The last few years European Union swims in unchartered waters and struggles to find answers on the following crucial and interrelated issues: how to achieve co-creation, how to apply open innovation and how to deal with the rippling effects of the economic crisis. Millennials’ needs seem to be more apropos than ever with flexibility, autonomy, alignment, and collective ownership be some of the core principles of their preferred way of working. In addition, European Commission wants to create an Innovation Union by increasing investment in knowledge, promoting better funding for innovation and effective use of resources clearing out that “The method should be “frugally” innovation, i.e. using minimal resources by developing highly innovative business models that can do much more for much less.” Rapid digitalization and technological skills obsolesce have also raised concerns about the extent to which the EU workforce is adequately prepared for the fourth industrial revolution. And this is mainly because the millennials (considered as innovation generators) either refuse to work on the current SME’s or quit their jobs in less than 3 months. So the question raised is how today’s workplace strategies can bridge the culture and approaches of old organizations with the “new” employees? The answer might come via a learning methodology based on the Chaordic Leadership Approach principles, a combination of the words chaos and order, meaning a state in between that adapts the principles and properties of both. MILC is a conceptual contribution about a new framework for developing Millennial performance under turbulent conditions, based on the Chaos lens. The main goal is to help individuals and organizations rise to the occasion by unlocking Millennial’s potential based on what leadership means to them and how the principles of Chaordic Leadership Approach can match and cultivate the Millennials Way of Leadership The main objective of MILC project is to create a learning approach that will equip the Millennials with the 21st Century skills in order to practice leadership based on their way of thinking and behavior and will facilitate innovation support activities to ensure Millennials understand and take advantage of the opportunities offered by new Innovative concepts, methodologies and approaches. Specific objectives of the proposed project are: a) develop innovative approaches for adults, through cross-sector networking and activities, b) develop and deliver training based on the Chaordic approach and c) affect the work-life balance of employees and thus lead to the increase of the sustainability of EU organizations. The above will be achieved through 3 IOs that follow a logical workflow approach which starts with the definition of the competence framework, moves to the Definition of the core skills and competences and concludes with a Handbook of Millennial Skills (IO1). The Handbook then it used as basis in order to formulate a) The Handbook on Chaordic Leadership approach that will highlight everything that is needed to apply a leadership model successfully and b) how to implement a chaordic learning process and methodology (IO2). The effort is combined and elevated via the MILC Learning Hub (IO3) that will present everything created in order to promote ongoing knowledge exchange. MILC will integrate a wide range of affected parties such as owners and employees (Millenials), either at the decision-making level or really close to become ones, business associations, support and intermediary organisations, non-profits and non-governmental organizations, public bodies and research Institutes, HE, organisations influencing or supporting Entrepreneurship, policy makers and trainers, and collaborative ventures between leaders and Millennials to co-create value for social and open innovation. The fundamental change that MILC wants to contribute to is the strengthening of the working environment by developing the chaordic innovative approach for Millennials through cross-sector networking and activities and support the improvement of work-life balance in organizations so Millennials can better perform to the future working live. MILC will not only bring innovation, but it will also revolutionize the Millennials way of leadership in a core part of EU.
The MILC project’s ambition was to help today's workplace strategies bridge the culture and approaches of old organizations with the “new” employees. The proposed solution is based on the “chaordic” leadership approach, a combination of the words “chaos” and “order”, meaning a state in between that adapts the principles and properties of both.The chaordic organization or system is one that is ever learning and adjusting to the environment and therefore is flexible. The aim of MILC was to develop a training programme targeting specifically millennials, but, as our experience shows, attractive and efficient for other generations of employees, managers, business owners and various types of organizations. The learning approach equips Millennials with the 21st Century skills in order to practice leadership based on their way of thinking and behaviour and also serves organizations interested in introducing the chaord.leadership approach. Specific objectives were: 1.Develop innovative approaches for adults, through cross-sector networking and activities, 2.Develop and deliver training based on the chaordic approach and 3.Affect the work-life balance of employees and thus lead to the increase of the sustainability of EU organizations.
Researches of 2019, project that 75% of the workforce in a Global level is going to be fulfilled by Millennials until 2030 - and in leadership roles, for which well-being in the workplace is the most important factor to choose a job. By creating a work environment that prioritizes work-life balance, employers can create a sustainable and healthier workforce. And for Millennials, such work environments drive a career path that will support their “lifestyle”, which in this context, means their life outside of work. According to the 2018 Deloitte Millennial survey with more than 10,000 millennial respondents, a culture of collaboration at work is one of the top priorities millennials desire from potential employers. Technology is part of this, allowing for a creative flow of ideas and communication and they consider autonomy and reciprocity as foundational to the future of business leadership. Four out of ten EU employers had difficulty finding people with the right skills, while unemployment rates peaked. Rapid digitalization, Covid-19 crisis and technological skills obsolesce have also raised concerns about the extent to which the EU workforce is adequately prepared for the fourth industrial revolution.