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I have spent the
last three years studying Generation X-- their
behavior, working styles, and the best ways to
retain and motivate them. This intense study of my
very own peers has equipped me to help managers to
much more effectively work with Generation X in
such areas as giving feedback, coaching
performance, holding employees accountable, and
dealing effectively with unacceptable performers.
Generation Xers
were shaped and molded by different times. These
times were largely "flexible" in every
area from the way they were parented to the attire
they were allowed to wear in school. Flexibility
is all they know and that's why you will likely
have "issues" with getting Xers to work
on time, getting them to come in early for a
mandatory staff meeting, or getting them to work
overtime. They are accustomed to being able to
"negotiate" everything and saying
"no" at will. When they are tardy or
absent, they are not usually being defiant, they
are simply responding to your rigid rules with an
assumed "right of flexibility" the way
they have all of their lives.
The flexibility
perspective of many Generation Xers will be
manifested, not only with attendance, but also
with attire, work ethic, and attitude. This week I
will discuss how to talk to a Generation Xer about
attendance concerns.
Am I suggesting that
you should put up with the Xers flexibility needs
and allow them to come and go as they please?
Absolutely not. You've got a business to run and
compliance with company policy is a reasonable
expectation. Here's how you address attendance
issues with the Generation Xer.
1. Establish
crystal clear expectations about attendance.
Saying "I need you here by 8:00am." may
not be effective. Instead, you'll want to say "Your
shift is from 8:00am - 5:00pm. This means I need
you here, clocked in, in your cube with your
computer booted up and ready to take calls by
8:00am. Walking in the building at 8:00am is not
acceptable."
2. Explain the
impact on incompliance on co- workers, customers,
and any other relevant parties.
You must get the point across to the Xer that her
or his actions go beyond simply being late or
tardy. The bigger picture consequences are much
more likely to motivate positive performance
change in your younger employee. Try this
approach, "When you return from lunch 15
minutes late, it throws the entire lunch schedule
off for your co-workers and results in even longer
hold times for our customers. As I'm sure can
imagine, this is frustrating for me, your
co-workers, and our customers."
3. Lay out the
consequences of failure to comply with the policy.
Sadly, establishing clear performance expectations
and explaining organizational impact, alone, will
not be enough to get your Xers to comply with
policy. You'll have to clearly relay the immediate
consequence of incompliance. An easy way to do
this is "I need someone who can and will
be here by 8:00am every morning. I hope that
person is you. If you can't do that, I will be
forced to take progressive action that may include
termination." I know it sounds harsh, but
you cannot afford to leave room for
misunderstandings.
Supervising
Generation Xers is not rocket-science and you can
learn to do with ease and effectiveness. For a
detailed live discussion on the working style,
challenges, and expectations of Generation X and
Generation X employees, tune into my live
enlightening and riveting 90-minute webinar on
Managing & Motivating Generation X Talent. We
feature both live broadcasts and webinar
recordings. Click
here for the full outline.
Generation Y
articles:
7
Questions about Generation Y with Myra Golden
Major
events shaping the values and work ethic of
Generation Y
Generation
Y: They've arrived with a new attitude
Generation
Y technology
Generation
Y gets involved
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