PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MANAGING AVIATION GENERATION Y (MILLENNIALS)
By J.D. McHenry G
eneration Y (millennials) are coming into the aviation industry today. I hear many similar complaints about them, especially from the older aviators, such as:
• They are not dedicated to the company — it is always about me
• They do not want to work nights or weekends
• They want instant gratifi cation, such as promotions and money
• They do not like working set schedules
I’m a baby boomer who was born in 1957. I’m now considered by the aviation industry as an “old timer” who has been around too long. However, many of the baby boomers are in high-level positions such as executive positions and director of maintenance. I can fully appreciate and understand the aviation managers’ feelings and frustrations when dealing with millennials coming into the workplace. The fact is that the baby boomers created millennials. I will be the fi rst to admit that I gave my children far too much. I gave them so much because I did not have anything when I was growing up. It also gave me pleasure knowing that I could give to my children. Now, I’m paying for the consequences that I created. Please keep in mind that similar complaints were made by
the baby boomers’ parents. My father used to tell me how wasteful and materialistic I was. My father also told me how lazy I was and how easy I had it because I did not walk to school three miles every day, even in a snowstorm. We now sound just like our parents! My suggestion is that we should stop complaining and
start acting. We need to look at the millennials as a fresh, new generation that can benefi t our industry. We should look to them for new ways of conducting our business, improving our processes, increasing our quality and ultimately making the company stronger and more effi cient. All we need to do is manage them eff ectively and set clear standards for them to follow. Before I provide some management tips, here are the generation classifi cations:
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BABY BOOMERS (BORN 1946 – 1964) They value freedom of choice and freedom of expression, and they don’t like the authoritarian management style. They want knowledge, information and logic to rule lead- ership. Baby boomers want managers to be experts and lead by their own knowledge and skills.
GENERATION X (BORN 1965 – 1981) They don’t value authority or experts. They rely on their own perceptions, experience, intuition and input of friends. They want fl exibility, they will change careers readily, and they want their leaders to be team members leading from within.
GENERATION Y/MILLENNIALS (BORN 1982 – 1995) They were under structured parents and leadership since primary school and are skeptical of power. They want to work for themselves, not necessarily because of money, but for freedom — they want to be in charge without con- forming to someone else’s vision.
MOTIVATION FOR EVERY GENERATION Here are the top three motivators that are eff ective for everyone, regardless of their age or generation. I recommend using these motivators in your daily management practices:
1. Thank them for their accomplishments. You can thank them as often as you’d like. Everyone wants to be recognized and praised.
2. Get them involved in the decision-making process and make them feel like a part of the team. Asking employees “What do you think?” is a very eff ective technique.
3. Treat everyone on a personal basis. Help them with their personal issues. Show them they are the most important asset in the company and that the business comes second. If you take care of the people, the people will take care of the business.
TIPS FOR MANAGING MILLENNIALS Set clear standards and structure: Communicate clear standards and job expectations. Projects, reports and job
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