It is said that thoughts, moods, and attitudes are contagious. I agree 100% and for that reason, I choose to associate with people who are positive and have a passion for life and continual improvement. I do so in hopes of them influencing me when I need it most. As time goes on the percentage of time I find myself spending with millennials continues to increase. I have been giving more time thinking about how best to lead alongside them for three primary reasons:
- My next leadership opportunity (and likely each one that follows) places me in front of Millennials
- Most of us not part of this generation fail to understand and truly appreciate the difference in mindset (Many GEN-X and elder even denigrate the mindset and values of our new team members…never-mind that as parents we have cultivated it and rightfully so)
- Millennials represent our future and if we care about our future, we must adapt to them, not them to us
In an effort to begin creating relationships with my new colleagues working waist deep in the computing field, I recently visited the Command I will soon be leading. While there, I met people ranging in age from early 20s to late 50s. The diverse from an age standpoint, there was a common thread that all seemed to share. And that thread of shared characteristics was well-aligned with how so many describe as the Millenial Mindset. It was not just the twenty-somethings who were…
- Passionate about the work they were doing and understood “The Why”
- Sensitive to work-life balance
- Interested in being taken seriously and afforded the opportunity to provide input to how things were done
- Of the mind that the work environment should have an element of fun
- Motivated by and frankly expected acknowledgment for a job well done
- Demanding constructive feedback, mentoring and career development
- Appreciative of a boss who was an advocate
There may be something to the millennial mindset, but I believe that just as different generations may have different values, different professions do as well. I am lucky enough to work in a technical field where creativity and critical thinking are necessary if the mission is to be accomplished. Many elders denigrate the millennials just as previous generations did to them. If you think about the attributes of the individuals mentioned above. Why are we so critica? We ought to be celebrating that mindset and helping it to become commonplace. Rather than criticize the perceived negative traits (i.e. self-centered, whiners, overly-sensitive, impatient, etc) of the newest generation to enter our workforce, we should rethink our perceptions, recognize their point of view and promote such a mindset across our respective team. Though I am obviously not a Millennial by age criteria, I consider myself one based upon my personal philosophy, thus my advocacy.
We need to understand and appreciate that most Millennials do not think the same, are not motivated the same and do not value the same things that GEN-X and seniors generally do. Our collective future and our individual relevance in the workplace depend on our ability to engage, challenge and empower our youngest teammates.
- Where do you find fault with the millennial mindset?
- What positive attributes do you see amongst the youngsters joining your team?
- How are you connecting with Millenials?
