The millennials are our future leaders
No matter where you turn, there’s always a lot of chatter about “those millennials.” You’ve heard how entitled they are, they’re narcissistic, and the participation trophies they received in childhood always come up. When a little rant on millennials starts, it’s almost always middle-age people starting the conversations.
It’s interesting to me because it’s coming from the same people who have paved the way for equal rights, inclusion, acceptance and cultural sensitivities. The “millennial put-downs” come from those who speak so politically correctly when it comes to race, religion, politics and even respect for the elderly, but when it comes to the young people in the workforce, it’s an entirely different story.
Depending on the source, I either missed the millennial window by a hair or I am at the very beginning, so I am sitting right on the cusp of this generation.
I don’t identify as a millennial, but I think those who do are going to have a tougher time overcoming all of the blatant stereotypes that start at selfies and avocado toast, and end at lazy and entitled.
I’ve seen reports written on the struggles of turning millennials into leaders; there are web pages devoted to navigating a workplace with millennials. There are articles and posts stating the world will be doomed once the millennials take over.
I read an article on millennials in the workplace and it mentioned employers don’t like millennials because they’ll check their cellphones when they are on the clock, and when the boss walks in, they won’t quickly put it down, as if they’ve just been “caught.” In the same piece, it mentioned the boss likes sending a millennial employee an email at 10 p.m. and having it answered by 10:15 p.m. Both of these ring true for me.
I know a lot of people who are accessible to their employer nearly 24/7. I keep all my work files on a cloud. If I get an email requesting a specific report or document, it takes me a couple of seconds to send the file, then I don’t have to worry about remembering it in the morning.
Maybe accessibility isn’t a generational thing, I know people older than me who are accessible to their employers around the clock. It is a technology thing, or maybe it’s just the expectation now, or maybe I surround myself with people who are devoted to their jobs.
After doing some research, I’ve discovered older generations have been bashing younger generations for, well, forever.
In 1968 Life magazine ran an article on the baby boomers with a quote stating the boomers wouldn’t even know the meaning of the term “to make a living.” In 1985, Newsweek ran an article called “Video Generation” talking about Generation Xers being self-obsessed with filming themselves on mobile devices. Funny that back then, the mobile device was a camcorder. People had no idea what was to come.
As each generation enters the workforce, the one before starts to criticize and call the up and comers lazy while fearing what will happen in the future.
Here’s the thing with generations, millions of people are being lumped into a generalization. So, obviously no stereotype is going to depict the group accurately. Each new generation has been touted as self-centred, narcissistic and lazy.
When we are dealing with millions of people, we can’t generalize. No matter what happens, it’s inevitable the millennials of today will eventually emerge into leadership roles across our country in every sector, just as the Gen Xers and the baby boomers before them. Do a bunch of middle-aged people need to read manuals on how to work with millennials? I don’t think so.
As society, we continue to evolve, and things are always improving. Think back to the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and so on. We have better technology, a better understanding of science, amazing access to communication and media. Each generation has made improvements.
Instead of insulting the young people in and entering the workforce, we should be thinking of the amazing possibilities that can come to fruition when it’s their turn to step up and be the leaders.
Eventually Generation Z will take over the hot-topic chatter, and the millennials will be the ones griping about how entitled and lazy my daughter and her generation are.