Diamonds and Millennials: The 4 C's

Originally posted on HRM America

When selecting a diamond, I am told that it is essential to consider the 4 C’s: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. These 4 C’s determine the value of a diamond and will not change. These are important to consider BEFORE your purchase, because diamonds are an investment, and you want to get the most for your money.  I recently learned that similar to diamonds, there are 4 C's that can determine value and retention for Millenials in the workplace.  

During the 2014 SHRM Annual Convention, I learned that the average workplace retention of Millennial employees is declining. This poses a problem, especially with all of the Baby Boomers planning their exit of the workforce.

One of the sessions I attended was a session on Managing Millennials, led by Brad Karsh - President of JB Training Solutions

The 4 C’s of Millennial Retention

• Communicate – Manage their expectations about their work responsibilities and their career progression and give them feedback on their performance on a routine basis.
• Challenge – Offer them experiences through shadowing, managing low risk projects, and rotating in different departments.
• Coach – Instill a culture of coaching/mentorship and pair Millennials with “near peer” mentors who can help build their “soft skills.”
• Connect – Millennials need to see that they are part of the bigger picture to feel connected to the organization and see their importance.

Remembering the 4 C’s (communicate, challenge, coach and connect) of Millennial Retention and implementing them will do more than simply determine the value. It is likely that there will be a continued increase in value as you increase your chances of retaining your top talent. 

The 4 C’s of Millennial Retention can be adapted to each individual, making them more important than the 4 C’s in a diamond purchase, which can never change. These actions can be taken after you have the Millennial employee, and adjusted to their needs, increasing value for Leadership, the Company, and the Millennial employee.

Gone are the days where the phrase “just do it because I said so” is effective in the workplace. The Millennial employee wants interaction, and to know how their part fits into the whole. Millennials are adaptable and looking for growth and challenges, so frequent feedback and guidance are a must. 

Brad shared a great point that “Millennials have a semester mentality.” They are used to being in school, getting frequent feedback on each of their assignments and having an interactive dialogue with their teachers. Understanding these connections can help leadership take a more focused approach in addressing and meeting the needs of the Millennial workforce.

I’m excited to put the 4 C’s of Millennial Retention to work!

3 Things Chuck Norris Taught Me About Leadership

Originally posted on Linkedin

There are a lot of Chuck Norris “facts” to be found on the internet. I would like to share some real facts that I learned, as a young teen at a martial arts convention with Chuck Norris. These 3 things have helped me make an impression as a leader. I’d like to share them, and hopefully they will help you as well.

Put the focus on others – I was at a 3-day martial arts workout convention, which revolved around Chuck Norris. We all knew who he was, and he was part of the draw. I remember standing around speaking with a group of 3-4 other teens that were in my age group and all of a sudden, there he is. We quickly stopped talking and looked at him. He smiled, put his hand out, and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Chuck, what’s your name?” Awesome! I remember thinking afterward that it was strange that he introduced himself. Of course we knew who he was! In this situation I believe that Chuck Norris looked at both himself, and us, as people. Equals. Over the next few minutes as he chatted with us, the status differences and titles didn’t matter. What a great feeling, to have someone that we looked up to come over and introduce himself.

As a leader, are you letting your title, or status get in the way of creating awesome moments like this? Think about the impact that you can make by giving someone your time. Even if it is only a few minutes. It is important to look at others and treat them as equals, as much as your position may allow. The individuals who are looking up to you, will see you through the lens of your status and accomplishments, so there is really no need for you look at yourself through the same lens.

Be bold and lead the fun – On the last night of the convention there was a dinner followed by dancing. Dinner ended and almost everyone was just standing around the dance floor. I don’t know if it was the food, or shyness, but there were only a few people on the dance floor. I wasn’t far from the DJ table, and saw Chuck go up and talk to the DJ. A new song came on that was more upbeat, and there he went. Chuck Norris, right there, BUSTING A MOOVE! He was all in having fun, and it was great! Everyone, including myself, was shocked and smiling. It did not take long for others to get on to the dance floor. As a leader and role model Chuck took a risk. What if nobody else would have gone on the dance floor?

As a leader it’s ok to take risks. Often times we are too afraid to look “foolish”, so we might not join in on the fun. Being “silly”, or “going for it” makes you more approachable. The risk is getting laughed at or teased, but if you can laugh at yourself, does that really matter? On the other hand, you might get much larger group of people to join in with you. How much more fun would that be?

Be complimentary and genuine – Throughout the convention I heard, and was told by others the nice things that Chuck had said to people. Someone told me that he said they were a good dancer. He told people they had good technique in their karate movements. He told the group of teens I mentioned that he was glad to have us there. In all of these compliments he came across as genuine, and I bet that each one of these statements had a HUGE impact on those people.

As a leader it is essential to understand the impact of a compliment. A compliment can mean something many times more to the person receiving it, than to the one giving it. Only if it comes across as genuine. Think of it this way. Imagine that when you gave someone $1.00 it became $5 as soon as they received it. That might make it a little easier to give away $1, right? The difference is that a compliment can have a much bigger impact, and last longer than $1, or $5 ever would. It’s a great way to build others up, and create a lasting positive impact.