Training Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 14)

soapbox consistent and positive feedback. Perhaps the members of no other generation have bonded so closely with their peers (as much through technology as through personal interaction), and their emphasis on collaboration combines with skill at multitasking to give them more “friends” than members of other generations can possibly imagine. The IDP challenge for Millennials is that they want to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible, and as personally as possible. Whether online or in person, training that is multisensory, immediate, teamoriented, and driven by positive feedback will resonate with them. MILLENNIALS AND TRAINING DELIVERY The challenge posed by Millennial generation members is not motivating them to work but finding the right training strategies to generate that motivation. Given the predisposition of Millennials to constant stimulus, group interaction, and immediate feedback, training strategies should emphasize an intensely personal and stimulating range of tactics: • Training should be ongoing. • Training should be digital and interactive. • Training should use gaming techniques. • Training should be team oriented. MILLENNIALS AND TRAINING APPLICATION are detrimental to their performance as leaders or managers who can boost organizational performance. These negative characteristics also generally are foreign to the Millennial world view. They, thus, can themselves be a positive force for supportive values of organizational leadership, and (if convinced through effective training that the objectives are worthwhile) can provide valuable backing for senior management’s programs and initiatives. • Advancement of teamwork. Millennials have grown up as part of technological and social networks. Training programs that emphasize team projects and related rewards will find a receptive Millennial audience. • Advancement of workplace satisfaction. Quality of work life elements such as communication, teamwork, and flexibility will be effective motivators for Millennials, and with proper training, they can actively work to advance them throughout the organization. MILLENNIALS AND THE FUTURE Finding tomorrow’s leaders is critical to creating an organization that is capable of self-sustaining change as the demands upon it evolve. The best way to accomplish this with tomorrow’s workforce is to structure training so it emphasizes the organizational assets of Millennials, and fits them where they will be the most comfortable and able to execute to the fullest of their capabilities. The training focus should be on measuring and understanding whether personality traits mesh with specific job requirements. Job requirements go beyond hard skills and experience to include the ability to work with others or lead others productively and effectively by exhibiting and using certain characteristics. The generational characteristics of Millennials can support organizational growth when training reinforces each person’s potential for individual success. These are the measurements for organizational impact that should be emphasized as part of the training process: • Acceptance of feedback. Millennials respond well to individual, one-on-one mentoring, and feedback. • Acceptance of leadership responsibility. Some of the skills people classically use to “get ahead”— such as self-serving aggressiveness and promotion— 14 Millennials as a group have tremendous potential to transform the organizations where they work by serving as a new generation of strong leaders who are flexible, able to cope with change, and ready to find new ways of solving problems. The best ways to realize this potential can be learned, cultivated, honed, and enhanced through effective training programs that use accurate personality assessment to identify individual capabilities. The focus of training then can become measuring and understanding how a given individual’s personality traits mesh with specific job requirements to work with others or lead others productively and effectively. The best personality tests analyze and report what motivates workplace behavior, and identify the needs that drive behavior in positive and productive directions. Members of the Millennial generation need feedback, stimulation, interaction, and a team focus. By channeling these traits to the best fit with job responsibilities, any organization will be able to find its next leaders, improve its current leaders, and bring about a whole new level of excellence in its management. t The Birkman Method has been in use for more than 50 years and has been used by 2 million-plus people and 5,000 organizations worldwide. The personality assessment and related reports facilitate teambuilding, executive coaching, leadership development, career management, and interpersonal conflict resolution. For more information, visit www.birkman.com or call 800.215.2760. For the extended version of this article, visit www.trainingmag.com/nextgen. w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m | JULY / AUGUST 2008 t r a i n i n g http://www.birkman.com http://www.trainingmag.com/nextgen http://www.trainingmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Magazine - July 2008

Training Magazine - July 2008 Contents Online TOC Editor’s Note Training Today Soapbox How-To World View Managing the Magic Keys to the Kingdom Good Job! Personalities & Performance Hidden Potential The Executive Entrance Live & Online No More Revolving Door Questions for Covey TMI Brochure

Training Magazine - July 2008

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