Generation Y Can’t I?

One of the best things about the new workforce can also be one of the most frustrating.  Millennials. I was working with an intern, who is mind-boggling smart and eager to absorb every aspect of the business. The energy is high and contagious. This same person, at the same time is the most self-absorbed, clueless dope I have every encountered. How to navigate this roller coaster is a mystery that is both sickening and exhilarating.

Nameless intern showed up from impressive university, and immediately made an impression.  He wanted to understand the psychology of the entire business, and how it impacts culture and the individual employees. The questions were deep, concise and mapped out in a way that led to an understanding of connections within the organization. I was expecting someone who was interested in learning something (undefined and unimportant), but was really there to make some connections and ride out the summer until it was time to return to the ivy-covered buildings and get back to some serious drinking. This guy was ready to work. He wanted to be involved in the inner workings to be part of an initiative. It was pretty cool.

Employee engagement is always good for learning how people and organizations can become disconnected from one another. I thought it would be good to put him on some analysis of industry trends and conduct some interviews internally. This would give him a sense of the differences in what employee engagement means, and allow him to make some connections.

Mistake #1

I didn’t set clear ground rules.

Part of the learning experience is a bit of trial-and-error. It is always good to run into a dead-end once in a while. The minefield of analysis can lead to over-engineering, and orienting your mind to that fact is necessary to refine your skills. By giving him the general direction of what was expected but not the specifics was unwise. I was soon inundated with reports, eMails and information that was unnecessary. It was projectile vomiting of data. Also, he merged the efforts and was doing analysis and interviews all at once. So, he was killing others with the same data and confusing the Q&A process to see what employees wanted. I got some visits.

Not to over-generalize, but most Millennials in the workforce can multi-task like fiends. The swirl of information in their heads is F-5 tornado scale, and the ability decipher it is extraordinary. Start moving down the Gen scale from very early Z to Y to X to Boomers and the ability to keep up decreases. Guiding that brain power, without suppressing creativity is essential. And hard. I should have been clearer in setting the steps and parameters of the information expected, and explained why there were boundaries.

Mistake #2

I was too effusive with praise.

That may seem not to conform with leadership principles of recognition and appreciation. It doesn’t, and was part of my struggle. I was applying basic principles to a more complex problem. The Millennials I have recruited, interviewed, worked with…wow!  I want to bottle that vitality and intensity. They’re willing to bring the bottles with them, and that is the issue. They know they are smart, and the minute they are validated they become even smarter.

If not steered, the growth of ego is rapid and out of sequence to the growth of knowledge. It has been widely discussed that some Millennials have a sense of entitlement that is off-putting or frustrating. It’s true, but it is a personality type like any other. Managing the personality and associated behaviors takes effort regardless of generation.

Through my praise I unleashed a monster. Demands and proclamations became absurd.  Suddenly, the intern became the new head of employee engagement. He began to turn interviews and surveys into policy, and couldn’t understand when I tried to throttle back from things like, “share your favorite Vine day” or “create your own #activism project.” The engagement piece would have happened, but the thought of unintended nudity, profanity and a host of other employee relations concerns overwhelmed my otherwise carefree attitude. Explaining the gritty details of people and organizations suddenly made me old and out of touch.    Additionally, I was instructed to release a portion of my budget to him to implement some changes.

The word that came to mind? Balls. This generation has them the size of Gulfstream jets they think they should have as regular transportation. Boomers or Gen Xers at that age? Never that bold. I knew this pitfall going in, but the strength and suddenness of it was suffocating.

Mistake #3

I didn’t say NO soon enough.

It must be said that I dislike NO. Nothing can shut down ideas and energy faster than saying, NO. The word is there, though for a reason. It’s use is required. I wanted his experience to be good, and not be faced with the soul-crushing realities of what company life can be like. When your desire for work as a place where you get to play games, invent new stuff daily and ride unicorns across rainbow colored fields, it is hard to run into that brick wall. The sense of wonder and possibility is what will make the businesses of the future, run by Millennials so powerful.

Also, I didn’t want to be a Dad. The cool uncle is more fun. At the first sign of perceived privilege, there should have been a conversation. It’s difficult explaining the balance between the hard realities of business and entrepreneurial spirit of anything goes. One without the other can be disillusioning. Those lessons can be shared, but not appreciated until experienced. Yes, life sucks sometimes. Being told NO is part of the experience.

Given the choice between working with a group of drones from the movie, Brazil or Millennials, I will take the Millennials every time. I just need to be as smart as they are to lead them. What about you? Are your experiences different and better? Are you a Millennial? What do you think?