Just over three years ago, I was promoted and had my first millennial follower who earned was just under five years in the workforce and had a Master’s degree related to the industry we are in. I met Paul when we both worked for different companies and had met in a conference setting which his company was hosting. As we sat down and started discussing our current situations, it became clear that Paul reminded me of me at his age. He showed passion for his work and was very opinionated on topics that we discussed. I recommended him for the role in our organization that I now managed, thinking he would be a great fit.
Flash forward three years and while he has the same opinions and passion for the work, Paul can’t seem to understand what he wants to do with his future and we have regular discussions around his constantly changing hopes in dreams. Recently, he applied for a leadership role and asked me for my opinion. This is where the five-factor model of personality comes to play. The five factors are defined as Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion (Northouse, 2016). Paul is a hard-working dependable person that tends to overthink expectations in the work that he does. This leads to indecision in his actions without validation. While he is agreeable in general, his fuse is short and he takes comments the wrong way. His need for constant feedback makes him difficult to manage. The biggest factor for Paul is his emotional stability or neuroticism. This is the main area that he must overcome to become a successful leader and where my focus has been. He is very open to new experiences and has a mostly extravert personality, though sometimes exhibits times of social awkwardness which can be explained by youth an experience.
Paul is a new experience for me to lead and coach. I must be careful in my words to make sure he stays focused and motivated. His emotional stability is something that others can see and feel when dealing with them, so I often must intervene in situations so that everyone stays on the right path. In a NY post article Karol Markowicz mentions “The endless choices millennials face has also proven paralyzing. They’re the constantly-swiping-right generation. It’s always on to the next thing” (2016). While we have had many discussions about the way he thinks and feels, it is difficult to provide the real feedback he needs.
In my discussion on choosing a management and leadership path, I remain optimistic for Paul and suggest that he let more time pass and get the experience that comes with age. We talk about the high impact work experiences he gets now and to build upon those as we both look for the right opportunity for him in the future. The silver lining to this story is that it has allowed me to understand the mind of a younger generation and take a different approach to how we as leaders interact with our followers
References
Northouse, Peter G.. Leadership: Theory and Practice (Page 27). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
Markowicz, K. (2016, March 21). ‘They can’t even’: Why millennials are the ‘anxious generation’. Retrieved Sep 23, 2017, from http://nypost.com/2016/03/20/they-cant-even-why-millennials-are-the-anxious-generation/
Jason Raymond Johnson says
Reference
Northouse, Peter. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 7th Edition. Sage Productions, Inc. Thousand Oaks, CA.
Jason Raymond Johnson says
It looks like when you first met Paul, he reminded you when you were first starting out. I also see that a lot in my line of work. I’ve been with my company for 17 years now, and it would be very fair to say that I have lot more experience compared to many people I interact with. Like you did with Paul, I also meet young new employees who are eager to take on new tasks, and who show a lot of passion to move up the corporate ladder. I have found myself developing a mentorship with those employees, and I find myself becoming someone who helps guide others in learning the ins and outs of the business.
You mentioned that Paul is “constantly changing his hopes and dreams.” I’m finding this more and more with younger employees these days. Millennials are not as patient as their predecessors. You can’t really blame them though, after all, we’re turning into a convenient – I want it now, type of society. Many employees get frustrated quickly because things aren’t working out according to their timeline, so they start looking for new jobs.
Judging by the five-factor model, I would include Paul in the section of neuroticism. It seems like Paul is anxious, insecure, vulnerable at times, and is a little hostile (Northouse, 2016), especially when he doesn’t feel as though he’s received adequate feedback. He seems to be a cross from a D3-D4 on the developmental levels of subordinates.
I’m glad to see that you’re taking a positive approach to this with your silver lining. Some people I talk with seem to take an alternative approach, instead of trying to build camaraderie, and good working relationships.
Good luck with everything, and tell Paul good luck too!
Omar Nogueras says
Thank you for sharing your post. It is refreshing to hear that you are not simply labeling Paul as a “typical millennial” and making a conscious effort to both understand him by using the five-factor model of personality, but also guiding him to become a successful leader in the future. I believe that leadership can be inborn but also developed and that with awareness Paul can continue to develop the traits to improve himself. I do not necessarily believe that this is just a generations issue, but a personality and lack of skill set that have held him back. I encourage you to continue to help him and develop his skill while you gain invaluable knowledge on how to be a stronger leader as well.
Thank you again for your post!
Stephanie R Subedi says
This was an interesting reading. I just returned to the workforce after about a 7 year gap. I work with a lot of millennials, when I work with them it does feel like a duckling that still needs guidance. After reading your post I have to agree that neuroticism may be the leading factor. Some of the employees I work with need constant reassurance and guidance, they propose ideas that have no clear conclusive plan. It does waste a lot time in an ever change environment. They hold no accountability, so in my case it is very hard to depend on them to make sound choices. It definitely feels like daycare. Things have definitely changed in the last 7 years.