Helping Business Leaders Understand the Millennial Generation as a Consultant

The Millennial Generation, which is otherwise known as Generation Y, is going to have a huge impact on business and the economy in the coming years. This generation has begun to enter the workforce in large numbers, and soon they will dominate the business world. Some organizations are prepared for the rise of this unique group of young minds, but others are operating as if it's business as usual. Guess what? The organizations that prepare themselves properly for the Millennials will be the ones that thrive in the coming years.

If you're wondering what the rise of the Millennial Generation means for business and how you will need to adapt as a consultant, I've uncovered five essential qualities that you should understand if you want to help businesses succeed in the coming years and decades.

Five Essential Qualities for the Millennial Generation

• Genuine Authenticity

Millennials are quite straightforward about their appreciation for authenticity in the workplace. In fact, their desire for authenticity often takes members of other generations by surprise. They don't understand all of the coded language that often exists in workplaces run by baby boomers and Gen X-ers, and they crave work experiences that are genuine. Otherwise, they can become seriously disengaged and disinterested in their work.

As a consultant, you can help leaders understand that Millennials need authentic direction in order to thrive. Some leaders will have trouble accepting the importance of understanding Gen Y's need for authenticity. It's your job to convince them that preparing properly for the Millennial Generation is vital to their success.

• Leadership and Direction Through Mentoring

Millennials genuinely want to do the right thing, and they crave strong leaders who can help them make the right choices. Unfortunately, members of this generation often feel lost on the job because they aren't aligned with leaders who take their needs seriously. Managers and other leaders from previous generations have a tendency to see this desire for mentorship as angling for a pat on the back, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Working as a consultant, you'll need to convince leaders that when a Millennial asks for feedback, he or she really just wants some honest feedback to improve their work. This mentoring is crucial for the organization as the old guard begins to step down and leaders begin to emerge.

• The Right Way to Give Feedback

I can't stress enough how important it is for leaders to start looking at the right way to evaluate their peoples' performance. For decades, the annual performance evaluation has been the standard across the business world. But does this model really work? Not anymore, especially when programs and applications exist to essentially complete the evaluations automatically. Something went wrong a long time ago, but the Millennial Generation is poised to demand changes that will improve the ways in which companies review the performance of their employees. Basically, Gen Y demands feedback on a real-time basis so that they can actually improve their efforts and give companies the results they need.

As a consultant, you'll be responsible for helping leaders change the way they measure and evaluate employee performance. You'll need to convince them that real-time feedback isn't just something that the Millennials are demanding; it's something that can improve the bottom line considerably

• Stay Out of the Dark

If you've worked in the corporate world, you know how frustrating it can be to be constantly left in the dark when it comes to important information. Of course, as a member of an older generation, you've just accepted this as the status quo in business. Imagine how Millennials feel, though. They're used to having amazing access to information and answers at all times thanks to the wonders of technology. Will they accept working for a business that keeps them unaware of important developments and information? Will they be able to accept working for an organization that refuses to acknowledge their presence and the work they are performing? Of course not!

During your career as a consultant, one of your most important jobs will be to convince leaders of the importance of open communication and honest feedback. Millennials simply don't perform up to their abilities when they're left in the dark; what's more, it's not just the members of Gen Y who appreciate this openness – everyone does, regardless of their generation.

• The Desire for Opportunity

If you perform a Google search on the Millennial Generation, chances are you're going to see your share of negative articles, blog posts and think pieces. Just imagine what it would be like if all you saw was judgmental, negative writing about your generation. You'd be ready to go out there and prove your critics wrong, wouldn't you? Millennials pay attention to this sort of thing, and they are aware of the negative perception of their generation. As a result, they're eager to show that they can do great work.

Consulting will give you the opportunity to help Millennials prove themselves and their abilities by giving you the chance to innovate real change and drive results. You'll be needed to help leaders recognize the value of this amazing generation, and to ensure that challenges and opportunities are available for Gen Y to impress the rest of us.

Be an Important Part of the Future of Business

If you're ready to take a more direct approach to shaping the business world, and you're interested in the talents and abilities that the Millennial Generation can provide, there's no better career than consulting. Gen Y is only going to become more dominant as the years go by, and the organizations that excel during this time are the ones that are able to capitalize on what the Millennials have to offer. As a consultant, you'll be working on the cutting edge, and you'll help businesses immeasurably with your ability to help them integrate Gen Y into their successes.

Do you have what it takes to assist companies with the emergence of the Millennial Generation? Learn more about independent consulting checking out some of our wonderful resources. Buddy Hobart's free eBook, “Experience Matters,” is full of outstanding consulting advice, and our free consulting guides give you information and insights that you'll need to excel as a consultant.