Managers looking for the exceptions in the young talent pool—those young employees who seem to manifest a more traditional approach to work and already know how to be managed—will be left frustrated and disappointed. It’s a mistake to assume that today’s young employees will eventually take on the old-fashioned attitudes and behavior that older generations exhibit. Leaders and managers simply cannot ignore the impact of today’s short-term transactional approach to work.
But it is also a mistake to approach these matters of fit as set in stone. Employees on the younger end of the spectrum are inevitably less experienced. Setting clear ground rules and expectations for effectively working together isn’t out of line. Often, it’s the leaders who take this for granted who experience the most surprises when it comes to employees who seemed like a great fit in the interview, but now aren’t working out so well.
Professionalism is something managers can actually teach and successfully coach. If a young employee has all the right skills and attitude, a good manager can make a huge difference in their career trajectory. These are three things to keep in mind to successfully establish ground rules of professionalism.
Set Clear Ground Rules Up Front
The most frequently cited complaints about young employees are about unspoken expectations of behavior in the workplace. So, speak them! Gen Zers are accustomed to frequent feedback and incoming information. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings or making things awkward—just be straightforward about the behavior you’d like to see at work and why it matters.
Most young people today will also appreciate it if you just get to the point. Being open with team members will help you keep much better tabs on their attitude, behavior, shifting loyalties, and commitments in and out of the workplace. But don’t become mired in personal minefields and keep it about the work.
Set Ground Rules on the Intangibles
Yes, employees are people and managers must be sensitive to the human dimensions, but you cannot try to be their best friend or therapist and you cannot let their work be the victim of their personal issues.
Maybe there are corporate policies in place already. But often there are no concrete policies to regulate important intangibles like attitude, tone of voice, and other subtleties of professionalism in the workplace. You may need to figure out these ground rules on your own. Then lay out your ground rules in no uncertain terms, and make it clear they are deal breakers for you: you can’t work with someone who doesn’t follow these ground rules.
Set Ground Rules That Matter
But an important word of caution: Don’t set too many ground rules or they will lose meaning. Don’t set ground rules just because they are your pet peeves, or they will have no legitimacy. Be honest and rigorous with yourself. What is the business logic behind each ground rule? What do you lose or risk losing as a result of this ground rule? What do you gain? Is it worth it?
Ground rules will be your fundamental performance requirements, so take some time to brainstorm about the broad standards that really matter. The more you spell out clear ground rules up front, the better things will go. Make your ground rules clear. They will serve as an easy point of reference whenever you want to remind an employee about the expectations of professionalism in their job.
Remember also that most of today’s young workers have grown up highly scheduled. One of the most effective ways to help your young employees work better with you is to schedule regular discussions about their work. At first, err on the side of meeting more frequently than you think you have to.
Making a plan to meet one-on-one at a regular time and place is a huge commitment for both of you. It is a powerful statement that you care enough to spend time setting this person up for success. When you follow through and spend that time, you are creating a constant feedback loop for ongoing short-term goal setting, performance evaluation, coaching, troubleshooting, and regular course correction. It’s a lot of pressure on both of you. But it’s good pressure.
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