Are Millennial and GenX individuals tough to manage? Is it fair to categorize anyone, as we’re all different, with different skills, propensities, and motivations?
When I first arrived at my firm, I was the youngest attorney. Most of the support staff was older than me, composed mainly of Baby Boomers (I was born in 1964, the last Baby Boom year). Fast forward to today. I’m a 57-year-old Senior Partner, and most of the staff we hire are closer to the ages of my three daughters.
What motivates today’s workers? Let’s begin by recognizing take-home pay and benefits, especially health insurance and retirement, are important to everyone. My law partners and I are motivated to do our best in these areas every year. Since our team knows this, they go the extra mile to satisfy our clients.
In team meetings, we spend time instructing how client satisfaction is directly related to referrals and income, which then corresponds to how much we can afford to pay salaries, distribute bonuses, and provide benefits. Not only do we state the obvious, but we make it a point to share when a client sends a note of recognition or makes a favorable comment.
Beyond those biggies, what motivates Millennials and GenX, and more specifically, how do you determine a right fit team member before hiring?
Let’s begin with propensities. Our firm has found exceptional results with the Kolbe Index. In fact, team member Maria Reimer is a Kolbe Certified Specialist, who helps many of our Freedom Practice law firms ensure that they have the right individuals in the right job, and when hiring, narrowly qualified candidates to a specific job opening.
You might have a well-rounded, motivated employee who isn’t performing up to her potential. That might be a product of having her in the wrong job. The Kolbe Index classifies individuals according to their propensities. Not everyone enjoys the same workday. When you put someone to their highest and best use, good things happen.
Generally, though, in my experience Millennials and GenXers are different than baby boomers. They expect to have a personal life. Work is a means to an end. This doesn’t mean that they’re all 9-5. The best ones still work hard, which means extra hours on occasion. They do want balance, however, and the more of that you provide the happier they’ll be.
These generations want to contribute, not just be told what to do. If you give them the reason “why” they’re supposed to perform a function in a certain way, you’re much more likely to get the sought-after result. They’re also concerned about your overall impact on your community. I believe these are all good traits, rather than ones to be frustrated with.
At the Practice Xcelerator Event, we’re going to share a thinking tool we named “The Self-Evaluator.” It can serve as a year-end performance review tool unlike any you’ve seen before. Most importantly, it can help you discover what motivates your team so everyone gets the most out of each day!
For more on this, listen to the podcast episode that accompanies this email.
To your bigger future,
Craig R. Hersch
Florida Bar Board Certified Wills, Trusts & Estates Attorney
Senior Partner, The Sheppard Law Firm
Founder, The Freedom Practice®
PS – Very soon we’re conducting our FREE Practice Xcelerator Preview, noon ET on September 17th. You’ll learn how to increase your average estate planning fee by 30% or more. At the end of the 50-minute presentation, I’ll also give you a PROMO CODE giving you a discount on our live event October 27-28.
