While there are tried, tested, and true facets of project management, millennials are bringing fresh perspectives – leveraging technological advancements and placing additional concentrate areas like economic, ecological, and social factors.

Alex Shootman, CEO at Workfront, a cloud-based enterprise work and project management solution provider, said learning how to use millennials is essential since “digital natives now rule, and will surge in power and influence within the next a long period.”

“Just like any immigrant and native in the society, there are differences, and the ones differences will alter businesses,” said Shootman. “Differences include that digital natives see the workplace as egalitarian vs. hierarchical, they prefer telecommuting and flexible hours and also the chance to comprise work remotely, (i.e., from your cafe with a weekend or while on vacation).”

“Natives like multitasking or task switching and prefer to find out ‘just-in-time’ in support of what’s minimally necessary.” Shootman said millennials “interact and network simultaneously with many, even a huge selection of others. Egalitarian, flexible, task switching, just-in-time skills and highly networked. This is not the actual workplace.”

SEE: Millennials are twice as bored at the office as baby boomers, report says

Why the main objective for the role of millennials in projects?

“By 2020, millennials will 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 knowledge silos along with a willingness to understand more about new opportunities will fundamentally alter the nature of labor or severely cost businesses,” said Eric Bergman, vp of Project Management Books at Changepoint, an experienced services automation company. “Gallup estimates millennial turnover costs the usa economy $30.5 billion annually.” Bergman believes organizations will focus more extensively on employees along with their needs to be able to address the negative impact of churn on productivity, quality, fix.

Exactly what does this suggest for project activities that support business goals?
Bergman said 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 businesses are rewriting their playbook when confronted with evolving expectations.”
Marianne Crann, director, human resources at Changepoint adds “Millennials are disrupting traditional business models. We have seen this in HR for decades. The good news is, everyday processes must be updated to support new generations of talent. They work differently and possess different expectations. Companies that see that sweet spot-the the one which attracts talent without detracting in the success from the business-will gain happier staff and happier stakeholders, regardless of generation.” Changepoint has gone into greater detail on millennials and project management inside their new 2017 trends report.

At GlassSKY, a firm focused on the empowerment and growth of women, founder Robyn Tingley believes millennials differ inside their procedure for timelines, collaboration, and communication. “Millennials use a much better feeling of work/life balance than Gen Xers,” she said. “This does not mean which they won’t devote more time if the situation demands it, or respond to correspondence after hours, nevertheless they will most definitely expect that to be the exception.” Tingley said that in addition than other generations, millennials are drawing boundaries more clearly which this new thought process reaches odds with all the old ‘all nighter’ mentality of project management deadlines. “It’s making project leaders rethink deadlines, how you can schedule work and wins, key milestones what is actually truly realistic and achievable when your key players clock out sooner than the best, and sooner than anyone inside the older generations expect,” said Tingley. “It includes selection has to be put on steroids…should your downline shall be productive for just 8 hours, you cannot have them spending 2-3 of the daily in meetings presenting powerpoints and flow charts to have consensus around change requests and scope adjustments.”

When considering right down to collaboration Tingley said millennials excel: “They are true team players and like to solicit inputs and views and are natural connectors.” And so they expect tools to maintain pace. “Static whiteboards that can not be seen until you require a snapshot, SharePoint sites, Excel spreadsheets, companies that don’t have adequate video conference solutions are dinosaurs for many years,” said Tingley. “Project managers must embrace and support modernized software that can handle collaborative brainstorming, real-time updates, multiples readers and users, integrated video, voice and more.”

Regarding communication, Tingley said millennials are “the true tech generation; gadget-friendly, always on, highly responsive tech connoisseurs, and so they communicate to put it briefly bursts of emojis and splintered spelling. Email just won’t work to align teams, manage inputs, and drive performance.” Using the rise of virtual workers and geographically-distanced teams, Tingley predicted that project management apps can be the modern norm. “The future just may entail millennials working on the local coffee shop, uploading a visible chart they only drew or possibly a photo they snapped of something inspirational, and also the entire team can easily see it and create into it, click to vote yes/no, drag it to a higher two-quarters out for a future phase, etc,” she said.
How must millennials see their role in projects and effect on business goals?

“The millennial generation may be dubbed the ‘selfie generation,'” said Daniel Malak, who works best for Motionloft, a provider of hyperlocal pedestrian and automobile traffic sensors. “I like to think it’s more the ‘self-starter’ generation. Young professionals understand that in reducing student loans, advancing inside their career, and establishing relevant experiences for growth requires a decisive attitude towards dealing with and leading new projects.”

Malack, a millennial, believes his generation is interested in not just meeting expectations of a project, but exceeding them as well. “Millennials are nimble and will adapt faster to changes a lot better than others,” he was quoted saying. “Younger associates can oftentimes be a little more going to deliver, which presents an interesting situation where projects become opportunities rather than hurdles…deadlines are managed with the implementation of latest communication methods, which can both expedite the work and boost the important thing at the same time.”

What should companies detract using this?

Millennials are the future, bringing newer perspectives and more innovative approaches. Companies must harness their contributions and recognize the true potential they possess.
Technology is almost wired into the DNA with this tech savvy group in such a way the prior generations may not understand fully and appreciate. As a result millennials a hybrid solution by themselves and a strong source of projects.
Millennials mustn’t be automatically mistaken as ‘not as experienced’, or unaware. They’ve surface by way of a business climate that’s more diverse, complex, dynamic, you will find, more stressful than other generations. As a result their experiences and contributions highly valuable. Project teams should leverage their varied insights for improved outcomes.
When companies can harness the total combined potential of previous generations and millennials, the end result can provide a sustainable solution than relying on only one or the other.
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