Young, Competent and Nice

She worked at a restaurant that was slightly more than a fast food takeout place. I'm sure you're familiar with them. You place your order and get a number, choose a table, and wait until you're called to pick up your order at the counter. When you finish your meal, you can either return your tray and trash to the counter or you can leave them on the table for disposal by a dining room attendant.

She looked very young, typical of the high school student a restaurant like this tends to hire. She was very pleasant in greeting us and taking our order. Her product knowledge and competency came through as she made a special effort to show us how to order our meals in a slightly different way that would lower the total cost.

Later, when our number was called and we went to pick up our meal, she realized that she should have given us our drink cups at the time of order. She apologized profusely, gave us our cups and suggested we get our drinks while she carried our tray to the table.

We finished our meal and began to carry our tray and trash to the front counter. She happened to be walking our way and said "I'll take that for you. I'm on dining room clean up now and it's part of my job."

What a wonderful employee. I told you this story because I'm sure she's a millennial employee, a generation of employees we've begun to discuss on Pelleyblog. See the post yesterday and the day before. As I've said before, I have difficulty with the idea that "all" (or even "most") young people are not good employees. I simply refuse to believe that.

While it's true that some younger employees, and some older ones as well, are not good employees, it is equally true that some young people are motivated, dedicated, and choose to do the best work they possibly can both in school and for their employer. Indeed, the need to do well in all that they do seems to be a common trait among millennials. Yet their non-traditional approach to work and their significantly different approach to life does create difficulties in the workplace as well as challenges and opportunities for the manager of millennials.

About me: For 25 years, Dan Pelley has presented supervisory management development programs in Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA) and Connecticut (CT). He is the 2004 recipient of the Richard Fontaine Award for Teaching Excellence awarded by Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, CT.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
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