Watch out Baby Boomers and Gen X: Millennials are no longer the new kids in the workplace. Millennials are now advancing in their careers and assuming leadership positions at an astounding rate.
“Making the transition from employee to manager is a critical step for Millennials and Gen Z, not just in terms of learning but in terms of overall career pathway, speed of promotion, and other opportunities,” explained Jason Dorsey, president of The Center for Generational Kinetics, in an interview with Time.
Dorsey emphasized that being a boss is more about practices, behaviors, and mindset than a mere title, and becoming a good boss is more complicated still. For Millennials looking for a place to start, Dorsey recommends reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. Though it’s been around for nearly a century, it still has sage advice for new bosses.
“One of the biggest pitfalls facing first-time managers is that leadership still has to be earned,” Dorsey said. “This is particularly true when you’re leading employees and team members for the first time and they are older than yourself, which is now a common situation facing both Millennials and Gen Z.”
The challenges of an inter-generational workforce do not stop at leadership, though. For the first time ever, there are five generations working together in the workforce, which presents obstacles in everything from recruitment, onboarding, retention, and more. Having strong, competent leadership at the helm of any company can be a make-or-break moment in learning how to successfully integrate all generations’ ideas and preferences.
Want to Solve Your Millennial and Gen Z Challenges?
We lead national and international Gen Z, Millennial, and generational studies for our clients every day. We also keynote events around the world, helping businesses better understand their customers and workforce.
Let us know how we can help you. Send us an email or give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide a little information for you to review.
Keep the conversation going. Follow The Center on Instagram @TheGenHQ or on Twitter @GenHQ. We are passionate about sharing our latest generational discoveries!
