Leveraging the Millennial – Executive Coaching with The Holbrow Group

Colin Holbrow/ July 1, 2018/ Leader as Coach, Leadership

July, 2018

Much has and will continue to be shared about the characteristics of the Millennial generation. As a parent of two Millennials and some one who frequently hears the frustration of those managing the tasks and roles assigned to these young adults, I’d like to help reposition and alter the perception of this generation in at lest one specific instance.

In case your did not know:

Millennials (the generation born between 1977 and 1995) represent the fastest growing demographic in the US and Canadian workforce since the Boomer (1946 – 1964) era;
There are no absolutes that truly represent the characteristics of any generation. Not all Millennials are arrogant and solely focused on becoming CEO on Day 2. Equally, not all Boomers are perfectionists and workaholics; and
Millennials or Gen Y’ers are likely the only generation in the current workforce that has no expectation of working for one employer for their entire career.

“Here’s a way to leverage the talents and passion of the Millennials in our workplace – reverse mentoring.”

Here’s a way to leverage the talents and passion of the Millennials in our workplace – reverse mentoring. This concept completely flips mentorship on its head. Instead of the classic, more senior person serving as a mentor to a younger or less experienced employee, look for opportunities for the younger members to give their version of a bottoms-up outlook and listen for the challenges and ideas that will help you and your organization be more relevant and agile.One example that comes to mind to illustrate a reverse mentorship is one of my past clients, a senior manager based in western Canada with a global IT company. This courageous leader included several Millennials in his 360 leadership development feedback profile. He also asked for additional feedback from these same individuals after his profile had been gathered. Moreover, this leader held regular sessions with his mentors to build on the input in order to have the desired positive impact on all his staff across western Canada as well as head office.

As this month’s INSIGHTS article highlights, creating the right conditions for a successful and productive reverse mentorship requires the more senior leader to be vulnerable, humble and committed to an ongoing, regular 2-way, non-defensive dialogue.

Imagine the possibilities of better understanding and adapting to meet and sustain the needs of a positive and productive workplace through reverse mentorship!

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