Generations Blog

What? You know — an anomaly — a one-time occurance — like that time somebody spilled a cup of coffee on a big report and in response you banned all food and drink in the office forever. One of the topics that comes up consistently in the conversations I have with young workers is the LACK of consistency among the supervisors they work for. I have to wonder what impact this has on the turnover of Millennials.

I’ll be the first one to say that managers are having an increasingly difficult time remaining consistent when there is so much pressure to do more with less. This, coupled with all those young people who think they know their workplace rights, can play havoc on anyone’s ability to treat everyone fairly. There is also emotion that enters into the equation. Finally, you spend more time with these people than you do with your family, so getting sideways with them can make your life uncomfortable long-term. 

But all of that said, consistency can make or break any supevisor with the youngest generation. We, as a society, have trained them to expect complete fairness. We do it thru our media and through our management books. We even do it in training sessions on the job. Now let’s be realistic. There’s no such thing as absolute consistency. We know that and, I believe, they know it as well. So this is more about sincerely and effort than it is about adjudication of policy.

The most effective managers I’ve met are good communicators. They take time to explain expectations clearly. They explain their actions to everyone. They are open to disucussion about decisions. But these managers are also confident in their authority and recognize that not every decision will be popular with everyone. They also understand that the final decision resides with them. So when someone accuses them of inconsistency, they can point to a trail of events that led up to the decision made and why.  If the plaintiff still feels that the decision was unfair, that is that person’s privilege. But at least he or she accepts that the decision was consistent with past actions.

 So the next time one of those anomalous situations comes up, you might want to reflect on your past actions  before making a decision. Take time to rehearse what you’re going to say and be prepared for questions and concerns. Millennials, and most others, will appreciate the effort.