Kevin Cardenas

A Corporate Shift of Millennial Proportions

Introduction
When you think of your boss, or any person in a leadership positon, you imagine them to
be older and perhaps aged. This has been the trend for the past forty-some years, and is a trend
that the Baby Boomers are all too comfortable and familiar with. However, a new paradigm for
leadership is coming. It's undeniable--we're in the midst of a momentous generation swap that
will ultimately change management and leadership as we know it. The Baby Boomers have
known a traditional top-down leadership their entire careers. As they retire, that linear structure
will not be as prevalent. Millennials, who make up over 33 percent of the workforce and are
gradually stepping into leadership roles, dont identify with what they see as an old way of
thinking. This generation is all about collaboration; they want to impact the greater good and are
not too interested in how things were done in the past; they are concerned with the future and
how they can pave their own path to success. Changes in productivity, work environment,
creativity, and innovation between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials reflect the Millennials
attempt to run their businesses in a manner that is distinct, more efficient, and starkly different
from that of the Baby Boomers.
Defining the Generations
Before we delve into the various differences the two generations have towards their work,
it is pertinent that we discuss the two generations we will be exploring.
Technically, physically, and temporally, the Baby Boom period began in 1946 and ended
in 1964. The Baby Boom, however, was more than just a postwar- Welcome home, Sailor!diapers on a parade phenomenon. It was the beginning of a dramatic reversal of an American
population trend. It was the beginning of the end of the countrys rural, agrarian life style. The
first half of the 1940s say a declined or stagnant birth rate in the US. Then in 1946, about nine
months after VJ day, a tsunami of babies broke across the fruited plain- and changed the physical

and psychological geography forever. More children were being born than ever before, and lived
longer too, thanks to postwar medicine (Zemke 62). When they were in leadership roles, their
tendency was toward a collegial, consensual-sometimes benignly despotic- style. They were the
ones who advocated turning the traditional corporate hierarchy upside down. Their motivations
for their advocacy aside, they were genuinely passionate and concerned about participation and
spirit in the workplace, about brining heart and humanity to the office, and about profound
impact on their generational personality, and fair treatment (Zemke 77). Boomers grew up with
conservative parents who had command-and-control style superiors. As a result, they had a hard
time actually practicing, day-in and day-out, the management style that they profess. Many think
that they are managing participatively, when in fact they are not (Zemke 77). Participative
management requires great skill in understanding, listening, communicating, motivating and
delegating. Many Boomer managers are lacking in these areas and are in need of development to
acquire the leadership style they espouse.
Millennials have their own unique background and upbringing. They are the first
generation to grow up immersed in digital media. They are connected to 24/7 to their friends,
parents, information, and entertainment. Accustomed to being the center of attention, they have
high expectations and clear goals. They are willing to work hard and expect to have the support
they need to achieve. Born between 1980 and 2000, they are the fawned-upon, coddled, and
confident offspring of the most age-diverse group of parents ever- ranging from adolescents to
middle aged people to the Baby Boomers. If there was an ominous chasm between generations,
its the one between the Millennials and the Baby Boomers. They have contrasting views on a
plethora of topics from politics to religion, from immigration to gay marriage, and from school to
the military. This can be especially seen in their work personality. You typically see the
Millennials as resiliently optimistic, digitally native, collaborative, goal and achievement

motivated, diverse, and confident. In work, their expectations are drastically different as well.
Baby Boomers are expected to work 40 hours a week to achieve the lifestyle they want,
Millennials expect to go above and beyond. They believe that they will have had seven jobs by
the time theyre 26 (Mr. Youth).
Collaborative: Were in This Together
For many years, those in the Baby Boomer generation held the reins in most companies,
leading their fellow Baby Boomer workers in the day-to-day activities. However, with the
members ranging in age from 44 to 62 now, in just three short years the oldest of the Boomers
will start exiting the workforce (Zemke 27). As the years tick by, more and more Boomers will
be retiring, leaving the leadership positions in many companies vacant. This is where the
Millennials enter the game, and with them, their new and seemingly radical ways of running a
business, which could increase productivity by a new margin. One key point that characterizes
productivity for Millennials is collaboration.
Millennial managers say that they want to build a strong team environment where we
float together and sink together (Karsh 42). This is a huge difference from the environment that
the Baby Boomers created, which was very linear and flat, where the heads of the business told
their employees what to do and that was it. With the Millennials environment, it is much more
collaborative and inclusive. It was the float together or sink together mentality, which means
that they have to keep each other afloat or they all sink together. This can motivate an employee
but at the same time, reassure them that they have a team that will help them. It also means that
they do not mind hardships if they are getting through it as a team. This type of team mindset is
conducive for an increase in productivity. When employers make their employees feel like they
are a part of something bigger than their cubicle, they are more inclined and motivated to do
more for the company, leading to increased productivity. Additionally, managers love to hear the
opinions of their teams and working together to solve problems (Karsh 44). Its about

partnership, collaboration, and relationship. Once that relationship is formed, then the real work
can be done. Millennials crave flexibility for themselves, and they are willing to give flexibility
to their employees.
Flexible: Open to how the Job Gets Done
Millennials stress the importance of flexibility not only in their work schedule, but in
how it gets done (Karsh 45). With this increased autonomy, you are less concerned with the
where and when something has to be done and are more concerned with the quality of the
final product. When employees are given autonomy over their work, where they are able to
focus on the quality of the final product, rather than the process, the quality of that product is
significantly better (Espinoza 23). Millennial managers are bringing trust, paired with flexibility,
to their role. Again, these are two key attributes that foster highly engaged employees. This open
mind towards flexibility will help Millennials thrive and excel in a more diverse and virtual
workplace and global economy.
Creativity and Competitive Advantage
Millennials value self-expression. They have both a desire and a need to make their mark
on the world. They enthusiastically embrace change and thrive on brainstorming, creating, and
problem solving as well as having high expectations of themselves and the organizations in
which they work. Companies often equate innovation and creativity with competitive advantage.
The mantra of thinking outside the box has become somewhat of a clich, but the idea of
suspending what has been in order to explore what could be will always be prescient.
Millennials display a clear advantage over the Baby Boomers; they are not encumbered by their
experience or expertise, and are not afraid to pipe-in even though uninvited (Espinoza 74).
Millennials intuitively understand this and that is why creativity and willingness to change are
the two areas in which managers consistently compare Millennials favorably to other age
cohorts. When it comes to creativity and using ones imagination, Millennials are plug-n-play.

They are already outside the box. This reflects well in the work they do. Creativity frees one
from the boundaries of the traditional work mindset and allows for the creation of ideas that are
innovative and revolutionary. The 20% policy by Google is a perfect example. Essentially, it
encourages their employees to dedicate 20% of their time to projects and endeavors that are not
related to their work. This allows them to work on any project that could benefit the company in
any way. With this increased autonomy and freedom, it is a breeding ground for creativity and
innovation. In fact, many of Googles more innovative projects have spawned from this policy.
Some notable creations are Gmail and Google News (Mediratta).
Creativity, however, does not generally fit a mechanistic or efficiency model. Many Baby
Boomers struggle with cultivating the imagination that Millennials have because, unlike the
Millennials, they manage job descriptions rather than people. This marks a significant difference
in their leadership style.
Transparent: Being In the Know
The Millennial manager is more transparent than their Baby Boomer counterparts.
Millennials say that they feel like some senior leaders cloak the board room and executive
decisions in secrecy, and they do not like the idea that the state of the company is shielded from
the employees (Karsh 48). Their argument is that, if they want their team to be part of the
solution, then they deserve to know the full story. That is why there is such a huge emphasis on
transparency in their values. This push for workplace transparency stems from their need to
know why? and, importantly, the transparency that social media brings to the lives of
Millennials. Social media platforms make it accessible and easy to share every bit of detail in
ones life with the whole world. In the eyes of older generations, there doesnt seem to be much
of a filter when it comes to putting things out there. However, to them, virtually everything
shared on social media is unfiltered due to an absence of social media during their time. In
fact, 40% of Millennials think that blogging about workplace issues is acceptable, compared to

28% of boomers (Aquino). As managers, Millennials will break through this faade and forge a
more transparent path. They think that it is respectful and necessary to share. Transparency can
contribute to higher engagement by trusting employees with knowledge and allowing freedom to
solve problems, knowing the entire challenge.
Tearing the Down the Ladder
Tear down this ladder! Millennials managers will bring down the corporate ladder. Its
not all about looking up at a boss; its more about working together as a group to solve problems
(Karsh 61). This notion of connectedness greatly impacts how you perceive hierarchy in the
workplace. With social networking, connections can be made like a spider web. With the Baby
Boomers, a chain of command was just that-a chain. It started and ended in specific points, and
movement up or down could only be made one link at a time. For Millennials, its not about the
hierarchy ladder. Its not about working countless hours to move up a rung on the ladder, to
climb slowly toward the top. To them, that sounds exhausting and unfulfilling. Millennials,
instead, are taking the career ladder-where the only way is up- into career scaffolding (Alsop 97).
You can take the ladder up toward management, but you can also take the parallel route for a
career transition. You can go up, around, or across to try out different jobs, and you can even take
the walkway down for less responsibility. There are different options to fit different people at
different points in their lives.
Companies such as Deloitte have embraced a similar idea, termed the career lattice.
(Cathy et. Al). Taking the ladders place is a corporate lattice, in which ideas, development and
recognition flow where they need to, along horizontal, vertical and diagonal paths. The lattice
makes possible more collaborative and customized ways to structure work, build careers and
foster participation. More organizations are moving away from the up-or-out philosophy to
retain and engage top talent. Millennial managers will support this idea of a career lattice as great
employees are shirking from the idea of climbing the corporate ladder.

Connect: You, Your People, and the Bigger Picture

Whether its being connected through technology, relationships, or purpose, it is apparent
that the idea of connection is integral to Millennial managers. You tend to see the world as a
network or spider web, where people, companies, and information all connect, support each
other, and make each other stronger.
The advent of the modern smartphone, which many consider to be the first installation of
the iPhone, has laid the foundation for this network to establish and grow (Heisler).
Collaboration-one of the Millennials strongest values, as mentioned earlier in this paperis based on and propelled by connecting. When you compare the two different generations, it is
easy to say that the Millennials have an inherent advantage over the Baby Boomers: they were
born into the technology age. Most are able to work a computer or send a text before the age of
10, which cannot be said for the older generation. Millennials are making business
communication much more casual. Usually it was communicating face-to-face, or on the phone;
now it is through email, tweeting, or texting, Many Millennials are of the opinion that long, foursentence paragraphs in emails will never be read, and most important things can be said in 140
characters or less (Karsh 64). According to a 2010 study by eMarketer, 43% of 18-24-years-olds
say that texting is just as meaningful as an actual conversation with someone over the phone
(By the Numbers). Since technology is so innate for the younger generation, they ted to
communicate via technology rather than old-fashioned face-to-face meetings. It makes sense too;
technology helps you communicate, learn, and mange on the fly and the assumption is that
everyone else is connected as well. As managers, they communicate on the fly and expect their
teams to do the same. Communication- anytime, anywhere.
Conclusion
Millennials are essentially an upgraded version of their Baby Boomer counterparts. Their
connectedness, new leadership style, and increased autonomy and freedom allows them to be
more innovative and productive in a time where innovation and production are essential in any

successful, modern company. This exploration revealed the stark differences between the
Millennials and the Baby Boomers, specifically on how the former runs their businesses
differently than the latter. Millennials are going to be the future leaders of the world. In a sense,
they are already todays leaders, but there arent enough in those leadership positions just yet. As
the Baby Boomers continue to retire and leave their managerial positions, the only logical
candidate for those positions are the Millennials. But the real question is: who will replace the
Millennials in the corporate environment in the future?
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