1. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
There are many websites, whitepapers, and how-to guides on how to increase the
effectiveness of communication, methods of motivation, and increase engagement with
this particular generation, so feel free to dig deeper at the conclusion of this article.
Here are a few suggestions on changes you can make now to begin improving your
relationship with this age group, and promote success in your workplace. First and
foremost, we need to lay some groundwork, and provide a little context to answer some
of the “why’s?”.
By the year 2020, Millennials will make up over 50% of the workforce, and they have
already positioned themselves as the fourth generation within our existing one. The
Millennials come with their own set of workplace expectations, and to some extent, their
reputation has preceded them. Online articles, professional journals, and free webinars
abound on the topics of Millennial entitlement, their lack of grit, and their overly lofty
career goals - but how much of this is true and founded? More importantly, if it is true,
even a little - what made them this way?
Admittedly, this is a pretty stereotypical “Millennial” thing to do (by the way, it’s another
completely unfounded belief)… but I’m going to pass the blame. Since the
overwhelming question being asked is “why do they think they are already entitled to
that promotion?” or “aren’t those goals are a little lofty for a 6 month associate…?”, or
even “who do they think they are? They haven’t even been here that long” - the answer
is surprisingly simple. Much like the generations before them the expectations they
bring to the table were established during their developmental years by their parents.
My parents said it all the time, and I’m sure yours probably did too. “I want you to have
a better/simpler/easier/less stressful childhood than I did”. Ring a bell? So, for every
time the thought crossed your mind, or the sentence passed your lips the framework
was laid. But guess what? Everyone’s parents say that! They have been for decades.
Generations, even. It’s what we always want for the next generation. So let’s agree to
not place any blame, or point any fingers on why any generation is the way they are.
These next few pages should help solve the Millennial puzzle, and will hopefully help to
make the work environment a little more harmonious.
Every generation has defining moments - be it a national tragedy, a country crippling
depression, a mandatory military enlistment, a civil rights crisis, or the untimely death of

2. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
someone they viewed as a leader. In some instances, multiples of these occurred
within the generation, and truly helped to mold those individuals into who they are and
why. The Millennials are no different.
For many Millennials, the expectation put forth to them was to enjoy their childhood
years - all the way to (if not through) college. They were encouraged to play
recreational sports, do well in school, participate in extracurriculars and clubs, get
excellent grades and go to a great college. And they did. In overwhelming numbers.
Then the recession hit and many of them had nothing to do but stay in college, and
keep doing well, because what would happen when they graduated? Would they find
work? Many of them did graduate, and much to their dismay (but at no surprise)
couldn’t find any place to work.
While this national tragedy is a different kind of beast, it is a tragedy nonetheless. In
many ways, the Great Recession rivals the Great Depression by terms of lasting impact,
struggling economy, American joblessness, and sluggish recovery. Many of this new
workforce graduated in the midst of the Recession, which lasted from December 2007
through June 2009. They were met with the loss of 8.4 million jobs in the US labor
market and an average unemployment rate of 6.1%. Sadly, the worst was yet to come.
The US economy is still struggling to regain its foothold, and is constantly combating
high unemployment rates. The Great Recession brought about a drop in family and
household incomes, a rise in nationwide poverty levels, and a health insurance crisis
like none ever before.
This is quite a blow to the ego of a generation who was encouraged to say “good game”
and high five at the end of every sports match - and who was awarded participation
trophies because their parents didn’t want them feeling badly about their performance.
So what happened next? They packed up their dorms, and they moved home with
mom and dad. They are (still) working their way out of a crushing amount of student
loan debt (the most ever recorded in US history), and trying to decide what they want to
be when they grow up. They have always been “good” at everything they’ve done, and
it is important to understand this when determining the most effective ways to work with
them.

3. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
Speaking of determining the most effective ways to work with them, we should begin by
addressing communication preferences. With some careful crafting, we can break
down barriers and improve performance company-wide. Here are four key ways to
improve communication between yourself and this new workforce generation.
The audience you are attempting to reach has grown up accustomed to brevity,
conciseness, and pointed statements. While the days of 160 character texts are long
gone, the days of 140 character tweets, short and sweet Facebook status updates, and
31 letter Snapchat captions are all the rage. This is important to remember when
compiling your thoughts for the message you are trying to convey. The more pointed
your own message, the more likely Millennials are to relate to and appreciate what you
have to say. Additionally, the more information you can provide in this brief message,
the better. Studies have shown that most Millennials prefer to receive a detailed plan or
instruction before jumping into a project. Present everything they need to know to do the
job well, but skip flowery prose. While this may seem rude, or hurried, or like an
inconvenience, think of it this way instead: Millennials take a much more brisk approach
to business conversations, and they tend to avoid meetings that stray off topic and
waste time. The end result? Repurposed time, to projects and tasks well spent, and
thus, saved company money. For Millennials, the focus is on getting the job done
accurately, effectively, and quickly.
When seeking the best forum for communication with your workplace Millennials, let the
tools provided to you serve their intended purpose. Millennials are not as responsive to
face-to-face meetings as the previous generations are. Consider sending emails and
utilizing IM. Any technology you can use to promote open lines of communication, the
better the two-way chatter will be. Now, don’t think that all in person communication has
to end - sometimes it is necessary. Often times, key business relationships are formed
in person. However, consider the emphasis on accomplishing more with less, and
appreciate the fact that Milennials can work on many open projects at once due to their
understanding of technology and its features. While changing your own approach from
in-person to in-writing may seem inconvenient, consider its ancillary benefits.
Millennials, because of their preference to often work on multiple tasks at once, need to
have a breadcrumb trail of important decisions, guidance, and general project
information. Their preference for communicating in writing allows them to have just this
- resulting in documented information in the event that questions arise later.

4. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
One of the most important keys to effective communication is setting your Millennial
associates up for career success, and making sure to seek their input. According to a
Harris Interactive survey for CareerBuilder, 61 percent of 25-34 year olds surveyed
believe they should be promoted within 2-3 years if they're doing a good job. Millennials
are constantly seeking upward movement, and a scary fact is that they aren’t afraid to
go elsewhere if they don’t feel that they are mobile enough within their current company.
This age group has very limited, if any, loyalty to any organization, especially one that
isn’t giving them the opportunities they believe they deserve. Again, I put emphasis on
the importance of these candid conversations to communicate what success looks like
to you and to the company as a whole.
The final key to effective communication in the workplace with Millennials is to
demonstrate and support fairness. While this may seem like an odd communication
key, it is important to consider the age in which this generation grew and developed.
Coworkers and management must never appear to be prejudiced or biased towards
anyone in the workplace, and favoritism must be eliminated. Millennials are not seeking
political correctness, they are expressing a genuine concern for equal rights. Because
of this concern, Millennials want to ensure that all parties involved in a task or project
receive the credit they are due. On top of this, they want everyone involved to succeed
and be satisfied in the overall outcome. They are often the first to send congratulatory
emails, post proud status updates, and share good news with the masses. The most
important piece of this to remember is that they do not tend to view co-workers as
colleagues, so much as team mates.
As you can see, nothing here is revolutionary. I’m sure that you’re already doing many
of these in your regular day-to-day, but I’m also hopeful that you now have some insight
as to why these skills are so important. The Millennials come to work each day with the
same expectations as everyone else:
They want to do their job well.
They want to make a difference.
They want to learn something new.
And, they want to eventually achieve excellence.

5. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
Sure, there are differences in how they hope to accomplish this versus the other
generations, but with a slight recalibration of the way we already communicate, we can
bridge the gap across the entire workforce.
Next, let’s talk motivation. There are three more methods – this time for motivating this
age group, which I truly hope can help you begin to improve your relationship with this
generation and promote success in your workplace.
As a manager or a lead, overseeing Millennials and motivating them in the workplace
comes down to three core aspects. Be liberal with trust. Give autonomy. And allow
creative freedom. Millennials prefer work environments where they are not only trusted
by their supervisors, but also given some creative freedom and flexibility to find their
own paths to success. They are not traditionally drawn to step-by-step instructions, and
will often find ways to work around them if given. They often prefer to be given the
vision, the materials, and the due date, and allowed to forge their own path. Millennials
are excellent at thinking outside of the box, and finding creative solutions to stale
problems that have plagued your workplace. Let them work their magic!
Realizing that the following method may not fit all workplaces, its time for you, as their
supervisor, to get creative too. Progressive companies such as 3M and Google have
found ways to allocate time to personal projects that their employees have passion
around. This has lead to groundbreaking innovation, not only within their Millennial
workforce, but also within the Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers. Allowing even a small
amount of time for personal development on the job offers employees engagement
opportunities, while making them feel more in control of their career.
Having just discussed the Millennial need for some workplace freedom, we need to
address the fact that this need for freedom and autonomy often results in the
assumption that they lack accountability. This notion is completely misguided, as the
two are not mutually exclusive. While Millennials may crave freedom, they also want to
know how they are performing. They need, and want, to not only be held accountable
for their performance and goal accomplishments, but they also want to be evaluated on
them, and given feedback. This is absolutely critical to their development. Managers
and Leads need to learn how to provide feedback, both good and bad, as their
Millennial staff matures.

6. Solving the Puzzle: Millennials
Faith Showler
Corporate Trainer
Equally as important as providing feedback, if not more so, is the fact that Millennials
must be treated as the adults they are. Let them know that they are responsible for all
of their successes and failures, and that they should be establishing goals to work
towards like the rest of their co-workers. It is imperative that you encourage the
understanding among your team that while the newest associates may not come with
20 years of experience, they do come with energy, creativity, an in depth understanding
of technology, a fresh perspective, and an eagerness to learn and perform well.
Another important aspect of feedback is the simple “great job”, or “thank you”. It is
easy, free, and has a huge impact. Everyone, regardless of age or tenure, likes to feel
as though they have been noticed for a job well done, or for an improvement
opportunity. Make sure that when giving feedback it is immediate, impactful, and
constructive.
Finally, according to a recent survey, 68% of recent graduates identified good
opportunities for growth and development as one of their top professional priorities.
While it may not always be feasible to send associates to conferences, or bring in guest
speakers, it is easy to invest in their development by assigning projects that are outside
of their comfort zones, suggesting books that may inspire them, or putting together a
leadership development or team building day for your location.
Being that we are almost finished up with this article, you are now well versed in a few
methods of both effective communication and motivation. If nothing else, it is important
to remember that you don’t have to change the way you work entirely, this really only
requires slight adjustments here and there. The Millennials are more than happy to
meet you halfway if they think you are interested in bridging the gap, and often times
they will give you feedback if you ask how they think you are doing.
Together we can make the workplace not only more harmonious, but also more
productive. Keep these tips in mind moving forward, and when the next generation
enters the workforce, the transition will be even easier than this one.