FUTURE SPECIAL ......................CHIP ESPINOZA

FUTURE SPECIAL CHIP ESPINOZA PUSHBACK COMETH...  CEO, GENNEXT CONSULTING AND AUTHOR, M A N A G I N G T H E M I L L E N N I A L S THE BIG IDEA: WHEN ONE GENERATION EXITS THE WORKFORCE AND ANOTHER ENTERS, WORK ATTITUDES CHANGE It is no great revelation that  Millennials are the future of work and will impact what it looks like over the next few decades. But before I make any bold prognostications, let’s take a look into the generational crystal ball I keep on my desk for when clients ask me things like, “Where can I find the right Millennials to hire?” or “How long will it take them to change into what we want?” Instead of gazing into the future, let’s begin by looking into the past. In particular, how have other generations shaped what we now call the history of work—that period of time they would have called the future? When you revisit the musings of those who first studied the ins and outs of work, it won’t take you long to get their message—human beings play the leading role when it comes to the subject of work. Therefore, topics like motivating, rewarding, training, and compensating continue to be the most important ings when it comes to work. The past tells us that work is dynamic because people and their needs change. One explanation of the change in work attitudes and values over time is what Norman Ryder refers to as demographic metabolism. It happens when one generation exits the workforce and another enters. I would argue that change is particularly dramatic when large age cohorts like the Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) are leaving the workforce and the Millennials (born between 1983-2001, aka GenY) are entering. The Baby Boomers have set the work agenda for the past few decades, and they are getting a huge spoonful of demographic metabolism from the Millennials (the largest generation in the working world). So what does the past have to do with predicting the future? Close your eyes and imagine you were in the meeting when someone first suggested this: Our workforce is important to what we produce, so shouldn’t we create a division that primarily works with the human relations side of our organization? We could make recruiting, training, compensation, and recognition its responsibilities. Let’s call it Human Resource Management. The pushback probably sounded like this: They are lucky to have a job. How much will it cost? By looking into the past, we can see that the future of work unfolds with the needs of the workforce. Let’s get back to the crystal ball. What do I see in the future of work? I think the next big ing in the future of work is the blending of work and play. Before you tell me to dust off my crystal ball, I am not talking about ping pong tables or volleyball courts on the corporate campus. That form of play is focused on things we do while physically at work. Play is important to attracting Millennials and is also reported to lower stress levels, increase motivation, improve concentration and raise productivity. The generation prior to the Baby Boomers worked to live. Literally. Their main motivation was to provide. Work is a huge part of their identity. GenX works to play. They seek work/life balance. One thing I would change in my book Managing the Millennials is that I no longer think that Millennials want to balance work and life—they want to blend work and life. Blending work and life means they want to play at work and don’t mind working while playing. Millennials want to access their personal lives during work hours and don’t mind having their personal lives interrupted when work calls. One major factor is technology. Technology has made every generation’s personal and work lives more accessible than ever. The difference is that Millennials expect to be able to use technology to both enhance their work and their personal lives. The other generations in the workforce see clear boundaries between work and play—Millennials don’t and they won’t. The Baby Boomers made Human Resources and Employee Assistance Programs mainstream. GenX has inspired the implementation of telecommuting and Casual Friday. Millennials will ultimately expand the work environment to wherever and whenever they want to do work. Since Millennials are not running the world yet, one thing we can do to pave the way for them is to recognize that they work differently. They are smart. They know there is no such thing as work/life balance. Rather than forcing them into the past, let’s find ways to embrace the fact that they want to blend work and life. How can we help them for the sake of the future of work? As I look into the crystal ball, I can already see the pushback. CD ET140103