People are individuals too …

When I read texts about organisational behaviour, I am often struck by the way much of what I’m reading regards the people who make up groups and organisations as components, rather than real people who have their own unique personalities.

An almost formulaic approach is given to the theory of group and organisational structure. While there is still room for the analytical approach that is used to determine ideal types that make up an organisation, it is my opinion that this is a broad brush approach given that people are individuals.

The Inner Stage

While it is possible to categorise people it is difficult to know all that influences a person’s ‘inner stage’. The inner stage relates to questions such as:

1. What makes you happy?
2. What motivates you?
3. What do you feel passionate about?
4. What drives you nuts?
5. How well do you understand the effect you have on others?

All of these questions (and more) are related to our ‘inner stage’ on which we play out the scripts that define who we are and what makes us an individual. When we are part of an organisation (or group or team) understanding ourselves better, enables us to be more effective in the way we influence our particular role in the organisation and the people around us.

So, if we wish to be more effective leaders of, or members of, a group effort, it makes sense that we know what we’re about; what we are good at and what we are not so good at. For the things we are not so good at we may be able to improve or find people that compliment us, thus draw on our strengths and compensate for our weaknesses.

Shelve the Superhero

The image of the leader as a superhero should be shelved where it belongs in the fiction section. We need to relinquish the messianic ideal both in what we feel we should be delivering as a leader and our expectations of others as leaders. Real results are driven by a network of people who, as individuals, all bring their unique personality to the table.

In the modern organisation which can have a very complex structure and diverse, organic, virtual teams, the trick is to bring the different parts together to form an effective and happy team; to build a strong web of relationships that combine skills and are based on trust and respect.

To be a great leader means being aware not only of our own inner stage, but also the inner stage of those we are involved with.

Employing millennials – the next ‘great generation’

Who are Millenials?

They have plenty labels. Generation Y (often abbreviated to Gen Y or Gen Yers); alias the Millennial Generation (or Millennials); sometimes Generation Next, Net Generation or Echo Boomers.

They were born somewhere between the mid-1970s to 2000 though there appears to be some discrepancy about these dates; they are the demographic group following Generation X. This makes the average age of a millennial to be around 20 years old. So there are millenials in employment (and have been for some years) and millenials who will be in employment in the next five years.

The millennials are shaping up to be a generation unlike any other. Some experts are already predicting that this new group could very well be the next ‘great generation’.

Initial estimates put their potential numbers at well over 80 million. The first of their numbers began entering tertiary education in 2000. That means that many are only now entering the professional workforce, with millions more to come over the next two decades.

The Millenial’s Characteristics

What is it that makes this generation so special and what does it mean for those of us who will be employing them and working alongside them? Looking at the characteristics of the millennial generation gives some indications but before we can even begin to address the questions, we need to understand exactly who these millennials are and what they will bring to the workplace.

On the whole, the millennial generation tends to be well-educated and technologically savvy. They have been plugged into computers and the Internet almost since birth. Millennials tend to be very optimistic, overtly confident, and intensely competitive. Generally, they are politically conservative and yet more socially tolerant than the generations before them.

They seek leadership, and even structure, from their older and managerial co-workers, but expect that you will draw upon and respect their ideas. Millennials seek a challenge and do not want to experience boredom. Used to balancing many activities millennials want flexibility in scheduling and a life away from work.

Always On

Millennials need to see where their career is going and they want to know exactly what they need to do to get there. They await their next challenge so there better be a next challenge! Millennials are the most connected generation in history and will network right out of their current workplace if their needs are not met. Comfortable with being in an online, mobile world, millennials are connected worldwide by email, instant messages, text messages, and the Internet – they’re ‘Always On’.

9 tips for employing contented millennials:

1. Millennials like structure Define projects and success factors for them.
2. Provide leadership and guidance. It is important for millennials to be learning and receive feedback. Spend time teaching and coaching and be aware of this commitment to millennials when you hire them. They would like your investment of time in their success.
3. Encourage the millennial’s confident, ‘can-do’ attitude. Millennials are ready to take on whatever they have to. Encourage this attitude.
4. Take advantage of the millennial’s ability to be part of teams. Millennials, unlike the lone ranger of earlier generations, believe a team can accomplish more and better – they understand team success. They are well suited to the 21^st Century model of individuals coming together for a project then disbanding when it is finished to then move on to another team on a different project.
5. Millennial employees are up for a challenge and used to change. Don’t bore or ignore them. They revel in ever-changing tasks within their work. Value their contribution.
6. Millennial employees are natural multitaskers. Multiple tasks don’t faze them. They talk on the phone while tapping the Social Web and answering emails! They are ‘Always On’.
7. Benefit from the millennial’s affinity for networking. Not just comfortable with teams and group activities, the millennial employee is comfortable networking around the world electronically.
8. Provide a life-work balanced workplace. Millennial employees are used to cramming their lives with multiple activities but this includes leisure time. They work hard, but they play hard too. They are not into the Baby Boomers’ 60 hour work week. They value spending time with friends and families.
9. Provide a creative, employee-centered workplace. Millennials want to enjoy their work. They want to enjoy their workplace. Help your long-term employees make room for the millennials.

Stop smothering the people and stunting the profits

There is a need for change in the way organisations motivate people. By offering incentives such as health care and pension plans the rewards are there when we get sick or retire. Though it is nice to know that these are available if we get sick or when we retire, the real reward and motivation comes from the feedback (tangible or intangible) from fulfilling the role we are given.

‘Modern’ management

We are part of a constantly changing environment that affects organisations and the people they employ. Organisations need to stay ahead of change; not only to accommodate different environmental and economic climates but in order to attract and keep employees. Most of the basic breakthroughs in management theory were made decades ago. The idealisms of what passes as ‘modern’ management and leadership that were formed around the mid 19^th century were outdated 40 years ago and in the 21^st century an organisation trying to thrive while adhering to these management theories is swimming against the tide.

These ‘modern’ management practises lean heavily towards efficiency, control and authority. Many organisations fall foul of standing still, continuing with old practises because ‘we’ve always done it this way’. Employees feel bored, dispirited and dis-empowered.

Post ‘Modern’ management

So, organisations need to review and reinvent their management and leadership practises. To prosper and grow in the 21^st century, organisations must be innovative, foster creativity and inspiration and be socially accountable. To do this, organisations need to form a new movement to revolutionise management and leadership, principles and practises.

Managers shouldn’t try to ‘manage’ people (I’ve always found it odd that one human being should try to manage another) and leaders shouldn’t try to ‘lead’ people in an effort to motivate. Motivation is not something that can be forced on people, but what you can do is to create an environment where individuals can motivate themselves.

The traditional model of leadership is to boss people about. But the most important currency of leadership is time. By giving your time to your people (and that means all your people – right down to the lowest level) you create an environment with an atmosphere of fairness and with this you earn the respect of the people in the organisation which will in turn achieve results far beyond what you imagined.

The future for organisations is to reinvent themselves. Making the future happen means creating a different kind of organisation and this happens through the embodiment of a different idea which could encompass society, economy or technology (or a mix of all three). It does not need to be an idea on a grand scale but it does need to differ from the norm of today.

And this should include how organisations connect with their employees (who are the foundation of the business). The people should be involved to create an organisation that is as adaptable, innovative, creative, aspiring and as resilient as the people who work within it – to create an environment where these people are motivated to come forward with an idea.

8 ways to stop smothering the people and stunting profits:

1. Innovate a way out of a problem through involving the people in the organisation.
2. Hard-wire ideas into the organisation at the start-up.  Though not impossible to apply later on, the earlier an organisation starts to embrace new ideas the easier it is to make them work.
3. Eliminate rule based cultures that tend to be top down and patriarchal.
4. Eliminate boredom. People are often bored because their talent is being under-utilised. By tapping talent you create a win-win situation for all.
5. Eliminate fear. People can be scared of being creative and having ideas within an organisation because they fear their ideas will be harshly rejected.
6. Connect with all employees – start from the bottom and work up.
7. Time is the most important currency – give as much as you can. What you get back will be money in the bank. [Analogy meant]
8. Respect people and their role in the organisation.

Reinvent

Robert Roland Smith, the author of ‘Driving With Plato’ wrote:

‘The challenge of getting older is not to age along a continuous axis that extends from where we are, but to make abrupt turns. That means becoming not only better, but different’.

This blog is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas in reinventing ourselves, business, education and anything else that fosters positive change in a creative and inspired way.

The butterfly makes changes throughout its life. Each change is correct for the particular stage of its life it has reached.

Madonna (and I’m not promoting her music or condoning her actions in her personal life) is an expert at the art of reinvention. And it’s something that with a little confidence, imagination and creativity, we can all have a go at reinventing ourselves.