Meagan Johnson - Generational Speaker

Solve Your Challenges and Bridge the Gap between Generations at Your Multigenerational Workforce

Generational Employee Engagement

Transparency in Leadership – Have You Failed To Be Transparent?

Have You Failed To Be Transparent and you can’t see where you are going? In today’s day and age, transparency in leadership is a MUST! Transparency in any business…

Recently my husband and I went to one of our favorite neighborhood bistros. One of the primary reasons my husband & I choose this particular place over all the others in the vicinity is the terrific staff. The majority of the employees are under thirty years old (The New Millennium Generation).

transparency in leadership
Photo by Serge Esteve on Unsplash

There are countless articles expounding on the New Millennium Generation’s tendency to job-hop. I personally have received a slew of emails from audience members complaining about the challenge they are having keeping young people beyond six months to a year. According to Millennial Branding and Beyond.com, 30% of the companies they surveyed lost 15% of their New Millennium employees within a year. The restaurant industry, transitory in nature is bedeviled with one of the highest turnover rates in the US Labor force, greater than 60%.[i]

However, statistics and bellyaching emails aside, the New Millennium Generation employees that work at my neighborhood bistro do not seem to job hop. (We have been customers for several years.) My husband & I see many of the same familiar faces on each visit.  The majority of the staff from the bartenders to the servers learned our names within our first few visits or if they do not know our names give us a friendly hello and consistently tell us “Welcome back.”

One bartender went out of her way to learn from a fellow bartender just how I liked my margarita prepared. The staff projects an infectious level of enthusiasm, they are happy to tweak your order to your liking and are good at striking the right balance of friendly chit-chat and knowing when to leave you alone to enjoy your meal. In summary, the staff seem to like their jobs and feel a sense of pride in the product and place they are serving. Their attitude and expertise make the restaurant the perfect neighborhood spot.

Last week my husband entered the restaurant and the first thing the bartender said to my husband was “Meagan is not going to be happy.” The reason for my impending unhappiness was my favorite item had been taken off the menu… forever.

The restaurant had been sold a month earlier and the new owners had decided to implement a new menu. Not just a few small changes but an entirely new menu with a different culinary theme and higher prices. I understand these things happen, what was most disturbing was the way the changes were dumped on the staff. The staff had not been forewarned about the menu changes and in some cases had been left completely in the dark.  The lead bartender found out about the metamorphosis the close of business the night before and several servers told me they were informed when they arrived for their shift that afternoon.

I felt bad for the servers, listening as they explained to irritated customers why customer’s favorite menu items were no longer available.

I overheard one particularly chuffed customer (he was a New Millennium) argue with the hostess that the item he wanted to order was still posted on social media. He even showed her the post. The hostess obviously had not been given much instruction on how to handle disappointed customers and all she could tell him was, “We have a lot of new and really good items on the menu.” The customer left.

The servers were further hamstrung by the fact they had not had a chance to learn or taste the new menu. Since the restaurant had embraced an entirely new concept the ingredients were not only new but unfamiliar to some members of the staff.

One of my favorite young employees told me, “I do not know how to pronounce half of the new items on the menu much less describe the intricacies of the dish. I just wish we had been given an explanation of the more complex dishes and sampled some of the new items. I hate feeling like I do not know what I am talking about to my customers.”

It was disheartening as a patron to watch what had once been a place that was an enjoyable experience, a fluid working machine, come to a grinding halt because management did not keep their staff in the loop regarding the impending changes.

I am not a restaurant insider, maybe the new owners had legitimate reasons for not keeping their staff educated and informed. I do think they made a crucial misstep with their New Millennium employees. Management failed to be Transparent.

“By giving people the power to share, we’re making the world more transparent.”[ii] Mark Zuckerberg

It is a challenge to read or hear anything about the New Millennium Generation without hearing about the importance Transparency plays when hiring, connecting or marketing to this younger generation. The challenge many of us have is defining what transparency really means to the NM generation and how does it manifest itself in the workplace?

Transparency is not, as I first believed, uber honesty. I imagined being a transparent employer would require us to throw all social niceties out the window and be as blunt as possible about our co-worker’s failings, fashion choices and spouse/life-partner selections. Turns out, transparency is not an excuse to be rude but an approach to management that asks employers to treat their employees like partners.

Dictionary.com defines transparent as; easily seen through, open, frank and candid.[iii]

Hannah Keunn, (New Millennium Generation) an admin specialist, the definition of transparency distinguishes the difference of being through, open and candid versus using transparency to forward one’s agenda.

“To me transparency in an employer means they are completely honest with me about my performance at work. I had a supervisor in the past use ‘transparency’ as an excuse to gossip. The verbal exchange left me feeling very uncomfortable and responsible for keeping information a secret. This eventually led to the breakdown of our professional relationship.

My current supervisor is a transparent leader. She gives me pertinent information when it impacts my job or will change the way I conduct business. She does not gossip, she is straight forward with me about my job performance and she will give me guidance when I need it.”

Hannah Kuenn

Administrative Specialist II for Coconino County Adult Probation

Where does the New Millennium Generation’s clamor for Transparency come from?

Social Media has transformed the desire for honesty into a necessity for transparency. It is no surprise The NM Generation uses personal technology and social media to interact and gather information in larger numbers than older generations. According to Personal News Cycle greater than 90% of the NM Generation possess smart phones, 50% own tablets, and more than 80% get their news from online sources.[iv] When compared to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, the NM Generation according to eMarketer, has the largest Social Media presence and the NM Generation are the highest Twitter users. Greater then 50% of  “tweeters” are the NM Generation.[v]

Being private (different than privacy settings) or secretive are not qualities that are highly regarded in the Social Media arena. The NM Generation not only demands but also expects people to “show their cards.”  This has been fostered by their unprecedented access to information. The NM Generation can read a customer review about a restaurant, visit youtube.com to learn about a company, and most importantly see current events captured on the “average Joe’s” smartphone.

Never before in history has it been more difficult for an organization to sugar coat reality or hide the truth long-term from their customers. Transparency is not just about being clear it is about being unvarnished, raw and real.

The NM Generation expects the same kind of transparency forms their employers. A study by LifeWay Research reported that transparency was one of the top four attributes the NM Generation looked for in a leader.[vi] Moving forward leaders may have to take some uncomfortable steps to become more transparent if they want to inspire loyalty and engagement from their NM employees and co-workers.

Jackson Reed (New Millennium) a Performance Specialist had this to say about the importance of transparency and what his employer does to demonstrate transparency.

“Transparency in an employer means that the employee is informed of all things that pertain to the company in which he/she works for or that pertains to the employee. Basically, there is no information that is withheld from either party so that everyone is on the same page.

My current employer, EXOS, does a great job at being transparent with me. My manager exhibits openness with all information about my position/responsibilities as well as what is happening in the company. He includes me in strategic planning and asks for my opinion and listens to my suggestions.”

Jackson Reed

EXOS

Performance Specialist

The first step to being a transparent leader is having a presence online. Just like finding information about restaurants, current event and entertainment online the NM Generation expects to find online information about the leaders of the companies they work for and the people they work with.

As a multi generational leader or mentor use your online presence to blog about your views on business, culture or upcoming corporate changes. The information you put forth allows the NM Generation to learn more about you, who you are and what type of leader or mentor you will be.

Pat Flynn is the creator of several business and websites but he is best known for developing SmartPassiveIncome.com. A website and podcast targeted to people wanting to start their own online businesses. Pat is known as the “transparent leader in the space of online business education.”[vii]  In his blog he shares how much money he makes from products and discusses his own business successes and failures.[viii]

Pat uses Social Media as an open forum so customer and employees alike can communicate with him and have a clear understanding about him and what he represents.

A transparent employer also keeps employees abreast of major happenings in the organizations. Being upfront about imminent changes is an essential piece of being transparent. The more the NM Generation knows about what is happening at their place of employment the greater engagement they will feel with their job.

Account Executive, Melissa Robichaud
(New Millennium) describes transparency as a two-way street and the negative side effects when an employer is being perceived as non-transparent.

“Transparency in an employer is extremely important. In order for employees to do their job, there must be a sense of openness and understanding that comes from both sides.

Frequently management will know about a major change before the employees. It is management’s responsibility to prepare their employees for the upcoming changes.

At my last place of employment, my manager was fired immediately after we returned from our annual conference. Upper management had been, unknown to my current manager, preparing another employee for months to assume the role of my manager.

I feel the entire firing process was handled in an unprofessional, non-transparent manner. It became obvious after the fact that all upper management, VP’s and the President knew what was going on for months, all I could think was ‘what are they not telling me about my performance?’

If you want loyalty from your employees then you owe loyalty to them and being transparent is key in loyalty.”

Melissa Robichaud

Account Executive

JTG

In the case of my favorite tavern, I learned the new owners had informed the staff there would be changes implemented slowly throughout the following weeks. So technically they were honest but they were not transparent.

If the restaurant could go back in time and they wanted to take steps to make the change more than honest but transparent they would have shown the new menus to the staff in advance, asked their opinion and explained how the new concept was going to work moving forward.

By posting the new menu online they could have avoided unnecessary conflict with customers about the availability of menu items. They could have offered training and assistance to help employees deal with disappointed customers.

By not being transparent they alienated and risked losing their talented and engaged NM employees. Unfortunately, I had to find a new place to go to, not because I did not like the menu but because the restaurant had to close for a week because there had been a staff walk out.

Beware the employer, corporation or manufacturer that tries to bluff their way through transparency, the NM Generation will find out and take their loyalty and connections elsewhere.

[i] Ellie Mirman, How to Battle Restaurant Staff Turnover, http://blog.toasttab.com/how-to-battle-restaurant-staff-turnover, 2/5/15
[ii] http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_zuckerberg.html
[iii] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transparent?s=t
[iv] American Press Institute, How Millennials Get News: Inside the habits of America’s first digital generation, https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/millennials-news/, 03/16/15
[v] How Digital Behavior Differs Among Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers

Examining mobile, social and digital video activity among boomers, Gen X and millennials, http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Digital-Behavior-Differs-Among-Millennials-Gen-Xers-Boomers/1009748, March 21, 2013
[vi] Dan Schawbel, Millennials vs. Baby Boomers: Who Would You Rather Hire?, http://business.time.com/2012/03/29/millennials-vs-baby-boomers-who-would-you-rather-hire/, March 29, 2012
[vii] Laura Shin, How Pat Flynn Made His First $3 Million In Passive Income, http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/09/12/how-pat-flynn-made-his-first-3-million-in-passive-income/#7d6300de1af4, 9/12/14
[viii] John Hal, 10 Leaders Who Aren’t Afraid To Be Transparent, http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2012/08/27/10-leaders-who-arent-afraid-to-be-transparent/#2ad7a0857d0e, 8/27/12

Top 3 Things Generation Y Dislike About Working at Your Medical Practice

Go Ahead and Fire Me! I am sure there are things Generation Y dislike in life as well, but the top 3 things Generation Y dislike about working at your medical practice are pretty clear to me…

The face of healthcare is changing.

From healthcare reform to patient-focused care, the experiences patients have at a medical facility are drastically different than what Baby Boomers saw on Marcus Welby M.D., Gen Xers watched on E.R. or Gen Yers Tivoed on Grey’s Anatomy.

Top 3 things Generation Y dislike about working at your medical practice
Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash

Generation Y is the 70 million people that will not only be assisting with the transformation of healthcare but leading the charge when it comes to new technologies, cost savings, medical equipment innovations, life-saving drugs and quality patient care. They are the new group of doctors, nurses, medical salespeople, volunteer coordinators, Administrative Assistants, CNA’s and healthcare professionals that are entering the healthcare field in record numbers. According to Health Affairs Report over the past twelve years, the number of nurses under the age of 30 entering the workplace has increased over sixty percent, and it is predicted that Generation Y will comprise over 70% of the entire workforce by the year 2025.

As healthcare continues to be a recession resistant field, it will attract Generation Y talent. However, as patients become more sensitive to personalized care, their concerns for privacy issues magnify and they demand to be kept more informed about their healthcare and healthcare choices. There will be a surge of pressure on medical facilities to not only hire the brightest Gen Yers but also to engage them, keep them motivated and keep them enthusiastic about their jobs.

Here are the Top 3 Things Generation Y Dislike

…About Working at Your Medical Practice and What You Can Do About It:

1. You Do Not Trust Me

Generation Y has not only grown up with technology, they are the in-house experts. We ask them their advice when it comes to smart phones, tablets, and computers. Gen Yers are the first people we call in the office when the printer is down, when email isn’t working or when the computer is not behaving. We have also relied on them to hold our hand as we ride the social media wave.

Ironically, we do not understand or are frustrated by Generation Y’s dependency on technology. We scoff at all their texting and complain when they take their cell phones to bed with them. We want Generation Y’s expertise when it comes to technology but we do not want their passion for technology to interfere with our lives. Our reaction to this is to forbid the use of anything technological outside of our understanding.

I recently spoke to a group of Optometrists. Following my presentation, an optometrist told me “I have solved the problem of my younger staff using technology to do anything that does not pertain to the practice. We blocked Facebook at our office and I am looking for a way to block Twitter too.”

This doctor may have found a short-term solution but she also found herself a new problem. When medical practices create blanket policies that forbid Generation Y’s use of technology, the translation in the Gen Yer’s mind is you do not trust them. No Facebook, No Texting, No Twitter translation = No Smiling, No Engagement, and No Trust. Next, we will be asking Generation Y to raise their hand before going to the bathroom!

We trust Gen Y with the care of the patients, trust them to handle sensitive information and trust them to administer the funds in the office, but we can’t trust them to self-monitor their technology activities. This is a disconnect for Generation Y. Forbidding the use of Social Media and cell phones is like forbidding the use of the land-line-telephone because someone made a personal call.

What can you do?

Make your expectations clear. Generation Y will not have a problem following office rules if they make sense and are consistent.

These are some examples of rules pertaining to the use of technology and social media in the office,
Determine where it is acceptable to use technology for personal use. It may be the break-room, the corridor or anywhere as long as not in view of the patients.

If possible eliminate scheduled break times. Allow Gen Y to schedule their own breaks when they need them with other members of the office staff. This gives Gen Y flexibility to socialize via technology when they want to (during their breaks) and communicates to them you trust their judgment.
Be clear that while accessing and checking your phone and texting friends is ok, the employee will be held to the same standards as everyone else and their work must be of high-quality and completed on time.
Patient privacy is a paramount concern. Unless you are given permission, no posting photos of patients or co-workers.

Do not publish or comment about other doctors or practices.
If you are using your phone/tablet for professional reasons in front of a patient, explain to them what you are doing and how the technology pertains to your job.

2. You Do Not Respect My Experience

Shea (Generation Y) is a Coding Manager for a Group Health Cooperative.

“I started out as an intern, was hired as a coder and a year later was promoted to supervisor. I went from being a student, to a peer, to a manager in less than two years. I heard comments like ‘I did not have enough experience’ to more offensive remarks like, ‘people had underwear older than me.’ I was promoted because I have a Masters Degree and I am a good coder. I am fast, accurate and I understand the role of coding and the impact coding has on the organization.”

We want Generation Y to pay their dues like we did when we were their age. One of the biggest generational mistakes we make is assuming the younger generation will behave the same way WE did at that age. The digital revolution has birthed a new way for healthcare professionals to work and get their jobs done. From electronic health records to online scheduling to texting appointment reminders people are using technology to work faster and smarter. Generation Y in many cases knows more than we do about this science and have a natural affinity to work with technology. (Many Gen Yers have college degrees in specific technologies.) These star performers are valuable commodities to the practice and they will rise in the ranks even if they do not have the years of experience. Their technical know-how makes them qualified candidates for that promotion.

A smart Gen Y manager will ask for advice from her more seasoned team members and respect what they have accomplished while she was still in school. An even smarter Gen Y supervisor will give her mature staff members credit for their ideas and will continue to invest in her veteran employees.

However, if you find yourself on the other side of the coin, being managed by a Gen Yer here is what you can do to show respect for the Gen Yer’s experience;

Keep current with technology. You do not have to know everything that is trending on Twitter but you need to know what your peers and competitors are using and how they are using it.

Gen Y bosses often come with new ideas. Rather than throwing up roadblocks, meet with your younger manager and discuss ways to work more effectively.

Example: Do you expect to meet face-to-face daily to discuss decisions or are both of you comfortable with meeting once a week?

What motivates your Gen Y boss is different than what motivates you. Since your Gen Y boss is younger, he is at a different stage in his career. Chances are, he is looking for advancement and an upwardly mobile career path. If you have been working in your career for some time, you may be motivated by contributing to the team or to a sense of security. Look for ways to help your Gen Y boss achieve the level of success for which he is looking.

Avoid diminutive statements about the Gen Yer’s young age. It may seem like you are looking into the face of one of your grandkids but comments like “I have underwear older than you,” not only makes the speaker sound out of touch but can put the Gen Yer on the defensive.

Stop talking about the “Good Old Days.” As stated earlier a good Gen Y manager will ask the opinions of her seasoned employees but there will come a time to make a change. If you are still waxing on about how good the practice was before the buy-out, when it was just you and a few physicians, you will be perceived as a roadblock. Express what has worked in the past and look for ways you can help with transitions.

3. You Do Not Acknowledge My Work

Generation Y does NOT expect a trophy for just showing up to work. Gen Y does seek affirmation following a job is done correctly or a job well done with greater frequency than people from older generations. Generation Y has grown up in a culture in which you had to wait for little; information was instantly available via the internet, products could be delivered overnight and pictures could be viewed immediately on their Smartphone.

It only makes sense that Generation Y expects acknowledgment and feedback straight away, particularly when Gen Yers feel they have gone above and beyond normal day-to-day activities.

Kristofer (Generation Y) is the Supervisor of Registration for a large hospital.

“The patient registration system is internet based. Last week the entire system went down for ten hours, we had to admit patients, take notes, update information, everything had to be done by hand on paper.  At 1:00am the system was finally back up. I returned to the hospital at 1:00am and with my team, we entered all the handwritten information, over 1000 patients, into the computer. Meanwhile, I still had several meetings with my supervisor concerning the typical day-to-day activities. I was terrified I was not going to get home for at least one hour of sleep before returning to the hospital.”

“There was nothing the hospital could have done during the crisis, it just was what it was. Once the catastrophe was over, and everything was operational, our team was awarded the GOOD CATCH award. It is a statue of a catcher’s glove; the statue stays in your department for a week. There is a high level of pride to be awarded the GOOD CATCH and since I had been there for only a month it was an exceptional honor to receive such acknowledgement!”

People from all generations like to be rewarded and praised for a job well done; this is especially true for Generation Y.

Here Are 6 Things You Can Do

…to give Gen Yers the recognition they deserve:

  • Recognition should be given when deserved but it should be given often. If it has been longer than 7 days it is time to recognize your Gen Yers. Do not wait for the annual review to praise the Gen Yer. Generation Y finds annual reviews outdated and archaic. When yesterday’s news is old news, their performance over nine months ago is prehistoric!
  • Show enthusiasm and support for their contribution.Hannah (Gen Yer) is a Fund Development Specialist for a long-term care facility.“Fundraising is my job, it is an honor making a difference at the end of someone’s life. It is frustrating when the other staff members, nurses and orderlies show no interest and do not participate in the smallest activities. The funds I help raise contribute to a better quality of life for our residents and nicer facilities for us all to work.”In a study by Towers Watson, it was reported almost 80% of people indicate that “lack of appreciation” was a contributing factor for leaving their jobs.
  • Make it public. Unless you know the Gen Yer shies away from public appreciation, let everyone know. (Do not assume that because you would not like to be recognized in public other people feel the same.)An allergy specialist created a board in the waiting room called YOU CAUGHT ME! Attached to the board are a stack of sticky notes and a pen. Patients can write down the employees name with a comment and post it on the board.“We felt comment cards were too confidential, with the CAUGHT ME board everyone can read the compliment.”
  • Create rewards that increase engagement.When someone does something worthy of a little “extra” we often give consumables like gift cards, cash or food. These are wonderful bumps in someone’s day but once the receiver uses it the good feelings tend to dissipate.Landshark’s, a clothing store in Michigan treats the employee that demonstrates exceptional customer service to dinner at the restaurant of his or her choice. During dinner, the employee must come up with at least one idea to help improve the store and present the idea at the staff meeting.
  • It is your job! Acknowledgment is everyone’s responsibility. It does not matter if you are in management or working peer-to-peer feedback goes further when expressed openly.Throughout the years Generation Y has gotten a bad rap. We call them spoiled, lazy and unappreciative. There may be a few that are just that, but they are also imaginative, enthusiastic and our future. Generation Y wants to make a difference in healthcare. According to the Kelly Global Workforce
  • Index: Over 50% of Generation Y will take less money or a diminutive title if their work is relevant or serves a greater good.Generation Y will not be able to spark the changes necessary in healthcare unless we listen to what they have to say and give them room at the (exam) table.