By cushioning criticism with praise on one side and support on the other, employees will hear the message, save face and exit the conversation with a plan.
When addressing Generation Y employees, supervisors should employ a specific method to deliver their intended messages, thus improving the likelihood of getting the intended result.
When it comes to disciplinary conversations, supervisors must consider that because Generation Y workers’ youth generally was filled with coddling and de facto self-esteem training, the younger generation today is not prepared for a dressing down by the boss. Being called out publicly for a poorly executed task does not embarrass them into shape; it simply makes them lose all respect and interest in the boss, and pushes one foot out the door.
So how does a supervisor communicate the need for improvement or convey dissatisfaction without sending these younger staff members running to their parents (don’t laugh, it happens)? Use the Kiss-Kick-Kiss principle: compliment whatever is going right (kiss); clearly define the problem at hand (kick); and then close with an upbeat message about how you will work through this problem together (kiss). But why is it the supervisor’s job to help the staff member do his or her job better? Well, because the ultimate goal is having the job or task performed better, right?
Generation Y needs that guidance. Call it handholding, hate it if you want, but it doesn’t change what is true. Many of these younger employees need the support that says, “We will make this work.” Cushioning criticism with praise on one side and support on the other allows employees to hear the message, save face and exit the uncomfortable conversation with a plan for how to avoid this situation in the future. It takes a little more time on the front end and a little more self-control from the supervisor, but the result is that the employee retains his or her connection with the boss, and in today’s business climate, connection to the boss equals connection and loyalty to the company.
It is also worth noting that some younger workers have earned their way to positions of leadership and they need to learn how to give corrective feedback to their teams, which often have older members. A member of Generation Y dressing down a Baby Boomer, or even a Generation Xer, is an awkward situation, so it is important to learn how to do it without too much discomfort from either side. Kiss-Kick-Kiss works here, too.
One more twist on the Kiss-Kick-Kiss principle is that it is a super way for anyone to “manage up.” Giving feedback to the boss through this communication formula allows younger workers to make sure they know not only what the supervisor likes about their roles and what they do well, but also what has not been working for them lately. These conversations can finish with an exchange of suggested things that the staff member and supervisor can change to get back into “the zone,” and then both sides are again working hard and together.
Workers from any generation would love to be treated this way. They don’t all require it as Generation Y seems to, but Kiss-Kick-Kiss is a simple approach to getting corrective measures and protecting relationships at the same time.
Cam Marston studies the generational trends affecting today’s workplaces and advises companies on how to deal with recruiting, hiring, retention and succession planning challenges.
FYI: This is an excerpt from Cam Marston’s forthcoming book, tentatively titled, “Best Practices in Generational Management.”