Move over Baby Boomers - here come the Millennials...
Over 80 million strong - born between 1980 and 1995, they are here, they are all about themselves and they are not going to change, we are going to have to adapt.And, don't forget the praise.
This generation is all abut me and they are all winners.They were raised by doting parents and their work ethic is friends and fun first, employers - you can take this job and shove it. Having seen how their parents invested themselves, giving all they had to the Job - these guys will have no part of it. They are tech savvy, major multi-taskers, only take yes for an answer, are amazingly clever and their number one priority - they come first. They are praise hounds, all about collecting trophies for anything they do and live in a world where narcissism is not a bad thing. And don't forget the praise.
The theorists blame Mr Rogers, where they learned they were special. 60% of college grads move home and think it is a very good thing. They think it is their right to not grow up before thirty, ie - to be responsible for bills and such hence their creed that no one over thirty is to be trusted. And, don't forget the praise.
If you are an employer, you must hire consultants to train you. You must learn how to motivate this teenage babysitting pool to be productive. They were not prepared for Real Life and must be coached instead of bossed. They expect a confetti parade just for showing up to the job. They are incorrigible. And don't forget the praise.
This is the future. We have taught them well and now, they are teaching us. One of the things they are seeing in the corporate sector is that mommies are becoming involved in their kids professional lives, when things do go so well. We saw this last week at DH job when a 24 year old who was on the job for less than 8 weeks due to excessive tardiness let his mommy write a scathing letter of itiseveryoneelsesfaultbutmyboy to the CEO of the company. He didn't get his job back but there were repercussions that tickled down. And, don't forget the praise.
Millennials - now I can put a name to the faces I have seen. Shaking my head, no realizing that they are here to stay and it will be us who must change. It all makes sense now. Maybe it's not all bad - job first has never yielded a good return. Too many have put work in front of family life. I have got to believe that we can learn something from the M's. I promise to be harsh with you and try to see it from your standpoint. I hope we can be friends and I REALLY promise, not to forget the praise!
