Chasing Relevance

by Dan Negroni

There are more than 83 million millennials in the United States, representing 36% of our workforce. By 2025, that number will grow to 75%. If millennials are not your employees yet, they will be soon-as well as your biggest customers. Our ability to attract, train, manage and retain this next generation of leaders is critical to the future success of our businesses. But a huge and damaging connection, communication, and understanding gap exists between non-millennials and millennials in our workplaces. Why? Because millennials are not a problem that needs to be fixed, they are an opportunity that needs to be embraced. We must all find relevance in bridging the gap to create next-generation leaders in all of us by: - creating powerful, authentic relationships - promoting behavior that creates a culture of openness, delivering value and shared purpose - teaching real-deal skills and increasing individual accountability to drive sustained results

That's what Chasing Relevance is about: being better leaders by guiding those millennials and letting them guide us, having everyone be their best self by caring enough to connect. The choice is clear: we need to care more about millennials by pushing ourselves to be better leaders, coaches, and mentors. Because we love them, we need them and we want them to succeed. It's time to stop chasing relevance and make it happen.

Genres: Business

232 pages, Hardcover

Published August 22, 2016

Reviews

[Lisa Kosak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millennials. As a management leader, I have to admit that I’m a little weary of hearing about them. Every time I turn around I hear about what they want or don’t want, how they act or that they don’t want to work, their phones are hinged to their heads, and how they are free spirits and want to work when and how they want. It’s a good thing that the Z generation is up and coming so we can hear about them instead right? Don’t get me wrong, I parent some millennials and from experience I don’t believe everything that the media spits out.

I’ve had some personal experience working with millennials, both positive and painful. The majority are focused and determined to make a difference while being key team players. Looking back, they represent what I wish I was when I was growing up. They have fresh ideas and are truly committed to having an impact. They are focused on the external, not just on themselves. Then there are the others – the kind that you tend to read more about. I have worked with mixed teams and too many of my days were spent hearing about having fun, drinking, the best eateries, fashion, bars, and drinking again. Sadly some of them needed “parental” management guidance and they only focused on the task at hand, not the big picture. Did I mention their interpretation of a dress code?

As if you can’t tell, I admit to some millennial biases. I grew professionally in a slightly different time and within the confines of the uptight banking profession. My perspectives are a bit different but I love change and am open to it. As a manager, I feel that I lack some tools to lead this generation and admit that we need to better understand each other with all of our faults and strengths. I needed a millennial “how to” manual. Along came Chasing Relevance – 6 Steps to Understand, Engage, and Maximize Next-Generation Leaders in the Workplace by Dan Negroni. Finally, a book that speaks to all the stereotypes regarding Millennials (and me!) and how to foster their growth for future leadership opportunities.

Dan is a realist. He parents millennials as well and his word description and images that people have about millennials made me chuckle. Clearly, he also treasures them and realizes that they are our future. There is a gap between our generations that isn’t going away. If you aren’t managing or working with the millennial generation now, you will be. Today’s leaders (X generation for the most part) need to bridge the gap with the Y generation to model, mentor, and challenge them to lead. Guess what? It’s kind of our fault that the millennials are well, millennials, because it’s how this generation was raised. Everyone received awards, some of us helicoptered our kids, they learned impatience, and they became hooked to technology. Hmmm….

As leaders we must shoulder the responsibility to mentor and bring our generations in sync. To do this, Dan encourages us to focus on the following;

Create powerful and authentic relationships at work
Promote behavior that creates an open culture that delivers value and purpose
Teach “real-deal” skills and accountability

We can do that right? Effective managers have been doing this for ages. Not so fast. Dan encourages us to first look inward at ourselves and “work from the inside out”. In short, in order to empower others we need to empower ourselves first. Only you can control you and you need to understand yourself first before you can serve or impact others. Uncover your true strengths and weaknesses in order to become a better you, “relish” who you are to share with others, and make connections bring results.

Working from the inside out with Dan’s guidance was fun for me. He guides us through a journey to better understand ourselves by examining 5 key points:

Understand the power of relationships
Know your strengths
Recognize your skills, passion, and values
Define your personal brand stamp
Develop and deliver your story to others to impact others

After reflecting on these areas and really doing some homework on ME, I felt refreshed because I understand myself more clearly and better understand what I can bring to the lives of others via leadership or through mentoring. Dan led me down a path to put into action what I learned from inside me to influence those “outside”. He has an integrated 6 step plan that effectively uses what you’ve learned from your inside reflection to help address any disconnect that you have with the millennial generation as a leader, mentor, guide, or teammate. The B.R.I.D.G.E plan not only builds on developing and building relationships, but generates increased engagement, empowerment, results, and innovation. What more could we ask for as leaders? With the right tools, we can build strong teams and bridge any gaps.

The B.R.I.D.G.E plan is “like a recipe and cooking lesson combined. It takes the inside-out ingredients from Part One [of the book] and turns them into a delicious dish to serve others”. I love this analogy! Here’s your recipe for success once you discover your “ingredients (you!)”:

B Bust Myths to break down assumptions and barriers
Real Deal creates real deal authentic relationships with your teams
I Own It - develop this mindset that makes YOU accountable and responsible for results
Deliver Value through the coaching and mentoring of others
Goals In Mind - establish meaningful and shared goal based on a vision
Empower Success by leveraging strengths and relationships to bring success to all teams and the organization

Part One and Two of Chasing Relevance eloquently come together to form the perfect sandwich. This sandwich consists of the first part of the book which is thick with individual learning and insight. A whole lotta meat and cheese. Part two has all of the best condiments and toppings that bring the sandwich together. The condiments are what “make’ the sandwich and make your tummy grumble. You can’t have one without the other. What an incredible sandwich Dan presents us all with.

At the beginning of the book Dan admits to once having his own thoughts about millennials and promises to help change the reader’s perspective. He was successful in doing so with me. I better understand the gaps between our generations and leadership styles and why we all act like we do. I better accept that my generation had a hand in “making” millennials. Thus, it is up to me to do what I can to be a mentor and coach because so many millennials haven’t benefitted from strong or consistent guidance. Hence, their behavior is different and they really need us for leadership and guidance.

Chasing Relevance engaged me from the first chapter and I Iiterally read it in two readings. I found myself nodding in agreement while reading , yet really pushing myself to agree that change is a two way street – it’s not just “those millennials” that need to step up. The author was very frank and honest about even his own initial feelings towards the Y generation. He “gets it” from both sides of the millennial issue and I admire his enthusiastic passion to make a difference to mentor our millennial generation. He shared stories that really resonated with me while giving me insight as to how it must feel to be a millennial in the workplace. Often, they feel left out of meetings, segregated from their leadership, or not given the big picture. It makes it tough to succeed.

Chasing Relevance is peppered with creative statistics and engaging graphics that quickly sum up Dan’s points regarding generational gaps or public assumptions. Moreover, the book flows very quickly and engages the reader chapter after chapter. The book satisfied my visual side with meaningful pictures and the layout of key points.

The word millennial is thrown around so much today that you would need to be a cave dweller not to have heard the terms and assumptions regarding this generation. I encourage you to pick up Chasing Relevance by Dan Negroni to truly understand who the millennials are, what they stand for, why they annoy some people, and how they will be our future. Most importantly, you need guidance for accepting them and understanding their point of view and work style so that you can step up to the plate and mentor, guide, and lead the millennial generation to be effective and empowered leaders. We all have a stake in impacting the future so please pickup Chasing Relevance today to make a difference for the leaders of tomorrow!

[Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that will change the way you treat the generation of today. Millennials are generally misunderstood and so as leaders, we need to reach out and make time for them -- by sharing our vision and goals, giving constant feedback, and building relationships. These are some of the lessons that the book offers to achieve high-performing and empowered teams.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps because I’m a millennial, I don’t understand how anyone could manage their employees (let alone their millennials) in ways other than through the strategy outlined in Chasing Relevance. Yet they do because I’ve lived it, I’ve seen it, and I keep seeing it.

This was a truly fantastic read! 36% of the American workforce is millennials, yet people are still writing articles about how millennials are the worst generation. It’s a refreshing change of pace to read a book that talks not only about what’s great about millennials, but how to do better in the workplace whether you’re a manager of millennials or millennial employee.

Even if you somehow don’t have any millennial employees (and you haven’t been avoiding hiring them), you can use the tools and techniques in this book. Because the strategy in Chasing Relevance is really a better, more productive way to manage a business and be in a workplace. Period.

Chasing Relevance is divided into two parts. The first is about making over yourself to be a better employee or manager. The second is about the B.R.I.D.G.E. theory of getting over generational gaps to boost employee morale, retention, and productivity. It’s important to take the time to work through each section of the book. The first part is very interactive and requires you to do some external thinking beyond just processing what you’re reading. The second part is a 6-step process that you will probably need to tackle piecemeal, especially if the concepts are really foreign to how you manage and interact with others.

As a millennial, I will say this book is completely spot-on. The six steps of B.R.I.D.G.E. are how I manage and also how I like to be managed. I’m not saying I’m naturally perfect at this because I’m a millennial. I’m a human and I struggle to be better in certain areas – particularly with I, D, and G. But I firmly believe this is the best way to get the most out of people. All other methods are problematic pretenders that have no place in the modern workplace.

[Mark Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Relevance: 6 Steps to Understand, Engage And Maximize Next-Generation Leaders in the Workplace - I just finished reading this - and Dan Negroni does an excellent job. I thought this read was going to be about changing millennials. But as I read, it truly is about changing me, my viewpoint and thought process and gives me ownership to evaluate and engage. The point Dan makes about teaching hits home. I will be the first to paint with a very broad stroke the attitudes, work ethics and general entitled feeling of the "next generation". And as a coach and evaluator, this book serves as a touchstone to what I can do better to make the change I need to see. I think I had the mindset of "Them" and Chasing Relevance helped guide me to thinking about "me". Now, I know that sounds selfish, but it really isn't in this case. I try hard not to make it about "me" - but perhaps that is a big part of what I see as a problem. Maybe, just maybe, (and believe me, I'll put this to the test), if I think in the terms of "me", how I got where I am, what worked and didn't work, evaluate my passions and desires to move forward certain things, think about structure and process that has taken me a long time to assimilate and start sharing with those that I view as needing improvement or in some cases lost causes, I'll see the change that I know is there. Mr. Negroni gives me the green light and the tools to do just that. This book has so many grains of wisdom. He has a personal viewpoint, his desire to help, coach, teach, move and motivate are plain to see - and absolutely refreshing. The subject matter is not new - it is just presented in a way that really did make me stop, take stock, reevaluate and formulate next steps. It has helped me frame my thoughts and the reality of my own journey; if I can make it easier for someone else, why wouldn't I? My committment and loyalty just may not serve the current working force, as that same sort of loyalty today can be impediment to cultural change and stifle the creativity that is necessary to continue the march forward. I send my thank you to the author for writing on a subject that has perplexed me and for helping me redefine my own role. I feel Dan Negroni has opened my eyes to a very valid viewpoint and one that encourages me that the right direction is there and it is up to me to impart the wisdom I have accumulated to help those moving up in the ranks. I can help guide others around pitfalls and areas that were treacherous to me. This helps me be the change I want to see and empowers me to confidently move forward as a teacher and role model.

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, despite its impossibly long subtitle, does address the intergenerational differences – for that matter, differences in perspective in general – between managers and those they manage. In case you think this is a new problem, the author starts with a quote from Socrates where the philosopher complains about the “bad manners, contempt for authority, … disrespect for their elders and love [of] chatter in place of exercise” of youth. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose or the more things change, the more they stay the same (from that other critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr).

Generally, books that claim 6 (or 8 or 10 or 12) steps to anything are better ignored. That is certainly not true in this case. In addition to his book being ostensibly a guide for how baby-boomer managers can best deal with their younger charges, this is a useful tool for all managers with colleagues of any generation. After setting the stage in the first part of the book by establishing a strong basis for managers, the authors turn to their methodology to “BRIDGE” the gap (a bit contrived but useful):
Bust Myths
Real Deal (i.e., be real)
I Own It (i.e., take ownership)
Deliver Value
Goals in Mind (i.e., set them and work toward them)
Empower Success (celebrate)

The book ends with an outline of how to develop a BRIDGE plan, another useful. This is best not consumed in a vacuum but can compliment other materials that are useful to managers, of millennials and others.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Relevance by Dan Negroni is a phenomenal read for anyone who truly has the determination and willpower to help people and themselves in todays world. It touches on the fact that not only are Millennials in need of care, compassion, coaching, etc. but so are other generations. I honestly had never thought about this topic before. Now that I have read this book, it all makes perfect sense. We have to come together and support one another, no matter what position you are in at your company you either work for or own. Without being able to understand one another, you can't make the business work and grow. The author explains to the reader his reasoning behind creating powerful relationships, promoting valued and purposeful behavior, and teaching skills and increasing accountability in the workplace. Mr. Negroni has written and well put together and thought out book on the six steps to understand, engage, and maximize the "next generation" leaders in the workplace. If you are missing this connection and are looking for ways to better your company or employees, this IS your book!!!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four Things:

1] Maybe if I would've read this book when it first came out I would've liked this more...as it were much of what is in it I've learned trial by error.
2] When I was in college I read a book titled Generation X Goes to College, it talked about Gen Xers with a born end date of 1975 (I hated that because I was born in 1976). This book says that Millennials have a born start date of 1980...I guess this means I'm part of the Oregon Trail Generation (I mean I prefer Generation Catalano for obvious reasons). This means that all the things this author said had a ring of truth and it also means that I disagreed and often. I mean where do I fit in. Maybe I should write a book?!
3] This author seems to be pro Gen Y at the expense of ALL other generations. No one generation is going to save us and we must recognize the pros and cons of each generation. Millennials are learning, while we learn from them.
4] I will say I did screenshot some pages to take back some of the character building activities to my classroom.

[Ko Matsuo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprising. While it appears to be a book about how to understand Millennials, Negroni points his analysis not at others but at ourselves. In other words, the problem with Millennials is not Millennials, but the rest of us. Per Negrini, we don't know how to build relationships, we don't understand our own strengths, much less those of others, and therefore we don't have the framework to be able to understand and help others.

Once we have this framework, then we can use his BRIDGE framework to Bust Myths, Create relationships, Own personal responsibility, and Deliver value.

At the end of the day Chasing Relevance is not about trying to make Millennials relevant, but more about making yourself relevant to people around you. It's worth a read.

[Minnesota]

Very relevant to teachers and bosses