It is safe to say that every healthcare system will look very different two years from now with unexpected new challenges we can't foresee.
And with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) now about to be upended in some way, another set of seismic changes is headed our way. How can we possibly keep up, adapt and engage the workforce? I believe the sooner we quit thinking of health systems like fortune 500 companies and start treating them like Silicon Valley start-ups, the better off we'll be.
And nobody is better suited to lead that charge than Millennials... pick a derogatory term to describe them... entitled, narcissistic, self-interested, unfocused or lazy. According to a 2016 study from the Advisory Board, the single largest category of staff fall into the 25-34 age group [1]. This is not just unique to healthcare. On the cover of the November issue of Harvard Business Review is the title of an article, What really keeps CEO's up at night? Among the major challenges discussed in the article, one is managing and retaining the millennial workforce [2].
My Own Experience
I was born in 1986, thirty-four days after the Challenger Space shuttle exploded over the Atlantic Ocean. This makes me... a millennial. There's a lot that is said about millennials and being the "generation of participation awards" and "helicopter parents." This is accurate and in my opinion, one of the best aspects of growing up in the 1980s and 1990s. My best memories of these days were the attention to detail I received from my coaches. Instant feedback after every play, game and event. I had the perfect role models for everything I was passionate about or set goals to achieve. They had done it before; they could walk me though scenarios and develop clear expectations that established a certain comfort level allowing me to remain calm in the storm. These were the coaching experiences we had as we worked to perfect our skills and master our craft. When the time came to enter the workforce, this attention to detail and professional coaching was absent, especially once into roles where the expectation was to lead and manage people.
Good mentors are made, not found – and you have to make them
The late president Ronald Reagan observed, "Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known." [3] It's ok to ask us what we want to be when we grow up. Seek that answer and then show us the way. We want you to. We like to talk through problems, we like when mentors share stories of their successes and failures. Give us advice, caution us about the inevitable pitfalls that lie ahead. Pick us up when we fall down. Give us constant feedback.
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. described this phenomena well, "The value of a mentor...I don't know what value you can place on it, but the right words spoken at the right time from a person that's been through it before...can make all the difference."[4] The mentorship I'm referring to requires frequent discussions where a safe environment is created. Worries and weaknesses can be addressed freely and the mentee is constantly learning. This is better than any formal class offered through any leadership program. When faced with big decisions, solutions can be formulated jointly. Smaller decisions can be discussed after. Walk us through our thought process, explain to us what we missed and the consequences certain decisions will inevitably have. Present us with scenarios you face and let us stumble through the correct solution. Let us watch you work. These sessions should be frequent and scheduled ahead of time. This guidance with our futuristic abilities can unleash an entire new generation of effective leaders.
Help us Help You: Building a Millennial-Friendly Healthcare World
In the past, youth was a handicap to professional success. Getting older meant more resources, more knowledge, more money but this is not true anymore. Technology has flipped ideas about expertise. Millennials grew up in the tech age and have way bigger ambitions. We are perfectly suited to the dynamic, entrepreneurial and impatient digital world we grew up in. If you want to change the world, being under thirty is now an advantage. [5]
Our industry is healthcare. I can't think of another industry that is changing so rapidly. The headlines are dominated by system merger and acquisitions, federal mandates, new technology, and challenges with access to care. It is safe to say that every healthcare system will look very different two years from now with unexpected new challenges. Millennials grew up in a time where they got the newest iPhone every two years. We've never picked up the phone to book a flight or call a cab. We've always utilized the newest technology to our advantage.
Where We Go From Here:
In 2015, I heard Doris Kearns Goodwin speak at the American Hospital Association conference. She briefly discussed her book, Team of Rivals, in which the 2014 movie, Lincoln, was based on [6]. The name Team of Rivals came from how Lincoln built his cabinet. He didn't elect his friends or those of similar minds, instead he chose a variety of personalities and individuals with different personal values. Three of his Cabinet members had previously run against Lincoln in the 1860 election. It is an interesting leadership approach that had a world changing outcome. There are four generations currently working together in healthcare with different independent motivational factors. We need all generations at the table making big decisions but too often this doesn't happen. Brainstorming sessions around future planning should always include those who will be managing the consequences of those decisions. Two things need to be done to engage the millennials and get us working to our full potential. The first step is to help us find true mentors. Most formal mentor programs established in organizations don't work. You check the boxes and go through the motions but there needs to be a relationship and an emotional investment on both sides. The second step is to level the playing field. Author, Ron Carucci, recently published an article titled, Six Things Millennial Leaders Need to Perform at Their Best [7]. One of his six recommendations is to "level the playing field". The author contends that "Between millennials and those they lead with, rank can't have privileges if you want to engage tomorrow's leaders. Neutralize hierarchy and the trappings of status associated with it, and approach work on equal footing. Mutual respect will emerge from being equals, not because of the authority one has." All generations need to be working collaboratively when facing barriers to success. Engaging millennials in committee work doesn't yield the same results that would happen if millennial leaders had skin in the game and had to face the consequences of their decisions. The shift to value-based care is going to require new and unique delivery models. Ones that may not even exist yet. Enter the millennials, who are uniquely qualified to solve problems that are largely new to the industry.
Healthcare today is tumultuous and the uncertain future can even be described as scary. It doesn't have to be. We have executives with years of experience to lean on and learn from. We have young leaders eager to face the challenges ahead. There's a mutual need and there needs to be a mutual respect. Together, we will accomplish great things.
References:
[1] Stop Turnover in the First Three Years. Advisory Board. http://www.advisory.com/. Accessed November 17, 2016.
[2] Ignatius, Adi. What CEOs really worry about. Harvard Business Review. November 2016:52-57.
[3] Clipper, B. The Nurse Manager's Guide to an Inter-Generational Workforce. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau International; 2013.
[4] Cruell, Gregory L. The Leaders Competencies. Raleigh, NC: Lulu Publishing Services; 2016.
[5] Howard, C. 30 Under 30 2016: Today's Brightest Young Stars and the Future Leaders of Everything. Forbes.com
[6] Goodwin, Doris K. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 2005.
[7] Carucci, R. Six Things Millennial Leaders Need to Perform at Their Best. Forbes.com.
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