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Want to know what your Millennial employees are thinking? Blog to reach them! by Amy Lynch I met with a group of executives recently and presented research showing that Millennials view genuine leaders as people who make the tough decisions, but ask for input from all levels first. At that point, a CEO in the group row said, “I heard you speak before, and when I went back to the office, I started a blog. You wouldn’t believe how much more I know now about my own company.” I was struck that he knows more “about my own company” than he knew before. Who doesn't need that??!! A Quick How-to
If you haven’t yet ventured into the world of blogging, or if you’ve tried blogging and gotten no response, try these ideas for making your blog work for you. 1. Tell Stories. Blogging gives you an amazing tactical advantage in that it lets you explain how and why you make decisions that affect the lives of the people who work with and for you. Believe me, young people expect to know your reasons for doing what you do. 2. Talk trends. Make your employees and co-workers feel like insiders. Write about your industry, how it’s changing, and the challenges your organization faces. Your blog doesn’t need to be long or even eloquent. What matters is that you’re sharing information. Even if the Baby Boomers don’t respond with comments, people under 45 will (and if you’re average, that’s more than half you workforce).
3. Publicize. Send out an email each time you post, with a link to the blog.
4. Respond. Set aside 15 minutes each day to respond to the comments Millennials and others make. Then young people know they have been heard, the most essential component of leading Millennials and earning their loyalty. If you don’t respond, they get the opposite message—that you aren’t listening—and that will work against you. 5. Ask for something specific. Write about inefficiencies in the company and ask for ways to solve problems. You may be surprised by how solutions you get. This also helps you identify emerging leaders. They are the ones with good ideas. 6. Don’t take it personally. If you get blasted by an employee, respond to the content, not the insult. Remember that your blog is a way of conversing with young employees at a professional level. Some managers make the mistake of writing about movies, music or what people did over the weekend. Don’t go there. Your purpose for the blog is to learn more about your organization, the work people do and how to make that work more rewarding. Write in your natural voice, and be entertaining if that’s your style, but don’t try to be a buddy or a BFF. Millennials don’t have to like you to do good work for you, but they do expect to understand your train of thought as you lead them.
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