While you’ll find tried, tested, and true facets of project management software, 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 software solution provider, said finding out how to work with millennials is essential since “digital natives now rule, and definately will boost in power and influence over the next a long period.”
“Just like any immigrant and native within a society, you’ll find differences, and those differences will change businesses,” said Shootman. “Differences include that digital natives look at the workplace as egalitarian vs. hierarchical, they like telecommuting and versatile hours along with the chance to make up work remotely, (i.e., from your cafe over a weekend or while you’re on vacation).”
“Natives like multitasking or task switching and prefer to find out ‘just-in-time’ and only what exactly is 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 existing work place.”
SEE: Millennials are doubly as bored in the office as baby boomers, report says
Why the target for the role of millennials in projects?
“By 2020, millennials could make up half the world labourforce, and also by 2030, they’ll take into account 75%. Millennials’ aversion to hidden agendas, rigid corporate structures and information silos in conjunction with a willingness to educate yourself regarding new opportunities will fundamentally affect the nature at work or severely cost businesses,” said Eric Bergman, v . p . of Project Management Books at Changepoint, a professional 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 as a way to address the negative impact of churn on productivity, quality, and service.
Precisely 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. Even most agile, tech-forward corporations are rewriting their playbook when confronted with evolving expectations.”
Marianne Crann, director, hours at Changepoint adds “Millennials are disrupting traditional business models. We’ve seen this in HR for many years. However, everyday processes have to be updated to match new generations of talent. They work differently and have different expectations. Firms that realize that sweet spot-the one which attracts talent without detracting from your success from the business-will gain happier staff and happier stakeholders, regardless of the generation.” Changepoint has gone into greater detail on millennials and project management software in their new 2017 trends report.
At GlassSKY, a company specialized in the empowerment and continuing development of women, founder Robyn Tingley believes millennials differ in their method of timelines, collaboration, and communication. “Millennials possess a much better a sense work/life balance than Gen Xers,” she said. “This does not mean they won’t put in an extension cord if the situation demands it, or reply to correspondence after hours, nonetheless they will most likely expect that to be the exception.” Tingley said that in addition than other generations, millennials are drawing boundaries more clearly understanding that this new way of thinking is at odds with the old ‘all nighter’ mentality of project management software deadlines. “It’s making project leaders rethink deadlines, how you can schedule work and wins, key milestones and what’s truly realistic and achievable as soon as your key players clock out sooner than the first choice, and sooner than anyone within the older generations expect,” said Tingley. “It entails decisions must be placed on steroids…should your team members are going to be productive for just 8 hours, you can’t keep these things spending 2-3 of these every day in meetings presenting powerpoints and flow charts to have consensus around change requests and scope adjustments.”
When considering into collaboration Tingley said millennials excel: “They are true team players and prefer to solicit inputs and views and are natural connectors.” And they also expect tools to help keep pace. “Static whiteboards that can’t be seen if you do not require a snapshot, SharePoint sites, Excel spreadsheets, and companies that do not have adequate video conference solutions are dinosaurs for many years,” said Tingley. “Project managers should embrace and support modernized software that may handle collaborative brainstorming, real-time updates, multiples readers and users, integrated video, voice plus much more.”
Regarding communication, Tingley said millennials are “the true tech generation; gadget-friendly, always on, highly responsive tech connoisseurs, and so they communicate simply speaking bursts of emojis and splintered spelling. Email just will not work to align teams, manage inputs, and drive performance.” With the rise of virtual workers and geographically-distanced teams, Tingley predicted that project management software apps can be the new norm. “The future just may entail millennials working on the local coffeehouse, uploading a visible chart they merely drew or perhaps a photo they snapped of something inspirational, along with the entire team can easily see it and produce into it, click to vote yes/no, drag it to another location two-quarters out to get a future phase, etc,” she said.
How do millennials see their role in projects and effect on business goals?
“The millennial generation continues to be dubbed the ‘selfie generation,'” said Daniel Malak, who works best for Motionloft, a company of hyperlocal pedestrian and vehicle traffic sensors. “I prefer to think it’s more the ‘self-starter’ generation. Young professionals know that in paying off student loans, advancing in their career, and establishing relevant experiences for growth needs a decisive attitude towards signing up for and leading new projects.”
Malack, a millennial, believes his generation is interested in not simply meeting expectations of an project, but exceeding them as well. “Millennials are nimble which enable it to adapt faster to changes much better than others,” he explained. “Younger associates can oftentimes be a little more going to deliver, understanding that presents a fascinating situation where projects become opportunities as opposed to hurdles…deadlines are managed from the implementation of new communication methods, which could both expedite the job and boost the net profit as well.”
What should companies take away because of this?
Millennials would be the future, bringing newer perspectives plus much more innovative approaches. Companies should harness their contributions and recognize the true potential they possess.
Technologies are almost wired to the DNA of this tech savvy group with techniques the first sort generations might not understand fully and appreciate. This may cause 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 having a business climate that is certainly more diverse, complex, dynamic, company, 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 full combined potential of previous generations and millennials, the outcome can provide a much more sustainable solution than relying on just one or another.
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