May 23, 2018
Marketing, Managing, and Motivating Millennials

Millennials will comprise 50 percent of the workforce by 2020. Do you have an effective strategy in place to market to them and attract them to your employment brand? Then once they’re in the door as employees, are you on solid footing to manage and...
Millennials will comprise 50 percent of the workforce by 2020. Do you have an effective strategy in place to market to them and attract them to your employment brand? Then once they’re in the door as employees, are you on solid footing to manage and motivate them? In this episode, we converse with Generational Guru Sherri Elliott-Yeary about these topics and others relative to the five generations living today.
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There are some people that make their
work just another thing they have to do,
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and there are those that make their
work something that they want to do.
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Welcome to Working on Purpose with your
host Elise Cortes. In our program,
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we provide guidance and inspiration from those
people who have found deeper meaning and
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personal connection to their work life.
It's beyond nine to five. It's working
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on purpose. Now Here is your
host, Elise Cortes. I'm your host,
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Elise Cortes, joining from Dallas,
Texas, which is home base for
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me. This program is all about
helping people more meaningfully and productively connect with
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their work and equipping organizations to do
the same for their employees. So I
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bring on guests from a particular perspective
or an experience that I think expands the
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conversation. I often drive my own
meeting, work research i've been doing over
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the last fifteen years, and also
the consulting that I've been doing in speaking
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and developing leaders across the globe.
Last week, if you missed the show
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live, you can always catch it
if you recorded podcast. We were on
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the air with Mike Roschell, who
is the founder and chief executive officer at
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Mike Roschell and Associates, which is
a management and leadership development consultancy. We
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talked about digital transformation and his view
that companies need to prioritize people over technology
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and process. Great and productive conversation
with us this week is Sherry Elliott Yeri,
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who is known as a generational Guru. She is a generational keynote speaker,
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coach, and author. Having been
born in nineteen sixty eight, Sherry's
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DNA is a gen X, but
her generational personality as a baby boomer.
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She is the author of several books. One is Ties to Tattoos, turning
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generational differences into competitive advantage. The
second book is you Can Have It All,
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just not all at once. And
now she is soon releasing a book
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series called Crack the Millennial Code where
she where wonders about marketing. Two is
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managing, Three is Motivating the Millennials. Which is all the topics of our
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conversation today. Sherry joones it today
from Plano, Texas. Sherry, welcome
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back to Working on Purpose. Thank
you. It's my honor to be back
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on the show. Thanks for having
me. Always wonderful. So I want
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to start up. Obviously, you've
spent a lot of time in this generational
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space, and for our listeners who
haven't, amazingly somehow found you yet help
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us understand where your fashion fascination with
the generations actually came from. Why work
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on generations? Yeah? It was
really interesting. Probably about two thousand and
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five to two thousand and seven.
I kept hearing from my HR clients,
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why do those kids have baggy pants? And what's that shiny thing in their
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nose? And why are they late? And why do they ask why?
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Why? Why? And I really
started researching it, and I thought it
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was more of a people from an
perspective issue and how could we change from
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a leadership And the more I delved
into it, there really wasn't anything in
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the marketplace that helped me understand,
and so I decided I would write a
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book on it myself. As an
HR professional, I thought, well,
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who better to write this and share
the information than me? What we get
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curious about throw herself into So right, okay, so next, And this
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is interesting for me, Stary,
because as long as I've known you,
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which we know as well over ten
years. When we first began talking about
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this, there were four generations in
the workplace, and now there are five
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So for our listeners who maybe don't
have a strong access to generations, can
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you give us a kind of a
broad sketch. What are those five generations?
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Yeah, and so what you said
in the workplace, And what's interesting
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about that is is obviously we have
them in the marketplace and our families,
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and that's really what you know.
It drives us to look at it from
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a whole bunch of perspectives. But
we have traditionalists who are on average seventy
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four to ninety six years of age, Baby Boomers, they're on average fifty
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four to seventy three years of age. Generation X thirty eight years of age
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to fifty three. Millennials are known
as jen Y they are twenty one to
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thirty seven, and then our latest
generation Gen Z are twenty and under.
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Okay, that was crisp, great
for our listeners across the globe to understand
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just what it is we're talking about. So we're going to focus this conversation,
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most of this conversation anyway, on
the millennials. And I heard you
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and other people say that millennials are
the largest generation in the workplace, and
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I'll focus on that to start,
just because that's the world that I dwell
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in for this particular program. And
so if you could say a little bit
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about who are the millennials and why
are they so important to understand? So
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what makes them? You know them, a few of their characteristics if you
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had to start with that, and
then why are they so important to understand?
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Yeah? The reason that millennials are
so important is to me anyway enough
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to want to write a three book
series on millennials, is because I really
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think they get a bad wrap.
And it was funny. I met with
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a millennial couple of minute millennials yesterday
and he goes, oh, you write
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books. Way cool? Yeah,
like dude, okay, So that just
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hate to be right, right right, And he's like, I didn't know
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that. So he says I'd like
to get one. So I text him
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when he's finished, and I said, oh, send me your address so
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I can send you a copy of
my book. Next sentence back is his
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email address? If you were going
to say that? And so I texted
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him and I said, no,
I mean like snail mail. And you
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know, it's just so funny on
how we view things in that scenario.
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I could have looked at that and
went Okay, stupid. Didn't you know
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what I meant, I'm going to
send you my book, But that's not
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it. Just because that's how I
expected that conversation to go doesn't mean a
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millennial understands it the same way.
And so that's why it's so important is
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we embrace them and the differences and
help them understand where we're coming from as
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much as we want to understand them
to know where we're coming from a different
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generation. And I just want to
put a little caveat to that. I
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did share the overview of the five
generations, but I do believe we have
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our generational DNA, which is our
year of birth, but we also have
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our generational personality, and that is
formed based on life events the culture where
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we're raised. Could be you're the
oldest child or the youngest child in the
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family. Could be you were raised
by very responsible, regimented parents. So
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not all millennials are equal, and
it's really unfair when I hear you know
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one stereotype. Overall, I have
two of my stepdaughters are the most responsible
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young ladies I have ever met,
and so they are and it was because
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of how they're raised. They actually
balance a checking account I'm like, whoa,
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who knew that should be going on? So it happens, and they're
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very, very smart. They embrace
technology, they learn at warp speed,
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and so that's why we need to
work with them, mentor them, train
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them, attract them. We want
them because there are our next generation of
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leaders. Okay, well, I'm
convinced now another thing that I want to
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kind of pivot to now that we've
situated them in the workplace. You're writing
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a whole book dedicated to marketing to
them. So you've written and accepteing some
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of your work leading up to your
book that millennials are influencers. How so,
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yeah, they are influencers in how
marketers are creating their ads, their
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campaign They're also influencers in how the
organizations are asking them for feedback and companies
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on what should their brand be,
what should the message be. So instead
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of brands saying this is what we
want, they're actually reaching out to them
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and asking for their feedback. But
they're going one step further the smart ones,
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or going another step. They're saying, Okay, we're going to take
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people who are really good at blogging
and who have a great online presence,
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and you know, what we're gonna
do. We're going to work with them
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and they're going to help convert our
message to something where millennials can actually see
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it, feel it, connect with
it. And that's how they're making the
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biggest difference is they're reaching out to
the people who have the strongest platform.
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That makes great sense to me,
and certainly knowing that they use platforms in
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a different way. In fact,
I'll just say quickly last week, when
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I was on an airplane going to
New York City for consulting work, I
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met on the plane next to me
a thirty year old woman who is an
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actress and a movie producer, and
she's going to be on my show next
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week, by the way. And
it was so great because she goes,
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Hey, this is so exciting.
I'm so glad to be on your show.
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Do you mind if I create something
for us on Instagram to share that
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I'm going to be on your show? And I'm like, absolutely, do
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you know that? With in like
a half an hour, she responded back
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with that, and I thought it
was just gorgeous. Warp speed, I
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mean warp speed. It's just they
have access to technology and they know how
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to use it and obviously. That's
the major difference is things that we may
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have to go search for. They
know how to find it, create it
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like I have had. You know, I'm okay to admit this. I
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have had my Microsoft Surface for almost
a year now and I still have not
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gone to a class to learn all
the best features of it. And the
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other day my husband said, hey, are you using your pen that you
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can use it as a tablet,
And I'm like, are you kidding?
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I don't know half the features yet, but it's on my calendar to learn,
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and by then there'll be a new
edition out and I'll be like,
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Okay, I need to try this
all over again. You know, I
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appreciate what you're saying so much,
Sherry, because on my show last week
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with Mike Roshelle, we were talking
about how artificial intelligence and robotics and just
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the sheer pace. So the world
we work in today is going to require
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all of us to constantly learn.
We're just like what you're saying, right,
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and of course that can be both
exhilarating and also very tiring. Right,
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We're constantly in a place of learning
something. I know. I resist
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that myself. I'm like, but
I know how to do it this way
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and it works. Yeah, it's
kind of like the mentality of it's not
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broken, why do we need to
change it? So let's just keep going.
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And that's really honestly, and I
have the same mentality. If I
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wasn't the generational guru, I would
really totally embrace that. But I'm like,
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Okay, change is inevitable. And
I still have this sign I used
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to have in my office that said
change is hard, you go first,
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love. I know I need to
dig it out again because before somebody would
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walk into my office and have an
issue. From an HR perspective, I'm
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like, did you read the sign
at the door? Because if it's about
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change, then we need to have
conversation, because you're right, it's not
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easy, but millennials embrace it because
they have seen nothing but changed since they've
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been born. And you know,
you were talking a little bit about that,
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and that's why that young lady you're
sitting with, she could create that
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so quickly. She knows how to
do it on her phone, she can
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do it on her iPad, she
can do it on you know, any
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device and have it up and running
and out there before you even get off
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the plane. MM hmm. And
by the way, her name is Ashley
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Kate Jones. We'll talk about her
Ashley Ashley Kate Jones. She'll be on
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the air with us next week.
Well, speaking a little, another thing
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about millennials that really intrigued me that
you've you've written about is you've talked about
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their frugality in your book. What
do you mean by that? How are
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they frugal? Okay, So,
a lot of millennials belong or were born
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to baby boomer parents, and what
they saw with their parents is they were
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overspending and the amount of debt their
parents are in and so one of the
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things is that they're making choices to
hold back and not spend money on material
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things. They don't need to have
a bunch of stuff for them to know
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that their life is happy. They
want experiences. So where they will be
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frugal in areas that maybe we wouldn't
be, they will be more about the
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experience and they're willing to do that. So from a frugal perspective, that's
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really what I'm saying is they're a
lot more discerning about where they'll spend their
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money and with whom they want to
feel connected to, the seller to the
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product and they're willing to spend it, but it has to be something that
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they want. For instance, I
just did hear this on the other day
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on the radio and shared it out
on social media. But it is true.
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A new research study has come up
over a third of millennials have been
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holding off buying a home. But
if they choose to go out into the
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marketplace and purchase a home, over
a third of the reason is Number one
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because of their pets. They need
a backyard or a bigger place for their
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animal. Isn't that amazing? Okay, if I was looking for a house
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before, I would have done it
because I would have had a child and
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she needed a playground, you know. But number one is because of their
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pet, not because they're married,
but their pet. Number two is it's
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an investment. Number three is for
space for family. So pets actually,
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in a millennial's mind went out over
everything else when it comes to home buying.
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Wow, that is blow your mind. Yeah, it does, it
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really does. And back to the
whole notion of them being frugal. Mean,
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I've got it. This is just
a microcosm obviously what we're talking about.
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But you know that I teach it, so the Methodist University and I
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one of the things that I teach
is internships and careers and how to get
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and keep your first job, and
part what we do in that is teach
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them how to do a budget so
they know what they can live on when
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they when they get out there.
And what I find Sherry, to your
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point, is that they're very very
aware and concerned about, you know,
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making their way in the world and
having, you know, making enough money
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to live on. And they're they're
careful, they're very thoughtful about this whole
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exercise and the approach and recognize that
they're going out there into the world on
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their own. And so I don't
know if that's part of what informs them
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being frugal, is that there's a
feeling that, you know, I got
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to go make this on my own
and I don't have a safety net,
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and maybe the market isn't as strong
as it was earlier. I don't know
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how much of that factors in.
Do you have any intel in Okay,
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Well, it's it's all of that, But they also are looking at it
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and going, Okay, I want
to see value. If I'm going to
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spend my money, I want to
make sure it's in the right place.
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And and for people who know me
or read any of my stuff online,
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I'm a shuaholic, self professed,
as you know, Alice, and you
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know I don't need to have just
one or two pairs of shoes. I
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need like one hundred or two hundred. And you know a millennial will be
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like, okay, I need three
pairs of running shoes, maybe two pairs
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of this, one pair of that. They don't see the need for the
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excess, and that's one of the
biggest reasons. And where do we put
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our access all of our things?
Well, we need bigger homes, we
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need storage units, we need we
need so it goes to being massive consumers
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of stuff, and that's totally the
opposite of what they want. I bought
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a pair recently, and quite honestly, I didn't buy the ones that are
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really popular because they weren't very fashionable
to me. I bought another kind they
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offer, but they donate a pair
of shoes for every shoe that is sold,
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and so it is a lot of
the reasons why millennials are buying Tom's
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shoes because of how they give back
and how they share that with their buyers.
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HM, that's such a great sentiment
and I want to say more about
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them. Let's take a quick break. I'm your host, Alice Cortez.
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We do on air with Shery Elliot
Yeri, who is an author, speaker,
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coach, and trainer in the area
of human resources and talent management.
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She's the author of Ties to Tattoos, Turning generational differences into competitive advantage,
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and she's also soon releasing a book
series called Cracked and Millennial Code, where
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book one is marketing, two is
managing, and three is motivating the Millennials.
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We'll be right back stay with us. Alis Cortes is a speaker and
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engagement and development catalyst. She designs
and delivers professional development, leadership and engagement
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workshops and can bring her expertise to
your organization. She will help ignite meaningful
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00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.919
development within your workforce that will increase
employee engagement, performance and retention. To
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learn more or to invite Elise to
speak to your organization, please visit her
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00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:48.639
at www dot Elisecortes dot com.
She would welcome the opportunity to help get
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your employees working on purpose. This
is working on purpose with a lease quartet
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00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.720
is to reach our program today send
an email to a lease Alise at a
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00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:11.359
lease coortes dot com. Now back
to working on purpose if you're just joining
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00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:15.519
us. My guest is Sherry elliot
Ery. She is a generational guru.
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She is a generational keynote speaker,
coach, and author. She was born
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in nineteen sixty eight, so her
DNA is gen X, but her generational
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personality is a baby boomer. We've
been talking a bit about her perspective on
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and what she's learned in her research
in marketing to millennials. We're going to
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talk next a little bit about managing
millennials, but first let's go back to
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what we were saying just before the
break around tow millennials will actually choose their
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purchases or choose how to purchase base
and their connection to their seller, and
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you mentioned Tom's shoes. I find
it really beautiful that they are as interested
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as they are in knowing who they're
doing business with and being connected to them.
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And maybe it isn't just about getting
the best deal, but about what's
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behind that deal. Yes, it's
not just that they're frugal and they want
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to get a good deal, Believe
it or not. Millennials actually get coupons
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and they like that. They want
to save money, so that's one way
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of being frugal. But the other
part is they want to know if they're
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going to spend their money, that
there's something behind it that they give back
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to charity, that you know,
there's something substantial about the organization on the
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why. And if a marketer and
an organization can answer the why before the
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millennial asked the question to themselves,
then they're the ones who are going to
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get the purchase and the buy.
I think that's fascinating and lovely. Okay,
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Well, let's go on next to
managing millennials, and before we do
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that, charity, I think it
would be helpful if we could talk a
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little bit about the percentage of the
percentage breakdown of the various generations in the
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workplace. Can you do that for
us next? Yeah? Absolutely well.
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Between now and up to twenty twenty, traditionalists will make up less than one
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percent of the workforce, Boomers will
make up twenty two percent of the workforce,
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Gen xers will make up approximately twenty
percent of the workforce, Millennials will
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make up fifty percent of the workforce, and Gen Z by twenty twenty will
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make up seven percent of the workforce. The reason I think this is so
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important is is within a couple of
years, baby boomers that make up twenty
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two percent of the workforce. Our
knowledge is with them, our industry knowledge,
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our company knowledge, everything. And
so there's fifty percent of millennials coming
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in, but only twenty two percent
of baby boomers as they get ready to
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leave. Who's going to train fifty
percent of the workforce that are millennials?
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What is the organization got planned and
emotion to start that collaborative learning and that
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type of process from knowledge sharing from
one generation to another. And then we
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have Gen X is just stuck right
there in the middle, and you know
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they're going, Okay, well,
I kind of understand the reason why we
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do the things that we do,
and I understand why millennials behave the way
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they do. And so it's not
enough. And that's where organizations they really
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need to tap into their baby boomers
before they retire, so that they can
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start transferring that critical knowledge that those
people are going to take with them and
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not go do they take it with
them at least they become consultants and then
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they sell it back right right,
and we charge more once we're a consultant.
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Yes we do, yes, Okay, Well that was a great way
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to set up an understand just why
you're focused again on the millennials. And
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I I've certainly heard some of those
figures before myself. I want to talk
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now about that, you know,
managing the millennial, the millennials. So
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first, in order to manage them, you've got to be able to get
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them in a new organization. So
and I started my human capital career twenty
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some years ago in recruiting. So
I'm interested to know what have you found
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or what have your research that millennials
are attracted to in a company? Why
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might they say yes, I want
to come to work for you. Well,
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any way that they can research an
organization before they even look to hit
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the apply now button, they're going
to be researching. They're going to be
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out on job vent dot com seeing
if anybody else has had any issues or
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what people are saying about this organization. They're going to look at on their
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Facebook profile, etc. Of course
at Google Search, so anything about the
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organization that they can find on social
media, and I'm going to put another
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asterisk there again they find it on
social media, and just because it's online
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or it's on Google does not mean
it's true and accurate. But that's the
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tool they use, and so they're
getting their information from there before they even
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choose to apply. So it's really
critical for organizations to make sure that their
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company has a website that is inviting. It's almost like, and I heard
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a speaker last weekend he kind of
like leaned in towards the audience, and
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it's almost like he was going to
tell us a secret, and I found
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myself like leaning in wanting to like
hear his secret. And it's kind of
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like that. The company needs to
kind of like go, hey, hey,
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look what we do. This is
what we do, this is why
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we're kind of fun to work for, instead of going, hey, you
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know what, we're going to pay
you more than minimum wage and you know
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you should be just happy you have
a job and you know what, you
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might get benefits after ninety days.
You need to answer the why in a
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way that they can connect to,
not because you're forcing it to them,
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because there's enough jobs out there that
does not interest them. Think about the
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soft cell. Do you give back
to different charities? Have that on your
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website, who is your senior leadership
team? Photos of them by aographies,
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something that they can connect to,
because if someone went to a school and
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as a Canadian, we do not
have the same kind of alumni experience as
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the US. But if you went
to a university and you were at A
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and M or at Oklahoma and they
go, oh wow, the person I'm
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interviewing with went to Oklahoma, Okay, so I can connect with them on
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that. But if that was not
on the organization website, it would be
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very difficult for them to find a
way to go, hey, I want
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to do that. I can try
to find a way to connect with that
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person. Now, what about the
actual work? So the organization makes sense
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to me, I completely understand the
whole y piece. What about the actual
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work? Is there something about the
work itself that they're looking for? Well,
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first of all, on day one, if they walk in and they
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don't have balloons tied to their chair, no, I'm just kidding. They're
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welcome, You're welcome, and you
know, really employers need to celebrate their
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hires. But what they're looking for
is they don't want to wait five days
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and see twenty layers of bureaucracy before
they can get someone to sign off on
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a phone and a computer. They
want to get to work. So within
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the first day, a lot of
millennials are making their decisions should I stay
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or should I go? Just based
on that their very first day. And
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what they're looking for is they want
to grow and develop. And I share
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this with my clients as baby boomers. We have a career ladder and we're
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climbing that ladder and we keep going
and keep going, and we get to
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a different position, hire better title
on our business cards, you know,
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bigger office, etc. That's what
we do. Millennials create a lattice framework
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where they weave in their experience.
It's not up and down. You know,
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they may want to learn something in
marketing, Well they've conquered that within
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eight months. Well then what else
can we help them do? But the
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magic question really is how are you
supposed to do that if you don't have
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the answers? So you have to
ask them what is it they're looking for?
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What is it that lights them up, that gives them a reason for
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staying and working for you? And
that's the way you ask that question.
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You don't say, where do you
see yourself in five years. They're like,
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dude again, thinking, dude,
you know, I'm not going to
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be here in five years. They're
thinking five years is a really long time.
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They're looking for sound bites. So
asking them what motivates them and what
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else they want to do and learn
is then they know you're connected to them
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and you're actually listening and you care. You know, as you talk about
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the Sherry, I'm thinking so vividly
about a young twenty eight year old woman
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that I'm coaching right now. She's
a rock star, so she's wicked smart.
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She can spend a number of places
in her head at any one time.
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She's great at creating a vision for
people so they can see where they're
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going. She's just awesome. And
she's with an organization right now and that
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values her as well. However,
you know, like many organizations that have
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been around for a while and have
been successful, they've got an hr set
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of processes in place that says you
have to be in your position for X
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number of months or years before you
be promoted into the next level or whatever.
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And she's looking at that going You've
got to be kidding me. I
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am running circles around my peers,
and you want me to wait in my
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role for the next six months and
be patient while you figure out, you
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know, when it went, it's
okay for me to go into my next
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role. And I'm counseling her to
push back on the conversation and ask them
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to explain, you know, what's
so behind that. I'm thinking that there's
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a lot of organizations out there that
have got antiquated processes in place that will
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actually prevent millennials from contributing their best
and from progressing in their careers because of
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those constraints. Thoughts absolutely correct.
And if millennials are not satisfied in their
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job, at least forty three to
sixty five, sixty six percent of them
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are actively searching for a new job. So if they feel like they've hit
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the ceiling, and then again their
ceiling isn't straight up and down, they're
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already looking for something else and they're
getting ready to leave. And the sheer
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cost of recruiting anybody, especially a
millennial, and then getting them onboarded is
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so expensive. The average turn the
cost of turnover is thirty percent of someone's
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annual salary. That's if you don't
use a recruiter. Recruiters are typically another
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twenty five to thirty five percent.
So there's your ROI right there. If
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employers are going, well, you
know, it sounds good, but we
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don't have the ability, We don't
have the money to put this program in
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place. Yes, you do.
If you take it from this place,
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you can put it in a more
positive, proactive space, and you can
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reduce turnover. And it's that exact
reason. They may have old policies that
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worked for the other generations, but
it doesn't work for millennials. And it's
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not like we're saying, well,
we have to throw everything out and start
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again. But you know what,
what about asking millennials putting together a task
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force and asking them, hey,
why do you work here? What motivates
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you, what keeps you here?
What would you like to see differently?
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Perfect way? And of course you
can say to them, even though you're
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sharing this with us, doesn't mean
we can do all these things. But
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your voice and your opinion matters enough
to us that we want to spend the
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time asking you. Well, speaking
of that turning a little bit here,
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I want to get your perspective on
how do you recommend or how does your
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research recommend that managers and leaders working
millennials adapt their management style to best engage
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millennials. What do they need to
do differently or maybe improve on? Yes,
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yes, I love the idea of
different because you know, it's I
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just did a speech for an organization. I said, it's not good,
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it's not were just different, and
it's really that is so so true because
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we all have different strengths and you
and I know about strengths finder. You
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obviously are a professional in it.
But they need to get out from behind
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the desk. That's step one.
Millennials don't believe in the corporate ladder,
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as I mentioned, so you as
the boss, just because you have the
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title doesn't mean that that automatically gets
you their respect. So get out from
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behind the desk, get with them
one on one, have informal meetings with
403
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:38.000
them. Understand how they want to
be communicated with just by asking them that,
404
00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:42.599
hey, how do you want to
be communicated? What are your interests?
405
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:47.400
Those are big questions for them,
and that's the difference. I can't
406
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:53.319
tell you I've had any supervisor ever
sit down and ask me would you like
407
00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:56.279
to do if you did a great
job, how would you want to be
408
00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:02.039
rewarded. You know, our reward, quite frank was our paycheck, and
409
00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:07.400
that's not the same for millennials.
They want to feel valued. So it's
410
00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:11.519
like a bank account. You have
to put eight strokes are positive in the
411
00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:15.759
bank account every day, and then
you earn a little interest and then it
412
00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:21.400
grows. And for every eight strokes
are positive, you can give them one
413
00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.279
constructive feedback, but you can't go
ahead and talk to them in a way
414
00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:30.720
that is talking down to them.
It needs to be motivating. It needs
415
00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:36.400
to be uplifting and sharing with them
what they could do differently, not what
416
00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:45.960
they did wrong. That's forcing versus
coaching, and millennials need coaching, and
417
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:48.440
I think even just sprinkling that into
the way we talk. You know,
418
00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:52.200
we're not here to correct anything that
might have been perceived as a mistake.
419
00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:57.039
We're here to coach and develop you. And I think that there's so much
420
00:30:57.079 --> 00:31:02.480
in the way that we even set
the context for conversation like that. Yes,
421
00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:07.240
absolutely, and it is just changing
our verbiage just a little bit to
422
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:12.400
have it from a place of you're
not wrong, let me show you a
423
00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:17.559
different way, because they're tired of
hearing, well, you have to earn
424
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:22.160
a promotion or you have to earn
this job. That's not true. They
425
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:26.359
worked hard, they got the job, they obviously have the skills and abilities
426
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:30.519
to do it, and they're interested
in doing more. So why don't you
427
00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:34.319
set up a path for them to
be able to make that valuable contribution?
428
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.960
You know. One of the other
suggestions is even give them a project.
429
00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:42.759
Let them sit on a project team
and just watch and listen. They're going
430
00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:51.400
to learn so much and that does
not cost an organization assent. Well,
431
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.920
one of the things that I'm very
interested into because in the work that I
432
00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:00.640
do, there's an awful lot about
accountability, responsibility, etc. So once
433
00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:04.319
they're actually on a project, they're
actually in their space. How do you
434
00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:08.079
hold millennials accountable for their work?
What's effective in that realm? Well,
435
00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:14.000
first you have to explain to them
what is required from them. And job
436
00:32:14.039 --> 00:32:17.400
descriptions are kind of a thing of
the past and they are very required to
437
00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:22.960
be legal. You're supposed to have
employees sign off on them. Millennials don't
438
00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:27.960
want a job description. They want
to know what their role is in the
439
00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:32.440
organization. And if you explain it
to them, like your job is to
440
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.960
make sure the widget gets into the
car as it's going down the assembly line
441
00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:43.480
so that Johnny can put his next
widget in. And if you don't show
442
00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:47.880
up at eight o'clock and you're online
at eight oh five, your widgets are
443
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:52.759
not getting put in those cars,
and it could cost people their lives and
444
00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:58.319
we have to shut down the assembly
line. That's what they need to understand,
445
00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:02.160
not because I say so or you've
been told. You need to make
446
00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:07.119
it clear to them how their contribution
fits in in the overall team and the
447
00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:13.759
impact on the organization. You know, when I contrast that, again,
448
00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:19.000
this is just my experience and my
own small realm of life, but I
449
00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:22.119
just what I hear is how we
need to be such better communicators overall,
450
00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:25.640
and it takes something to be a
really good communicator to bring something to life
451
00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:30.519
in a way that's very accessible.
And even when I teach share, my
452
00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:32.920
students say I need more clarity on
that. That just isn't clear for me.
453
00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:37.039
And I recognize that I've just kind
of thrown something out there and thought
454
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:38.720
they would catch it, and I
didn't make the effort enough for them to
455
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:43.599
be able to really get present to
it. And I contrast that with you
456
00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:49.440
know, years ago working for what
would have been not probably I guess it
457
00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:52.920
would have been a baby boomer.
And his whole perspective was not to create
458
00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:54.839
a job scription because that would be
limiting to people, but rather let them
459
00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:58.160
create their own. And that's kind
of what I grew up with, that
460
00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:01.720
sort of mentality as a gen X. Yes, absolutely, and it is
461
00:34:01.799 --> 00:34:07.119
great that they can create their own. Unfortunately, with millennials, they are
462
00:34:07.639 --> 00:34:14.599
coming from home and college and they
don't have that understanding, and so they
463
00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:17.119
need kind of like when you first
learned to bowl, they have those bumper
464
00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:22.960
pads. They need some bumper pads, and it's our job to help coach
465
00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:27.440
them and lead them so that they
don't go outside those bumper pads for a
466
00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.719
while, so that they can get
their feet on the ground and they can
467
00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:35.920
learn some things and they can start
moving forward in their role. They need
468
00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:37.800
that. They can't just get out
there. Their parents have done a lot
469
00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:43.519
for them, They've had a lot
going on, and they haven't really had
470
00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:46.000
that opportunity to fall down, skin
their knee and get back up again and
471
00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:49.920
go, oh yeah, that's how
that worked. So I think we do
472
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:55.119
a disservice if we don't give them
enough structure. But on the other hand,
473
00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:59.800
we can't give them too much structure. And so that is the de
474
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.840
de balancing act that employers and leaders
are trying to desperately find if they're going
475
00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:14.199
to not only attract, but be
able to manage millennials. Beautiful, Sherry,
476
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:15.920
Beautiful, Let's take a quick break
here. I'm your host, Alis
477
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.960
Cortez. We're in the air with
Sherry Elliot Ury, who is an author,
478
00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.800
speaker, coach, and trainer in
the area of human resources and talent
479
00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:27.440
management. She is the author of
Ties to Tattoos, Attorney Generational Differences into
480
00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:30.880
Competitive Advantage, and she's now soon
releasing a book series called Crack the Millennial
481
00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:35.079
Code, where book one is marketing, two is managing, and three is
482
00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:38.480
motivating the Millennials. We've been talking
about how to manage millennials. After this
483
00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:42.119
last break, we're going to talk
about how to motivate them. Stay with
484
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:45.000
us, we'll be right back.
Alice Cortez is a speaker and engagement and
485
00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:52.079
development catalyst. She designs and delivers
professional development, leadership and engagement workshops and
486
00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:55.960
can bring her expertise to your organization. She will help ignite meaningful development within
487
00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:01.079
your workforce that will increase employee engagement, mormans and retention. To learn more
488
00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:06.800
or to invite Elise to speak to
your organization, please visit her at www
489
00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:10.519
dot Elise Coortes dot com. She
would welcome the opportunity to help get your
490
00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:22.320
employees working on purpose. This is
working on Purpose with Elise Cortes. To
491
00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:29.760
reach our program today, send an
email to a lease Alise at Aleasecortes dot
492
00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:35.480
com. Now back to working on
Purpose, we're just tuning in. Our
493
00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:37.920
guest is Sheerry Elliot Yuri, who
is also known as a generational Guru.
494
00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:43.039
She is a generational keynote speaker,
coach, and author. She was born
495
00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:45.400
in nineteen sixty eight, so her
DNA is a gen xer, but her
496
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:50.559
generational personality is a baby boomer.
She is the author of Ties a Tattoos,
497
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:53.800
Turning generational differences into competitive advantage,
and is now just releasing a book
498
00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:58.840
series called Cracking Millennial Code, where
book one is marketing, two is managing,
499
00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:00.760
and three is motivating the million.
For this last segment, we're going
500
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:05.239
to talk about the motivational piece here. So we've already said a little bit
501
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:07.800
about what Melina's want out of their
work. So I think we've covered most
502
00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:12.239
of that, but what is it
that keeps them engaged? Why would they
503
00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:15.960
actually stay in an organization? Because
motivation, of course, is about energy
504
00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.880
and connection, Yes, absolutely right, it is, and feeling like you're
505
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.239
part of something larger. And I'm
going to answer that in a little more
506
00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:27.719
depth, but I just wanted to
give you a quick statistic. According to
507
00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:32.559
Forbes, ninety percent of employees say
generational conflicts waste their time and productivity.
508
00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:38.920
Can you imagine if we could reduce
the generational conflicts we have in the workplace,
509
00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:46.599
what that would do for increasing return
on investment, bottom line productivity.
510
00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:52.480
It's amazing, and so to me, it's just astonishing that a lot of
511
00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:59.119
times this generational discord can really make
a difference in the day to day operations
512
00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:01.599
for a manager. So I just
wanted to give you that sidebar because it
513
00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:05.519
was really important to me. That's
huge, It is huge, and I
514
00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:07.960
just want to come out on it
quickly. And you and I both know
515
00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:09.400
because we talk about it all the
time. But I'm always amazed at the
516
00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:13.800
number of people who come in and
talk to me about BOK. These millennials,
517
00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:15.320
they don't want to work, or
they just don't get it, et
518
00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:19.440
cetera, et cetera. And again
it comes from that place of not understanding
519
00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:22.440
who they're working with and what they
want and how they can, as you
520
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:24.760
say, crack that code. And
if they could get past those differences,
521
00:38:25.639 --> 00:38:30.039
how much more productive the workplace could
be. So absolutely with you on that,
522
00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:34.159
and thank you for presencing that stat
that's huge. So what keeps them
523
00:38:34.199 --> 00:38:37.599
there and engaged? And I've heard
you say this, and I quoted it
524
00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:40.000
the other day and I say it
often, but I quoted it to someone.
525
00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:46.000
I said, you can't pay an
employee to be engaged. You can
526
00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:51.559
pay them to do their job or
to do their duties, but to go
527
00:38:51.719 --> 00:38:55.719
a step above and actually be engaged, there has to be something else.
528
00:38:55.800 --> 00:39:01.000
There's another reason. And so for
millennials, if they can find a way
529
00:39:01.280 --> 00:39:07.800
to connect with the organization, they
thrive on collaboration, They desire that whole
530
00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:14.639
life work balance, and they can
multitask better than any other generation. So
531
00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:17.559
if they can see that, they
have a future again not five to ten
532
00:39:17.639 --> 00:39:22.400
years out, but they can go, wow, this looks interesting and I
533
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:28.320
want to stay here because this project
is helping bring clean water to Puerto Rico
534
00:39:28.599 --> 00:39:31.000
to the people in the mountains.
Right now, Wow, our company's really
535
00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:36.119
doing something cool, and I get
to be part of that. And they
536
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.000
also want to be asked what is
it you know that they want to be
537
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:45.920
working on, or to be asked
for their opinion on certain projects or ideas.
538
00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:50.280
They want to be in those rooms, not being told when someone walks
539
00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:52.679
out and goes, hey, we
need this report by four fifty five,
540
00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:58.000
and they go, well, then
that's just a job. They don't feel
541
00:39:58.039 --> 00:40:01.039
part of anything bigger than just themselves. And one of the biggest parts to
542
00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:07.480
have somebody engaged, especially millennials,
is if they have friends at work,
543
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:14.199
because it's not just work. They
socialize. One of the companies I had
544
00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:20.920
the opportunity to tour is cyrus One, and it's a data organization and data
545
00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:24.599
warehousing. And before I even saw
any of that here in Dallas, I
546
00:40:24.679 --> 00:40:29.400
got to see their rock climbing wall
and I was like, who, And
547
00:40:29.400 --> 00:40:36.840
then my workers can't brain kicked in
I'm like workplace injuries red alert. And
548
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.159
I was there from an HR generational
perspective, so I'm like, okay,
549
00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:45.960
let me switch that hat and then
they had like atari areas or a Nintendo
550
00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:51.840
and people had big bean chairs and
they were playing together. And then in
551
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:57.760
other sections they had meditation rooms and
quiet spaces so people could go in and
552
00:40:57.800 --> 00:41:04.159
do whatever they wanted to do.
And so it brought the employees together in
553
00:41:04.199 --> 00:41:07.000
a way that was very meaningful.
It wasn't just hey, you get your
554
00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:12.360
one hour break, here you go. No, they had ways for people
555
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:17.119
to keep their minds engaged at the
same time of connecting with others. It's
556
00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:22.840
harder for millennial to make the choice
to leave a job if they feel connected
557
00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:29.400
and have friends at work than it
is if they don't. Okay, so
558
00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:32.039
I want to comment on something really
quick here because it's just screaming at me
559
00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:36.079
as you talk. One of the
things that, of course I've learned in
560
00:41:36.119 --> 00:41:40.199
the consulting work that I do is
the importance of acknowledgment and acknowledging in a
561
00:41:40.199 --> 00:41:45.400
way that really really lands for the
person. And this I mean this of
562
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:47.199
course all generations. But then I
want to get specific to the millennials.
563
00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:52.239
And so what I think is also
important to say to our listeners is that
564
00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:57.679
the way that we situate how these
millennials are connected to a mission is really
565
00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:00.199
important, like for example, saying, Wow, Sherry, I cannot tell
566
00:42:00.199 --> 00:42:06.800
you how much I appreciate you staying
and doing that report for our client because
567
00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:08.519
it allows us to be able to
deliver on that project that they're counting on
568
00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:14.280
us for and save a certain number
of whatever it is, or connect with
569
00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.159
a certain mumn of their clients or
their patients or whatever it is. So
570
00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:23.199
positioning their contribution to something bigger.
I know, generically speaking is very effective
571
00:42:23.199 --> 00:42:28.920
for employees. But for millennials,
how do they want to be recognized or
572
00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:34.960
acknowledged? Yeah, that's really interesting
you asked that question, because everybody wants
573
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:39.880
to be rewarded and recognized differently,
especially across the generations. But millennials,
574
00:42:40.320 --> 00:42:46.440
they don't have the same interest in
getting awards and trophies, etc. It's
575
00:42:46.519 --> 00:42:52.360
quite the opposite. I recently was
at an organization where the new hire employees,
576
00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:55.280
they did a little video of them, and the person came up and
577
00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:00.239
was welcomed by the school president.
And when I got to talk to the
578
00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:05.360
millennials the next day and interview them, most of them had been sick to
579
00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:10.320
their stomach two to three days in
advance because they are so afraid, and
580
00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:15.320
they were so afraid to get up
on stage that it terrified them. They
581
00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:20.360
didn't have to say anything, but
they were so horrified. So what we
582
00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:22.840
might consider is, woo woo,
we get to get up there and hobnob
583
00:43:22.920 --> 00:43:27.639
with the president. They are six
to their stomach three days in advance,
584
00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:31.920
and it feels like a punishment to
them, not a reward. So what
585
00:43:32.159 --> 00:43:36.239
they're looking for as ways to give
back to the community. Can they go
586
00:43:36.280 --> 00:43:39.880
spend a day with habitat or humanity. Can they work with a local shelter.
587
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:45.199
Can they go out and clean up
garbage. Can they do something with
588
00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:50.280
an organization that they feel passionate about, go out and feed the homeless?
589
00:43:50.679 --> 00:43:55.719
And then it becomes an organizational project, not just them, And that's asking
590
00:43:55.719 --> 00:44:00.679
them, how do you feel like
we can reward And they're going to tell
591
00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:04.440
you I'd like a day off,
you know. If someone asked me,
592
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:08.239
and obviously everybody now knows my age
because I've started publishing my year of birth,
593
00:44:09.320 --> 00:44:12.440
if someone asked me, how do
you be rewarded, I'm like,
594
00:44:12.440 --> 00:44:15.519
oh, a day at the spall
would be fabulous, Thank you very much.
595
00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:19.519
I'll pat myself on the back and
go, Okay, Cherry, you
596
00:44:19.559 --> 00:44:23.360
can give yourself that gift, but
it really is true. That's not going
597
00:44:23.440 --> 00:44:27.800
to look the same way for them. We may look at it and go
598
00:44:27.880 --> 00:44:30.280
as baby boomers gen xers, Hey, you know what, I really want
599
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:34.679
to go to this conference and wouldn't
it be cool if the company would let
600
00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:38.320
me go and you know, would
actually pay for me. Well, that's
601
00:44:38.360 --> 00:44:42.000
not exactly the same thing that they're
going to want to do. They're not
602
00:44:42.039 --> 00:44:45.280
going to want to get up at
six am and be there for the morning
603
00:44:45.360 --> 00:44:47.800
breakout. They may want to show
up for the keynote speaker, but they're
604
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:52.320
not wanting to be there at six
am to network and stay till nine pm
605
00:44:52.360 --> 00:44:55.679
at night and then network after hours, which at least you, as I've
606
00:44:55.679 --> 00:45:00.519
said, are the master networker.
That is not what millennials want to be
607
00:45:00.599 --> 00:45:04.639
doing. They want to be having
connection and just to hang on that really
608
00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:07.920
quick. I got something I was
I was moderating a women's leadership panel for
609
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:13.119
the CPHL conference in Philadelphia a few
weeks ago, and one of the panelis
610
00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:15.840
said something fascinating. You know,
we used to use the phrase work life
611
00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:20.800
balance. Well, nobody says that
anymore because it's ridiculous. Then we went
612
00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:24.559
into work life integration, and what
this panelist said is the importance of having
613
00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:30.440
work life harmony. Isn't that awesome? So what you're just getting at there
614
00:45:30.519 --> 00:45:34.039
with regard to, you know,
having some harmonies what you do off hours
615
00:45:34.039 --> 00:45:36.840
and what you do for direct work
and the rest of your life, I
616
00:45:36.840 --> 00:45:40.440
think is really key to understand for
of course anyone in the workplace, but's
617
00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.599
for me For millennials, yes,
and millennials, and you know, there's
618
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:52.199
something about the whole connection. They
can leave work at five o'clock or three
619
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:57.320
o'clock and they can go and do
a sport or watch their son play soccer,
620
00:45:57.400 --> 00:46:00.480
et cetera, and then they're going
to be able to jump on the
621
00:46:00.519 --> 00:46:04.880
computer at home and they're more productive. They're going to get more done.
622
00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:09.079
That's because they have access to technology. And so that's how they look at
623
00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:12.840
it and go, you know what, if I can actually get home and
624
00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:15.159
take my dog for a walk or
go do a workout, I'm going to
625
00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:21.000
be more likely to give back to
you because you were flexible with me.
626
00:46:21.960 --> 00:46:25.920
And that's the art of the engagement
is finding out what really matters to them
627
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:31.320
and then working it so that it
can it can be something cohesive and it
628
00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:36.239
works for the company and the employee
feels like they're being heard. Yeah,
629
00:46:36.280 --> 00:46:37.880
it goes back to that harmon.
I think a lot of people are just
630
00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:42.559
really really hungry for that to make
everything work in life. They feel so
631
00:46:42.679 --> 00:46:46.119
overwhelmed, et cetera. So all
right, So, Sherry, we're getting
632
00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:50.360
really close to the end of the
show already. It evaporates every time I
633
00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:52.920
talk with you. So I want
you to be able to share with you
634
00:46:53.400 --> 00:46:57.079
any pearls of wisdom that you have
for our listeners. It's keeping my way
635
00:46:57.079 --> 00:47:00.880
of listeners across the globe of all
ages in about one minute. What would
636
00:47:00.920 --> 00:47:05.679
you like to leave our listeners with? I want to just part with this
637
00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:09.360
is again. It's not good.
It's not bad. We are just different.
638
00:47:09.760 --> 00:47:14.719
I was raised in Canada, so
things were very different here in Texas
639
00:47:14.800 --> 00:47:20.039
when I moved here, and it
was a matter of me showing up and
640
00:47:20.239 --> 00:47:24.000
others showing up and showing who we
truly are in a way that's meaningful.
641
00:47:24.400 --> 00:47:29.639
And that doesn't matter if it's millennials
or any other generation. It's we all
642
00:47:29.679 --> 00:47:34.360
have strengths and we all have areas
of challenge, But how can we take
643
00:47:34.960 --> 00:47:42.239
our generational differences and make them a
collaborative experience? And first, it's appreciating
644
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:46.599
who the other person is and being
open to feedback and doing things a little
645
00:47:46.639 --> 00:47:51.400
bit different. And it just means
you got to get uncomfortable a little bit
646
00:47:51.480 --> 00:47:53.920
and go back to my sign.
Change is hard, you go first.
647
00:47:54.400 --> 00:47:59.360
And if we can all do that, it will make a huge difference in
648
00:47:59.400 --> 00:48:02.599
our world. We will be a
much more collaborative, beautiful way to finish.
649
00:48:02.599 --> 00:48:06.679
Sherry, thank you again for joining
me on the show. Always appreciate
650
00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:08.920
your heart, your wisdom, your
contribution, your thought leadership. Thank you,
651
00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:13.000
thank you for having me. If
you want to learn more about Sherry
652
00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:15.559
elliott Uri and the work she does, or any of her books that are
653
00:48:15.559 --> 00:48:20.800
consulting, go to her website.
It's generationalguru dot com. Next week will
654
00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:22.679
be on the air. As I
mentioned with Ashley Kate Jones, she is
655
00:48:22.800 --> 00:48:27.320
a thirty year old actress and producer
and I'm having her on the show because
656
00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:30.719
I want to tell her story about
how she has stayed true to her passion,
657
00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:34.400
her dream of being an actress and
a producer and making a difference even
658
00:48:34.440 --> 00:48:37.440
though it's been hard. It's been
an amazing story for her and she's bumped
659
00:48:37.440 --> 00:48:40.639
her her chin and her knees along
the way several times. Great story.
660
00:48:40.719 --> 00:48:44.480
See you then, and remember that
works at least one third of our life.
661
00:48:44.519 --> 00:48:51.480
So let's work on purpose. We
hope you've enjoyed this week's program.
662
00:48:51.880 --> 00:48:55.639
Be sure to tune in to Working
on Purpose, featuring your host Alis Cortes,
663
00:48:55.920 --> 00:49:00.599
each week on the Voice America Empowerment
Channel. This week, find your
664
00:49:00.679 --> 00:49:22.920
life's purpose at work.
1
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.919
There are some people that make their
work just another thing they have to do,
2
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.560
and there are those that make their
work something that they want to do.
3
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:18.800
Welcome to Working on Purpose with your
host Elise Cortes. In our program,
4
00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:23.679
we provide guidance and inspiration from those
people who have found deeper meaning and
5
00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:28.839
personal connection to their work life.
It's beyond nine to five. It's working
6
00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:34.920
on purpose. Now Here is your
host, Elise Cortes. I'm your host,
7
00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.960
Elise Cortes, joining from Dallas,
Texas, which is home base for
8
00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:41.679
me. This program is all about
helping people more meaningfully and productively connect with
9
00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:45.359
their work and equipping organizations to do
the same for their employees. So I
10
00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:48.920
bring on guests from a particular perspective
or an experience that I think expands the
11
00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.280
conversation. I often drive my own
meeting, work research i've been doing over
12
00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.079
the last fifteen years, and also
the consulting that I've been doing in speaking
13
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.640
and developing leaders across the globe.
Last week, if you missed the show
14
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.159
live, you can always catch it
if you recorded podcast. We were on
15
00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:04.359
the air with Mike Roschell, who
is the founder and chief executive officer at
16
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.400
Mike Roschell and Associates, which is
a management and leadership development consultancy. We
17
00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:14.519
talked about digital transformation and his view
that companies need to prioritize people over technology
18
00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:19.480
and process. Great and productive conversation
with us this week is Sherry Elliott Yeri,
19
00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:25.120
who is known as a generational Guru. She is a generational keynote speaker,
20
00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:27.480
coach, and author. Having been
born in nineteen sixty eight, Sherry's
21
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DNA is a gen X, but
her generational personality as a baby boomer.
22
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She is the author of several books. One is Ties to Tattoos, turning
23
00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:41.159
generational differences into competitive advantage. The
second book is you Can Have It All,
24
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just not all at once. And
now she is soon releasing a book
25
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series called Crack the Millennial Code where
she where wonders about marketing. Two is
26
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managing, Three is Motivating the Millennials. Which is all the topics of our
27
00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:55.599
conversation today. Sherry joones it today
from Plano, Texas. Sherry, welcome
28
00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:59.120
back to Working on Purpose. Thank
you. It's my honor to be back
29
00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:02.879
on the show. Thanks for having
me. Always wonderful. So I want
30
00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:07.319
to start up. Obviously, you've
spent a lot of time in this generational
31
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space, and for our listeners who
haven't, amazingly somehow found you yet help
32
00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:15.439
us understand where your fashion fascination with
the generations actually came from. Why work
33
00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:21.439
on generations? Yeah? It was
really interesting. Probably about two thousand and
34
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five to two thousand and seven.
I kept hearing from my HR clients,
35
00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:29.360
why do those kids have baggy pants? And what's that shiny thing in their
36
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nose? And why are they late? And why do they ask why?
37
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Why? Why? And I really
started researching it, and I thought it
38
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was more of a people from an
perspective issue and how could we change from
39
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a leadership And the more I delved
into it, there really wasn't anything in
40
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the marketplace that helped me understand,
and so I decided I would write a
41
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book on it myself. As an
HR professional, I thought, well,
42
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who better to write this and share
the information than me? What we get
43
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curious about throw herself into So right, okay, so next, And this
44
00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:06.800
is interesting for me, Stary,
because as long as I've known you,
45
00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.800
which we know as well over ten
years. When we first began talking about
46
00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.919
this, there were four generations in
the workplace, and now there are five
47
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So for our listeners who maybe don't
have a strong access to generations, can
48
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you give us a kind of a
broad sketch. What are those five generations?
49
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Yeah, and so what you said
in the workplace, And what's interesting
50
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about that is is obviously we have
them in the marketplace and our families,
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and that's really what you know.
It drives us to look at it from
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a whole bunch of perspectives. But
we have traditionalists who are on average seventy
53
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four to ninety six years of age, Baby Boomers, they're on average fifty
54
00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:52.719
four to seventy three years of age. Generation X thirty eight years of age
55
00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:59.280
to fifty three. Millennials are known
as jen Y they are twenty one to
56
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thirty seven, and then our latest
generation Gen Z are twenty and under.
57
00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:10.479
Okay, that was crisp, great
for our listeners across the globe to understand
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just what it is we're talking about. So we're going to focus this conversation,
59
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most of this conversation anyway, on
the millennials. And I heard you
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and other people say that millennials are
the largest generation in the workplace, and
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I'll focus on that to start,
just because that's the world that I dwell
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in for this particular program. And
so if you could say a little bit
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about who are the millennials and why
are they so important to understand? So
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what makes them? You know them, a few of their characteristics if you
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had to start with that, and
then why are they so important to understand?
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Yeah? The reason that millennials are
so important is to me anyway enough
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to want to write a three book
series on millennials, is because I really
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think they get a bad wrap.
And it was funny. I met with
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a millennial couple of minute millennials yesterday
and he goes, oh, you write
70
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books. Way cool? Yeah,
like dude, okay, So that just
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hate to be right, right right, And he's like, I didn't know
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that. So he says I'd like
to get one. So I text him
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when he's finished, and I said, oh, send me your address so
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I can send you a copy of
my book. Next sentence back is his
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email address? If you were going
to say that? And so I texted
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him and I said, no,
I mean like snail mail. And you
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know, it's just so funny on
how we view things in that scenario.
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I could have looked at that and
went Okay, stupid. Didn't you know
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what I meant, I'm going to
send you my book, But that's not
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it. Just because that's how I
expected that conversation to go doesn't mean a
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millennial understands it the same way.
And so that's why it's so important is
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we embrace them and the differences and
help them understand where we're coming from as
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much as we want to understand them
to know where we're coming from a different
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generation. And I just want to
put a little caveat to that. I
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did share the overview of the five
generations, but I do believe we have
86
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our generational DNA, which is our
year of birth, but we also have
87
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our generational personality, and that is
formed based on life events the culture where
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we're raised. Could be you're the
oldest child or the youngest child in the
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family. Could be you were raised
by very responsible, regimented parents. So
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not all millennials are equal, and
it's really unfair when I hear you know
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one stereotype. Overall, I have
two of my stepdaughters are the most responsible
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young ladies I have ever met,
and so they are and it was because
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of how they're raised. They actually
balance a checking account I'm like, whoa,
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00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:54.839
who knew that should be going on? So it happens, and they're
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very, very smart. They embrace
technology, they learn at warp speed,
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and so that's why we need to
work with them, mentor them, train
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them, attract them. We want
them because there are our next generation of
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leaders. Okay, well, I'm
convinced now another thing that I want to
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kind of pivot to now that we've
situated them in the workplace. You're writing
100
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a whole book dedicated to marketing to
them. So you've written and accepteing some
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of your work leading up to your
book that millennials are influencers. How so,
102
00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:36.560
yeah, they are influencers in how
marketers are creating their ads, their
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campaign They're also influencers in how the
organizations are asking them for feedback and companies
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on what should their brand be,
what should the message be. So instead
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of brands saying this is what we
want, they're actually reaching out to them
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and asking for their feedback. But
they're going one step further the smart ones,
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or going another step. They're saying, Okay, we're going to take
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people who are really good at blogging
and who have a great online presence,
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and you know, what we're gonna
do. We're going to work with them
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and they're going to help convert our
message to something where millennials can actually see
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it, feel it, connect with
it. And that's how they're making the
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biggest difference is they're reaching out to
the people who have the strongest platform.
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That makes great sense to me,
and certainly knowing that they use platforms in
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a different way. In fact,
I'll just say quickly last week, when
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I was on an airplane going to
New York City for consulting work, I
116
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met on the plane next to me
a thirty year old woman who is an
117
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actress and a movie producer, and
she's going to be on my show next
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week, by the way. And
it was so great because she goes,
119
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Hey, this is so exciting.
I'm so glad to be on your show.
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Do you mind if I create something
for us on Instagram to share that
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I'm going to be on your show? And I'm like, absolutely, do
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you know that? With in like
a half an hour, she responded back
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with that, and I thought it
was just gorgeous. Warp speed, I
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mean warp speed. It's just they
have access to technology and they know how
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to use it and obviously. That's
the major difference is things that we may
126
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have to go search for. They
know how to find it, create it
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00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:24.440
like I have had. You know, I'm okay to admit this. I
128
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have had my Microsoft Surface for almost
a year now and I still have not
129
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gone to a class to learn all
the best features of it. And the
130
00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.320
other day my husband said, hey, are you using your pen that you
131
00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.559
can use it as a tablet,
And I'm like, are you kidding?
132
00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:43.320
I don't know half the features yet, but it's on my calendar to learn,
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00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:46.960
and by then there'll be a new
edition out and I'll be like,
134
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.679
Okay, I need to try this
all over again. You know, I
135
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appreciate what you're saying so much,
Sherry, because on my show last week
136
00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:58.279
with Mike Roshelle, we were talking
about how artificial intelligence and robotics and just
137
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the sheer pace. So the world
we work in today is going to require
138
00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:05.399
all of us to constantly learn.
We're just like what you're saying, right,
139
00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:09.840
and of course that can be both
exhilarating and also very tiring. Right,
140
00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:13.919
We're constantly in a place of learning
something. I know. I resist
141
00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:16.679
that myself. I'm like, but
I know how to do it this way
142
00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:20.159
and it works. Yeah, it's
kind of like the mentality of it's not
143
00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:24.399
broken, why do we need to
change it? So let's just keep going.
144
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.720
And that's really honestly, and I
have the same mentality. If I
145
00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:31.679
wasn't the generational guru, I would
really totally embrace that. But I'm like,
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Okay, change is inevitable. And
I still have this sign I used
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to have in my office that said
change is hard, you go first,
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love. I know I need to
dig it out again because before somebody would
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walk into my office and have an
issue. From an HR perspective, I'm
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like, did you read the sign
at the door? Because if it's about
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change, then we need to have
conversation, because you're right, it's not
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easy, but millennials embrace it because
they have seen nothing but changed since they've
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been born. And you know,
you were talking a little bit about that,
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and that's why that young lady you're
sitting with, she could create that
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so quickly. She knows how to
do it on her phone, she can
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do it on her iPad, she
can do it on you know, any
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device and have it up and running
and out there before you even get off
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the plane. MM hmm. And
by the way, her name is Ashley
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Kate Jones. We'll talk about her
Ashley Ashley Kate Jones. She'll be on
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the air with us next week.
Well, speaking a little, another thing
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about millennials that really intrigued me that
you've you've written about is you've talked about
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their frugality in your book. What
do you mean by that? How are
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they frugal? Okay, So,
a lot of millennials belong or were born
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to baby boomer parents, and what
they saw with their parents is they were
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overspending and the amount of debt their
parents are in and so one of the
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things is that they're making choices to
hold back and not spend money on material
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things. They don't need to have
a bunch of stuff for them to know
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that their life is happy. They
want experiences. So where they will be
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frugal in areas that maybe we wouldn't
be, they will be more about the
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experience and they're willing to do that. So from a frugal perspective, that's
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really what I'm saying is they're a
lot more discerning about where they'll spend their
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money and with whom they want to
feel connected to, the seller to the
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product and they're willing to spend it, but it has to be something that
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they want. For instance, I
just did hear this on the other day
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on the radio and shared it out
on social media. But it is true.
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A new research study has come up
over a third of millennials have been
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holding off buying a home. But
if they choose to go out into the
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marketplace and purchase a home, over
a third of the reason is Number one
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because of their pets. They need
a backyard or a bigger place for their
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animal. Isn't that amazing? Okay, if I was looking for a house
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before, I would have done it
because I would have had a child and
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she needed a playground, you know. But number one is because of their
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pet, not because they're married,
but their pet. Number two is it's
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an investment. Number three is for
space for family. So pets actually,
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in a millennial's mind went out over
everything else when it comes to home buying.
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Wow, that is blow your mind. Yeah, it does, it
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really does. And back to the
whole notion of them being frugal. Mean,
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I've got it. This is just
a microcosm obviously what we're talking about.
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But you know that I teach it, so the Methodist University and I
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one of the things that I teach
is internships and careers and how to get
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and keep your first job, and
part what we do in that is teach
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them how to do a budget so
they know what they can live on when
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they when they get out there.
And what I find Sherry, to your
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point, is that they're very very
aware and concerned about, you know,
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making their way in the world and
having, you know, making enough money
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to live on. And they're they're
careful, they're very thoughtful about this whole
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exercise and the approach and recognize that
they're going out there into the world on
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their own. And so I don't
know if that's part of what informs them
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being frugal, is that there's a
feeling that, you know, I got
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to go make this on my own
and I don't have a safety net,
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and maybe the market isn't as strong
as it was earlier. I don't know
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how much of that factors in.
Do you have any intel in Okay,
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Well, it's it's all of that, But they also are looking at it
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and going, Okay, I want
to see value. If I'm going to
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spend my money, I want to
make sure it's in the right place.
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And and for people who know me
or read any of my stuff online,
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I'm a shuaholic, self professed,
as you know, Alice, and you
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know I don't need to have just
one or two pairs of shoes. I
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need like one hundred or two hundred. And you know a millennial will be
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like, okay, I need three
pairs of running shoes, maybe two pairs
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of this, one pair of that. They don't see the need for the
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excess, and that's one of the
biggest reasons. And where do we put
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our access all of our things?
Well, we need bigger homes, we
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need storage units, we need we
need so it goes to being massive consumers
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of stuff, and that's totally the
opposite of what they want. I bought
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a pair recently, and quite honestly, I didn't buy the ones that are
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really popular because they weren't very fashionable
to me. I bought another kind they
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offer, but they donate a pair
of shoes for every shoe that is sold,
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and so it is a lot of
the reasons why millennials are buying Tom's
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shoes because of how they give back
and how they share that with their buyers.
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HM, that's such a great sentiment
and I want to say more about
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them. Let's take a quick break. I'm your host, Alice Cortez.
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We do on air with Shery Elliot
Yeri, who is an author, speaker,
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coach, and trainer in the area
of human resources and talent management.
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She's the author of Ties to Tattoos, Turning generational differences into competitive advantage,
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and she's also soon releasing a book
series called Cracked and Millennial Code, where
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book one is marketing, two is
managing, and three is motivating the Millennials.
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We'll be right back stay with us. Alis Cortes is a speaker and
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engagement and development catalyst. She designs
and delivers professional development, leadership and engagement
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workshops and can bring her expertise to
your organization. She will help ignite meaningful
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00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.919
development within your workforce that will increase
employee engagement, performance and retention. To
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00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.919
learn more or to invite Elise to
speak to your organization, please visit her
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00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:48.639
at www dot Elisecortes dot com.
She would welcome the opportunity to help get
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your employees working on purpose. This
is working on purpose with a lease quartet
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00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.720
is to reach our program today send
an email to a lease Alise at a
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00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:11.359
lease coortes dot com. Now back
to working on purpose if you're just joining
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00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:15.519
us. My guest is Sherry elliot
Ery. She is a generational guru.
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She is a generational keynote speaker,
coach, and author. She was born
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in nineteen sixty eight, so her
DNA is gen X, but her generational
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personality is a baby boomer. We've
been talking a bit about her perspective on
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and what she's learned in her research
in marketing to millennials. We're going to
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talk next a little bit about managing
millennials, but first let's go back to
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what we were saying just before the
break around tow millennials will actually choose their
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purchases or choose how to purchase base
and their connection to their seller, and
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you mentioned Tom's shoes. I find
it really beautiful that they are as interested
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as they are in knowing who they're
doing business with and being connected to them.
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And maybe it isn't just about getting
the best deal, but about what's
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behind that deal. Yes, it's
not just that they're frugal and they want
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to get a good deal, Believe
it or not. Millennials actually get coupons
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and they like that. They want
to save money, so that's one way
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of being frugal. But the other
part is they want to know if they're
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going to spend their money, that
there's something behind it that they give back
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to charity, that you know,
there's something substantial about the organization on the
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why. And if a marketer and
an organization can answer the why before the
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millennial asked the question to themselves,
then they're the ones who are going to
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get the purchase and the buy.
I think that's fascinating and lovely. Okay,
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Well, let's go on next to
managing millennials, and before we do
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that, charity, I think it
would be helpful if we could talk a
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little bit about the percentage of the
percentage breakdown of the various generations in the
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workplace. Can you do that for
us next? Yeah? Absolutely well.
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Between now and up to twenty twenty, traditionalists will make up less than one
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percent of the workforce, Boomers will
make up twenty two percent of the workforce,
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Gen xers will make up approximately twenty
percent of the workforce, Millennials will
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make up fifty percent of the workforce, and Gen Z by twenty twenty will
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make up seven percent of the workforce. The reason I think this is so
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important is is within a couple of
years, baby boomers that make up twenty
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two percent of the workforce. Our
knowledge is with them, our industry knowledge,
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our company knowledge, everything. And
so there's fifty percent of millennials coming
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in, but only twenty two percent
of baby boomers as they get ready to
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leave. Who's going to train fifty
percent of the workforce that are millennials?
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What is the organization got planned and
emotion to start that collaborative learning and that
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type of process from knowledge sharing from
one generation to another. And then we
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have Gen X is just stuck right
there in the middle, and you know
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they're going, Okay, well,
I kind of understand the reason why we
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do the things that we do,
and I understand why millennials behave the way
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they do. And so it's not
enough. And that's where organizations they really
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need to tap into their baby boomers
before they retire, so that they can
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start transferring that critical knowledge that those
people are going to take with them and
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not go do they take it with
them at least they become consultants and then
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they sell it back right right,
and we charge more once we're a consultant.
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Yes we do, yes, Okay, Well that was a great way
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to set up an understand just why
you're focused again on the millennials. And
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I I've certainly heard some of those
figures before myself. I want to talk
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now about that, you know,
managing the millennial, the millennials. So
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first, in order to manage them, you've got to be able to get
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them in a new organization. So
and I started my human capital career twenty
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some years ago in recruiting. So
I'm interested to know what have you found
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or what have your research that millennials
are attracted to in a company? Why
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might they say yes, I want
to come to work for you. Well,
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any way that they can research an
organization before they even look to hit
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the apply now button, they're going
to be researching. They're going to be
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out on job vent dot com seeing
if anybody else has had any issues or
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what people are saying about this organization. They're going to look at on their
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Facebook profile, etc. Of course
at Google Search, so anything about the
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organization that they can find on social
media, and I'm going to put another
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asterisk there again they find it on
social media, and just because it's online
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or it's on Google does not mean
it's true and accurate. But that's the
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tool they use, and so they're
getting their information from there before they even
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choose to apply. So it's really
critical for organizations to make sure that their
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company has a website that is inviting. It's almost like, and I heard
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a speaker last weekend he kind of
like leaned in towards the audience, and
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it's almost like he was going to
tell us a secret, and I found
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myself like leaning in wanting to like
hear his secret. And it's kind of
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like that. The company needs to
kind of like go, hey, hey,
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look what we do. This is
what we do, this is why
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we're kind of fun to work for, instead of going, hey, you
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know what, we're going to pay
you more than minimum wage and you know
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you should be just happy you have
a job and you know what, you
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might get benefits after ninety days.
You need to answer the why in a
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way that they can connect to,
not because you're forcing it to them,
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because there's enough jobs out there that
does not interest them. Think about the
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soft cell. Do you give back
to different charities? Have that on your
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website, who is your senior leadership
team? Photos of them by aographies,
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something that they can connect to,
because if someone went to a school and
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as a Canadian, we do not
have the same kind of alumni experience as
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the US. But if you went
to a university and you were at A
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and M or at Oklahoma and they
go, oh wow, the person I'm
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interviewing with went to Oklahoma, Okay, so I can connect with them on
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that. But if that was not
on the organization website, it would be
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very difficult for them to find a
way to go, hey, I want
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to do that. I can try
to find a way to connect with that
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person. Now, what about the
actual work? So the organization makes sense
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to me, I completely understand the
whole y piece. What about the actual
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work? Is there something about the
work itself that they're looking for? Well,
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first of all, on day one, if they walk in and they
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don't have balloons tied to their chair, no, I'm just kidding. They're
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welcome, You're welcome, and you
know, really employers need to celebrate their
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hires. But what they're looking for
is they don't want to wait five days
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and see twenty layers of bureaucracy before
they can get someone to sign off on
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a phone and a computer. They
want to get to work. So within
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the first day, a lot of
millennials are making their decisions should I stay
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or should I go? Just based
on that their very first day. And
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what they're looking for is they want
to grow and develop. And I share
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this with my clients as baby boomers. We have a career ladder and we're
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climbing that ladder and we keep going
and keep going, and we get to
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a different position, hire better title
on our business cards, you know,
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bigger office, etc. That's what
we do. Millennials create a lattice framework
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where they weave in their experience.
It's not up and down. You know,
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they may want to learn something in
marketing, Well they've conquered that within
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eight months. Well then what else
can we help them do? But the
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magic question really is how are you
supposed to do that if you don't have
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the answers? So you have to
ask them what is it they're looking for?
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What is it that lights them up, that gives them a reason for
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staying and working for you? And
that's the way you ask that question.
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You don't say, where do you
see yourself in five years. They're like,
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dude again, thinking, dude,
you know, I'm not going to
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be here in five years. They're
thinking five years is a really long time.
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They're looking for sound bites. So
asking them what motivates them and what
349
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else they want to do and learn
is then they know you're connected to them
350
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and you're actually listening and you care. You know, as you talk about
351
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the Sherry, I'm thinking so vividly
about a young twenty eight year old woman
352
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that I'm coaching right now. She's
a rock star, so she's wicked smart.
353
00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:52.039
She can spend a number of places
in her head at any one time.
354
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:56.880
She's great at creating a vision for
people so they can see where they're
355
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going. She's just awesome. And
she's with an organization right now and that
356
00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:06.039
values her as well. However,
you know, like many organizations that have
357
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been around for a while and have
been successful, they've got an hr set
358
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of processes in place that says you
have to be in your position for X
359
00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:17.039
number of months or years before you
be promoted into the next level or whatever.
360
00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:18.839
And she's looking at that going You've
got to be kidding me. I
361
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:22.799
am running circles around my peers,
and you want me to wait in my
362
00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:26.240
role for the next six months and
be patient while you figure out, you
363
00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:30.160
know, when it went, it's
okay for me to go into my next
364
00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:36.559
role. And I'm counseling her to
push back on the conversation and ask them
365
00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:40.920
to explain, you know, what's
so behind that. I'm thinking that there's
366
00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:44.400
a lot of organizations out there that
have got antiquated processes in place that will
367
00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:48.680
actually prevent millennials from contributing their best
and from progressing in their careers because of
368
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:55.920
those constraints. Thoughts absolutely correct.
And if millennials are not satisfied in their
369
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.359
job, at least forty three to
sixty five, sixty six percent of them
370
00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:03.960
are actively searching for a new job. So if they feel like they've hit
371
00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:08.279
the ceiling, and then again their
ceiling isn't straight up and down, they're
372
00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:12.759
already looking for something else and they're
getting ready to leave. And the sheer
373
00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:21.240
cost of recruiting anybody, especially a
millennial, and then getting them onboarded is
374
00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:25.839
so expensive. The average turn the
cost of turnover is thirty percent of someone's
375
00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:30.119
annual salary. That's if you don't
use a recruiter. Recruiters are typically another
376
00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:36.640
twenty five to thirty five percent.
So there's your ROI right there. If
377
00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:40.359
employers are going, well, you
know, it sounds good, but we
378
00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:42.160
don't have the ability, We don't
have the money to put this program in
379
00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:47.599
place. Yes, you do.
If you take it from this place,
380
00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:51.839
you can put it in a more
positive, proactive space, and you can
381
00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:56.400
reduce turnover. And it's that exact
reason. They may have old policies that
382
00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:02.839
worked for the other generations, but
it doesn't work for millennials. And it's
383
00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:04.640
not like we're saying, well,
we have to throw everything out and start
384
00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:10.200
again. But you know what,
what about asking millennials putting together a task
385
00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:14.720
force and asking them, hey,
why do you work here? What motivates
386
00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:18.119
you, what keeps you here?
What would you like to see differently?
387
00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:22.319
Perfect way? And of course you
can say to them, even though you're
388
00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:25.960
sharing this with us, doesn't mean
we can do all these things. But
389
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:30.039
your voice and your opinion matters enough
to us that we want to spend the
390
00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:36.720
time asking you. Well, speaking
of that turning a little bit here,
391
00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.640
I want to get your perspective on
how do you recommend or how does your
392
00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:45.559
research recommend that managers and leaders working
millennials adapt their management style to best engage
393
00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:51.839
millennials. What do they need to
do differently or maybe improve on? Yes,
394
00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:56.680
yes, I love the idea of
different because you know, it's I
395
00:28:56.759 --> 00:28:59.519
just did a speech for an organization. I said, it's not good,
396
00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:04.759
it's not were just different, and
it's really that is so so true because
397
00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:08.000
we all have different strengths and you
and I know about strengths finder. You
398
00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:14.440
obviously are a professional in it.
But they need to get out from behind
399
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:18.319
the desk. That's step one.
Millennials don't believe in the corporate ladder,
400
00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:22.319
as I mentioned, so you as
the boss, just because you have the
401
00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:30.079
title doesn't mean that that automatically gets
you their respect. So get out from
402
00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.319
behind the desk, get with them
one on one, have informal meetings with
403
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:38.000
them. Understand how they want to
be communicated with just by asking them that,
404
00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:42.599
hey, how do you want to
be communicated? What are your interests?
405
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:47.400
Those are big questions for them,
and that's the difference. I can't
406
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:53.319
tell you I've had any supervisor ever
sit down and ask me would you like
407
00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:56.279
to do if you did a great
job, how would you want to be
408
00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:02.039
rewarded. You know, our reward, quite frank was our paycheck, and
409
00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:07.400
that's not the same for millennials.
They want to feel valued. So it's
410
00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:11.519
like a bank account. You have
to put eight strokes are positive in the
411
00:30:11.559 --> 00:30:15.759
bank account every day, and then
you earn a little interest and then it
412
00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:21.400
grows. And for every eight strokes
are positive, you can give them one
413
00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.279
constructive feedback, but you can't go
ahead and talk to them in a way
414
00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:30.720
that is talking down to them.
It needs to be motivating. It needs
415
00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:36.400
to be uplifting and sharing with them
what they could do differently, not what
416
00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:45.960
they did wrong. That's forcing versus
coaching, and millennials need coaching, and
417
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:48.440
I think even just sprinkling that into
the way we talk. You know,
418
00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:52.200
we're not here to correct anything that
might have been perceived as a mistake.
419
00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:57.039
We're here to coach and develop you. And I think that there's so much
420
00:30:57.079 --> 00:31:02.480
in the way that we even set
the context for conversation like that. Yes,
421
00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:07.240
absolutely, and it is just changing
our verbiage just a little bit to
422
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:12.400
have it from a place of you're
not wrong, let me show you a
423
00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:17.559
different way, because they're tired of
hearing, well, you have to earn
424
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:22.160
a promotion or you have to earn
this job. That's not true. They
425
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:26.359
worked hard, they got the job, they obviously have the skills and abilities
426
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:30.519
to do it, and they're interested
in doing more. So why don't you
427
00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:34.319
set up a path for them to
be able to make that valuable contribution?
428
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.960
You know. One of the other
suggestions is even give them a project.
429
00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:42.759
Let them sit on a project team
and just watch and listen. They're going
430
00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:51.400
to learn so much and that does
not cost an organization assent. Well,
431
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.920
one of the things that I'm very
interested into because in the work that I
432
00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:00.640
do, there's an awful lot about
accountability, responsibility, etc. So once
433
00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:04.319
they're actually on a project, they're
actually in their space. How do you
434
00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:08.079
hold millennials accountable for their work?
What's effective in that realm? Well,
435
00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:14.000
first you have to explain to them
what is required from them. And job
436
00:32:14.039 --> 00:32:17.400
descriptions are kind of a thing of
the past and they are very required to
437
00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:22.960
be legal. You're supposed to have
employees sign off on them. Millennials don't
438
00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:27.960
want a job description. They want
to know what their role is in the
439
00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:32.440
organization. And if you explain it
to them, like your job is to
440
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.960
make sure the widget gets into the
car as it's going down the assembly line
441
00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:43.480
so that Johnny can put his next
widget in. And if you don't show
442
00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:47.880
up at eight o'clock and you're online
at eight oh five, your widgets are
443
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:52.759
not getting put in those cars,
and it could cost people their lives and
444
00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:58.319
we have to shut down the assembly
line. That's what they need to understand,
445
00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:02.160
not because I say so or you've
been told. You need to make
446
00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:07.119
it clear to them how their contribution
fits in in the overall team and the
447
00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:13.759
impact on the organization. You know, when I contrast that, again,
448
00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:19.000
this is just my experience and my
own small realm of life, but I
449
00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:22.119
just what I hear is how we
need to be such better communicators overall,
450
00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:25.640
and it takes something to be a
really good communicator to bring something to life
451
00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:30.519
in a way that's very accessible.
And even when I teach share, my
452
00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:32.920
students say I need more clarity on
that. That just isn't clear for me.
453
00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:37.039
And I recognize that I've just kind
of thrown something out there and thought
454
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:38.720
they would catch it, and I
didn't make the effort enough for them to
455
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:43.599
be able to really get present to
it. And I contrast that with you
456
00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:49.440
know, years ago working for what
would have been not probably I guess it
457
00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:52.920
would have been a baby boomer.
And his whole perspective was not to create
458
00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:54.839
a job scription because that would be
limiting to people, but rather let them
459
00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:58.160
create their own. And that's kind
of what I grew up with, that
460
00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:01.720
sort of mentality as a gen X. Yes, absolutely, and it is
461
00:34:01.799 --> 00:34:07.119
great that they can create their own. Unfortunately, with millennials, they are
462
00:34:07.639 --> 00:34:14.599
coming from home and college and they
don't have that understanding, and so they
463
00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:17.119
need kind of like when you first
learned to bowl, they have those bumper
464
00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:22.960
pads. They need some bumper pads, and it's our job to help coach
465
00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:27.440
them and lead them so that they
don't go outside those bumper pads for a
466
00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.719
while, so that they can get
their feet on the ground and they can
467
00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:35.920
learn some things and they can start
moving forward in their role. They need
468
00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:37.800
that. They can't just get out
there. Their parents have done a lot
469
00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:43.519
for them, They've had a lot
going on, and they haven't really had
470
00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:46.000
that opportunity to fall down, skin
their knee and get back up again and
471
00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:49.920
go, oh yeah, that's how
that worked. So I think we do
472
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:55.119
a disservice if we don't give them
enough structure. But on the other hand,
473
00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:59.800
we can't give them too much structure. And so that is the de
474
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.840
de balancing act that employers and leaders
are trying to desperately find if they're going
475
00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:14.199
to not only attract, but be
able to manage millennials. Beautiful, Sherry,
476
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:15.920
Beautiful, Let's take a quick break
here. I'm your host, Alis
477
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.960
Cortez. We're in the air with
Sherry Elliot Ury, who is an author,
478
00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.800
speaker, coach, and trainer in
the area of human resources and talent
479
00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:27.440
management. She is the author of
Ties to Tattoos, Attorney Generational Differences into
480
00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:30.880
Competitive Advantage, and she's now soon
releasing a book series called Crack the Millennial
481
00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:35.079
Code, where book one is marketing, two is managing, and three is
482
00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:38.480
motivating the Millennials. We've been talking
about how to manage millennials. After this
483
00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:42.119
last break, we're going to talk
about how to motivate them. Stay with
484
00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:45.000
us, we'll be right back.
Alice Cortez is a speaker and engagement and
485
00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:52.079
development catalyst. She designs and delivers
professional development, leadership and engagement workshops and
486
00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:55.960
can bring her expertise to your organization. She will help ignite meaningful development within
487
00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:01.079
your workforce that will increase employee engagement, mormans and retention. To learn more
488
00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:06.800
or to invite Elise to speak to
your organization, please visit her at www
489
00:36:06.920 --> 00:36:10.519
dot Elise Coortes dot com. She
would welcome the opportunity to help get your
490
00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:22.320
employees working on purpose. This is
working on Purpose with Elise Cortes. To
491
00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:29.760
reach our program today, send an
email to a lease Alise at Aleasecortes dot
492
00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:35.480
com. Now back to working on
Purpose, we're just tuning in. Our
493
00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:37.920
guest is Sheerry Elliot Yuri, who
is also known as a generational Guru.
494
00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:43.039
She is a generational keynote speaker,
coach, and author. She was born
495
00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:45.400
in nineteen sixty eight, so her
DNA is a gen xer, but her
496
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:50.559
generational personality is a baby boomer.
She is the author of Ties a Tattoos,
497
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:53.800
Turning generational differences into competitive advantage,
and is now just releasing a book
498
00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:58.840
series called Cracking Millennial Code, where
book one is marketing, two is managing,
499
00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:00.760
and three is motivating the million.
For this last segment, we're going
500
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:05.239
to talk about the motivational piece here. So we've already said a little bit
501
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:07.800
about what Melina's want out of their
work. So I think we've covered most
502
00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:12.239
of that, but what is it
that keeps them engaged? Why would they
503
00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:15.960
actually stay in an organization? Because
motivation, of course, is about energy
504
00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.880
and connection, Yes, absolutely right, it is, and feeling like you're
505
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.239
part of something larger. And I'm
going to answer that in a little more
506
00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:27.719
depth, but I just wanted to
give you a quick statistic. According to
507
00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:32.559
Forbes, ninety percent of employees say
generational conflicts waste their time and productivity.
508
00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:38.920
Can you imagine if we could reduce
the generational conflicts we have in the workplace,
509
00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:46.599
what that would do for increasing return
on investment, bottom line productivity.
510
00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:52.480
It's amazing, and so to me, it's just astonishing that a lot of
511
00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:59.119
times this generational discord can really make
a difference in the day to day operations
512
00:37:59.159 --> 00:38:01.599
for a manager. So I just
wanted to give you that sidebar because it
513
00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:05.519
was really important to me. That's
huge, It is huge, and I
514
00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:07.960
just want to come out on it
quickly. And you and I both know
515
00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:09.400
because we talk about it all the
time. But I'm always amazed at the
516
00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:13.800
number of people who come in and
talk to me about BOK. These millennials,
517
00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:15.320
they don't want to work, or
they just don't get it, et
518
00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:19.440
cetera, et cetera. And again
it comes from that place of not understanding
519
00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:22.440
who they're working with and what they
want and how they can, as you
520
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:24.760
say, crack that code. And
if they could get past those differences,
521
00:38:25.639 --> 00:38:30.039
how much more productive the workplace could
be. So absolutely with you on that,
522
00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:34.159
and thank you for presencing that stat
that's huge. So what keeps them
523
00:38:34.199 --> 00:38:37.599
there and engaged? And I've heard
you say this, and I quoted it
524
00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:40.000
the other day and I say it
often, but I quoted it to someone.
525
00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:46.000
I said, you can't pay an
employee to be engaged. You can
526
00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:51.559
pay them to do their job or
to do their duties, but to go
527
00:38:51.719 --> 00:38:55.719
a step above and actually be engaged, there has to be something else.
528
00:38:55.800 --> 00:39:01.000
There's another reason. And so for
millennials, if they can find a way
529
00:39:01.280 --> 00:39:07.800
to connect with the organization, they
thrive on collaboration, They desire that whole
530
00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:14.639
life work balance, and they can
multitask better than any other generation. So
531
00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:17.559
if they can see that, they
have a future again not five to ten
532
00:39:17.639 --> 00:39:22.400
years out, but they can go, wow, this looks interesting and I
533
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:28.320
want to stay here because this project
is helping bring clean water to Puerto Rico
534
00:39:28.599 --> 00:39:31.000
to the people in the mountains.
Right now, Wow, our company's really
535
00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:36.119
doing something cool, and I get
to be part of that. And they
536
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.000
also want to be asked what is
it you know that they want to be
537
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:45.920
working on, or to be asked
for their opinion on certain projects or ideas.
538
00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:50.280
They want to be in those rooms, not being told when someone walks
539
00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:52.679
out and goes, hey, we
need this report by four fifty five,
540
00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:58.000
and they go, well, then
that's just a job. They don't feel
541
00:39:58.039 --> 00:40:01.039
part of anything bigger than just themselves. And one of the biggest parts to
542
00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:07.480
have somebody engaged, especially millennials,
is if they have friends at work,
543
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:14.199
because it's not just work. They
socialize. One of the companies I had
544
00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:20.920
the opportunity to tour is cyrus One, and it's a data organization and data
545
00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:24.599
warehousing. And before I even saw
any of that here in Dallas, I
546
00:40:24.679 --> 00:40:29.400
got to see their rock climbing wall
and I was like, who, And
547
00:40:29.400 --> 00:40:36.840
then my workers can't brain kicked in
I'm like workplace injuries red alert. And
548
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.159
I was there from an HR generational
perspective, so I'm like, okay,
549
00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:45.960
let me switch that hat and then
they had like atari areas or a Nintendo
550
00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:51.840
and people had big bean chairs and
they were playing together. And then in
551
00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:57.760
other sections they had meditation rooms and
quiet spaces so people could go in and
552
00:40:57.800 --> 00:41:04.159
do whatever they wanted to do.
And so it brought the employees together in
553
00:41:04.199 --> 00:41:07.000
a way that was very meaningful.
It wasn't just hey, you get your
554
00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:12.360
one hour break, here you go. No, they had ways for people
555
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:17.119
to keep their minds engaged at the
same time of connecting with others. It's
556
00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:22.840
harder for millennial to make the choice
to leave a job if they feel connected
557
00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:29.400
and have friends at work than it
is if they don't. Okay, so
558
00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:32.039
I want to comment on something really
quick here because it's just screaming at me
559
00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:36.079
as you talk. One of the
things that, of course I've learned in
560
00:41:36.119 --> 00:41:40.199
the consulting work that I do is
the importance of acknowledgment and acknowledging in a
561
00:41:40.199 --> 00:41:45.400
way that really really lands for the
person. And this I mean this of
562
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:47.199
course all generations. But then I
want to get specific to the millennials.
563
00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:52.239
And so what I think is also
important to say to our listeners is that
564
00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:57.679
the way that we situate how these
millennials are connected to a mission is really
565
00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:00.199
important, like for example, saying, Wow, Sherry, I cannot tell
566
00:42:00.199 --> 00:42:06.800
you how much I appreciate you staying
and doing that report for our client because
567
00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:08.519
it allows us to be able to
deliver on that project that they're counting on
568
00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:14.280
us for and save a certain number
of whatever it is, or connect with
569
00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.159
a certain mumn of their clients or
their patients or whatever it is. So
570
00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:23.199
positioning their contribution to something bigger.
I know, generically speaking is very effective
571
00:42:23.199 --> 00:42:28.920
for employees. But for millennials,
how do they want to be recognized or
572
00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:34.960
acknowledged? Yeah, that's really interesting
you asked that question, because everybody wants
573
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:39.880
to be rewarded and recognized differently,
especially across the generations. But millennials,
574
00:42:40.320 --> 00:42:46.440
they don't have the same interest in
getting awards and trophies, etc. It's
575
00:42:46.519 --> 00:42:52.360
quite the opposite. I recently was
at an organization where the new hire employees,
576
00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:55.280
they did a little video of them, and the person came up and
577
00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:00.239
was welcomed by the school president.
And when I got to talk to the
578
00:43:00.280 --> 00:43:05.360
millennials the next day and interview them, most of them had been sick to
579
00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:10.320
their stomach two to three days in
advance because they are so afraid, and
580
00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:15.320
they were so afraid to get up
on stage that it terrified them. They
581
00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:20.360
didn't have to say anything, but
they were so horrified. So what we
582
00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:22.840
might consider is, woo woo,
we get to get up there and hobnob
583
00:43:22.920 --> 00:43:27.639
with the president. They are six
to their stomach three days in advance,
584
00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:31.920
and it feels like a punishment to
them, not a reward. So what
585
00:43:32.159 --> 00:43:36.239
they're looking for as ways to give
back to the community. Can they go
586
00:43:36.280 --> 00:43:39.880
spend a day with habitat or humanity. Can they work with a local shelter.
587
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:45.199
Can they go out and clean up
garbage. Can they do something with
588
00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:50.280
an organization that they feel passionate about, go out and feed the homeless?
589
00:43:50.679 --> 00:43:55.719
And then it becomes an organizational project, not just them, And that's asking
590
00:43:55.719 --> 00:44:00.679
them, how do you feel like
we can reward And they're going to tell
591
00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:04.440
you I'd like a day off,
you know. If someone asked me,
592
00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:08.239
and obviously everybody now knows my age
because I've started publishing my year of birth,
593
00:44:09.320 --> 00:44:12.440
if someone asked me, how do
you be rewarded, I'm like,
594
00:44:12.440 --> 00:44:15.519
oh, a day at the spall
would be fabulous, Thank you very much.
595
00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:19.519
I'll pat myself on the back and
go, Okay, Cherry, you
596
00:44:19.559 --> 00:44:23.360
can give yourself that gift, but
it really is true. That's not going
597
00:44:23.440 --> 00:44:27.800
to look the same way for them. We may look at it and go
598
00:44:27.880 --> 00:44:30.280
as baby boomers gen xers, Hey, you know what, I really want
599
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:34.679
to go to this conference and wouldn't
it be cool if the company would let
600
00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:38.320
me go and you know, would
actually pay for me. Well, that's
601
00:44:38.360 --> 00:44:42.000
not exactly the same thing that they're
going to want to do. They're not
602
00:44:42.039 --> 00:44:45.280
going to want to get up at
six am and be there for the morning
603
00:44:45.360 --> 00:44:47.800
breakout. They may want to show
up for the keynote speaker, but they're
604
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:52.320
not wanting to be there at six
am to network and stay till nine pm
605
00:44:52.360 --> 00:44:55.679
at night and then network after hours, which at least you, as I've
606
00:44:55.679 --> 00:45:00.519
said, are the master networker.
That is not what millennials want to be
607
00:45:00.599 --> 00:45:04.639
doing. They want to be having
connection and just to hang on that really
608
00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:07.920
quick. I got something I was
I was moderating a women's leadership panel for
609
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:13.119
the CPHL conference in Philadelphia a few
weeks ago, and one of the panelis
610
00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:15.840
said something fascinating. You know,
we used to use the phrase work life
611
00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:20.800
balance. Well, nobody says that
anymore because it's ridiculous. Then we went
612
00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:24.559
into work life integration, and what
this panelist said is the importance of having
613
00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:30.440
work life harmony. Isn't that awesome? So what you're just getting at there
614
00:45:30.519 --> 00:45:34.039
with regard to, you know,
having some harmonies what you do off hours
615
00:45:34.039 --> 00:45:36.840
and what you do for direct work
and the rest of your life, I
616
00:45:36.840 --> 00:45:40.440
think is really key to understand for
of course anyone in the workplace, but's
617
00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.599
for me For millennials, yes,
and millennials, and you know, there's
618
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:52.199
something about the whole connection. They
can leave work at five o'clock or three
619
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:57.320
o'clock and they can go and do
a sport or watch their son play soccer,
620
00:45:57.400 --> 00:46:00.480
et cetera, and then they're going
to be able to jump on the
621
00:46:00.519 --> 00:46:04.880
computer at home and they're more productive. They're going to get more done.
622
00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:09.079
That's because they have access to technology. And so that's how they look at
623
00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:12.840
it and go, you know what, if I can actually get home and
624
00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:15.159
take my dog for a walk or
go do a workout, I'm going to
625
00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:21.000
be more likely to give back to
you because you were flexible with me.
626
00:46:21.960 --> 00:46:25.920
And that's the art of the engagement
is finding out what really matters to them
627
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:31.320
and then working it so that it
can it can be something cohesive and it
628
00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:36.239
works for the company and the employee
feels like they're being heard. Yeah,
629
00:46:36.280 --> 00:46:37.880
it goes back to that harmon.
I think a lot of people are just
630
00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:42.559
really really hungry for that to make
everything work in life. They feel so
631
00:46:42.679 --> 00:46:46.119
overwhelmed, et cetera. So all
right, So, Sherry, we're getting
632
00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:50.360
really close to the end of the
show already. It evaporates every time I
633
00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:52.920
talk with you. So I want
you to be able to share with you
634
00:46:53.400 --> 00:46:57.079
any pearls of wisdom that you have
for our listeners. It's keeping my way
635
00:46:57.079 --> 00:47:00.880
of listeners across the globe of all
ages in about one minute. What would
636
00:47:00.920 --> 00:47:05.679
you like to leave our listeners with? I want to just part with this
637
00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:09.360
is again. It's not good.
It's not bad. We are just different.
638
00:47:09.760 --> 00:47:14.719
I was raised in Canada, so
things were very different here in Texas
639
00:47:14.800 --> 00:47:20.039
when I moved here, and it
was a matter of me showing up and
640
00:47:20.239 --> 00:47:24.000
others showing up and showing who we
truly are in a way that's meaningful.
641
00:47:24.400 --> 00:47:29.639
And that doesn't matter if it's millennials
or any other generation. It's we all
642
00:47:29.679 --> 00:47:34.360
have strengths and we all have areas
of challenge, But how can we take
643
00:47:34.960 --> 00:47:42.239
our generational differences and make them a
collaborative experience? And first, it's appreciating
644
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:46.599
who the other person is and being
open to feedback and doing things a little
645
00:47:46.639 --> 00:47:51.400
bit different. And it just means
you got to get uncomfortable a little bit
646
00:47:51.480 --> 00:47:53.920
and go back to my sign.
Change is hard, you go first.
647
00:47:54.400 --> 00:47:59.360
And if we can all do that, it will make a huge difference in
648
00:47:59.400 --> 00:48:02.599
our world. We will be a
much more collaborative, beautiful way to finish.
649
00:48:02.599 --> 00:48:06.679
Sherry, thank you again for joining
me on the show. Always appreciate
650
00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:08.920
your heart, your wisdom, your
contribution, your thought leadership. Thank you,
651
00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:13.000
thank you for having me. If
you want to learn more about Sherry
652
00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:15.559
elliott Uri and the work she does, or any of her books that are
653
00:48:15.559 --> 00:48:20.800
consulting, go to her website.
It's generationalguru dot com. Next week will
654
00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:22.679
be on the air. As I
mentioned with Ashley Kate Jones, she is
655
00:48:22.800 --> 00:48:27.320
a thirty year old actress and producer
and I'm having her on the show because
656
00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:30.719
I want to tell her story about
how she has stayed true to her passion,
657
00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:34.400
her dream of being an actress and
a producer and making a difference even
658
00:48:34.440 --> 00:48:37.440
though it's been hard. It's been
an amazing story for her and she's bumped
659
00:48:37.440 --> 00:48:40.639
her her chin and her knees along
the way several times. Great story.
660
00:48:40.719 --> 00:48:44.480
See you then, and remember that
works at least one third of our life.
661
00:48:44.519 --> 00:48:51.480
So let's work on purpose. We
hope you've enjoyed this week's program.
662
00:48:51.880 --> 00:48:55.639
Be sure to tune in to Working
on Purpose, featuring your host Alis Cortes,
663
00:48:55.920 --> 00:49:00.599
each week on the Voice America Empowerment
Channel. This week, find your
664
00:49:00.679 --> 00:49:22.920
life's purpose at work.





















































