Stepping up the conversation on Millennials
As a champion of my generation’s leadership potential, I cringe at reports that perpetuate negative impressions of Millennials. With plentiful images of disinterested, superficial hipsters glued to their phones, computers, and video games, it sometimes feels like an uphill battle to prove to more experienced colleagues that many of us are committed to making a difference. I was heartened by an article on FastCompany.com that shares anecdotes and statistics demonstrating how many young women of today aim to become a new kind of leader, driven not by money and power, but by a sense of social responsibility.
On the other side of the coin, a recent podcast from Knowledge at W.P. Carey addresses a troubling trend among young people: cheating on tests and lying on resumes to get ahead in school or career. The discussion depicts the youngest members of our workforce as supremely self-centered, willing to trample ethical boundaries in order to advance their individual goals. More articles come out every day with tips for working with and relating to members of Generation Y, often oversimplifying the issue by making it seem easy to predict behaviors. The underlying goal is one of understanding, but the opposite can easily occur: readers can be lured to believe they’ve discovered what motivates a widely diverse population when they’ve only gotten a peek at one segment.
That’s not to say that experts and researchers should stop writing articles. Having an array of ideas on the table makes for a great start, but we need more opportunities to actively discuss them. This is where associations can step in and become invaluable contributors to the conversation about the role of Millennials. Inviting young professionals to speak at conferences, holding forums where younger and older workers can compare viewpoints, and encouraging Generation Y participation on committees are all ways associations can investigate this issue on a level that is more than just skin deep. I think we can add to the growing list of associations’ social responsibilities the mission to ensure that all of our members develop an experience-based belief that the young people of today have what it takes to become the leaders we need for the future.
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Comments
Amen, Brynn! ASAE & The Center did a virtual seminar last week with Michael Muetzel and, thankfully, he didn't present the standard "hype" about generations that you are talking about. In fact, he (a Boomer) was telling the other Boomers that they need to understand the younger generations as they are, rather than as the Boomers think they should be. I wrote about it on my blog.
Posted by: Jamie Notter | April 23, 2008 7:13 AM
Great points Brynn. I think in today's online world young professionals have more of an opportunity than ever to participate and that we don't necessarily have to sit back and wait our turn to lead. I think this post is a great example of how we as millienials can get our voices out there and break the stereotypes.
Posted by: Bob Wolfe | April 23, 2008 9:23 AM
I love your action item: ensure that all of our members develop an experience-based belief that the young people of today have what it takes to become the leaders we need for the future. The fact is, the young people of today will be the leaders of the future whether older generations believe in them or not. That's why it's so important for professionals to put aside their doubts and open their minds (and hearts) to a new kind of leadership.
Posted by: Lindy Dreyer | April 23, 2008 11:51 AM
How are you defining "Millenial?" I was born in 1975 and was told in the 90s that I was "Generation X." But in the past two to three years, I've seen references to Millenials that included my age group. It's giving me an identity crisis. ;-)
Posted by: Mark Forstneger | April 23, 2008 11:34 PM
Hi Mark,
Answer 1 - it varies based on the source. I'm not sure what Brynn or even ASAE defines/uses but it the birth year ranges between 1975-1982. I'm sad to say by definition you're either X or Y
Answer 2 - I don't think it matters what year you were born in - I think it's more of a mind set. Millenials tend to have a common mind set. But this again tries to lump a large, diverse population into one narrowly defined group.
I would say your identity should decide your identity. I don't want to be lumped or judged because I'm 25 - I can't help when I was born. I can only affect how I live.
Posted by: Bob Wolfe | April 24, 2008 9:35 AM
Hi Brynn,
With a few adjustments for technology available, your post could have run a few years ago when Gen Xers graduated from college and entered the world of "real work."
Slackers, lazy, self-centered and so forth.
The negativity was draining and sometimes hurt. It was as if people forgot what it was like to be 20-something years old - and lumped everyone together!
I thought Gen Xers were the picked on generation - until the negativity about Millenials began to get louder.
It's sort of sad to see it happening again.
When I spoke to my mom about the negativity rising up again, she reminded me of the horrible, pelvis-shaking young people who embraced rock and roll in the 1950s and the crazy flappers who had the nerve to cut their hair, shorten their skirts and act outrageously for the times.
All got heat and less than stellar feedback from the all-knowing "adults"
Not excusing anything. Wondering how to turn the ship.
Posted by: Cynthia D'Amour | May 2, 2008 4:51 PM