When Senator Paul Ryan announced that he would entertain the House Speakership, he did so with a few conditions. One of those: that his weekends were reserved for his family. "I cannot and will not give up my family time," he said.

This requirement for work-life balance isn't new, but it is a defining trait of today's leaders. According to an EY study: "Work-life Challenges Across Generations," approximately half of managers globally are working more than 40-hour work weeks. Four in 10 say their hours have increased over the past five years. 

This challenge to work-life balance appears to have impacted Millenials the most, who the EY report states are almost twice as likely to have a spouse or partner working at least full-time than Boomers -- a conclusion that highlights the differences between the multiple generations within our workforce.  

Baby Boomers are typically characterized as driven, working long hours to establish self-worth, identity, and fulfillment.  Seen as sacrificing family for work-ethic, they're currently blamed for a rising divorce rate, a sharp contrast to the Millennial desire for both solid family time and rewarding work.

A potential side-affect from this approach to work: Boomers perceive that the ability to lead comes from the work experiences they have gained during those long work weeks.  Millennials, coming into management with fresh MBAs and leadership certifications, lack that experience.  As they bring their ideas and mindset into the workplace, these young leaders often challenge the established workforce with their "way of doing things" that hasn't been tried and tested over time, and won't be tried or tested if they insist on sticking to an 8-to-5 schedule.

Work-life balance is one snapshot of many in which Millennial managers impact a multi-generational workforce.  This month Devon Scheef, co-founder of The Learning Cafe, will share other snap shots of Millennials as formal organizational leaders, how they view their own leadership, and how these create a gap between those protecting an organizational legacy and those pushing forward with approaches unencumbered with past practice.

Join us for lunch this November 18 to explore this topic further!