10 Dos and 7 Don’ts for Mentoring Millennials

Meaningful work is part of meaningful living for people ages 26 to 41*. Mentoring Millennials is changing lives, not simply equipping workers.

Mentoring Millennials is changing lives, not simply equipping workers. Image of online mentor.

Characteristics of Millennials:

  1. Love meaningful work.
  2. Resist hierarchy and boundaries created by status.
  3. Value relationships more than position.
  4. Open to change. Adaptive in approach.
  5. Crave flexibility.
  6. Care about quality more than productivity.
  7. Yearn to learn and grow.
  8. Appreciate daily and weekly feedback. Don’t wait for annual reviews.
  9. Provide creative options. Love to share opinions.
  10. Place importance on collaboration.
Mentoring makes life richer for everyone. Image of aged journals.

Dos and don’ts for mentoring Millennials:

10 Dos:

  1. Speak the truth. Coddling promotes entitlement. Provide forward-facing feedback.
  2. Show respect. You aren’t better-than because you have experience.
  3. Honor talent and skills.
  4. Take the perspective of others. See the world through the lens of others when you want to influence others.
  5. Lighten up. Let yourself be happy. Laugh. Have fun.
  6. Provide space for commitments. You can’t coerce people into change. Those who aren’t committed find fault. Those who are committed find a way.
  7. Challenge thinking. Ignite imagination. Use variety.
  8. Notice and speak to their values.
  9. Leverage interest in teamwork. Mentoring a Millennial is opportunity to develop and strengthen collaboration.
  10. Connect on a personal level.

7 Don’ts:

  1. Meddle or micromanage.
  2. Rely on giving orders without reasons. Mentoring Millennials includes reasons and purpose.
  3. Overuse corrective feedback. Correct clearly but enable and equip more.
  4. Resent their need for time with you.
  5. Misjudge desire to advance for entitlement.
  6. Fear using technology. Mentoring Millennials online works for them.
  7. Talk down.

“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” Bob Proctor

What are you learning about mentoring?

Inspiration for this post comes from:

Rediscovering the Joy of Mentoring

Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins

10 Common Characteristics of the Millennial Generation

Mentoring Millennials

The Mentor’s Guide, by Zachary and Fain

*Age range is true in 2022.

Category : Leading