How to Manage Gen X & Y

Dealerscope Exclusive
By Elly Valas 2011

I’d like to send early congratulations to the 40-under-40 group of industry leaders who will be recognized in the June issue of Dealerscope (and at Dealerscope.com, so stay tuned). They have worked hard and are certainly making their mark in the industry. As good as they may be, though, they provide unique challenges to their supervisors. The younger generation is bright, tech savvy and enthusiastic, but they don’t always respond positively to traditional management styles.

For the first time in history we now have four generations in the workplace. Generation Y, or The Millennials, were born between the late 1970s and early 1990s.Generation X represents the children of the Baby Boomers. As the economy has contracted many Baby Boomers and some senior veterans have stayed on their jobs as well. Each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits and hot buttons.

Remember when older workers were the bosses and younger workers did what was asked of them, no questions asked? There were definite rules as to how the boss was treated and how younger workers treated older workers. Today, roles are changing and new rules are being written every day.

Gen X and Y need very different leadership than the Boomers and Veterans ahead of them. They prefer to self manage and want their managers to mentor and coach them. Give them a job and let them figure out how best to get it done. Give them honest feedback.

They want to have ongoing opportunities to learn and grow. They need to grow personally and professionally. Let them design and present new product demos for each other. Encourage them to enroll in classes, Toastmasters and networking groups.

They’re a fun-loving bunch and they expect work to be fun. The old model of punching in for eight hours of drudgery in order to earn some after-work playtime doesn’t fly with Gen X and Gen Y. They expect to enjoy their work and become friends with their associates, frequently socializing after hours. As a manager, you have to make the workplace welcoming and fun, encouraging play and camaraderie. Come to your sales meetings in your pajamas or have a scavenger hunt to find clues to new product features.

Younger workers need to be challenged. Instead of seeking their comfort zones, they look to change up routine and have lots of different things to do. Move them around between departments. Ask them to help deploy new technologies or maintain your Facebook and Twitter pages. They may seem loyal but they are masterful at reinvention. Boredom will drive them away quickly.