Management Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-13-2022

Forget tired old management techniques that enforce a strict hierarchy. The way to engage employees is to actively coach and mentor them. Make meetings lively and purposeful and ensure employees are engaged and committed to the team and the company. Successful coaching and mentoring incorporates company, team, and individual goals to meet the objectives of each.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2022

Values-based leadership (VBL) is based on core values, setting the foundation for how everyone in a company will engage and creating an expectation that the leader always operates for the greater good of all. The idea is that the leader has a well-developed character that establishes an environment of mutual respect, fairness, and trust, at a minimum. VBL serves as the guiding force to create a healthy company culture. It all starts with the leader. Here are a few key highlights for anyone considering a VBL model for an organization.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Great leaders have certain qualities that motivate those around them. But beyond leadership qualities, you have to develop your mission as a leader and then continuously examine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (shortened to SWOT) to keep yourself and your team at the top of your game.

Article / Updated 03-07-2022

Millennial moms are a big part of the workforce. How wonderful is it that the world now is less June Cleaver and more Lorelai Gilmore? Working mothers have had to chart an unknown and obstacle-ridden path for decades, and now Millennials are clearing their own way. What she looks like To get an understanding of how this working mom is different from generations past, consider the following: She is sharing. Both partners in a relationship share the roles more evenly in parenting now but, by and large, women (if studying a male-female relationship) are more likely to say that they will make career sacrifices for their families. See these stats from the Pew Research Center. She is networked. About 90 percent of Millennial moms find social media helpful in their parenting process, using blogs, crowdsourcing, and Facebook pages as a way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, tips, and advice for Millennial mothers (Crowdtap, 2016). “We have so much access to tech now. From daycares that have cameras where you can check in, to teachers who respond via text or email, and there’s so much out there for working moms.” — Michelle S., Millennial She is not as common as you’d think. Progress continues to be made with a higher number of women returning to work after having a child, and there are fewer hiring discrepancies for working moms in big roles. However, the great strides that women have been taking are starting to take a dip. As of 1990, the United States boasted having one of the world’s highest employment rates for women. However, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, after rates consistently climbed for more than 60 years, the percentage of women (ages 25 to 54) at work has been declining as of late, falling from 74 percent in 1999 to 69 percent today. While it’s hardly a steep drop, it is worth noting. Lack of flexibility and the ability to work from home are making qualified and successful women feel like parenthood and working don’t mix. She is ambitious but concerned. According to a Pew Research Center study in 2015, 58 percent of Millennial moms are concerned about how their parenthood will impact their careers Will the DINKy (Dual Income No Kids) peer of hers get the job instead because she has more flexibility and fewer time constraints? How you can best manage the Millennial mom Managers have a unique ability to make a big difference for these women. Millennial-mom employees are looking to their managers for guidance, resources, and tools to make the most out of their careers while also being the rock-star mom they know they can be deep inside. Managers should consider simple things that they can do to better connect with her: Take a genuine interest in her personal life. Give her as much freedom and flexibility as possible. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. Support her. If you don’t know how, ask. Don’t make assumptions about what she will or won’t do after she has a baby (or two or three). Ask questions. Be sure to ask Millennial dads the same ones.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

Being a manager is tough. Your responsibilities include improving the morale and performance of your team (even in the worst of times), staying current on social media and new communications, and being the boss who does everything from delegating to playing office politics with success. Take care of yourself first, by maintaining a good work-life balance and supporting yourself with daily affirmations, and then you can concentrate on motivating your employees.

Article / Updated 10-21-2018

Having insight into your audience’s wants and desires will help you comprehend the factors that lead to their perceptions of authority, leadership, values, virtues, and work ethics. These are mobilizing factors. Here, you gain that insight by breaking down the workforce into the beautiful Quad — the four generations currently operating in the workforce today. During adolescence, people make determinations about what is cool, healthy, natural, and worth their time; sexuality emerges, and passion and ambition start to pique their interest. Opinions based on outside influences create the framework to ultimately determine what they want. The formative years also play a large part in determining how people will view the world. Their perceptions and reactions to different stimuli, such as how their parents raised them, current events, music, politics, and so on, create opportunities to draw conclusions on safety, security, money, career, government, and so on. These outside factors create their mindset and way of being in the world. Although no two people will react the same, general conclusions about generations can be derived. Listen with an open mind. Don’t judge. Be aware of what may be your own preconceived notions of who and what each generation in the Quad represents. Generational cohorts are defined by a period of development within a certain span of time. To some extent these boundaries are arbitrary, and defining and labeling generations can vary from sociologist to sociologist, though for the most part they vary by only a few years. The author uses the research of noted sociologists William Strauss and Neil Howe to bracket the generational periods. Feel free to adjust the years based on your understanding if needed. In the figure, you may be surprised to be classified not as a Baby Boomer, but on the outer edge of Generation X. Or you may be more Millennial than you knew. There are three main generations that make up the current workforce: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. On the outskirts are the almost completely retired Silent generation and the emerging Homeland generation. Together, they make up the “bumper” generations of the current workforce and are classified as the fourth part of the Quad. Just so you know, the Quad has mixed feelings about you, the leader, and what you can or can’t do. They wonder about your ethics, trustworthiness, and commitment. Are you surprised? You may chalk it up as normal, and it is. But you should know why they may mistrust you. Emotional intelligence, sensitivity, and reflective moments will be a staple on our journey together. Everyone has life experiences that help create perceptions of how things should or will be. Each cohort has reason to be skeptical and critical of leaders in general. Events and experiences may have caused them to mistrust authority and leadership. These events fostered the seeds of mistrust. Workers of all ages have become exasperated by leaders who lack authenticity, compassion, and transparency. Will their leaders do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it? Tell them the truth and take responsibility. For example, in 2015 Japan’s Takata Corporation recalled their airbags and set out to repairs tens of millions of products placed in Honda motor vehicles. However, it wasn’t without pressure from U.S. regulators that set this remedy in motion. Takata leadership took responsibility for the issue and ultimately made it right. The Quad is a reflection of our society — fatigued by empty promises, unaligned values, and the inability to trust authority. They want more. The good news is that they are willing to give more. You can’t change history or their life experiences, but there are some things you can do to change their experience right now. That starts with you, not them. Welcome to values-based leadership.

Article / Updated 10-21-2018

Sometimes staying the course and holding steady are great. But at some point, everyone must upgrade their systems, thinking, and ways of being to continue to be viable. There’s a concept in nature called bifurcation. Bifurcation is a process that nature takes to renew itself. Usually it involves a disruption or inflammation that precipitates a split, a morphing into two. For example, deep forests are prone to fires. Within the forest are types of trees, spores, and other flora that require excessive heat for them to reproduce. With fire, they grow and multiply. Without it, they rot and die. One branch of possibility becomes life-affirming as a result of the disruption, and the other (without the disruption) could lead to the species becoming extinct. When you apply bifurcation to business, you see that normal disruptions happen, and as a result — for example, the market crash in 2008 or massive corruption scandals — the system is forced to make a choice: review, reflect, and enact change, or do nothing at all. Doing the latter often results in the company petering out into extinction. Many companies and their leadership have taken this route. Not all disruptions or course corrections are a result of such large issues. Consider the following as potential signs that a change is needed in the leadership approach: Excessive competition: While competition will occur, overly aggressive and destructive or disruptive behavior will crumble teams. The attributes and principles of values-based leadership become the remedy. Exclusions and exceptions: Creating an environment where only some people need to follow the rules disrupts the level playing field of fairness where everyone has access to opportunities. Excessive gossip and rumors: These are key indicators that there is a lack of communication and lack of trust seeping into the organization. Team failure: Teams fail to work together to reach their goals. Us versus them: When teams, managers, and leaders are pitted against one another, progress is inhibited. Employee turnover: High levels of turnover create gaps in wisdom and continuity in the organization. The decline of trust and motivation: These elements create the foundation where people work together for the greater good of all involved. Lack of ownership: Leaders and employees who aren’t tapped into the vision, mission, or purpose for the organization’s work create apathy. Stagnation: Lack of innovation in processes, problem solving, products, services, production, sourcing, and technology causes a great deal of frustration for employees. The preceding bullets cover just some of the many issues you can list as reasons to consider making a change. The figure illustrates the crossroads. When the decision is made that something must change, which is where you may be in this moment, the next step is to conduct a review to determine how to course correct and then roll out adaptive action and rewrite the future. You may be on a course that’s not sustainable. People may begin walking away from the company, or apathy may continue to weigh down progress. In your heart, you’re probably thinking, I just need to give this one more shot before I walk away. Or: This place has massive potential, but things have to change. What’s scary is when leaders either refuse to see they have a problem or don’t care enough to make any changes. That, inevitably, leads to extinction — dismissal of leadership and potentially the failure of the company. You make the choice to grow, change, and adapt and create a brighter future — or not. To make this choice, you need to be a leader who is open-minded, ruthlessly self-aware, and willing to look at the truth of your results. You also need to be savvy enough to understand that the world of business is changing. Will you keep up or be left behind? Although remnants of the old, establishment way of operating linger on, this Millennial wave is becoming tremendously influential and will continue to lead us into a more progressive view of business. Already leaders of today are required to deploy a more comprehensive set of tools that go well beyond a technical skill set and a lofty education. Empathy and awareness are being added to leaders’ skill set. So-called “soft skills” are no longer considered intangibles. They’re a big component of why people will want to work for you and with you, and why they’ll aspire to follow the leadership image you provide for them. The use of self-reflection is important to gain insight into yourself and your motivations. You must consider what it will mean for you to operate in a “we” rather than “me” environment. Reframing how to view business differently sets the foundation for your journey: Is what I’m doing about me — or about them? Who is this serving — me or them? Am I setting up a culture that evolves around me — or around us? You have to assess the selflessness of your leadership. You’ll need to make decisions that affect the whole. Knowing which course to take may become murky but be sure that you’re thinking of the whole — the we — of the organization. When it gets into me territory, you’re in trouble. Everyone has a survival mechanism that’s designed to look out for number one — to protect yourself. But when it comes to your leadership role, we must always be part of the equation.

Article / Updated 10-21-2018

Values-based leadership (VBL) continues the evolution of how we choose to engage in business. It’s the next step in the integration of one of the initial Conscious Capitalism principles: Business is good, noble, and heroic because it provides ethical opportunities for everyone. VBL expands on Conscious Capitalism using a specific, yet customizable, set of values as the platform for norms of doing business with others and internally. Each step in this leadership model leads to an organization that performs at maximum capacity. Within each of the five sectors, specific tasks, actions, and behaviors need to be instituted. This is the starting point of your journey. Here is an overview of what each sector means: Values-Based Principles: There is a difference between what’s implied and what’s expected. Clarity on which principles are selected by each leader for themselves and their organizations is the foundation for the process. Character of Leadership: You’ll hear me say many times that character can’t be faked. It can be evolved and directed in more constructive ways, but it’s not something you can fake, not for long. It is who you are. On our journey, I’ll show you how, where, and why you need to expand on who you are to become the leader others really need and want right now. Building an Environment of Trust: This is the part of your company culture that’s crucial — without it, you’ll fail. Trust in the leadership, one another, and the path you’re all on together will determine how productive your teams will be. Simply put, if they don’t trust you, they most certainly won’t follow you, at least not wholeheartedly. Employees Engaged: Either they’re part of the process and the organization’s success, or they aren’t. Your willingness to invest in them will speak volumes to them. That investment comes in a variety of applications, such as training, development, benefits, perks, and simply making them part of the process. Performing at Maximum Capacity: The first four elements bring us to this point. Let’s reverse the thought process. Engaged employees who are actively involved in the company’s success are working from a place of trust. They are all in. This was achieved because the leader has led by example with clarity, consistency, and empathy. People love working with people who they truly believe have their best interests at heart, and not just the bottom line. So, are you in? Your reaction to the top-level view will tell you a lot about your own capacity to evolve, change, grow, and adapt. What’s your willingness level at this point? Rank it from one to five. One means “I’m really not interested at all.” Three means, “You’ve got my attention but I’m not sure,” and five means, “I’m all in.” If you’re at a three, teetering in either direction, read on. Fours and fives, you’re definitely in the right place.

Article / Updated 10-02-2018

If you’ve ever struggled giving a Millennial feedback, you’re not alone. It’s hard. There is no one way to do it, and it doesn’t always get easier with the more people you’ve led or managed; however, one thing is true. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone. Others have felt your pain, your strife, and your desire to be better. A Millennial is just as much of an employee as someone from any other generation though, so there’s no getting around this. Here’s a brief guide on how to navigate the ins and outs of feedback with Millennials. The delivery of tough feedback No matter the generation, level, or age, delivering tough feedback is rarely a fun process. It can lead to a defensive attitude, a reluctance to change, or even a desire to leave. But everyone deserves the opportunity to identify and improve on sore spots, and you’re entitled to the opportunity to improve your team and fix problem areas. The way Xers prefer to receive difficult feedback (they most likely want you to rip off the Band-Aid as quickly as possible) doesn’t necessarily work best for Millennials. The challenge When you deliver tough feedback to Millennials, you worry that they’re worrying. You may be nervous that they’re starting to think too hard about what they need to do differently. Chances are that what you thought was a helpful conversation became one of their worst work moments ever. Possible cause Millennials were raised in the self-esteem movement and weren’t given the tools for handling criticism at a young age. While other generations learned how to let it roll off their backs or deal with it and move on, younger generations internalize the feedback, all while merging their personal lives with their professional lives. The remedy If they’re internalizing your feedback, it typically means they care … a lot. They likely view you as someone whom they want to impress. Maybe they view you as their confidant and coach. It may not seem like it in the moment, but this is actually good, so here’s how you can move past the discomfort: Get comfortable knowing that the situation may get tense or awkward. Don’t waste time getting to the tough feedback. Deliver your critiques in an appropriate time frame, the sooner the better. Provide a structured road map to improve. Follow up with next steps. Be a voice of encouragement along the way. What to do if a Millennial cries It’s most managers’ and leaders’ worst nightmare — what happens if a Millennial starts blubbering, you panic, and you don’t have tissues to provide for them? Okay, not all Millennials cry, that’s an exaggerated depiction of what truly transpires. But it’s more likely to happen with this generation, especially in their earlier years at work. You better start prepping now if you haven’t already. The challenge Millennials can sometimes internalize evaluations and react defensively or sensitively, occasionally resulting in watery eyes, drops of tears, or a minor breakdown. This outcome can prevent a productive review session if what you intended as helpful words of change were instead heard as scathing criticism. Possible cause Millennials grew up in an environment that asked them to be vulnerable and open with their feelings, whereas other generations learned early on how to control their emotions and keep their poker faces intact. Additionally, Millennials may be taking feedback personally, not just professionally, and a comment about their work may be heard as a comment about them as a person. The remedy Although the tears may be distracting, confusing, and even a bit frustrating, you can take these simple steps if a Millennial is crying: Don’t automatically get frustrated. Don’t draw too much attention to the tears. Continue with your thought. Ask if there’s anything the Millennial wants to say. Welcome the option to talk later. Don’t respond with pity or condescension. What if Mom and Dad get involved? Millennials have a close bond with their parents and view them as trusted allies and quite possibly even friends. Sometimes this relationship can go a bit too far if the doting parents become meddlesome in the work environment. It started when Millennials were young, and it’s very different than the way their parents were raised. Millennials are growing up and becoming more independent from their parents — especially older Millennials who have been in the workforce for well over a decade. Luckily, that means fewer calls from Mom and Dad. But when it comes to younger Millennials and even the generation after them, their folks may still be around for support — much to the chagrin of managers. The challenge Millennials’ parents may overstep and contact a work environment to discuss a feedback session gone wrong, amongst many other things. It comes across as unprofessional, annoying, and inappropriate. Possible cause In many cases, your Millennial employees may not know that their parents are calling. They likely discussed the situation with their parents, asked for advice, and may be seeking a solution, but the parents took it upon themselves to help solve the problem for them. Your Millennial employee likely didn’t set his parents on you like a pack of Rottweilers. The remedy Consider some damage control and prevention before griping about meddlesome Boomer parents. Thank the parents for their interest, but let them know you need to speak directly to their Millennial child regarding anything work-related. Ask the Millennial about the incident. Explain to the Millennial why his parents’ involvement can actually be hurtful, not helpful, to his career. Confront it and move on. Don’t hold the incident against the Millennial or use it as a reason to think poorly about him. Use the close parent-child relationship in a positive way to boost your company’s employer status. Consider creating an environment that welcomes parents to the office in a “bring your parents to work” day. This can be a great marketing strategy. I think my Millennial is about to quit … If Millennials leave an organization, it can likely be traced to the last time that they received feedback. You don’t want that last review session to be the ultimate reason that a Millennial decided to leave the organization. The challenge A Millennial receives a firm review, and rather than planning how to change her behaviors or work, she starts plotting her exit to find a workplace she feels will be more conducive to her growth and career improvement (or hurt her feelings less). Possible cause If Millennials receive critical feedback without a clear structure of how to improve, they’ll feel deflated instead of motivated. If weaknesses are focused on more than strengths, Millennials may be wondering whether they do anything right. What are my contributions? Why am I even here? While other generations wouldn’t have dreamed about leaving their job without finding another one, Millennials believe that it’s worth it if they don’t have to sacrifice more of their life in a job that makes them unhappy. The remedy Move quickly and swiftly if you want your Millennial to stay: Schedule an informal meeting. Have an honest check-in and provide the option of a follow-up check-in. Give the Millennial the opportunity to give you feedback. Ask whether a clear structure is in place for the Millennial’s growth and improvement (if not, put one into action). If things aren’t going well for you or the Millennial, consider that it may be time for the Millennial to leave.

Article / Updated 10-02-2018

To stay competitive, companies have to adapt and adopt a progressive feedback structure. The ones leading the pack are those whose leaders recognize that their talent development strategies need to evolve with the changing demographics of their workforce. Successful feedback and reviews are absolutely critical. Oftentimes an employee’s exit can be traced back to a poor review session with his manager. If you’re not rethinking your review session to appeal to Millennials’ unique needs, you’re going to slowly (or quickly) see your turnover numbers creep up. When Baby Boomers entered the workforce, they entered into stiff competition with millions of peers to try and get ahead. In order to better understand how they stacked up with others, Boomers collectively created the annual feedback process. At the time, this yearly review was considered revolutionary. Fast forward 20 years and you had Gen Xers growing weary of the style and infrequency of the yearly evaluation. It felt too formal, too delayed and, in a way, insincere. Xers had different objectives and priorities from their Boomer predecessors. The old model wasn’t working for them, so they shook things up by asking for more regular and transparent feedback. Enter Millennials. They’re the first generation in the workforce that grew up with the Internet. It has shaped who they are and what they expect, and they’re bringing those new expectations into the working world. Don’t be afraid to examine your current review structure and ask questions. Your review policy should be a living, breathing, evolving thing. Has it been touched in the last ten years? Five years? Past year? Do your managers give both formal and informal feedback? Is there flexibility in feedback frequency, or is the rate static? Do you customize your approach based on the generation and/or the individual’s preference? Are you staying abreast of what your competitors, as well as the best-of-the-best, are doing? If you answer “no” to any of these questions, read on. If you make a 180-degree shift in the way things used to be done, you’re going to face an unhappy flood of Xer and Boomer employees. Make sure you’re giving people a few options. Maybe your Xers don’t want a weekly check-in and once a month serves them just fine. Don’t ever assume; take the time to ask. And always keep in mind that change is hard, and in the workplace, if you’re trying to retain all generations, evolution trumps revolution. Know what works for Millennials When strategizing about how to deliver feedback to Millennials, don’t spend sleepless nights daunted by how much you need to change. Yes, Millennials are wired a bit differently, but at the end of the day, they’re just people. To make things easier for you and more valuable for them, it’s helpful to get a handle on understanding what works for them. Chances are you’ve got a pretty good grasp of how to communicate with Baby Boomer and Gen X employees, but start thinking (or asking!) about what works for Millennials before you sit down for a review. Ask them to self-evaluate before they pontificate One of the first steps to make a review session work for Millennials is to give them time to think and evaluate first. This practice is not uncommon to Millennials — they’ve likely been doing it from elementary school all the way through their MBA programs — but that doesn’t mean they do it without prompting. Sitting down and listing all the things you’ve done right and wrong isn’t necessarily a fun task for any generation, but it certainly is worthwhile. Prior to an informal or formal review session, ask Millennials to reflect on their performance. Ask yourself whether you know what to say While it may seem obvious, do your best to think before you speak. Consider phrases/words/thoughts commonly used in the workplace that should be avoided and replace them with something more savory. Don’t Say Do Say Three month ago … Last week or a couple of hours ago … Why do you need so much feedback? How much feedback do you prefer? What could you have done differently? What did you do well and what would you change? Back in my day … What has worked for me may or may not work for you … Let’s talk about your weaknesses … Let’s focus on your strengths … Ask them Yup. That is it. Just plain ask them how they like their feedback. In all likelihood they have lots of thoughts on the topic. But you can’t forget that, though they belong to the Millennial generation, each employee is an individual. Take the time to have a conversation with them about how they prefer to receive feedback. Come to the meeting prepared with a proposed review session and format. Ask them for their thoughts, amend as necessary, and go from there. If you’re feeling adventurous, ask them whether they need anything different from you as a mentor. How to differentiate between formal and informal feedback Feedback sessions lie on a moving scale of formality, where all levels are equally important, but knowing when and how to go about each one … well, that requires a dash of experience with a pinch of emotional intelligence. That said, Millennials show a marked preference for the informal end of that scale. They’re an inherently informal generation because they grew up in an environment that allowed for constant and candid communication. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all allow Millennials to give feedback on people’s lives with a thumbs up/heart icon/emoji or comment. An acquaintance might post a recent picture of a vacation in Spain, and the response might be “Whoa, Jordan, those bullfighters are impressive. Looks fun!” Even if they’ve spoken to Jordan only a handful of times, they’re comfortable commenting (in a way, giving him feedback). They’re so accustomed to constantly giving and delivering feedback via these informal platforms that, to a Millennial, informal is the new normal, to the point that very formal feedback can stir up anxiety and feel a bit uncomfortable. In stark contrast, other generations grew up in an environment when the norm was being left alone to fend for yourself unless something was going terribly wrong. In the workplace, older employees wait for the formal review process and use it as a scale to track progress over time. In this format, you condense a half year or year’s worth of comments into a couple-hour time block. The window for feedback is typically opened for that brief period of time before being shut again for all but the most immediate and/or pressing needs. Politically correct language and documentation are standard, as well as professional attire and thorough preparation for every single review session. There’s clearly quite a difference between the formal standard that Xers and Boomers are accustomed to and the more informal check-in that Millennials hunger for. In all likelihood, all your employees — whether they’re 25 or 68 — prefer a healthy mix of the two (with Millennials tipping the balance in favor of the informal). To make sure that you deliver, you must first understand what differentiates the formal from the informal. Formal feedback looks like this: The review is often scheduled months in advance. Pre-work is a prerequisite. The review room is organized in a specific way (for example, the manager deliberately sits across from the employee). The review always takes place in person. It lasts for a set period of time, typically one to two hours. Criticism is carefully couched, using phrases like, “This is an area of opportunity.” Professionalism and polish in communication and dress are expected. The review is meticulously documented. Communication is (mostly) one-directional. Extended periods of time lapse between sessions. Informal feedback, on the other hand, looks more like this: Feedback is delivered instantly or within a couple hours or days. Little or no pre-work is required. A public place or open office is often preferable to a closed-door office. Virtual communication is an acceptable alternative to meeting in person. Time frames are short and flexible, typically 5–15 minutes. The style of communication is casual and open — direct, but not abrasive. There are no expectations regarding decorum or dress. Documentation is scant, aside from determining next steps. Communication is two-directional. Flexibility is key in finding time that works, which may often be determined on the fly. Each individual may prefer feedback that is particular to his career and lifestyle, so what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. It will take a bit more work upfront, but make sure to curate your approach based on the needs of the individual. Determine the right frequency for performance reviews It’s no secret that Millennials want constant feedback. Of course, they do — they’ve grown up in an instant world and know that the sooner they learn something needs fixing, the sooner they’ll be able to fix it. The work environment, however, isn’t necessarily designed to accommodate that model, at least not at the present. HR policies, overscheduling, and lack of resources can all get in the way of instant communication and evaluation. As a manager, you work with the tools at your disposal. Keep the lines of communication open with both your higher-ups and your direct reports. To ensure that you’re determining the right frequency — one that works for you, your employee, and your organization — follow these three steps: Ask. Get a gauge of how often the Millennials you’re managing want your thoughts. You will find that it varies from person to person, and you’ll save valuable time that might be lost in making assumptions. Research. Seek insight from fellow leaders about what works for them. How often do they meet with their teams, and how rigid or flexible is that schedule? You can even take it a step further and track what trends and best-in-class examples are being referenced in the news and apply those concepts to your own practice. Act. After asking and researching, set a plan into action. Pilot a feedback timeline for a month and then review until you find what works. The following are signs that the frequency may be too high: When you meet with your direct report, you have trouble coming up with a review topic, whether the feedback is good or bad. You spend all the review session talking about your personal lives. Your own work is suffering. The Millennial keeps cancelling your sessions. There’s not enough time between your conversations to see positive changes in performance. You’re bored. They’re bored. At most, stick with a default frequency of once a week. Younger generations will favor informal feedback in the moment, but in many cases that just may not be practical. Instead, as a base, schedule one-on-ones regularly for 15–30 minutes. Set a time and a location, and make it a habit. That way you and your reports will grow accustomed to these check-ins. It’s up to both of you to assess and readjust the necessary frequency from there. Master the compliment sandwich (hold the cheese) Some time ago, in a land of corporate masterminds, a brilliant and deceptively simple idea emerged from its cocoon: The compliment sandwich. Here’s how it works: The slice of bread: A specific, positive assessment on a recent accomplishment. The cheese: A nice, vague compliment; for example, “People seem to like you”. The meat or black bean patty: All the things that really need work because, whoa, have you missed the mark. The lettuce: One more quick criticism that is minor but matters for future reference. The slice of bread: But, really, overall you’re doing pretty well here. Sure, there are flaws to this method, but the intent here is spot-on. Most people will freeze up if your review opens with everything that they’ve done wrong. A compliment to kick things off creates a pleasant, nonconfrontational environment for the meeting, and closing with positive feedback lets the employee leave feeling motivated (rather than wondering if he’ll ever be able to do anything right). Millennials want nice thick slices of bread on their sandwich — more so than other generations — because they’ve been fed positivity and encouragement their entire lives. This is in direct juxtaposition to Gen Xers, who are known for a “hold the bread, extra meat” mentality. They favor an honest, direct, transparent, and anti-fluff feedback model where “area of opportunity” is a cringe-worthy phrase that is better substituted with what you actually mean “weakness.” That’s them, though, and that mindset doesn’t always work well for Millennials. Though Millennials want that compliment sandwich, you must tread carefully because they are allergic to inauthenticity. The worst thing that can happen is that the sandwich turns into an overcooked, inedible mess that’s full of falsities. Too often, people take the compliment sandwich approach without understanding that it’s really easy to read through the vague compliment cheese. If this is paired with a specific criticism of work, the next generation will naturally assume that all you’re doing is trying to get to the bad stuff. So make sure your compliments are valid, or hold the cheese. You could also consider throwing out the sandwich all together and adopting one of these alternate approaches: Stop, continue, grow. Meet with a Millennial on a regular basis and discuss two or three processes/behaviors to stop doing, two or three to continue, and two or three that can be improved upon. This allows for all ingredients of the sandwich but lays it out in a more transparent way — an open-faced sandwich, if you will. Cheers, perseveres, and keep clears. Cheer the Millennial for a job well done, outline the areas she needs to keep pushing through (or persevere), and lay out the things or behaviors she should steer clear of going forward. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Highlight the wins; point out the areas that have been, simply put, rather bad; and then pinpoint the areas that start as ugly ducklings but can turn into swans with just a bit of growth and change. A little humor goes a long way with Millennials. If you’ve got some tough feedback to give, of course, give it the gravity that it requires, but if you come in with a doom-and-gloom attitude, you’ll scare the wits out of them. Crack a joke or two, or share a story about how something went wrong in the past that’s now a bit humorous in hindsight. Avoid the “participation trophy” mindset Millennials have earned the dubious honor of being labeled the “trophy generation.” Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, said out loud, or overheard someone else say, “I just can’t deal with this ‘everyone gets a trophy’ thing! Why do the Millennials I manage expect praise for just doing their job?!” As is usually the case, there is more to this whole participation trophy thing than meets the eye. How Millennials feel about the rewards for trying To let you in on a not-so-secret secret, Millennials didn’t ask for any of the trophies or certificates that they received. Most Millennials were raised by Boomer parents who gave them out because the self-esteem movement was in full storm. The feel-good rewards for effort prevalent in the 1980s through 2000s were a reaction to the earlier feel-not-so-good era of command-and-control parenting styles. Today, Millennials are none too happy to be referred to as the trophy generation because even though they probably did get a certificate for “best character” at the senior-year award ceremony and/or a basketball ribbon that read “participant,” they’re not proud of it. They may even deny that the trophies and ribbons impacted them because they are only too well aware of how ridiculous they were (it’s been an incessant source of scorn, teasing, and mockery since they entered the working world). Though they may deny it, these participation awards did impact Millennials … but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Give them accomplishment (not participation) recognition Millennials don’t expect a trophy after completing every assignment, but they do want recognition of their efforts and praise for a successful finish. They do understand rejection; many of them learned what that felt like when they graduated into a recession economy. They’re wary of underperforming and are looking for the encouragement that was the status quo of their youth. The praise doesn’t have to come in the mindset of, “You tried really hard; here’s a ribbon.” Acknowledge that Millennials need more encouragement, but do it authentically. To them, a “no news is good news” mentality likely won’t fly. The dark side of the participation award No one ever thinks about the flipside of this participation trophy thing. When everyone gets a trophy, the winners actually end up losing. By watering down the meaning of the award, it makes the win feel that much less satisfying. Millennials want that win, and they want it to mean something. If you praise them always, even when what they’re doing sucks, you’re doing them and yourself a disservice. Ditch the “but I had to figure it out on my own” mindset You may remember a time when, upon receiving tough feedback, you took it and figured out, on your own, how to improve your performance. While that may work in an authoritarian-leaning work environment or for a very independent generation like Gen X, the next-generation worker has different expectations. Millennials grew up with coaches, teachers, and counselors who consistently helped them grow and change for the better, constantly offering techniques and skills to help them confront challenges. If they lost the tennis match, their parents didn’t say, “Well, you lost; now go figure out what you can do to be better.” Instead, they said, “Well, that’s too bad. What do you think you could’ve done differently to win? Here’s what I would suggest. We can work on your backhand over the weekend. Now let’s go get some pizza.” Like it or not, as a manager, the onus is on you to help set Millennials on a course for improvement. When Millennials look at their careers, they don’t see themselves as solo players but as part of a team, and you’re their coach. Instead of delivering feedback with the expectation that they will figure it out on their own, ditch the “do-it-yourself” mindset and come prepared to help them figure it out. Here are some ways to help Millennials help themselves: When delivering feedback on areas of improvement, present them with a framework restricted by deadlines and to-do lists. Check in on the framework regularly so that you (and your Millennial employee) can track progress over time. Be clear about what you want changed, how you want it changed, and when you want it changed by. Give them a list of resources other than yourself, including websites, training tools, and other employees. Offer small carrots along the way that they can “unlock” as rewards for improved performance, for example, a $5 gift card to their favorite coffee shop. Avoid sticks (harsh punishment). Millennials will not react favorably, and you’ll end up demotivating them. Whenever you deliver tough news or commentary on performance, follow it up with a proposed plan of improvement. You may be thinking that this sounds like a lot of hand-holding or is even a counterproductive (and time consuming) way to get the most out of your employees. While those thoughts are not entirely unwarranted, adopting structured, prescriptive styles of feedback delivery that can be measured over time will help you set Millennials on a fast-track to independent and excellent work. The more time you invest upfront, the more streamlined and hands-off you can be with them in the future. For now, a structured plan of improvement is one of the easier processes to adopt to prevent a Millennial asking (or singing), “Should I stay or should I go?” What the best of the best are doing Since annual reviews grew in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, there have been standout companies and CEOs that have served as forward-thinking examples for others to model their own reviews on. Now, even those progressive companies are changing their ways. When it comes to feedback and reviews, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. As a leader, you can sift through the best-in-class examples to uncover and adopt either general overhauls or specific changes that make sense within your performance evaluation process. General feedback considerations Before overhauling everything about your feedback model, you may want to examine the most basics elements that, when shifted, appeal more to the Millennial demographic. While these shifts may be large (eliminating the annual review that you have 30 years of records for in an HR basement), it may be the most seamless shift you can make. The death of the annual review: Though in many environments a case can still be made for the formal, annual feedback process, some large organizations are finding that it’s too time consuming and just doesn’t deliver the desired results. There are no sacred cows in the workplace of the future. Ask yourself whether your company is properly using the annual review and — more importantly — whether it’s still the best use of time. There may be some micro versions that accomplish the same thing without stirring up such a big to-do. The 360 approach: It’s no longer enough for feedback to go in one direction — it needs to come from all positions in the company. Your manager is not the only person who may have constructive comments, and for Millennials, the more feedback from the more people, the better (within reason of course). Work is affected by everyone, not just one person. Many organizations have approached this more holistic, democratic approach to soliciting and receiving feedback. Specific feedback considerations If you’re feeling creative, innovative, and bold about embracing changes to your feedback methods, then adopting versions of these examples may be best for you and your company. The following companies adopted unique feedback models to deliver specific results, and most are reaping the rewards. Maybe you’ll read these and it will spark a unique idea of your own. Kayak.com’s five-word performance review: The process is simple. You meet in an informal environment like a coffee shop or restaurant. Either the manager or employee can request feedback that boils down to five words (two negative, two positive, and one of your choosing). You go over the words together and then decide what to do from there. GE’s switch from “rank and yank” to “[email protected]”: When GE was under CEO Jack Welch’s reign, it was famous for substantially growing in business, serving as an example for Six Sigma, and setting a precedent for the “rank and yank” or “vitality curve” model that placed employees on a bell curve. If you were in the lowest 10 percent, you were fired. Over time, that model has changed drastically into the more-current version, which reviews employees using an app that constantly grades their priorities as either “continue doing” or “consider changing.” Pixar’s “Plussing”: Pixar is becoming feedback famous for adopting a simple method: Any word of feedback requires constructive criticism. If you’re going to deliver a criticism, it has to be followed by a “plus,” an idea or suggestion that will help improve the original idea. The reality is that the feedback and review process has to work for you and your team. Determine a plan that makes sense for your organization, and don’t be afraid of testing it. When considering a new review method or technique, take these steps: Do the research. Poll those you’re leading and managing to see what works for them and what they feel is lacking. Propose a vision for what could work and get insight from others. Decide on a course of action and test it over a set period of time. Reevaluate and course-correct (if necessary). Many large, big-name organizations are adopting all kinds of fancy apps to make instant feedback less complicated and more painless, but it’s just not that easy. One particular app allows employees (younger ones, let’s be real) to send emojis throughout the day that express how they’re feeling about work. A novel concept, but chances are high that if you present this new app to a room full of next-generation employees, they’re going to sigh, roll their eyes, and put on a smile to please the leaders who are trying just a bit too hard to reach them. Flashy and new doesn’t always mean best-in-class. Consider all angles before implementing drastic change.