Managing the deliberately mute

The contrast in communication styles and values between Gen-Xers, now mostly in their mid to late twenties, and forty- and fifty-somethings is obvious. Gen-Xers are focused on the assignment and the deadline; their goal is to do good work in a timely manner. But they are highly skeptical that enthusiasm has any influence on the outcome. When we question them about their taciturn manner, they all give us the same two reasons: They really don't care one way or the other and they're convinced that what they say doesn't matter anyhow. This may frustrate a manager charged with getting the buy-in or enthusiastic participation from the troops, but it's a fact. There are, however, ways to get Xers to talk--provided you really want their ideas and opinions and you acknowledge that you hear what they say. Here are the best techniques from those who successfully manage large numbers of the young, including young physicians: (1) Focus on what matters; (2) don't ask if you're not going to act on the feedback; (3) personalize your request for information; and (4) always do a worst case scenario when you need the buy-in.