Home Career Center Leaders 2015 September

Are Millennials Leadership Ready?

63% of Millennials have obtained a college degree but are they ready to lead at work? When surveyed, 30% or Millennials felt they weren’t prepared to handle difficult employees, build relationships, motivate others, and conflict resolution that occur in the workforce.  This is according to a new report about Millennial work readiness in the academics industry. As an organization or leader, there are several ways you can address this issue.  Consider the following:

  1. Use mentoring to reinforce soft skills needed on the job
  2. Consider lateral promotions when upward mobility is not an option
  3. Explain how a Millennial’s role connects to the bigger picture
  4. Coach continually and in the moment
  5. Create project-based roles opposed to hierarchical roles
  6. Provide formal and informal learning opportunities to learn soft skills

Learn more on how you can prepare Millennials to grow and meet leadership demands.

3 Strategies to Get to The Next Level

Focus on the Right Targets
If you want to get on the fast track to career promotion, you have to look for opportunities to shine and make a difference.  Avoid focusing on opportunities to shine that are not relevant to the organization.  Your goal should be to align whatever you do to the company goals and solve a problem. If you don’t know if you are aligned, start by reading the company’s annual report.  You are bound to find a few company strategic initiatives that are listed there.  Use this knowledge to have a meaningful discussion with your manager.  Confirm your findings and discuss how you can better help the company succeed with any of the initiatives. 

Be Transparent About What You Want
Don’t assume your manager knows what you want to do with your career future.  Let your manager know that you want to take your role to the next level.  Suggest ways that you believe that can be accomplished.  Ask for their input on what next level success looks like for your role.  Agree on next steps on how you can get there.     

Stay Connected
You never want to be disconnected in terms of knowledge and the inner dynamics of an organization.  Connect with colleagues across functions and in different levels of the organization.  Take the time to invite someone for a cup of tea, chat for a moment at someone’s cube, and be consistent with maintaining that relationship.  Who you know can give you the extra leverage, information, or exposure you need to get to where you need to be.

DARE Leadership Challenge

Studies show that many leaders who fail do not fail because they can’t get the work out.  They fail because they damage people in the process and fail to keep their minds fresh.  Don’t let this happen to you. Stay fit and sharp for the role you are in and deliver a remarkable experience (D.A.R.E.) and dare to implement leadership moves that have ultimate impact. As you participate in this leadership challenge experience, select one or several suggested actions weekly and transform yourself and your team for good.

Leave your comments below and keep the rest of the challengers informed of your successes, your challenges, and any feedback.  Everyone in the community can learn from one another and push towards greater success in their personal and professional lives.  If you want to send a private comment, go the Contact Us page and send us a private update.

Best wishes on staying committed to the challenge!