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How millennials are changing project management

While you will find tried, tested, and true elements of project management, millennials are bringing fresh perspectives – leveraging technological advancements and placing additional focus in areas like economic, ecological, and social factors.


Alex Shootman, CEO at Workfront, a cloud-based enterprise work and project management solution provider, said learning to help millennials is essential since “digital natives now rule, and can surge in power and influence in the next many years.”

“Just like any immigrant and native in the society, you will find differences, and those differences changes businesses,” said Shootman. “Differences include that digital natives view the workplace as egalitarian vs. hierarchical, they like telecommuting and flexible hours and the possibility to make-up work remotely, (i.e., coming from a cafe over a weekend or during vacation).”

“Natives like multitasking or task switching and prefer to understand ‘just-in-time’ simply what exactly is minimally necessary.” Shootman said millennials “interact and network simultaneously with many, even countless others. Egalitarian, flexible, task switching, just-in-time skills and highly networked. This isn’t the current office.”

SEE: Millennials are two times as bored at the job as baby boomers, report says

Why the main focus around the role of millennials in projects?

“By 2020, millennials can make up half the worldwide labor force, and also by 2030, they’ll are the cause of 75%. Millennials’ aversion to hidden agendas, rigid corporate structures and data silos in conjunction with a willingness to explore new opportunities will fundamentally change the nature of work or severely cost businesses,” said Eric Bergman, vp of Cheap Project Management Books at Changepoint, a specialist services automation company. “Gallup estimates millennial turnover costs the US economy $30.5 billion annually.” Bergman believes organizations will focus more extensively on employees and their needs to be able to address the negative impact of churn on productivity, quality, and repair.

Exactly what does this implies for project activities that support business goals?
Bergman declared that recently, businesses realized their survival hinged on embracing digital transformation. Now, adjusting to shifting expectations means delivering IT capabilities that complement business priorities. The most agile, tech-forward corporations are rewriting their playbook industry by storm evolving expectations.”
Marianne Crann, director, hr at Changepoint adds “Millennials are disrupting traditional business models. We have seen this in HR for a long time. But now, everyday processes must be updated to match new generations of talent. They work differently and possess different expectations. Companies that find that sweet spot-the the one that attracts talent without detracting in the success of the business-will gain happier staff and happier stakeholders, whatever the generation.” Changepoint has even gone into greater detail on millennials and project management inside their new 2017 trends report.

At GlassSKY, a firm focused on the empowerment and development of women, founder Robyn Tingley believes millennials differ inside their procedure for timelines, collaboration, and communication. “Millennials have a far better a feeling of work/life balance than Gen Xers,” she said. “This doesn’t suggest which they won’t invest extra time if the situation demands it, or reply to correspondence after hours, however they will most definitely expect that is the exception.” Tingley declared that in addition than other generations, millennials are drawing boundaries more clearly knowning that this new attitude is a odds with the old ‘all nighter’ mentality of project management deadlines. “It’s making project leaders rethink deadlines, the best way to schedule work and wins, key milestones what is truly realistic and achievable as soon as your key players clock out prior to when the best choice, and prior to when anyone from the older generations expect,” said Tingley. “It entails selection should be placed on steroids…should your associates are going to be productive for 8 hours, you can not ask them to spending 2-3 of these on a daily basis in meetings presenting powerpoints and flow charts to acquire consensus around change requests and scope adjustments.”

When it comes as a result of collaboration Tingley said millennials excel: “They are true team players and want to solicit inputs and views and are natural connectors.” And they also expect tools to help keep pace. “Static whiteboards that can not be seen unless you require a snapshot, SharePoint sites, Excel spreadsheets, and corporations that do not have adequate video conference solutions are dinosaurs in their eyes,” said Tingley. “Project managers must embrace and support modernized software that may handle collaborative brainstorming, real-time updates, multiples readers and users, integrated video, voice plus more.”

Regarding communication, Tingley said millennials are “the true tech generation; gadget-friendly, always on, highly responsive tech connoisseurs, and they also communicate in a nutshell bursts of emojis and splintered spelling. Email just won’t work to align teams, manage inputs, and drive performance.” With the rise of virtual workers and geographically-distanced teams, Tingley predicted that project management apps can become the brand new norm. “The future just may entail millennials working in the local coffeehouse, uploading a visible chart they just drew or perhaps a photo they snapped of something inspirational, and the entire team can easily see it and make about it, click to vote yes/no, drag it to another location two-quarters out for any future phase, etc,” she said.
How do millennials see their role in projects and affect business goals?

“The millennial generation has become dubbed the ‘selfie generation,'” said Daniel Malak, who works best for Motionloft, a provider of hyperlocal pedestrian and automobile traffic sensors. “I want to think it’s more the ‘self-starter’ generation. Young professionals realize that in paying down student education loans, advancing inside their career, and establishing relevant experiences for growth takes a decisive attitude towards signing up for and leading new projects.”

Malack, a millennial, believes his generation is interested in not only meeting expectations of a project, but exceeding them as well. “Millennials are nimble and can adapt faster to changes a lot better than others,” he stated. “Younger associates can oftentimes become more determined to deliver, knowning that presents a fascinating situation in which projects become opportunities instead of hurdles…deadlines are managed over the implementation of new communication methods, that may both expedite the work and increase the bottom line concurrently.”

What should companies eliminate because of this?

Millennials are the future, bringing newer perspectives plus more innovative approaches. Companies must harness their contributions and recognize the true potential they possess.
Technology is almost wired to the DNA of the tech savvy group in ways the first sort generations may well not understand fully and appreciate. This may cause millennials a hybrid solution in of themselves and a strong resource for projects.
Millennials must not be automatically mistaken as ‘not as experienced’, or unaware. They’ve appear via a business climate that is certainly more diverse, complex, dynamic, and yes, more stressful than other generations. This may cause their experiences and contributions highly valuable. Project teams should leverage their varied insights for improved outcomes.
When companies can harness the complete combined potential of previous generations and millennials, the outcome can provide a far more sustainable solution than relying on only one or another.
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