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In the November issue of Agency Sales, the subject of dealing with the Millennial generation in the work force was explored. Continuing that discussion, the following are several strategies to employ in order to better communicate instruction and content to that younger generation.

1. Set Clear Learning Objectives

Tell them what you’re going to teach them and why. Effective learning is all about context. Sure, I’ll learn something if you force it on me. But without understanding how it impacts the environment and how my doing it impacts others, I have little investment in the outcome.

2. Teach Them How to Think and Learn

Take a couple of minutes to explain the big picture. Establishing a clear set of procedures and executing them consistently can result in employees who are more likely to think for themselves. You can also establish an ethic of critical thinking just by simply expecting it. If they’re still struggling, take the time to help employees think through day-to-day challenges rather than answering their questions. Can it be awkward and time-consuming? Sure, but most employees adapt to this type of supervision quickly if you give them the opportunity. They’ll eventually adopt this practice and take ownership for resolving their daily challenges.

3. Leverage Their Digital Habits

Millennials live on their mobile devices. Rather than telling everyone to turn off smart phones during training, include the use of these devices. Send them links. Ask them to research an issue on the spot. Dialog with them about the difference between what you’re saying and what they’re finding on the Web and why. Effective trainers these days recognize that learning is a collaborative experience. Everybody learns rather than just the learners.

4. Make Instruction Interactive and Entertaining

One of the advantages of today’s technology is that you can create instant training tools. As a part of a course I teach entitled “Pushing the Safety Button With the Emerging Generation,” I ask everyone to team up and create a two- to three-minute video clip addressing a safety issue. It will need to be entertaining and to-the-point. Then we’ll upload each one and watch them as a group. I am accomplishing several objectives with this: 1) This exercise addresses the needs of auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners; 2) It forces them to think quickly and creatively; 3) It’s fun and funny. (You should see some of the clips people have created in the past.)

5. Praise Smaller Degrees of Mastery

Millennials have a reputation for expecting inordinate amounts of praise. That said, I think most managers fail to provide enough consistent encouragement to begin with. Make a point of setting more incremental benchmarks. Everyone will appreciate the sense of achievement they feel more often as they learn.

6. Make Instruction Mobile

Most people do not learn content the first time they hear it. The advent of digital and mobile technology allows us to record an instructional segment, upload it to a website and allow them to watch the content again and again. Over time, it will not be uncommon for learners to whip out their smart phones when stuck on a procedure, for instance, and be able to go to the company website where they will search on video clips related to the issue and then watch the appropriate one for review.

7. Provide Lots of Links

Another part of today’s digital magic is our ability to access content instantaneously. This can enhance learning markedly for those who want more information on a topic. While simply allowing them to search the Web using keywords may work, it is generally better to provide appropriate links so their content is more guided and specific. I sometimes ask everyone in a class to go to a certain link, watch a short video, and discuss it in groups. This is also a great break from listening to the “talking head.”

8. Assess Learning Immediately

Traditional training and education has assessed learning at the end of a course or after a large segment of content has been delivered. Today’s technology allows us to poll learners on what they understand instantaneously using downloadable software and smart phones. Even outside the classroom, it is critical to check in more often to determine whether the content is being absorbed and synthesized. This also feeds Millennials’ desire for more prompt feedback and sense of achievement.

9. Think Like a Millennial

Content experts — regardless of their position — have a tendency to do two things that impair Millennial learning: 1) They brain dump, rather than remembering that the novice learner is stretching simultaneously to adapt to both the environment and the content being delivered. This would overwhelm anyone. 2) They also provide unnecessary context, stories, stats and trivia that may fascinate them but blur the learning experience. It can be tough for someone with 15 years of content expertise to winnow their vast knowledge down to just the essentials. In fact, it is sometimes better to ask a relative newcomer to teach basic content to novice learners since the relative newcomer will have more empathy and know how much content to deliver at once. Besides, this is a great way to observe and motivate emerging contributors.

10. Use Think-Alouds

One of the most effective ways for an instructor or supervisor to determine if someone is thinking the right way is to listen to their thoughts. The next time you are training someone on a technique or procedure, present them with a problem to solve. Then ask them to think out loud as they work to resolve it. This will allow you to see how they think and correct/guide their process if it starts to go off track or gets stuck. A practice like this will also show you how you might provide better initial instruction. This, of course, works on anyone, not just Millennials.

11. Hold Their Feet to the Fire

Anyone with children knows that sooner later, you have to cut the apron strings. I may sound like a broken record at times, but the most effective way to train Millennials is to get them to think for themselves. Quality thinking takes time and effort. Millennials who have grown up immersed in a menu-driven environment sometimes lack the experience of really digging deep to come up with the best solution.

Well, there are 11 practical ideas I, and others, use to train Millennials every day, but it’s not just about having a bunch of great strategies. Ninety-nine percent of the effort is implementing. Let me know what works for you.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].