CHICAGO–What’s left to say about Millennials in the workplace that hasn’t already been said? There’s still one big issue emerging that many haven’t addressed, according to one person: Communication skills.
Writing on Forbes.com, Brian Rashid, noted that “since they first entered the workforce this age group has been the source of media fodder. With skills, attitudes, and goals decidedly different from their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts, companies have struggled to understand and integrate them into their cultures. Yet, as the largest generation in the U.S., companies have had to learn how to accept their differing views of the world and priorities and leverage their strengths to spark progress.”
But with the oldest of the Millennials now rising in the ranks of organizations, “they’re facing unexpected leadership challenges, namely in relation to communication,” he said. “It may seem surprising that a generation so digitally connected to the world could struggle with communication. Every child grew up hearing their moms tell them too much television would rot their brains. In 2017, it looks like too much social media is rotting real-world communication skills. Unlike Boomers and Gen Xers, who incorporated mobile devices and social platforms into their lifestyles after entering adulthood, Millennials came of age being digitally connected. While this experience has made them highly adept at tackling new social media trends and formats, it has also stunted their inter-personal communications growth. In fact, 39% of Millennials admit to interacting more with their phones than the actual people in their lives.”
Rashid said the generation has gotten so good at communicating through screens and haven’t focused on honing their face-to-face communication skills. Additionally, this generation is also more likely to rely on their devices to escape social interactions - they’d rather bury their heads in a screen than confront uncomfortable situations, he said.
What can a credit union do?
According to Rashid:
- Invest in ongoing public speaking and communications training programs. “The more experience Millennials gain in working with others face-to-face the better leaders they’ll become,” he said.
- Conduct training in conflict resolution. “Most people do not enjoy confrontational encounters, but Millennials will do just about anything to avoid them. As a generation they are not conflict-seekers, and approach difficult discussions in the workplace squeamishly. Unfortunately as any professional leader can attest, handling conflict comes with the territory of moving up the ladder. As Millennials move into managerial levels they not only have to deal with interactions with their superiors, but they are also in charge of guiding newer employees to success.”
Rashid encouraged companies to create workplaces “steeped in transparency.” “If leaders encourage open dialogue and feedback, and even open themselves to questioning, young Millennial leaders will gradually feel more comfortable navigating tricky conversations. Millennials are a generation that thrives on transparency and openness.”