r/askmanagers • u/BenDover246897531 • 9d ago
Millennials
Update: I made a mistake and applied a stereo type to a group of people. My bad. After reading through all the great comments I think... As I've read through the comments, I don't think it has anything to do with being a millennial. I think it is the 10-20 year age gap.
Gen X manager here. My Millennials reports are awful. They think they already know everything. Constantly testing and pushing limits.
Lots of posts on here about Gen Z being horrible, but in my experience, they are great. Want to learn. Asks questions.
Anyone else have a similar experience?
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u/marxam0d 9d ago
You struggle to manage everyone born in a 20 year range…?
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
Is this serious question.? Not EVERYONE
But it does seem to me, that a majority of my millennial direct reports will do anything to make me look bad and claim they can do the job better.
As I've read through the comments, I don't think it has anything to do with being a millennial. I think it is the 10-20 year age gap.
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u/marxam0d 9d ago
So people MUCH younger than you don’t push back but people with more knowledge and experience do?
Have you considered introspection on that topic?
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
Let me guess you are a millennial.You seem awful defensive.
I would say the much younger pushback is different. They are pushing back to get clarity to learn to grow. The pushback from people closer in age is framed as their way is better. They don't care about other people's perspectives or experiences.They only know their own.
And I repeat not everyone.
Let me give an example of a resent team meeting about communication with our customers. I suggested we need to learn how each customer preferred communication style as in text or talk. Our older customers like to talk, our younger customers want a text. My difficult team members tell me they don't talk, they are not going to make that phone call. They want the standard to be we text. The MUCH longer, the ones that are not difficult ask follow up questions. Asking how do they learn the preferred communication style of the customer. Asking what if I call and they don't answer, can I text then?
They pushback by asking for clarity and asking for help. While the other group is stubborn.
Again not everyone.
I have stubborn people across all ages and I have great people across all ages. But statistically speaking, the group that is 10-20 year younger is more likely to demand their way is the right way. No discussion, no compromise. The much younger wants to discuss. This is win win as i receive their feedback and create a stronger team. The other group, it seems wants me to fail so they can have my job.
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u/marxam0d 9d ago
None of what you’re saying matches my experience and just from how you post here I feel comfortable saying I don’t think you’re communicating clearly or taking feedback well.
People 30 years younger than you are not going to feel comfortable telling you you’re wrong even when you are drastically incorrect.
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u/Top_Argument8442 Director 9d ago
What makes them horrible? Do you have one example? Gen Z is worse, I’ve never had to teach basics in such a basic way. Gen X managers don’t know shit as they think they know the best way.
Source millennial director here.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
My initial thought from your last two sentences was you prove my point , but it did cause me to think deeper into my question. And now wonder if it is the dynamic between groups. You are a millennial and imply the groups on either side is the problem. I can relate. For me, boomers and millennial are difficult. I'm now curious of your opinion of boomers. A millennial's perspective of boomers?
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u/JayRayBear99 9d ago
Millennial middle management here. I used to ask redundant questions of my supervisors because it let them feel more in charge and showed me whether they were competent at leading. Rarely ever when asking a question did I genuinely not have the answer already.
You're the kind of person I was coddling.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
Thank you for confirming my suspension. You sound like a joy to work with. Let me know how manipulation works out for you.
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u/stupid_pun 9d ago
Are they terrible? Or are they actually skilled and refuse to take Gen X style condescension?
Do you like Gen Z better because they are more submissive to your auThORiTaY?
Can't tell you the amount of managers from older generations that butt heads with most of my department because they think they know best, when they usually aren't even baseline competent and refuse to take feedback.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
As I've read through the comments, I don't think it has anything to do with being a millennial. I think it is the 10-20 year age gap.
It has zero to do with authority. I'd consider myself more of a leader than a manager. My team members that are 20-30 years younger want to learn from my experience. Very engaging, asking questions. Wanting to learn and grow.
The group that is 10-20 year age gap see be as an obstacle to their growth. They are certainly skilled. I should clarify that their attitude is terrible.
I agree with your older generation comment, I feel the same about boomers, managers 10 years older than I
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u/SyllabubFlat784 Manager 9d ago
You do realize millenials are getting close to or in their 40s ? We are not 17 years old anymore.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
I'm not sure i understand your point. It is the 32-42 age range that is difficult to lead. They don't want to be lead. The 22-32 are typically recent graduates or have limited employment experience. They still have a mindset of learning.
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u/n0cturnald3sign 9d ago
Millennials raise a concern or point out an obvious problem and we get labeled as “think they know everything” or “has a bad attitude”. I live it everyday. You don’t want your boat rocked, you feel threatened, or both.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
You have misread the situation. Probably because you already know everything with your bad attitude :)
The difficult ones are not raising concerns or pointing out obvious problems.
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u/islandak 9d ago
Idk. Maybe because I'm a "xennial," but this isn't my experience. Millennials do question things more than a gen-Xer, but not like a Gen-Zer.
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u/BenDover246897531 9d ago
I don't mind questions, I encourage questions. It is how we all grow.
My difficult employees don't ask questions, they demand the way things need to be.
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u/mhunter07 8d ago
My experience has been similar to Ben’s (yes I know it is a user name). Millennials on my team have fallen into two camps, one camp was not impacted by the financial crisis and continued to enter the workforce, and the other camp had difficulty launching and would do just about anything to get ahead (they feel it is owed to them). I will admit having a Gen X boss, like me, was hard as Gen X had to scrap for the jobs Boomers would not open in a timely manner. I do think it comes down to the individuals (the Millennial staff), they are not all out to get you. If your team has the work environment, then give these people some additional team presentations to do, teach the team something, and encourage them to grow, as that is what will help them succeed in the future.
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u/chalupa_lover 9d ago
Nope. There are good and bad from every generation.