The top challenge for Millennials is an unclear career path for upward mobility. Helping Millennials grow in their career is vital for the continued success of the firm and the individual. It fosters communication and learning opportunities for both the mentor and the mentee. -Joe Tillman, Founder TSquared Logistics LLC

For leaders, the greatest gift to give Millennials and Generation Z is a path to follow.

Step 1: Determine an overall vision.

Help them create a vision for their career. The vision reflects what they truly want to achieve and should reflect a long-term view that reminds them of where they want to be in the future. In addition, it allows others to understand the direction they are heading and what drives them.

The description of the overall vision can be short or long. “Get a tattoo at 95” and “Live happily” are examples of short vision statements. “Be an internationally recognized thought leader in freight forwarding” is an example of a longer vision statement.

Step 2: Create a purpose statement

Millennials and Generation Z need a personal “purpose statement” that summarizes their skills, identifies their stakeholders, and explains how they will provide value. Essentially, this statement tells others how they will achieve the vision created in Step 1.

A couple of examples: “To educate others so effectively that they achieve results they never thought possible”; or “To inspire young supply chain professionals to be confident and proactive about their careers."

Step 3: Develop goals for life areas

Goals are the steps that will move them closer to making their overall vision a reality. Accordingly, each goal, whether short or long-term, needs to align with the vision. Use the purpose statement to validate whether your goals are aligned and will move you closer to achieving their vision.

Develop goals to be “SMART,” balanced, and aligned. SMART means Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely. As you set goals, be clear about the outcome you want to achieve.

If achieving a particular goal depends upon serendipity or on someone else taking action, then rethink it. If there is a mismatch between their vision and goals, they may become discouraged.

Step 4: Measure Progress

The only way to ensure Millennials and Generation Z are accomplishing their goals is for them to measure performance. Being able to see progress will encourage them to continue working toward their goals.

Establish a way to document what and how they are doing; set aside regular time to reflect and think about progress. Pick a day, week or month, or if daily, a time of day, when you will have time to reflect with your talent on their goals and how they are performing.

Step 5:  Take action.

The final step is to create a plan of action. Allocating time to work on their goals is necessary if Millennials and Generation Z are ever to achieve them. Creating and adhering to a schedule will help to keep them on track and ensure they are proactively working toward their goals.

The Outlook

The competition for talent is only heating up. Millennials and Generation Z will base future career decisions on how well each organization helps them develop and mature. Millennials and Generation Z in supply chain are enterprising entrepreneurs that want to tinker with processes and understand how the business was built so it can be improved. Invest in their passion by mentoring them and helping them develop in their career.