I blogged about this topic in relation to my brief chat that I have with a young chap here in Qatar while we were doing volunteering work recently. In my view, there is little if not no differences of managing staff from any generations, because the very basic things in managing the superior performing staff , at least from my perspective are;
1. Respect - treat each other with respects ;
2. Professionalism- separate between the person and work;
3. Passionate about developing the staff and at the same time the staff would want to develop himself/herself;
4. Always move forward and learned from the mistakes ;
5. Walk the talk - as actions are louder than words, and words are cheap. Always lead by examples. If the manager expect the staff to behave in certain manner, the manager shall show the way and vice versa ;
6. Trust - that the staff will do their best, give clear instructions and requirements , guide them when in need and indeed. The staff shall never destroy the trust that the his/her manager has on them by delivering what is required out of them TIMELY and BEYOND EXPECTATIONS ;
7. Love - strange ? Love in a more broader scopes and meaning not narrowly about intimacy, desire and sexual feeling. Love the staff for who they are and not the way you as a boss want them to be by recognizing and acknowledging the strength and weakness each and everyone of them;
8. All shall subscribe to the organization's shared value - when the two contradicts, the organization values prevail;
The last but not the least, is to regards each and everyone that you meet in this professional journey as teacher, and always humble no matter how knowledgeable a person can be.
How to manage Gen Y
Generation Y-ers are not popular with many managers, who regard them as difficult to control and tough to motivate. However, companies who dismiss them as ‘problem children’ are missing a trick. By Dr Katie Best, generation Y specialist and director of MBA programmes at BBP Business School, London.
Generation Y-ers are the first group of people to grow up in the digital age and have never known houses without video recorders and games consoles, or schools without computers. They have spent their youth surfing the internet, channel hopping on cable and networking on
Facebook. They search for that which is new or different and dismiss anything more than about four months old. They are used to having information at the click of a mouse and they change their style as often as they change their Facebook status (if that’s considered ‘cool’ anymore!)
Such a lifestyle sounds miles away from the world of work. Even a cursory glance shows their attitude to be managerially challenging. Their need for constant stimulation manifests itself not only through an obsession with using Facebook in office hours but also in a reticence to perform laborious tasks and a dissatisfaction with being micro-managed. They are not motivated by money, power or promotion, but rather by tasks that they feel are intrinsically interesting, valuable and rewarding.
Generation Y-ers are a manager’s problem children. They have a skill set that is invaluable in the modern workplace, but only if they are managed correctly. With bad management, they can be destructive and cost companies a fortune as they walk out for jobs that are more satisfying and interesting. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that those charged with managing them are baby boomers or generation X, who were happy to compromise on the nature of their work if there was the lure of something more desirable up ahead.
Their need for constant and constantly changing absorption in the world around them makes generation Y-ers substantively different to those who preceded them. This manifests itself in the workplace in ways that are quite difficult for managers of a different generation to deal with.
If companies don’t work out how to work with generation Y-ers correctly, they will be heading for the wall because, with the oldest of the generation now at 29, they are forming an increasingly large part of the workforce. Can those with low attention spans and a love of
social networking sites provide anything of use to a company that, in the current climate, needs to be efficient, effective and lean? The answer is yes, and even better, if their particular skills can be harnessed then the companies who succeed in doing so will thrive.
Facebook is more than a social thing
You’ve found your Generation Y-ers using Facebook in office hours for the umpteenth time this week. It’s reached the stage where you feel embarrassed approaching them about it again, because they persist in using it and snigger that you’re deeply uncool behind your back.
While it may be irritating that they persist in using it in office hours, think about the advantages that it could present. These are people with a highly developed social network far bigger than yours was at that stage in your career. They are connected to others in all walks of life who may come in useful for your business.
As a manager, I have discovered on numerous occasions how my Facebook network can have significant benefits to the business school at which I work. I’ve found, among other things, the amazing administrator from my previous university who is soon to come in for an interview; another young lecturer who specialises in the fields we’re deficient in; and two guest lecturers who are happy to come in for free.
Don’t be afraid to encourage your staff to use their social network – just ensure they do so in the right ways. Help them to make the connection between what your company needs and the people that they know. They’ll feel valued and probably find you some more highly motivated generation Y-ers in the process.
Multitasking
Generation Y-ers don’t like to be bored, so give them lots to do. This is one no-brainer that companies have not discovered. Where many generation X-ers are now settled down with families and the baby boomers are counting down the Monday mornings left until retirement, generation Y is fired up and ready to go. By giving them only the most mundane of tasks, you’re turning Y-ers off work, but by mixing in a few challenging tasks that no one else in the company has the energy for, you’ll turn them on and unleash their real value.
Generation Y-ers are exceptional multi taskers, from surfing the internet since a young age. They’ve been brought up in the
Microsoft Windows world, where you have multiple things on the go at once, but their bosses still think in a very linear fashion. By setting them multiple complex tasks, all at once, you’ll get more out of them and get tangible results.
While there is a fair amount of drudgery in every job, make sure you mix in the exciting tasks and you’ll see them shine. You’ll see their
social networks kick in, their eyes light up and their excitement levels grow as they embrace the tasks that have been relegated to your ‘to-do’ list forever. In short, if you want a difficult job done, give it to the juniors. They’re still enthusiastic and they haven’t been burnt out.
Macro manage them
Just as generation Y-ers don’t like mundane tasks, they don’t like mundane management, so don’t micro manage. This style will get you disliked and your staff de-motivated. Instead, set boundaries from the start, but make them wide. Let them know that you will be camping out on their doorstep if they screw up but that you trust them not to.
It’s important with this new generation of workers to let them know from the start that they have considerable autonomy. Make it clear that they will need to manage their own deadlines, volunteer for tasks if they’re not being worked hard enough and not have to explain where they are and what they are doing every second of the working week.
While junior staff members will always need guidance, trust generation Y-ers to work hard for you. Let them do it their own way and you will get a great deal back. As one worker that I interviewed said: ‘I chose this job because it gives me freedom. I have taken a pay cut because I value autonomy greatly.’
One good example of this is working from home. If they want to and their job can be done at home, then give them the chance to try it. This can work in your favour as they don’t perceive there to be the same split that previous generations see between work and home. Therefore, they will often be ‘on the job’ at weekends and in the evenings if you have given them a task to do that they are enjoying.
It’s practically common sense thinking now within firms that employ a high proportion of younger people, but what does it matter if someone uses Facebook at work if their work is of a good standard and they’ve done enough? While autocratic styles might have worked with generations before them, with the Y generation, give them the freedom from the very start and you are likely to get better results.
Allow them to lead
One final, but important, way to harness this generation’s power is allowing them to do some leading. They have unique skills to bring to the workplace: exceptional social networks, excellent multi tasking, and vision. Allow them to share some of this rather than keeping them in their place.
In particular, why not use generation Y-ers as advocates of new technologies and ways of working that have much in common with the world they are familiar with. Gen Y will be essential for companies looking to take the next steps into developing new company initiatives and strategies for dealing with a world of greater interconnectivity and reliance on technology and collaboration.
This will include helping generation X-ers to leverage their LinkedIn network, improving interoffice connectivity and prompting the use of new technologies with which they are more familiar to solve other business dilemmas. Indeed, a number of companies are starting to trial reverse apprenticeships, where younger staff members act as teachers and advocates of new technologies and ways of working to the older generations. Improving intergenerational understanding and thus office relationships, generation Y’s knowledge and passion for technology is shared while generation X shares its business acumen with generation Y.
These challenges may present a tall order but balancing the aspirations of the gen Y employee will change the perception of them from ‘problem child’ into ‘valuable employee’.
Source :
CimaGlobal
DISCLAIMER: Notice :Opinions, stories , thoughts expressed are blogger's own and do not necessarily represent the views of the institution or the organizations by which the blogger is employed or any specific person who so ever, either dead or alive.
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