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Meeting the Millennials Where They Are
By: Andy Bergman

You’re seeing a shift in your training sessions. Suddenly the new young staff seems bored - disinterested in theory and concepts and even sending text messages, playing on Facebook and tweeting during the session. Their manager is telling you they need to be walked through every step of processes and crave recognition for even minimal performance, and it’s your fault because they weren’t trained correctly.

These are the millennials who are joining your organization.

Let’s take a look at who these millennials are on their own terms. Here are just a few attributes:

• Born in or after 1980
• First generation to grow up around digital media
• Busiest generation of kids we’ve ever seen – parents who micromanaged schedules to accommodate for tee-ball, karate club, trumpet lessons and soccer camp. They are used to structured schedules and being busy.
• Hang out virtually at websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
• Raised by very active, involved parents who have probably been apart of almost every decision they have made.

I must confess - I am a millennial. I have grown up with DVDs, a cell phone, an ipod, and instant messaging. I have goals and want to achieve big things, but the focus is on short-term goals at the moment. You can’t train me the same way you trained the other employees five or 10 years ago; you need to tell me how the training will help me in my long-term career. The best part is I’m a sponge, eager to soak up as much knowledge as you want to give me, but you have to approach my training correctly with many different mediums. I multitask, and I try to do it well. As I am writing this piece, I am chatting on Facebook with a friend in Chicago, listening to music from my itunes and responding to text messages about my evening plans.

How are you designing and developing the “right” mix of learning to reach me in the training session?

Ann Marie Dinkel, a faculty member at the State University of New York –Delhi offers six suggestions to help engage millennials in the training session.

1. Involve them in decisions, discussions, and training. Let them suggest and select potential topics for discussion. Ask them for present situations they have encountered with the trainer serving as the facilitator of the group discussion. Let them research a situation and communicate their findings to the group. Use their familiarity with collaboration to foster communication with more experienced staff to solve problems.
   
2. Make it “hands on.” Train staff on new equipment by using the equipment, not just pictures of equipment. Get out the manual – let them take turns reading the information out loud, determining as a group what it means (focusing on collaboration again) and performing the operation under supervision. Engage them in the process; millennials learn by doing.
   
3. Focus on real world situations. Instead of developing SOPs for a new project and then making everyone read them to document training, allow the group to gather and organize the rough version of the basic information. This provides relevant training by focusing on the fundamental millennial question, “Why?” “Why do I need to clean the cage this often?” “Why do they need to be fed this way?” Once the information is collected, the formatting details can be added for the official version.
   
4. Use technology. Try a podcast or a video message delivered via email. Consider providing “just-in-time” learning or a small e-learning segment that fit into 10 or 15-minute blocks that can be blended with the classroom session and are available for Blackberrys and iphones.
   
5. Assign a “training buddy.” Millennials have had a structured upbringing; a more experienced staff member can model behaviors and serve as a role model and sounding board for younger staff.
   
6. When lecture is necessary, vary how the message is presented. Bring in outside speakers, play a game. Incorporate group discussion to highlight an important concept.

Finally, this generation has been told they are brilliant and exceptional as they have grown up. Positive feedback is key to their continued well-being. Be generous with “Good job!” “That’s what I want to see!” and other praise phrases.

I ask you, no I beg you, to please take a look how your training sessions are being conducted. If you engage me in your session with current, relevant and informative interactive formats and a somewhat fun session, I won’t throw out your training session with last month’s top Youtube video.

Sources:
Dinkel, A. M., (2009, April). Tools for Training: Training Millennials. ALN Magazine, Retrieved
from http://www.alnmag.com/articles.ap?pid=432

Raines, C. (2003). Connecting Generations. Berkeley, CA: Crisp Publications.

Summerfield, B, & Wickman, L. (2008, December). The future of learning. Chief Learning Officer, 22.

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• Go to www.twitter.com/ciastd. This will take you to the CIASTD twitter page. Did you know CIASTD was tweeting? What are we tweeting about? Check out our page to read tweets from past meetings and learn more about upcoming events.
  
• Go to www.twitter.com and search on a keyword for your industry or a current event. You might even add a hashtag (#) in front of your search. Hashtags are a way to identify key terms in a post and allows others to search for that term with that hashtag. For example, try #ASTD or #CPLP.

• Keep up with the latest trends in your industry.
• Learn more about world events in real time.
• Network with peers in your industry.
• Discover what the competition is doing.
• Follow what others have to say about your product or service.
• Share what you are learning.
• Find a job or recruit for an open position.
• Establish your online identity.
• Advertise a product or service.
• Promote an event.
• Participate in a Twitter chat.

• Are you using Twitter?
• Do you have a good story to share about how it is helping you either professionally or personally?
• Are you new to Twitter and still trying to "get" it?

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WE are ASTD
By: Andrea Moore

Tony Bingham, President of ASTD, is very clear about the fact that we are all ASTD. His mission to continue the connection of national and local chapters continues with the Power of 2, an initiative to encourage joint membership.

To ensure that national ASTD is doing their part to support local chapters and the marketing of national membership, they have recently introduced the NORE, National Operating Requirements. Tony Bingham demonstrated his commitment to and the importance of these requirements by hosting a photo opportunity and official signing of the affiliation agreement.

Shown in this photo with Tony are CIASTD board members Andrea Moore, President (front, left), Lida Pinkham, VP of Technology (back, left), and Deb Lang, VP of Communications (back, right).

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By: Andrea Moore, CIASTD 2009 President

Returning Home from ASTD’s Leadership Conference . . . Thinking about 2010 — The Year to Get Personal

As I type this, I am on a plane returning home from my third ASTD Leadership Conference, an annual conference for chapter leaders; it provides a great opportunity to share and leverage best practices and network with other chapter leaders across the country. While I have certainly been enthusiastic upon my return in previous years, there is something special about how I am feeling today. I am overwhelmed with the possibilities and energy around CIASTD in 2010 (and beyond), and I am looking forward to leading a talented group of board members and volunteers into unchartered territory this year.

I’ve been throwing around an idea for the past few weeks that was born out of an inspiring conversation with Deb Lang, VP of Communications for CIASTD . . . “2010 is the year to get personal.” This idea was with me throughout the course of the conference; while I don’t yet fully know what it means, I trust that it will make its way into our strategy as the board gets into planning the year and the future of our chapter.

The idea of getting personal is a personal one for me. There is immense passion and potential within our membership, and I want to do my part in helping individuals tap into and realize that potential. I want this year’s development opportunities to go deeper and resonate with individuals in new, more personal ways. It will be great fun exploring the possibilities . . .

Andrea is a senior consultant at FlashPoint, a multidiscipline HR consulting firm in Indianapolis. As a certified professional in learning and performance and a certified empowerment coach, she focuses on the growth and development of individuals, work teams, and leaders.

For information on speaking at a future CIASTD meeting, visit www.CIASTD.org.

If writing is your specialty, we are always on the lookout for articles which further learning in the areas of training and development. While we may not be able to publish every article we receive, we believe each issue of The Facilitator would be enriched by the addition of articles from CIASTD members. As a bonus, there’s VIP bucks awaiting each published article! Submit articles by emailing them to martie.hoofer@salliemae.com. We prefer files in Microsoft Word or Adobe pdf format.