In this article, =mc Director Yvette Gyles reviews what has been said on the topic, dispels some assumptions and looks at what this might mean for leaders across the not-for-proft sectors.
As a trainer, I meet lots and lots of people every single day. On our courses, groups are diverse in many ways. I meet and work with participants of all ages. So, I’m a millennial, I train millennials, Gen Z’s and boomers, and I train and coach their managers too (who may or may not be Gen Z, millennials or boomers themselves). But what do all these odd labels mean?
How old do you have to be to be a millennial manager? Is it likely that you grew up listening to A-ha and Wham, the Spice Girls and Oasis, or Beyonce and the Killers? The answer, it would seem, is any of the above. From the White House to the CIPD, many define this group as people born between 1980 and 2005. That’s a large group of people. Gen Z were therefore born later, but some quick googling will include late-millenials and all the way through to Alphas – those born in the last 15 years. Which ever way you cut it, with people working longer and younger entering the labour market every year, many managers will be responsible for people of all ages.
In addition, this workforce is now facing a different kind of work and hold changing expectations about work. Some want a career that is all about creativity, using technology, independence and job-hopping. Some want stability in a changing world. Some want flexiblity to do the work-work and the side-work. However, given that such a broad range of people are included, is it really as simple as that? Henrik Bresman (2015) tells us to be very careful about lumping everyone into an Anglo-American/Western philosophy. He has shown that career – and life – expectations across the world among people born in this period are actually very different. In Central & Eastern Europe millennials want technical expertise from their manager, in Africa they want empowerment, and in Latin America they want him or her to being a role model. (
Bresmnan, H (2015) What millennials Want from Work, Chartered Across the World, Havard Business Review, 23 February 2015)
So, then – what is the problem? People are not problems, but they do create them. A lot of it seems to come down to expectations – and how realistic these expectations are. For the younger generations, it would seem they have been told they can have the world and yet the world isn’t delivering. Wait But Why’s Tim Urban (2013) presents this very neatly, by explaining that “Happiness = Reality minus Expectations”. Urban explains that for managers to understand different generational expectations, you need to go back in time a bit: baby boomers were raised to expect hard times, and that working hard would reap good rewards. In fact, they got good times (expectations exceeded). The next generation were simply told they would get good rewards if they worked hard (i.e. no mention of hard times) – and in addition to that that each and every one of them was special, unique and had bags of potential. And then got the bad times (expectations not being met). Therefore, for many, it feels like they have been set up to be disappointed – and unhappy.
For managers of these groups, the problem, it would seem, is to find ways to let them down gently.
There are several things that we are told people are expecting from work these days: they want flexible working in order to do other things they enjoy outside of work, they like technology, they don’t like authority, they want lots of feedback, and they don’t like to wear suits.
People also have different expectations from each other (for example, see Henley Business School 2024 https://www.henley.ac.uk/news/2024/welcome-to-the-omniployment-era-new-research-from-henley). This means managers need to have a flexible approach. Here is some guidance on myth versus reality, and how to disappoint people in their expectations – and do it gently.
The theory goes like this: people like to do lots of different things, and want the flexibility to work hard and play hard. Leaders need to offer flexible working in order to attract the best talent.
Of course, having a life outside of work is nothing new. Baby boomers made babies after all. BUT not all of them did. And some millennials love to work all hours. And some want to set up on their own and go freelance.
A recent Gen Z participant on a training course told me she didn’t understand work-life balance, as she valued her work more than being at home and would resent any attempt to reduce her hours. She defined herself by her work, and was proud of her achievements. Instead, she wanted clear guidance on what was expected from her in terms of results, and the option to change her hours as needed to achieve this. Often this means long hours, which she is fine with – especially as working at home she could organise these hours in a way that suited her. And sometimes she just wants a sofa day, which her boss is fine with.
So it is important to think about how much flexibility you can offer to people, and clearly communicate the ‘deal’ to them. If there are times when you can’t give flexibility that’s OK – but set objectives, be realistic about goals, and allow downtime when you can.
Apparently Gen Z are obsessed with technology. Even millenials love a bit of tech, afterall they grew up with GameBoys and Wiis – and have faster thumbs than previous generations. With the looming intigration of AI into our work, people want and demand the best technology that will enable them to do their work quickly, smartly, and in a way that is constantly connecting with others.
That said, I’m quite happy delivering training with post-its, flip charts and a set of coloured pens (being a millennial), whereas my baby-booming colleauge is sat next to me on their tablet, listening to a band I’ve never heard off, watching reels, sending WhatsApps and popping prompts into ChatGPT all at once.
One of most important things you can do as a leader is enable staff to do their work. Give them the tools they need, and be open to new ideas. Learn from others about how new technologies can support your important work. But don’t waste precious funding on toys and gadgets that don’t have a purpose. Be clear about what you can offer, the expectation you have for technology, and the amount of time that is spent on social connection through technology. Ensure staff have work accounts and know how to use them, but also be clear on what the purpose of this is (and if necessary encourage them to have separate accounts for work and home).
And of course, be a role model. If you want more conversations than DMs, check in and have chats. If you want to understand what is happening with your staff, have more one-to-ones and don’t rely on Teams or email to communicate.
Some literature seems to suggest that people entering the workforce now have no respect for authority and don’t want to be managed. They have grown up being taught to question assumptions and challenge statements, seek their own news (or fake news), rather than learning by rote and doing as the boss says.
This may well be true, however as leader how do you have authority when it’s constantly being questioned? We advise listening to those questions. What are they telling you? Instead of replying with “Because I told you to,” try to be more reflective. If you can’t explain the “why” to someone maybe you don’t understand it well enough yourself.
That said, you may need to manage expectations about how decisions are made and by whom. At =mc we call this contracting. As a leader, it is your responsibility to set the direction – albeit by factoring in what others are telling you too. There are some things then that you can delegate and leave up to others, but there are some things that rest with you. Clearly explain your position, ensuring boundaries and responsibilities are well understood. This will feel less like controlling management, and more like leadership.
People want lots and lots of feedback and support. Often much more than they are getting. This means talking about them, not checking everything they do. They want leaders that are interested in their development, and aspirations – not sticking their nose in to the to-do list.
When thinking about this, I was struck by a conversation from another participant, in which they described their manager as the best boss they’d ever had. When I asked what made them so, they told me that their boss does two key things. One: they check in regularly on the business as usual list, asking how things are going and if there are any activities that need support. This is light touch and transactional in nature. Two: the manager also makes time for more in depth conversations about learning, development, career goals – and takes time to talk about the personal stuff. The participant told me that from this approach it was clear to them that they were unlikely to get promoted in the organisation (due to structure rather than performance), and they were OK with this as they knew what the job offered in terms of a steppingstone to their next position. As a result they were totally committed to the job.
As a manager then, there is a careful balance to be achieved. People do like a lot of feedback – if it is meaningful and purposeful. They want guidance and support on the day-to-day things. But they also want broader support in terms of career management and progression. This may mean you need to remind them of what the current role offers in terms of opportunity – not promotion.
And finally, apparently everyone under 95 likes to wear jeans and trainers. Post-pandemic work wear has changed the work uniform to something more that’s more work-at-home comfy.
Let’s face it, what counts as acceptable professional clothing changes with every generation. Baby boomers certainly didn’t go around in corsets and top hats.
I think this is much less about denim and much more about values of transparency and honesty. People want to better understand what values an organisation stands for and what this means for working there. They also want to work where they can be themselves. It is what an organisation thinks is professionalism and the standards that it values that is important here – and a large factor in choosing where to work.
Rather than worrying about the dress code, leaders need to focus on the values the organisation stands for and how this is portrayed. If you need people to be suited and booted, explain why and what impact it has. If your donors and funders are put off by certain appearances, make that clear.
The answer is of course not to try – or indeed to think of this as a problem.
As a leader, you may find you need to explain things more, and not assume that the rules you have always worked to are clear to everyone. Listen and be curious, and don’t be afraid to assert your decisions.
As with all sound leadership advice, the trick is to treat each person you manage as the unique individual they are, recognising both their responsibilities and their expectations – and then manage them accordingly. And always be clear on what you can do to help people, and what you can’t – linking this back to the vision and mission of your organisation. Bring groups together, help them to value the differences between them and the shared goals they have.
And if you want more ideas on how to flex your leadership approach, have a look at our Transformational Leadership programme. Find out more about our approach to flexible leadership in this article: Leadership – finding your style
Yvette specialises in leadership, personal effectiveness, change and innovation. Before joining =mc, she worked in HR for several years in both the private and charity sector as an HR...
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