The Millennial Whisperer: The Practical, Profit-Focused Playbook for Working With and Motivating the World's Largest Generation

by Chris Tuff

Overview

Written by a leader for leaders, The Millennial Whisperer shares proven, profit-driven strategies for leading millennials in the workforce.

The Millennial generation is the largest, most diverse generation in the history of the United States. They will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2030. Unfortunately, Millennials made a poor first impression in the business world, developing the reputation of being lazy, entitled, selfish, and disloyal. The truth is, Millennials are no lazier or more entitled, selfish, or disloyal than any previous generation; they just grew up with different experiences than older generations and are motivated by different things.

In The Millennial Whisperer, Chris Tuff puts into context the ways Millennials differ from previous generations and shares practical steps companies and leaders can take to immediately boost productivity without building an office full of ping pong tables, beer kegs, and participation trophies. Chris provides practical ways for leaders to build a corporate culture in which Millennials can thrive, establish effective rewards systems at lower cost, address disciplinary methods effectively, and more! Get ready to turn your conference room back into a conference room, bring the beer kegs home for your next birthday bash, and put the participation trophies in the trash where they belong.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642792775
Publisher:	Morgan James Publishing
Publication date:	03/12/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	206
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Chris Tuff is a partner at the advertising agency 22squared in Atlanta, GA where he took a team of millennials from an “investment” to a major profit center in short order. He started his career as one of the first marketers to focus on helping startups, including Facebook in 2005. Since then, he’s become a sought-after leader in the digital marketing space, having been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, in Fast Company, and consistently in advertising trade publication features, including Adage and Advertising Weekly. When Chris isn’t working, he spends quality time with his wife and two daughters. They currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia, and also spend time at a family home in Jamestown, Rhode Island.

Table of Contents

Foreword xv

Acknowledgements xix

Free Millennial Leadership Assessment xxi

Preface 1

Introduction Debunking the Millennial Myths 9

Chapter 1 Creating a Culture for Millennials to Thrive 37

Chapter 2 Attracting the Right Millennial 63

Chapter 3 Getting and Keeping Millennials Engaged 79

Chapter 4 Managing Millennial Angst 105

Chapter 5 Rewarding and Recognizing Millennials 121

Chapter 6 Getting the Most out of Millennials 137

Chapter 7 Promoting Millennials 155

Chapter 8 Maintaining Millennial Morale 163

Make it Happen 173

About the Author 177

Endnotes 179

Editorial Reviews

2019-02-19

An instructional guide focuses on the care and feeding of millennials in the workplace.

As an ad agency managing partner, Tuff found himself in charge of a team made up entirely of millennials. This appealing debut chronicles his challenges in this role while offering very specific, sensible tactics for how to lead those employees, who are now statistically the largest generation in the American labor force. The author begins by debunking some of the more negative, common myths about millennials, such as their supposed laziness and narcissism, citing research studies and his own firsthand observations. He also points out an important distinction between older millennials, who are less technology savvy and more cynical, and younger ones, who are more connected and feedback-oriented. The heart of the well-executed book is Tuff's philosophy of millennial management, which flows through eight short chapters that address company culture, recruitment and retention, rewards and recognition, motivation, and morale. Each chapter details ideas and on-the-job stories designed to assist any manager to become more adept at leading millennials appropriately. Perhaps most helpful are the "Make It Happen" sections that close each chapter with step-by-step tactics. For example, to create a millennial-friendly workplace, Tuff suggests such actions as "Hero your people," "Permit your Millennial team members to help craft the culture," and "Delete your negative attitude." For those managers who scratch their heads about building relationships with millennials, he advises, "Follow your employees on social media and engage with their social channels" and "Provide Millennials with an opportunity to pursue their passions within their work." Some of the author's advice, such as encouraging millennials to be entrepreneurial, perhaps even by "starting a business incubator program" within a company, may give pause to traditionalists, but it reinforces Tuff's premise that managing millennials requires a different mindset. Interestingly, the author has found that with millennials, public recognition of effort is as important as a reward, and that small, regular, meaningful perks, such as concert tickets, may be perceived as more valuable than cash bonuses. Insights like these confirm Tuff's self-proclaimed status as "The Millennial Whisperer."

Perceptive, passionate, and actionable tips on managing millennials.

Kirkus Reviews