millennials-manage-millennials

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Congratulations: you’ve landed an impressive leadership role. You’re qualified to run the team, but if you’re lacking experience you may need a tip or two. As a millennial, it can be difficult to get the respect you deserve — especially if you have to manage fellow millennials. To succeed in a leadership position where you have to lead your peers, take note of these tactics:

Balancing Boundaries

As a millennial managing millennials, one of your trickier challenges is to balance your boundaries. Being too cozy with your subordinates leads to conflict – complaints about preferential treatment, slacking off, and not being taken seriously. Maintain your boundaries by clarifying what workplace behavior is acceptable. Joining your team at a happy hour can be a great team builder, but finding a team member looking through your desk is not. It’s important to maintain some distance to avoid turning into a doormat boss. Stay loose and communicative, but don’t let your workers take advantage of you.

Stay Tuned

Being in the loop is key to effective leadership. But as a millennial, you don’t want to seem nosy. One way to stay informed without hovering is to make sure there’s a solid communication method in place. Ask your team how they prefer to communicate and make sure the chain of command is clear. Specific rules regarding process and procedure will help you stay apprised, without seeming bossy or overbearing. It’s essential to stay calm in any situation, especially when you’ve been put in charge of your peers. Maintaining control on any situation will help you be more effective as you oversee your team.

Show Respect

One quality stellar leaders have is that they know when to step back. It’s easy for someone to make demands, but a professional knows when to listen and evaluate your staff’s great ideas. You want to add value, but you don’t want to butt in. To show you respect your staff members, it’s crucial to practice active listening. If an employee is sharing an idea or a story, pay attention and paraphrase what they’ve said back to them. Reinterpreting their words will show you understand their point, which can be especially helpful during more sensitive conversations.

Shared Values

Think about your traits that you can use to your advantage when it comes to helping the team stay productive. You want to help your people grow and encourage them to shine. As a millennial, you have better insights into how millennials tick. You know the values millennials want, so use this knowledge motivate your team. Emphasize work-life balance where you can, and think about performance incentives that will appeal to this specific age bracket for the best results.

Work With a Top Staffing Agency in Chicago

If you’re looking for more ways to develop your leadership abilities, check out the resources from the professionals at Davis Staffing. As a top Chicago staffing agency, they know what it takes to stand out and lead a productive team. Contact us today to learn more about effectively leading your team of millennials.

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