Hannah Ubl - Managing Millennials For Dummies

Managing Millennials For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017936221

ISBN 978-1-119-31022-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-31024-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-31023-5 (ebk);

1. Table of Contents

If we were in the business of doling out participation awards, wed give you a shiny red ribbon just for picking up this book. Sadly (or fortunately?) for you, were actually in the business of information generational information to be specific. In this book, our focus as you may have guessed by the not-so-subtle title is Millennials. Prepare yourself for a meticulously crafted story about the generation everyone loves to hate, replete with tools, techniques, and strategies to help you better lead and manage this infamously unmanageable generation.

At its core, Managing Millennials For Dummies is intended to be a truth-teller and problem-solver for anyone who manages, leads, or works with Millennials. We wont kid you (or ourselves) by claiming this book is the #1 solution or the be-all and end-all cure for your Millennial woes. Humans are complicated, and contrary to popular belief, Millennials are in fact human. As Millennials ourselves, trust us when we say we get the challenge. We feel your pain. We sympathize, we empathize, and we also know when to tell it like it is. As generational researchers and management consultants, we hear the good, bad, and ugly about Millennials, and we work tirelessly to dispel myths and shed light on truths. This book is a collection of all our best work around recruiting and retaining the Millennial generation. We hope that youll use this tool as suits you best to find out more about this slippery generation, cull actionable strategies to improve your Millennial management style, and maybe, just maybe, leave with a changed perception about this complicated generation (and by that we mean youll stop hating them).

Managing Millennials For Dummies is not intended to be read as a step-by-step manual. We get that as managers trying to lead four (and sometimes five) generations in the workforce, youve got more than enough on your plate. So instead, treat this book as a choose-your-own-adventure, but with more intellect and less redirection.

Side note: Though this book is all about unwrapping the layers behind the Millennials, we also strongly believe that they need to learn about you, their manager, and the other generations as well. That said, we can only cover so much in the span of one book. Weve incorporated a few chapters on Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and post-Millennials, but the majority of the content and strategy is focused around understanding and managing the Millennial generation.

Although this book is called Managing Millennials For Dummies, you dont need to be a manager to glean something valuable from these pages. Whether youre a CEO; a retiree whos curious about the why behind your Millennial children; a manager seeking to improve recruiting and retention efforts; or an entry-level, inquisitive Millennial who just wants to learn more about your own generation; this book is for you. All we ask is that when you turn to any given section, you come ready to take off your own generational lens and commit to seeing the world through Millennials eyes.

Another thing we ask of you? If you can, set your preconceived doubts and skepticism aside. Trust us when we say that we know managing Millennials is no easy feat. We know this not only because we are Millennials, but also because we manage Millennials. Most importantly, we know because weve talked to thousands of managers on the front lines who are dealing with this newest addition to the workforce. Some are struggling and some are thriving, but all are just trying to do their very best. While weve seen Millennials get the short end of the stick (they certainly arent winning any popularity contests) and also praised as the best thing thats ever happened to the modern world, the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle. Within these pages, weve found ways to shed light on this truth. We celebrate the greatness of Millennials, show you how to manage the not-so-greatness away, and give you a road map for building a cohesive, collaborative, and connected cross-generational team.

Perhaps the most unique aspect about this piece of writing is that its a bit of a generational Russian nesting doll (stay with us here): Its a book about Millennials written by a group of Millennials who work in a company that researches everything and anything Millennial, as well as all things generational. As a heads-up for the odd Millennial hater who may have picked up this book, we actually think Millennials are great. If you were hoping for some more Millennial bashing, you most definitely have not come to the right place. We believe that while Millennials may not have deserved all those participation trophies, theyre most certainly worthy of some understanding (plus, we didnt give those trophies to ourselves, people!).