gap between the old and new and embrace a fresh dynamic of leadership.