How to Manage Entrepreneurial-Minded Employees

How to Manage Entrepreneurial-Minded Employees How to Manage Entrepreneurial-Minded Employees How to Manage Entrepreneurial-Minded Employees Bennington, Contributing Writer See if this sounds familiar. Youve justbrought ona new hire(say a Gen Y or new grad) who you really like well, except for one small problem: Theyre gunning to move up. Like, now. And while you think theyre just dipping a toe in their current role, theyre pushing for more responsibility and higher pay. This is a very tricky and very common dilemma for managers today. In fact, I just interviewed a young woman who was 12 weeks into the workforce and already frustrated with her career. She worked for a great company, had a great manager and liked her job so what was the deal? Get this: Her position had a two-year promotion track. Two years is like a decade to me, were her exact words. ManagingRacehorses I know, I know: Youre thinking thats ridiculous and she should feel lucky to be employed, right? Well, frankly, thats the problem. Because for as much as we like to moan about how long we had to pay our dues (and walk 8 miles in the snow) while insisting the next generation do the same, the fact of the matter is that its a different world. Yes, we can blame the parents for coddling their kids to the point thatthey expect you to cave in too. But it still doesnt change the fact thattop talent a.k.a. the ones we all want to hire are like racehorses behind the starting line. Theyre stomping, chomping at the bit, and just waiting for the doors of opportunity to fly open so they can chase the career carrot. Perhaps you recall the feeling.After all, its the reason you started your business in the first place. You wanted that entrepreneurial paradox of control and freedom. And so do they. Stoking Entrepreneurial Engagement Alright maybe you cant give them control. (After all, thats your job, right?) But there is something else you can give that means just at much if not more at this stage in their career. You can give them progress. Because heres the thing: Its easy for new grads to feel as if theyre falling behind when were all surrounded by tales of 27-year-old CEOs. (Geez, even I feel behind sometimes!) But if your hire feels that he or she is learning, growing, and advancing their skills and network they will reward you with employee loyalty! Just ask my first boss, Skip Lineberg, who turned what was supposed to be a temp job (for me) into a six year partnership not to mention a book deal. In retrospect, Im a little embarrassed to admit this but when I started working with Skip I asked for a promotion after just nine months. Here is the super-savvy way he managed it. First, he listened. He didnt try and convince me that I was too inexperienced or that nine months in the workforce was a little too early to get yippy about moving up. Instead, he heard me out and, after I made my case, he said hed give it some thought. Then, he asked me to prove my worth. He presented me with a simple one-pager called, Prove youre worth it. It was a list of 10 tasks I had to pick seven to complete in addition to the keeping up with the responsibilities of my current role. The list included things like: Picking a system in the office I felt could be improved and telling him how Id fix it. Hosting a Lunch n Learn for the rest of the staff. Attending a professional development course. Reading a classic business book and writing a summary of what I learned and how I was going to apply it to my job. You get the idea. Next, a check-in. He asked me to check-in with him after Id finished a task or if I had any questions along the way. After that, I was on my own. And while my manager never gave me a formal deadline (I suspect that was a not-so-subtle initiative test) it took me about 6 months to get all seven tasks complete. However, when everything was said and done I got the promotion and he got to buy some time. He also got to evaluate how I handled stress, how I solved problems, how committed I was, observemy employeeattitude and if what I would bring to jumping through those hoops to earn that new position. Smart cookie, huh? This was definitely a win-win for both of us and an exceptional example of great management skills. So if your Gen Y workers or new grads or any employee really feels like theyre ready to move up, but youre not quite sure, remember: Make em prove theyre worth it. If they are trust me they will. Author Bio: Emily Bennington specializes in two distinct forms of career transition: college students entering the workforce and women leaders entering executive management. She is the author of Who Says Its a Mans World: The Girls Guide to Corporate Domination and Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job. Emily is a frequent speaker on the topic of career success and has been featured on Fox Business, CNN, and ABC. She can be reached online at emilybennington.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.