Links of the Week is a selection of articles and blog posts about #EmployeeEngagement and #Millennials that were the most popular on my Twitter feed this week. I’ve added some personal thoughts and opinions to the links below as well.

#1

How to be a vulnerable and authentic leader (and increase employee engagement) (Chicago Business Journal)

Vulnerability in the workplace can lead to better working relationships and increased creativity with employees who are not afraid to make a mistake or don’t feel pressured to always have the right answer. It also allows employees to let go of who they think they should be and focus on revealing who they truly are.

Here are five ways that vulnerability can improve the workplace: 1. Authentic relationships; 2. Great ideas; 3. Less pressure; 4. More empathy; and 5. Team success. If you haven’t seen Dr. Brene Brown’s TED talk on vulnerability, it’s a must watch.

#2

Millennials Aren’t Who You Think They Are, The Economist Says (Adweek)

“They curate, they consume and they create. And that’s what makes them influencers…They don’t just take on broad information, they DJ with it. They remix it and send it out.” Nick Blunden, global managing director of The Economist

This reminds me of what I’m doing with this blog. There is so much content available out there that we need more people that we can trust to curate the content. Millennials are perfectly poised to be “media curators” because of their digital fluency and interest in sharing valuable information with others.

#3

6 Tips on Catering CRM to Millennials (PC Mag)

When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), Gen-Y customers expect an answer instantly, anytime, anywhere, to any question, and they aren’t afraid to look for the information they crave.

Really good article about how Millennials are changing the game in the CRM world. In this age, Millennials expect companies to know all about their purchase history, likes and dislikes, and personal details. Look through the 6 Tips in the article if you deal in any way with Millennial customers. I’m sure you’ll find ways to “WOW” them in the future.

#4

Employee Engagement Is Not The Problem (Business 2 Community)

…real employee engagement is woven into many other aspects of the organization, including leadership, culture, communication, and development. When you begin to change one of these, it creates a ripple that affects many others.

A good reminder that what we really mean by improving employee engagement is improving the culture and leadership in an organization. Easier said that done but important because throwing a “staff party” isn’t going to improve employee engagement unless there is a greater strategy around improving the culture of the organization.

#5

Employee Engagement: 11 Years in Social Media and 11 Gifts For You (David Zinger)

David Zinger is one of the thought leaders in the employee engagement world. Lots of value in this post as he shares with us some of his resources he has built around employee engagement.