I hate the word managing. It reminds me of herding animals, we are not sheeple. In fact the very definition is cringe worthy, ‘having executive or supervisory control or authority’. We all have different desires and wants. Instead of managing we should be motivating employees…and ourselves…and our customers. Generation Y wants to collaborate, to be a part of the system not just a cog in it. Employers should be excited about this, not shying away from it. Do not try to mold the future of business, the landscape is changing and you need to keep up.

Give them space. You can apply this to employees by not tracking their every move and giving them some autonomy, allow them time to work on solutions of their choosing. For your customers, it would be to stop hounding them with emails, calls and direct mail. It’d be nice to check in via text or email about how they’re doing, having any issues?, etc. without trying to sell anything.

Get involved. I primarily mean aligning yourself with your community. Donation drives, charity events, soup kitchens, etc. But I also mean to involve your employees in your decisions and future endeavors. Allow them to be a part of your big picture, that is the essence of company culture.

Transparency. Again this works for your younger customers as well as your employees. Be open and honest, don’t do anything two faced or sneaky. Give lots of feedback and ask questions then actually listen and act on the responses. Don’t make excuses, be accountable.

Education. Gen Y loves to learn. Offer classes and resources or time to work on free open courseware during the work day. Offer education to your customers. Establish a knowledge base on your website that both employees and customers can view and find their own answers.

Money is not a motivator. Once basic salaries are established and allow one to live comfortably, more important motivation will be intrinsic. Offer a chance to do charity work during the day if performance goals are met. Or instead of a bonus, offer weekend getaways or tickets to a game or concert, something they can take their family and friends to.

Of course there are other ways to motivate this generation but this short list is a great place to start. This is the generation that will be running the world soon, they are a large group and that should be respected. We sometimes get a bad rap and are defined as impatient and narcissistic and yet, more than any generation before, Millennials demand excellence and want to help people on a world wide scale. Employers should recognize the value in those attributes and play to this generation’s strengths.

If you enjoyed this please follow me on Twitter @caitmackcs or if you have questions, comments or wisps of wisdom, drop me a line at caitmackcs@gmail.com.