CONCLUSION: GO FORTH
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
—Walt Disney Company
I will never forget the day the “ideal work environment” changed. I was interviewing candidates for a position at JB Training Solutions in 2008. We were looking for a bright, hard-working recent college graduate to join our team. We are not a Leo Burnett when it comes to size or glamour, so I would ask “What is your ideal work environment?” to understand what the candidate was seeking. If a candidate answered along the lines of “fast-paced, large company,” then I knew the position would not be a good fit.
The new answers to this question jolted me, just like the interview of the candidate from Princeton who worked on a leaderless team. I interviewed six candidates from six different schools, and interestingly I received a slightly different version of the same answer from everyone. Now, I also travel to college campuses across the country to advise students on getting a great job and excelling in the workplace. Being tapped into these universities and their career centers, I knew that this answer wasn’t simply the answer “du jour.”
Every single person of whom I asked this question gave an answer along the lines of, “I want to work in an environment where I can contribute to meaningful work, grow and develop, and make an impact at the company.” Wow. Answers that I was accustomed to receiving typically revolved around how large or small the company was. “Fast-paced” was an adjective I often heard. In fact, if I had been asked that question when I was a college student, I would have answered, “My ideal work environment is a company that pays me money” Now, your generation was rocking my world yet again. Instead of describing a workplace, millennials talked about their place in the work—how they connected.
Your generation peels back the facade of the glamorous office building downtown, looks past the “pace” of the office, and considers the fundamental roots and meaning of the work. Your generation wants to grow and develop—while you are contributing. You want to make a difference, and you are attracted to organizations that get it.
Now you can help build it.
As the new business leaders, this is the type of environment that you will build, foster, and develop. You want work to be more than just work. You want it to provide meaning and development for yourself and your employees. Maybe you’re not saving lives every day, but your duties and responsibilities are making an impact and a difference. Winston Churchill states, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
This is it. This is your time. This is your time to bridge the gap between the hierarchal leadership style of senior leaders and the collaborative, casual approach of your peers. You already are rewriting the rules for the workplace; don’t stop once you enter management—and leadership—and mentorship. Don’t lose that energy. Stick by your ideals for leaving a legacy as a leader. Cheryl Ryan, millennial manager at Centro, shared, “It would mean a lot if I could help shape and develop someone’s career to help them move forward—whether inside or outside of work. To know that I helped people find their passion in their career and gain a sense of accomplishment—that’s the legacy I would like to leave.”
We heard more echoes of Ryan’s sentiments toward people management rather than process management. You want to be known for …
… Empowering individuals
… Helping people find their passions and have a sense of accomplishment
… Shaping and developing their careers to help them move forward
… Being someone who gets things done and listens to problems
… Making the right decisions that were the most effective
… Hard work and fairness
… Getting people to see what they couldn’t see in themselves
You have learned a lot, and you have the tools. Leonardo da Vinci reminds, “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do.” At the end of my workshops, participants take the time to write down just three things that they will put into practice right away. Before you even finish these last sentences, write down three management PUSH goals.
You took a glimpse at each of the generations and learned about making the transition from individual contributor to manager. You heard the cries of millennials and senior leaders in their manifestos, and you have countless nuggets of management advice from your peers, artists, captains, entrepreneurs, and historical figures. You know how to CONNECT as a leader. Communicate, Own it, Naviate, Negotiate, Engage, Collaborate, and Teach.
Go forth. This is your guide. You can connect to your people, to results, and to the big picture. You can go forth, rewrite the rules of management, and forge a path toward open and collaborative leadership. Just CONNECT.
I am a millennial manager. Manager 3.0.
Just listen to us roar.
It’s you, me, him, her, millennial, Xer, boomer. It’s us—all together.
We are bridging, minding, respecting, and connecting the gap.
We are making a difference, rewriting the rules, and charging ahead little by little.
And with all of us, little by little is actually pretty big.
I am adjusting, adapting, and stretching—because I get you—and you and you.
We’re bringing different strengths and perspectives. And we’re working hard.
There’s people and passions, progress and profits. And it’s all connected. We’re all connected.
I am ready to talk, ready to listen. Ready to go.
We’re figuring it out, we’re working together.
I am a millennial manager.