The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace – From Generational Experts: Understanding Born 1982-2000 Talent

by Lynne C. Lancaster, David Stillman

From Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman, the nationally recognized generational experts and authors of When Generations Collide, comes the definitive guide to “Millennials” (those born between 1982 and 2000) in the workplace—what they want, how they think, and how to unlock their talents to your organization’s advantage. If you enjoyed the insights in It’s Okay to Be the Boss, you need to read The M-Factor, destined to become “the” business book on this Millennial generation in the workplace.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Human Resources, Professional Development, Business Strategy, Leadership

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a helpful book for understanding the differences between generations in the workplace. It takes issues that different generations have with each other and explains the psychological and developmental reasons behind each. What a Baby Boomer may see as disrespect, for example, may just be a Millenial trying to show enthusiasm and initiative. Well-researched and fair, this book provides advice for all generations on how to relate with others in the workplace. Written in 2010, it is a bit outdated, but overall still very helpful.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this book started and I think it gave some sound advice about how to work with the Millennial Generation. I found it worthwhile and interesting. I'm in Generation X and we are considered more independent, where Millennials like to collaborate. The bottom line is we all have to learn to work and communicate with the people we work with no matter which generation they were born in. If we are patient and communicate expectations clearly, we will understand each other and be successful.

[Shari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few years old but a great refresher on generational differences around expectations and communication styles and how we should pay attention to these in the work place.

[Knotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically, I am a "Millennial" since this generation is of those born from 1982 to 2000. (I was born the second day of the beginning of the generation and my brother who is 11 years longer than me is in the same generation). I picked this up at the library on a whim since I thought it would be a good indicator for how others perceive my generation and what I can do better in work environments. Let's face it- technology is a huge factor in today's society. This book implies that because of technological leaps- those in the Millennial generation have little to no manners, no etiquette with dealing with other generations, and a lack of respect. Personally, I do not feel that way at all when working with Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers, but I can see how this is a proven issue for those younger and less experienced than me.

Obviously, the book is about "The M-factor," which is the seven factors and trends that makes the generation who they are. These are: Parenting (which I don't agree with AT ALL for me, but I can see it for most of generation), Entitlement (Bingo!!!), Looking for Meaning (Absolutely!), Great Expectations (finding success and fulfillment without taking forever), the need for speed, Social Networking, and finally collaboration. Yes, my generation was always taught that, "You can be anything you want to be," and the aspect of teamwork was everywhere from classes to sports. There are a lot of truths in the book and is important to read. I very much enjoyed it and hope that we can all learn from each other.

[Mark Gazica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some salient points, but it was a bit repetitive and condescending. There are definitely probabilistic generalities to be made about generations of people, but it must be understood that generations are made up of unique individuals. Each person is different from the next and the sweeping generalities of that generation merely represent larger trends, not specific behavior patterns and beliefs.

And millennials aren't as stupid as they are painted to be in this book; they're just young and inexperienced. (Or they were incorrectly taught how to be an adult by the generations of people that raised them, who are now attacking them for their innocent ignorance.) Yes, millennials do things differently than previous generations did, and this book highlights some examples of this, but millennials don't need to be coddled and handled with some type of patronizing care.

The thesis of this book that the writers seem brutally unaware of is the age-old problem of old vs young. Old people have been at odds with young people since the dawn of time. This is not a new concept. Yet the authors of this book time and time again provide examples of ignorance in youth as evidence for generational based conventions. People are more than the lowest common denominational factors of the group of years in which they were born.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working with Millennials/GenY can be frustrating. The solutions proposed in The M-Factor involve treating Millennials like recent refugees from a foreign country (my interpretation), i.e. they should not be expected to understand anything about workplace behavior that everyone else finds self-explanatory (confidentiality, punctuality, etc., etc.).

This book has an advantage over similar ones insofar as it gives a voice to Gen Y on every issue, letting us see their side. This is interesting and useful for trying to work with them, vs. just bashing them. To the extent someone deserves bashing, the authors target the Baby Boomer parents of Millennials who hypocritically encourage immaturity in their own children even though they complain about it in their new hires.

It is fascinating that child rearing in middle-class America changed so much that it produced a generation of functional aliens. An exploration of what is going on with that is found in another book:

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some good practical advice for improving work for young and old alike. It's also very interesting in a lot of ways. The authors did a good job of documenting and defending their sources, and letting the data and the Millenial's themselves speak.

One thing I particularly liked (as a Minnesotan) was the prevalence of quotes and examples from local schools and businesses. There were a couple good long examples from Thomson Reuters, for example, as well as Winona State, St Cloud State, and Liberty Diversified.

The thing that always bugs me about generational psychologists, though, is their tendency to talk as if this stuff is entirely real in the same way astrologers do. I know there's lots of data to support the _general_ trends, but the author of this book sure makes it sound like there's only 4 kinds of people in the world: traditionalists, boomers, x-ers, and millennials. At least astrologers allow for 12 distinct personality types.

[Charmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Be honest about success and failures. Clear expectations. Typical day.

2. Meaning is a higher value than title or salary.

3. Tie personal work back to the bigger picture/ vision

4. Low-risk opportunities to showcase skills

5. Meaning by contributing

6. Help them develop

7. Group goal and individual progress

8. Catch small mistakes for easy correction. Block big failure.

9. Bootcamp of how to communicate in the culture. Professional etiquette.

10. Describe what and explain why. Specific procedures. Be a coach.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing to read about my daughter's generation and that reaching the workforce now. For instance -- they bring their parents "to work" -- you get the whole family when you hire one from this generation, and I think this is true, to a great extent. Interesting . . . along with several other traits that are more obvious like expecting fast results and being very technically saavy and expecting social networking in the workplace

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book at a workshop and picked it up on a whim, even though I'm not a huge reader on generational theory. I was duly impressed with the writing style and liked how the authors wove together anecdotal evidence with some of the research. They also incorporated tips and suggestions for how others have maximized engagement of millenials as a learning tool, as a way to increase employee retention, and as a way to facilitate succession planning.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the defining book about working with the Millenial generation (born between 1982 and 2000). As usual, the case studies and situations are meaningful and engaging. My only problem is that the main title is too generic. M could represent Marriage, Management, or a plethora of things. Only those familiar with the authors or able to see the subtitle would know that this book is about Millennials.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book unlocks 7 factors to dealing with Millennials (born between 1982 and 2000) in the workplace: 1) Over attached parents, 2) entitlement, 3) need for meaning, 4) high expectations, 5) need for speed, 6) social networking, and 7) collaboration. The book examines the workplace in terms of thinking for Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials in an effort to show (through examples) how companies can achieve success across generations.

[Keisha R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to give it up after the first 3 chapters. I felt that it was speaking to an older crowd rather than to a Millenial like myself. It would be a great book for someone wanting to understand the generation

[Christine Bensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Gen X manager, this book is as good as going to therapy. It does a great job of identifying generational differences and the reasons behind them, which makes it a lot easier for everyone to just get along.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the perceptions of previous generations on mine, the Millennials, in the workplace. However, the suggestions and insights from this book would better serve someone older who may be responsible for relationships, communication, and training with an organization.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - I read this for work but would suggest it for those looking for a non-fiction read. Well presented information on this generation in a variety of work places and fields. I'm in management and am a part of this generation this was written about.

[Erin Glaberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more of a book for other generations to understand how to manage millennials. I was hoping it'd be a book about millennials for millennials. They do give good ways to fix problems other generations have when managing Millennials.

[sarefo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably useful for some, but I dislike the idea of putting everybody born in a time range into one catchy generation folder. Life is more complex than that.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read as an HRM. Great generational differences book. Opened my eyes to how I approach on-boarding and employee interactions.

[Dr. Chad Newton, PhD-HRD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great exploration of the misconceptions toward Gen Y and Millennial workers in the knowledge economy!

[Hugh Springer]

Started the audiobook during the daily commute.

[Kelsey Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book told me what I already know but actually brought the reality of how things are to my attention and put it in words.

Very helpful when trying to navigate the workplace, especially as I begin my career. However, I also think that it is a bit out of date as it discusses how things were 5 years ago, and I think a lot of companies have changed since the book was published to take these words into consideration in their own work culture.