21st Century leaders reap the benefits of sharing their vision and empowering staff

Generation Y individuals have a huge influence in 2014, both as employees and as customers.  Now in their 30s, many Gen Y employees are climbing the corporate ladder and beginning to take influential positions. Having grown up with technology they know the power of effective communications and understand that growth evolves from companies listening as well as broadcasting. Being aware of the global world and economy they have a desire to be part of something bigger and so are joining companies who can offer them more than just money. They want to be listened to and heard.  They want to have an impact and they want to feel that they belong.

The problem is that many of today’s leaders come from previous generations and are stuck in the traditional corporate world with it’s rigid pyramid leadership model.  Communication is broadcast from the top down and those in the lower tiers have little or no influence over strategy, decision-making or operations.

Slowly, but surely a new way is emerging, and the quicker you get on-board, the quicker you will reap the benefits of longevity, sustainability and increased productivity.  

As early as the 1990s John Sculley, formerly of Apple Inc stated that  “The new corporate contract is that we’ll offer you an opportunity to express yourself and grow, if you promise to leash yourself to our dream, at least for a while”

Sculley saw the need to get employees on-board the dream but did not go as far as being prepared to share the ownership of the dream.  The statement was weighted in favour of the company, making the assumption that employees would be sufficiently satisfied with their opportunity to ‘grow and express’ themselves.  For many generation Y employees this is not enough; they have a desire to feel a degree of ownership in the product(s) and therefore play a recognised part in the success of the company. They want to see a commitment from the company and, in turn, are prepared go the extra mile when required to get the job done.

For the ‘new way’ to work employees need to fully understand ‘the dream’ i.e. the essence, the vision and the purpose of the company, so they can judge whether they want to be involved. There needs to be a congruence and compatability between the aims and ideals of the employer and the employed.  Communication has to flow freely up and down the company so the leadership listens and acts on ideas and guidance from front line employees. The best ideas can come from those who either work closely with a product or deal directly with customers and hear their feedback, and a top down leadership model rarely allows for this free flow of information.  

To move your organisation forwards and make sure that you keep the up and coming generation Y employees engaged your communications strategy, style and content have to be spot-on.

• Be confident that you can express your essence, vision, and culture in a language that can be easily understood
• Be personal – let others see your passion for the company and don’t hide behind scripts written and performed by others
• Invite ideas for new strategy, products, and operational improvements
• Listen – really listen, and let employees know that you value their input.
• Congratulate and reward actions that are of value to the company

There is a new way, and the organisations that get on-board now will reap the benefits for generations to come.