Leaders tell me that managing employees effectively seems to be harder today than in the past. Maybe it’s the fact that there are 4 generations working side by side - for the record: Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (54-72 years old) Generation X: Born 1965-1980 (38-53 years old) Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (22-37 years old) Post-Millennials: Born 1997-Present (0-21 years old). Or maybe it’s the notion that Millennials are especially hard to manage (or understand): this seems to be the crux of these perceived difficulties as they’re numbers continue to grow in the workplace. But, hold on: good leaders have always understood that communicating effectively means knowing and understanding what and how to say things to any and every one. They are attentive, listen well, say what they mean and mean what they say, keep their promises, always give appropriate feedback (good and bad), coach and mentor as needed, and never shy away from giving straight answers. One of my old bosses used to say that “the difference between good managers and bad is the ability to communicate”: employees naturally like and are loyal to the good ones. Just because you’ve been managed by poor communicators doesn’t mean you should follow that pattern: break the mold and be an effective communicator today.
Carly Simon (b. 1945): American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author
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