Managing the Millennial Generation:
Strategies to Select and Develop
Gen Y Leadership Talent
Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach
We help companies assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent
leaders
Briefings Media Group Audio Conference
8-26-2009

Maynard Brusman

Learning Objectives
o Win the “War for Millennial T alent.”
o Adopt new mindset – initiate, engage,
collaborate and evolve.
o Create a GEN Y friendly workplace culture.
o Best Practices for Managing Millennials.
o Change perspective involving time, technology
and loyalty.
o Provide in the moment performance feedback.
o Create emotionally intelligent teams.
o Develop future leadership bench strength.

Veterans
o Born Before 1945 (64 and up)
o Matures, Civics, Great Generation, Radio Babies
o 58 Million in the US
o Pearl Harbor , Hiroshima/ Nagasaki
o Values:
n Hard Work
n Sacrifice
n Stability
n Conformity
n Delayed Gratification

Baby Boomers
o Born Between 1945 and 1965
o Boomers, “Me” Generation
o 78 Million in US
o Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy Assassination, Man on the
Moon,
o Values:
n Work
n Self
n Involvement
n Personal Gratification
n Community

Generation X
o Born Between 1966 and 1980
o Xers, Baby Busters, Original “Latchkey” Kids
o 48 Million in US
o Personal Computers, Challenger
o Values
n Independent
n Change
n T echnology Literate
n Skepticism

Millennial Generation
o Born After 1980
o Gen Y , Echo Boomers, New Generation Me, Nexters
o 73 Million in US
o OJ Trial, Monica Lewinsky, Columbine, 9-11
o Values:
n Confident/T oo Confident?
n T echnology Sophistication
n High Expectations/ Narcissistic/ Impatient to Succeed?
n Moral & Issue Minded
n Egalitarian
n Collaborative
n Independent Contractors
n Parental Impact & Rewards/Recognition

Quotes about Millennials
“…The Millennial Generation will entirely recast the
image of youth from downbeat and alienated to
upbeat and engaged—with potentially seismic consequences for America.”
— Neil Howe and William Strauss from “Millennials Rising.”
“Organizations that can’t—or won’t—customize training,
career paths, incentives and work responsibilities need
a wake-up call.”
— Carolyn A. Martin and Bruce Tulgan from “Managing Generation Y.”
“They know the way things go down and are no
longer naïve about the workings of the world and the
intentions of businesses and other organizations.”
— Peter Sheahan from “Generation Y: Thriving and Surviving with Generation Y at
Work.”

Who are the Millennials?
o They are optimists
o They are team players
o They accept authority
o They are rule followers
o They are smart (like school and
learning)
o They are technologically sophisticated
o *Source: Millennials Rising

Millennial Characteristics
o Confident
o Freedom
o Speed
o Transparency
o Playful
o Collaborative
o Innovative
o Customize

Millennial Characteristics

Case Study
o Millennial From Down Under

Neuroscience –
The Millennial Brain
o Neuroscience Research
o The Millennial Mind
o Video Games
o Multitasking
o Scanning
o Distributed Cognition

The Millennial Brain

Win the War for Talent
o Initiate Relationships
o Engage for Learning
o Create Collaborative Culture
o Retain: Evolve the Relationship

ROWE
o Results-only work environment
o Best Buy
o Revamp Corporate Culture
o Flexibility

Connecting
o Positive T oday and Optimistic About
the Future
o Why? – How they Will Benefit
o T ell the Truth
o Know them as Individuals
o Reward Positive Performance
o Model the Way

Attracting and Retaining
Millennials
o 1. Address parents as an explicit part of your workforce
strategy.
o 2. Shift performance management to tasks, not time.
o 3. Design jobs – and the workplace – for collaboration.
o 4. Invest in the latest technology.
o 5. Encourage the Boomers at work to mentor Y’s.
o 6. Coach managers to provide frequent recognition and
feedback.
o 7. Challenge Y’s with tasks that require problem-solving.
o 8. Re-design career paths: more frequent, smaller steps
– lateral moves – not necessarily up.

Selection & Recruitment -
Video
o Maintain or set expectations via video.
o Now more popular than ever- YouTube.
o 2 themes- corporate video (message
from CEO) or self produced (meet the
team).
o Day in the life (realistic job previews).

Attracting Candidates
o Write Outrageous Ads that are Fun,
Challenging and Exciting.
o Describe what candidates will be
doing and becoming.
o Stay connected with former
employees.
o Create employee referral program.

Performance–Based Job Descriptions
o Reflect what needs to get done.
o Results-oriented approach.
o Ability to achieve measurable
objectives is best predictor of future
performance.
o Emphasis on performance and
potential over skills and experience.

Attracting Millennial Future Leaders
o Webinars
o You Tube
o Podcasts
o Facebook
o Twitter

Recruiting Message
o Performance-based Compensation
o Flexible Schedules
o T ele-Commuting
o Marketable Skills
o Access to Decision Makers

Culture and Climate
o Career Laddering
o Socialization
o Mentoring
o Positive reinforcement

Time, Technology and Loyalty
o For younger workers time is a
currency.
o Millennials embrace technology.
o They want to work for the right boss.

Jerk Boss
o Close-Minded
o Disrespectful
o Intimidating

Dream Boss
o Respectful
o Caring
o Emotionally Intelligent
o Flexible and Open-Minded
o Coach and Mentor

Best Practice
Management Strategies
o Provide Structure.
o Provide Leadership and Guidance.
o Encourage Action Learning.
o T eam Coaching.
o Listen to Their Ideas.
o Challenge & Change vs. Boring.
o Provide Work-Life Balance.

Performance Reviews
o Performance reviews are often the most visible talent
management process – and can be a great opportunity
to engage Millennials!
1. Provide a multi-rater 360° option for your employees.
2. Enable employees to twitter/blog on themselves and
their peers in a performance journal.
3. Use social media to rate on contribution, not just
formal goals/competencies.

Performance Feedback
o In The Moment Feedback
o 360–Degree Feedback
o Feedforward Exercise

Coaching and Mentoring
o Coaching
o Mentoring
o Millennial Mentors

Emotionally Intelligent Teams
1. Help each other be successful.
2. Look for innovative ways to make new
ideas work…not for reason’s they won’t.
3. If in doubt…check it out! Don’t make
negative assumptions about each other .
4. Speak positively about each other and
your organization at every opportunity.
5. Remain optimistic no matter what the
circumstances.

Emotionally Intelligent Teams
6. Be proactive as if it all depends on
you.
7. Do everything with enthusiasm…
it’s contagious.
8. Whatever you desire…give it away.
9. Be persistent…never give up.
10. Have fun!

Developing Future
EQ Leaders
o 10 Ways to Develop Empathy
o The Next “Greatest Generation”

Working Resources
Thank You!

Questions & Answers

Resources for Further Information
o Burmeister, M. (2008). from Boomers to Bloggers. Fairfax, Virginia: Synergy Press.
o Chester, E. (2002). Employing Generation Why?. Lakewood, CO: Tucker House Books.
o Deal, J. (2007). Retiring the Generation Gap. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
o Dychtwald, K., Erickson, T ., & Morison, R. (2006). Workforce Crisis. Boston, Mass: Harvard
Business School Press.
o Erickson, T. (2008). plugged in…The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work. Boston, Mass:
Harvard Business Press.
o Fields, B., Wilder , S., Bunch, Jim. & Newbold, R. (2008). Millennial Leaders. Buffalo Grove, IL:
Writers of the Round T able Press.
o Gravett, L. & Throckmorton, R. (2007). Bridging the Generation Gap. Franklin Lakes, NJ:
Career Press.
o Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials Rising. New York, NY : Vintage Books.
o Lancaster, L. & Stillman, D. (2002). When Generations Collide. New York, NY : HarperCollins.
o Marston, C. (2007). Motivating the “What’s In It For Me?” Workforce. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
o Martin, C. & T ulgan, B. (2001). Managing Generation Y. Amherst, Mass: HRD Press.
o Martin, C. & T ulgan, B. (2006). Managing the Generation Mix. Amherst, Mass: HRD Press.
o Orrell, L. (2008). Millennials Incorporated. Deadwood, OR: Intelligent Women Publishing.
o T apscott, D. (2009).Grown Up Digital. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
o T ulgan, B. (2009). Not Everyone Gets A Trophy…How to Manage Generation Y. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.

Social Media
o Connect with me on these Social
Media sites.
http://twitter .com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbr
usman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynard
brusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/mayna
rdbrusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach
Working Resources
P .O. Box 471525 San Francisco, California 94147
T el: 415-546-1252
E-mail: mbrusman@workingresources.com
Web Site: http://www.workingresources.com
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