Maintenance Technology May 2017 - 7

KICKER
UPTIME

Engagement is 'situational'

Millennials learn, and in turn, approach work much differently than past generations.

prospective employers can leverage these
characteristics by offering what these job
seekers want most:
■ diverse opportunities based on
individuality and creativity
■ fair compensation for work that
has a purpose
■ a great place to work, i.e., fun
and ethical
■ a sense of belonging and
social engagement
■ flexibility.
Attracting Millennials can be
enhanced by employers that:
■ invest in technology and social media
■ have a story to tell, a brand
■ leverage current Millennial employees
in recruiting
■ embrace social and environmentally
conscious practices
■ re-invent the workplace environment
■ address how their goals can be
achieved by working here.
Hiring Millennials may require
employers to overhaul their practices and:
■ recruit, hire, and train for skills
mastery
■ look for leaders, out-of-the box
thinkers, and optimists
■ deploy creative application and
interview processes
■ upgrade employee orientation and
on-boarding programs
■ include Millennials in interview and
selection processes.
Retaining newly hired Millennial
employees can be improved by employers
that try to:
■ make the first day unforgettable
■ offer feedback, flexibility,
MAY 2017

and transparency
create a fun workplace with a sense of
purpose.
Managing Millennials must be accomplished by leveraging their expectations:
■ provide frequent feedback
■ provide clear expectations with
accountability
■ coach, rather than direct (see the
following "Situational Leadership"
model)
■ challenge and empower them
■ inspire them (be a strategic and
aspirational thinker)
■ add the human element
■ be open and transparent
■ show respect for all people at all levels
■ get to know employees on a
personal level
■ conduct weekly check-in
■ provide interpersonal training and
personal development
■ provide technology platforms for
feedback sharing.
Developing Millennials into leaders
must go beyond traditional programs and
begin early in their employment through:
■ cross-functional expertise and
rotational learning
■ apprenticeship models with assigned
mentors
■ involvement with "high-ranking"
executives
■ intrapreneurship (defined as workplace
innovation)
■ ongoing training and personal
development
■ formal knowledge-transfer processes
■ connection to the bigger "why"
(beyond "what" and "how").

■

Leading and empowering Millennials
is where the proven principles of Ken
Blanchard's "Situational Leadership"
framework for employee development
can come into play. Adapting our leadership styles to fit individual employee
needs will be one of the most important
methods you can use to engage Millennial employees.
According to Blanchard, the four
sequential leadership styles in the
Situational Leadership model include
directing, coaching, supporting, and
delegating. These leadership styles are
aligned with four sequential stages of
individual employee development:
■ low competence/high commitment
■ some competence/low commitment
■ higher competence and/or variable
commitment
■ high competence/high commitment.
Efforts to empower and engage
employees, especially Millennials, must
build on what motivates them. How we
lead them to be productive members of
an organization is an integral part of that
motivation. MT

References:
1. Dr. Morris Massey, What You Are is

Where You Were When, 1986 video
program, Enterprise Media, MorrisMassey.com.
2. Christine Hassler, "Bridging the
Generational Divide Attracting,
Engaging, and Managing a MultiGenerational Workforce" (keynote),
millennialexpert.com.
3. "Situational Leadership" training
program, The Ken Blanchard
Companies, KenBlanchard.com.

Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, and
member of the Institute of Asset Management, is in his fourth decade of focusing
on the "people side" of world-class
maintenance and reliability in plants
and facilities across North America.
MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM | 7
http://www.morrismassey.com http://www.millennialexpert.com http://www.KenBlanchard.com http://www.MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology May 2017
