Marc Robertson - Working with Millennials: Using Emotional Intelligence and Strategic Compassion to Motivate the Next Generation of Leaders

Marc Robertson

Foreword by Adam Lichtl

Copyright 2016 by Marc Robertson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Robertson, Marc (Marc Allen), author.
Title: Working with millennials : using emotional intelligence and strategic compassion to motivate
the next generation of leaders / Marc Robertson ; foreword by Adam Lichtl.
Description: Santa Barbara, California : Praeger, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references
and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015036940 | ISBN 9781440844126 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9781440844133 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Generation YEmployment. | Intergenerational relations. | Conflict of generations
in the workplace. | Emotional intelligence. | Leadership. | Personnel management.
Classification: LCC HF5549.5.C75 R63 2016 | DDC 658.3/14dc23 LC record available at
http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036940

ISBN: 978-1-4408-4412-6

EISBN: 978-1-4408-4413-3

201918171612345

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This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to
Daisaku Ikeda, who inspires me daily.

by Adam Lichtl

Rule number one of business is that you must adapt to survive. This applies not only to market strategies or supply chain logistics, but also to the very way you motivate and lead your team. As technical innovation continues to dominate the marketplace, more and more enterprise value is being allocated to the minds that generate those ideas. We live in a society of knowledge workers, and companies are realizing their most valuable asset is their people.

At the same time, there is a growing disconnect between the younger workforce and the people who manage them. The outdated practice of management by positional authority, effective when job mobility was limited, is crumbling before the newer, more effective, technique of strategic compassion. By blending emotional intelligence with technical acumen, the most effective leaders out there are building lasting, productive teams by creating a healthy environment based on collaboration, not intimidation.

The Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) have less loyalty to their jobs than older workers. In 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median tenure, or number of years with their current employer, for wage and salary workers was 3.0 years for workers aged 2534. For workers aged 5564, the median tenure was 10.4 years, more than three times that of the Millennial workers. Three years is about the time needed to recruit, vet, train, and integrate a highly productive person into your organization. Right when youre starting to see a return on your investment, if your environment is toxic, theyre likely halfway out the door looking for their next opportunity. As the economy strengthens, retention only gets harder.

Many businesses have adopted a policy of get em young, burn em out, embracing high turnover rates. In the short term, this strategy is seductive as it keeps wages low and exploits a seemingly bottomless pool of energetic young people looking for work experience. However, this approach is untenable in the long term. As a constant stream of young, enthusiastic but inexperienced people are coming in your front door, youre losing a constant stream of more experienced workers carrying your organizations culture and intellectual property in their heads. Your top performers are the most employable, and often the first to leave. Theyre also the ones you rely on to screen your next candidates, train your new hires, and mentor your junior employees. Every quality person a company lets slip through its fingers erodes that organizations ability to compete in the marketplace.

If direct compensation is not enough to retain your Millennial talent, then what is? The three major ingredients for a satisfied employee are clear expectations, support, and appreciation. Setting out not only what is expected, but also where they can expect to be in two years, provides a clear path forward. This in turn means that Millennials looking for growth and change can find that within your organization, not outside of it. Trust is the cornerstone of good communication. You cant help an employee reach his or her goals if you dont know what those are, and they wont share those with someone they dont trust. Integrity in dealing with other people is a universal necessity in business, but is not sufficient to build trust. For someone to know you have their back, you have to show them constant and meaningful support. Being honest with someone is expected, but you must go beyond thisactively giving them the training and encouragement they need to succeed. And when they do succeed, be right there with them, showing them that you recognize and appreciate their contribution.

This collaborative approach is a potent form of leadership, but requires a dramatic shift in thinking from the typical, but increasingly ineffective, command-and-control approach to management. Shifting emphasis from authority and reporting, to emotional intelligence and strategic compassion, is not an easy process for most people. However, Marc Robertson uses thousands of hours of his coaching to lay out in this book the exact steps you need to take to greatly improve the way you lead and manage. This book will walk you through the specific actionable changes you can implement in your organization, what impact you can expect those changes to make, and how to deal with the bumps along the way. As you head down this new road, youll find yourself at the helm of a much more productive, energized, and healthy organization. And as your teams culture strengthens and the gap between you and your competition widens, the word will get out. Soon enough, youll find that your competitions top performers will be knocking on your door.

Adam Lichtl, Former Director of Research, SpaceX