Chip Espinoza: It was a natural progression for me to write about Mill...

As a professor, millennials intrigued me. I see them as engagement ready - plug-n-play if you will. They want to contribute in the classroom, the workplace and to society.

Chip Espinoza

intrigued classroom workplace

I think the best value to leaders is understanding the generations for the purpose of integrating a younger workforce and transferring knowledge from an experienced workforce. I also think smaller companies may not have the resources for management training or recruiting and therefore there is not a lot of margin for error.

Chip Espinoza

understanding leader thinking

Talent acquisition, knowledge transfer, generational diversity, and retention will continue to be serious concerns. I think the golden thread is equipping management to work with Millennials. Let's face it. We are going to see organizations needing to replace 40% to 60% of their workforce. Management has never been more important!

Chip Espinoza

diversity important thinking

It is important to understand that stereotypes and generalizations have an impact in both positive and negative ways. Of course not every person born between 1980 and 2000 is exactly the same as millenials. There are differences within generations. That being said, generations have a personality just as individuals do.

Chip Espinoza

important personality negative

Dignity is different from respect in that it is not based on how people perform, what they can do for us, or their likability. Dignity is a feeling of inherent value and worth.

Chip Espinoza

different feelings people

Sometimes we don't move forward because the people who love us the most unconsciously sabotage our efforts.

Chip Espinoza

effort people moving

We should always be learning or we will cease to be able to change or adapt. I think the best work on leadership today is by Ronald Heifetz. His work is focused on adaptive leadership.

Chip Espinoza

focused today thinking

I am concerned that Millennials are stressed out. They have a higher suicide rate than other generations at their same age. They have the highest diagnosis of depression at their age than other generations. I think we have raised a generation that does not know how to be sad. They are programmed for success and the threat of failure is devastating.

Chip Espinoza

stressed suicide thinking

Friedman suggests self-differentiation is about knowing where you end and others begin.

Chip Espinoza

Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones wrote a great piece in Harvard Business Review titled "Managing Authenticity." In it, they argue that establishing authenticity as a leader is a two-part challenge: "First, you have to ensure that your words are consistent with your deeds; otherwise, followers will never accept you as authentic. The second challenge of authentic leadership is finding common ground with the people you seek to recruit as followers.

Chip Espinoza

leader challenges people

Authenticity is not an innate quality - that is, you are not born with it. Being an authentic leader is not something you can say about yourself; it must be attributed to you.

Chip Espinoza

authenticity quality leader

Some believe that to be authentic, you have to present yourself the same way in every situation. At first thought, this notion seems reasonable, but when you really think about it - not so much. The way you interact with your boss is not the same way you need to interact with your family, peers, team members, or clients. It is not only okay to present yourself differently in various situations but crucial to being perceived as authentic.

Chip Espinoza

team believe thinking

Leadership transitions require us to move out of our comfort zone.

Chip Espinoza

comfort-zone comfort moving

People change, mature, and develop their values, attitudes, and preferences as a function of age. It is actually a strategy deployed by many organizations. The idea is that once Millennials grow up -get a mortgage, family- they will start acting like us and sharing our values. Personally, I would not make that bet. Even if it were to happen, Millennials are putting off seven or more years what other generations have done. Waiting for Millennials to "grow up" is risky when it comes to knowledge transfer, talent development, and competitive advantage.

Chip Espinoza

growing-up attitude people

Millennials want to find meaning in their work, and they want to make a difference. They want to be listened to. They want you to understand that they fuse life and work. They want to have a say about how they do their work. They want to be rewarded. They want to be recognized. They want a good relationship with their boss. They want to learn. But most of all, they want to succeed. They want to have fun!

Chip Espinoza

boss good-relationship fun

The desire to please your boss is a good thing, but it could mutate into a weakness. One of the first challenges of getting promoted into management is negotiating the tension between the desire to please the person who promoted you while still remaining true to yourself. The tension is normal, and the fact that you feel it is probably indicative of why you were promoted.

Chip Espinoza

boss challenges desire

We must treat others as if they matter, as if they are worthy of care and attention.

Chip Espinoza

worthy care attention

In general, workers under 35 highly value Millennials' ability to relate, be helpful, be open-minded, and be understanding. Employees over 35 appreciated their energy, enthusiasm, open-mindedness, fresh perspective, and understanding of new technologies. It is interesting, in my early research, Millennials entering the workforce reported advantages they claimed to have in the workplace. The advantages turn out to be strengths that are recognized in them as managers.

Chip Espinoza

perspective technology interesting

Millennials are an easy group to identify in terms of their appearance and are therefore highly subject to being stereotyped. When a negative stereotype about a group is relevant to performance on a specific task, it is referred to as "stereotype threat." Individuals who are highly identified with a particular group may experience increased susceptibility to stereotype threat.Understanding perceptions and why they may exist helps to explain and demystify tension and conflict that surfaces as a result of generational discord.

Chip Espinoza

understanding perception negative

Millennials are first and foremost problem solvers. They are optimistic. They are well educated. They are creative. They are open to change. They are learners. They are technologically savvy. They are open-minded. They are imaginative. They think third-way. They want to achieve. They want to contribute. They are flexible. They are achievement oriented.

Chip Espinoza

optimistic achievement thinking

It was a natural progression for me to write about Millenials transitioning into management but I found myself getting emotional as I wrote. I really do want to repay them for all they have given me. What better way than to help them transition to the next level of their career!