Articles abound about how young people—Millennials, Gen Y, snake people—are all social media addicts, just interested in texting, Snapchat, Instagram or whatever. Forget boring conversations and face-to-face meetings.
I was pleased to see a study conducted by Mattersight Corporation of 1,000 of this highly-coveted cohort of the population. The write-up found that this group wants a personal touch. True, the study was focused on what young people want from brands, but the findings are just as true from our perspective for what they want from their co-workers, their supervisors and their corporate leaders.
The study said, “Millennials actually prefer direct, human interactions over digital options in most instances.” Amen.
And that means significantly expanded interactions – whether face-to-face or via video-enabled person-to-person communication, which include opportunities for Q&A and discussion. Only verbal communication, where we can see and hear the other person, can really engage and enlist us.
The report added, “They want chemistry, understanding and respect [from brands].” Those same attributes are absolutely required for leaders who truly want to engage and motivate their workforce.
Of course, this confirms our belief that it’s important to have well-organized messaging with compelling proof points and relevant, repeatable stories that illustrate the message in order to motivate the workforce, no matter what generation.
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