INTHEBLACK October/November 2024 - Magazine - Page 30
F E AT U R E
“In the workplace, millennials are sandwiched between
baby boomers and Gen X at one end and Gen Z at the
other. I think that gives us a big advantage because we
are used to working with different generations.”
NATASCHA TJENDANA CPA,
YOUTH PROJECTS
lead at Telstra. Welmillage leads a team of
about 19 people and believes in empowering
his team by removing the roadblocks that
can slow them down.
“I like to get the most out of my people
by giving them some guardrails in which
to operate, but then letting them loose to
do their work, because I think that is the best
way to get the most out of them,” he says.
“We live in a very dynamic environment,
and it’s very dangerous for leaders to think
that we know exactly how the organisation
will operate day-in and day-out for the
next five years,” Welmillage adds. “As a
leader, I certainly don’t pretend that I
know everything.”
For Aalia Narula CPA, a millennial and
senior finance business partner at Downer,
flexibility is an essential leadership quality.
Narula has one direct report, but the
company’s whole transactional team is
indirectly accountable to her. She says she
is more interested in her team’s output
than the hours they work.
“I am all for flexibility when it comes
to starting and ending the workday,” she
says. “Whether you need to come in early,
start late or adjust your hours for family
commitments, like picking up the kids,
that is perfectly fine with me.
“The key here is communication,” Narula
adds. “Letting everyone know your schedule
and any changes helps the team stay on
track. If you’ve got tasks to finish, just keep
us posted on when they’ll be done, whether
it’s by the end of the day or next week.
“My main goal is to make sure that, as
a team, we can manage our work and our
personal lives without stress, so let’s keep
those lines of communication open and
support each other along the way.”
RISKS MILLENNIALS CANNOT IGNORE
Natascha Tjendana CPA, executive manager
corporate services at independent charity
Youth Projects, believes millennials like
30 INTHEBLACK October/November 2024
herself have an advantage when it comes
to leadership.
“In the workplace, millennials are
sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Gen
X at one end and Gen Z at the other. I think
that gives us a big advantage because we are
used to working with different generations,”
she says.
Tjendana, who leads a team of three,
believes her generation has always been
driven by a sense of purpose at work,
generally understanding that “we need to put
the people before the job”.
“I think we understand that when your
staff chooses to work for the organisation,
it’s because of the purpose, the vision and
the values that they feel aligned to. Of
course, pay is important, but there are other
important factors, like how the organisation
plays a role in sustainability.”
While millennials have much in their
favour when it comes to leadership potential,
there are some qualities that risk hindering
their success.
According to Gallup's How Millennials
Want to Work and Live report from 2017,
millennials’ most common strengths are
Achiever, Empathy, Learner, Adaptability
and Responsibility. Blair says these traits
must be carefully balanced.
“Achiever and Responsibility together can
mean they’ve got a high work ethic and do
what they say they’re going to do, but this
carries a risk of burning out,” she says.
“While millennials might want purpose,
they may struggle with creating that balance
and not working around the clock,” Blair says.
“While they might be great at coaching
their people, if they are working long hours
themselves, are they creating a culture
where everybody else is expected to work
long hours as well? Will they be setting the
bar too high for other people? We can’t tar
everyone with the same brush, but I think
finding the balance is something to watch
out for.”
