Millennials can change how we do business
LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM
With Millennials growing in labor force participation and prevalence in the workplace, they have been receiving increased attention in the news media, industry publications and even in academic literature. As a group, they are commonly characterized as more narcissistic, “entitled” and needy than previous generations of workers. They are also described as less loyal and satisfied employees, while more inclined to depression and anxiety. However, these common descriptors do not paint a fair holistic picture of the up and coming Millennial workforce. Research has also shown that as a group they are highachieving, have a strong desire for ongoing personal and professional development, and tend to be seriously invested in making a marked sustainable impact on society and in the communities in which they live and work.
For all of the common badmouthing of Millennial workers (and the Millennial generation more generally) that I continue to hear going around, I think the challenges of leading and managing Millennials often come down to poor and ineffective organizational leadership. Research demonstrates that Millennials want to know that their work has a meaningful purpose, that they thrive on independence and autonomy in their work, and that the best way to support them is through ongoing coaching and providing constructive feedback. These are each already long-standing, commonly accepted management and organizational leadership best practices. While Millennial workers will go somewhere else if they are not feeling supported, engaged or valued in their work, the same is the case for most workers.
Perhaps we should stop focusing so much on the common negative characterizations of Millennials in the workforce and instead focus on better leveraging their positive attributes, while also taking a second look at our management and leadership practices. Perhaps Millennial workers can even help us reinvent how organizations effectively lead and manage their people. Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D. Oren, Utah