Attention Generation Y, I will not be coming to your baseball game!
Recently I was speaking to a client who had attended a seminar on the three-generation workplace. In the session the trainer was explaining the different needs of Gen-Y and suggested, “You might want to attend one of their sporting events.” As I thought about this statement, I felt something. Was it despair, confusion, or just plain irritation? I barely have enough time to make it to my son’s hockey, my daughter’s dance, and my other daughter’s activities that unless I can do it on company time, I am maxed out. So, sorry Gen-Y but I just don’t have time to watch you catch a few flies out in left-field.
Now this might be different if I had no children, or they had left the nest and were off at college, but for most Gen-Xers, who are taking more and more senior leadership roles, it probably means your life is in a similar place as mine. It is not that the trainer was off the mark in outlining the needs of Gen Y, but there are other ways of meeting this need for them, which can be done between 9-5, Monday to Friday.
For Gen Y, there is a blurring of the lines between work and life. In some ways this is a good thing. They want more from work, both money and meaning, and they want to know they count not just as an employee but also as a person. Hey, don’t we all. One of the main points I teach all of my clients in their efforts to attract and retain their staff, is to CARE.
Here are a two simple things you can do that will show you care about the whole person and not just the numbers.
1. Know their Vitals
Every manager should know the following information about his or her direct reports:
Where they were born and raised.
The name of their spouse or boy/girlfriend and their occupation
The names and general ages of their children
Where their parents live and their current health
Their hobbies outside of work
This is information that you want to slowly gather over time. It is not to be collected in interview or survey format. It sounds simple and it is, but it is very powerful. It shows you care. In fact this is big for any generation. Everyone knows you are busy, so taking the time to learn more about your employees will mean a lot. Knowing this information is one of the most effective ways to build a bond between you and your direct reports.
2. Show you’re Human
As you begin to gather your staff’s Vital Stats, start scheduling a time each week where you can simply walk around your office chitchatting one-on-one with your employees about their life outside of work. If you scheduled even 30 minutes a week to do this, you would be amazed at the improvement in your relationships with your staff. When you can ask Joe how his son’s football game went last night, he will be more than happy to tell you. When you ask Sally how her mother in Florida is getting along she will feel encouraged that you even remembered. Most adult sports leagues now keep team and individual statistics on the Internet. Instead of taking three hours to go to your employee’s baseball game, spend two minutes looking up last night’s score and individual statistics, and then take a moment to drop by their office for the full scoop.
Another funny thing happens as you learn simple ways to care about your staff. You will actually begin enjoying your own work more and feel better about coming to work each day. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and try it. And in the event that the planets line up and I actually have a free night, I just might be able to attend a staff member’s sporting event. But I doubt it!
