But what if they did?

Often by changing our perspective, we can see a connection that we didn’t see before. Much like if you change your approach and drink the OJ before you brush your teeth, the two flavors don’t have the same adverse reaction.

So explore with me if you will, an environment where Baby Boomers and Millennials complement each other; where their strengths offset their weaknesses, and they come together to form a company’s dream team.

To do this, we must first gain a better understanding of their similarities, strengths, needs, and wants.

What do they have in common?

• Desire for work/life balance
• The drive to see and be a part of the world becoming a better place – a need for purpose

What are their strengths?

• Millennials = Potential
  • Intuitively understand technology
  • Unjaded perspective and an openness to exploring new ideas
• Baby Boomers = Experience
  • Strong communication skills
  • Decades of experience and the knowledge that comes with it

Where do their needs and wants overlap?

• Millennials value knowledge and want mentors. They don’t want to waste time and are constantly looking for ways to speed up their learning curve.
• Baby Boomers want to give back. They have a sense of responsibility, a need, to pass along all of the knowledge they’ve gained throughout their years.

Now that we have a better appreciation for how Baby Boomers and Millennials complement each other let’s take a look at how to structure a team made up of the two groups.

Emphasize the significance of communication.
Communication is key. It’s better to have your team over-communicating than experiencing a lack of communication. It’s vital the group understands the importance of sharing their achievements and excitement as well as their frustration and confusion with each other.

• Baby Boomers should set the example for Millennials and teach them how to communicate and work through the different situations that arise when working in a team.
• Millennials should see the communication process as an opportunity for personal growth and development.

Define projects by purpose.
By doing this, you can appeal to the Baby Boomers and Millennials similar desire for purpose. It will also help the group to be on the same page for what they are trying to accomplish with the project.

The team structure is horizontal.
For them to act as a team, they need to be a team. Meaning no member is more valuable than the other. Each has a strength and weakness, and they need to learn to work together.

Clarify your expectation for two-way teaching and learning.

• Encourage Baby Boomers to mentor Millennials by helping them identify their strengths and how to improve their weaknesses. Make sure they understand the value of sharing their experiences from past projects.
• Empower Millennials by making them responsible for introducing software and online tools that might help aid in the success of the project.

It took many years for me to realize some of the barriers I faced at the beginning of my career had to do with generational differences. Since that realization, I have practiced how to break down those barriers in my company.

I share this with you in hopes that it might help you or someone you know gain a new perspective on how to approach the challenges facing today’s multi-generational workplace.

Related Articles:

The Millennial Movement
Meetings Millennials Want

Until next time!

The post Creating a Boomer-Millennial Dream Team appeared first on dynami.

In case you missed the introduction, here is a quick summary:

Millennials want to hear about networking opportunities, personalized education, and insight on career paths. They respond best to transparency, clear objectives, and a connection to “what’s in it for them.”

Keep this in mind as we take a deeper dive into what appeals to Millennials so you can have a stronger grasp on how to engage, motivate, and empower these pivotal employees by maximizing the value stemming from your meetings and corporate events.

The Human Factor

The number one thing to keep in mind when gearing meetings towards the needs of Millennials is the value this group puts on face-to-face opportunities that will help them propel their careers forward.

When you’re in the planning phase, consider using pre-event assessments and surveys to gauge attendees’ interests and goals. Use this information to pair participants in small group situations that will allow them to build new relationships. Try not just to match groups based on similarities. Instead, factor in unique differences, such as pairing junior and senior employees, or attendees from distinctive backgrounds, to ensure they haven’t already interacted with one another.

Use social media tools and apps that let event organizers and owners better communicate with attendees as well as pave the way for participants to interact with one another. Examples include Bizzabo, which lets users see the conference agenda and message other attendees, set up face-to-face meetings, receive suggestions of personalized business opportunities, and integrate the app with their social media accounts to keep in touch with the people they meet at events.

Enhance networking opportunities by offering interludes during meetings and corporate events.

The key here is to keep your meeting interactive and driven by the human element.

Provide Choices and Flexibility

Millennials value a sense of choice and autonomy, which is a major component leading them to be innovative, willing to embrace change, and creative.

Consider this when designing your next corporate event.

Give Millennials the freedom to choose everything, from which small groups they’ll participate in, to their food and beverage options.

You can also integrate a sense of personalization into meetings by letting participants drive the discussion. Use opportunities for interaction, feedback, and questions as a way to determine the direction the meeting will take.

Millennials grew up using tools like social media and have come to expect to the ability to voice their opinion. They appreciate chances for collaboration, sharing, and rethinking conventional concepts.

Bring Social Elements into the Mix

We all know, Millennials are incredibly comfortable with social media and digital technology. So why not bring this into your meetings? Just be careful not to replace the essential human component.

Use social media as a way to enhance meeting content and objectives, rather than having it dominate meetings.

You can use social tools to take live polls and get a feel for what the audience is thinking, include gamification throughout sessions, or create a hashtag that can be used to Tweet and post on what’s happening during an event.

Embracing the Millennial Viewpoint

Millennials are a unique generation. They have a fresh, innovative approach to the workplace and how meetings are conducted.

They crave the opportunity to build relationships that can create a sound basis for their line of business. They want meetings that challenge them, interest them, and are a way to enhance their career.

This generation is desperately trying to navigate their way through the business world. And it may come as a surprise to you, but they value advice from their superiors. Millennials want mentors.

Our next article in this series will go over how to utilize meetings to break down communication barriers between different generations and ultimately bridge the skills gap.

Photo Credit: Charlie Edward / Shutterstock.com

Related articles: The Millennial Movement

Until next time!

The post Meetings Millennials Want appeared first on dynami.