Millennials... In The Right Context.

If we, as W. Clement Stone once said, are a product of our environment, doesn’t it stand to reason that in order to understand the mindset and mentality of a generation, that we first need to recognize the environment that shaped them?

I want to focus for a moment on Millennials and perhaps offer somewhat of a different perspective. But first, I think it’s fair to say that when someone even mentions the term, a myriad of thoughts immediately enter our minds, usually in a negative light to describe a generation that will make up 50% of the U.S. workforce within the next two years, and will grow to be 75% of the global workforce by 2025. Just for reference, today the elder statesman of this group stands at 39 years of age, the youngest – just 24.

Unfortunately, like headline readers we all tend to subscribe to popular opinion without ever really doing our homework and constructively establishing an objective point-of-view all our own. We categorize and slap on labels without taking the time to understand the underlying motivations and circumstances that make someone who they are. And I believe that this is essential if we are attempting to gain a fair assessment of an individual, or in this case, an entire generation.

I think a word that we all seriously need to invest in is – context. Context serves as the basis of understanding. It’s a reference point for a mutual point-of-view, and without it, we lose all perspective.

In an article published on livescience.com, Millennials have been characterized in a number of different ways. On the negative side, they've been described as lazy, narcissistic and prone to jump from job to job. The 2008 book "Trophy Kids" by Ron Alsop discusses how many young people have been rewarded for minimal accomplishments (such as mere participation) in competitive sports; and have unrealistic expectations of working life.

A story in Time magazine said polls show that Millennials "want flexible work schedules, more 'me time' on the job, and nearly nonstop feedback and career advice from managers." Another Time story in May 2013, titled "The Me Me Me Generation," begins: "They're narcissistic. They're lazy. They're coddled. They're even a bit delusional.” According to the article – “Those aren't just unfounded negative stereotypes about 80 million Americans born roughly between 1980 and 2000, they're backed-up by a decade of sociological research."

If history teaches us anything, broad stroke generalization should bother each one of us. Status quo thinking is often challenged by successive generations that seek to be their own individual- to stretch their minds beyond tradition, authority and conformity. In the case of Millennials, an entire generation has been encouraged to question everything (seek continuous learning) via an evolving educational system and parents who challenged conventional thinking with more penetrating thought and action.

Personally, in a world where we all believe that there are simply not enough hours in a day, I think we all could use a little more “me time” if we want to be honest with ourselves and not so cynical. As for craving “non-stop feedback and career advice from managers,” companies should only be grateful that an employee, at any age, takes that much interest in what they do, care about their immediate contribution and impact. And if we all want to be honest with ourselves, if management were that hands-on, perhaps turnover wouldn’t be where it is today. And excuse me for a moment, but I have to say something about the “non-stop” comment. I don’t know about you… but I think Time Magazine was taking a few liberties here describing a Millennial’s desire for direction and feedback as “non-stop,” as if they were a child bugging their parents to get ice cream on a summer day. Isn’t it amazing how the world’s mindset immediately wants to take something that should be viewed as a positive and twist it? Now that I think of it – it doesn’t surprise me at all. What does surprise me or, should I say disappoints me, is that everyone mindlessly buys into it without a second thought and are willing to paint an entire generation with such a broad brush.

Putting Millennials into Context

Where does the generational “pass it on” mentality come into play in all this? After all, our thinking has to take root somewhere. The fact is… each generation absorbs a belief system that was instilled in their psychological makeup from infancy. Along with it comes the environmental influences that were lived and helped to shape our views of the world, not only on the way that it is, but on the way that it should be.

The mentality trickle-down effect and what is instilled in the next generation is undeniably a real thing, usually expressed from a personal place of regret and/or oppression. Each generation has seeds that it has sown in all of us, lessons that we have learned, and have forwarded on in some small way. They are the breadcrumbs that have led us to where we are and offer us a greater understanding of why we are here. As Maya Angelou once said… "If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going."

I’m sure somewhere along the line we have all heard of the "silent generation." They we’re given this title because children of this era were expected to be seen and not heard. Just think about how that mentality would play out today. They were born between 1927 and 1946. In 1951, our good old positive friend Time magazine published an article in which the children of the generation were described as unimaginative, withdrawn, unadventurous, and cautious and used the name 'Silent Generation' to refer to them. The name has been associated with them ever since.

As victims of The Great Depression, they understood what it was like to go without, and as one would imagine, wanted a great deal more for their children - the generation to follow.

They passed down the hard work gene to their children - the Baby Boomers, who of course, had a competitive nature and a strong need to be SEEN as an individual. They possessed a new style of leadership, had their own vision of the American Dream; and were deemed a generation full of entrepreneurial tendencies.

Boomers were raised in a very structured and well-disciplined household, embodied old-fashioned family values and were ever cognizant of the fact that they had responsibilities and mouths to feed. They were also reminded by mom and dad that they should be thankful that they had a good job, because this was the age of thirty years at one company, a gold watch, a pat on the back and a grateful handshake. As a generation they feel that they are hardwired for work, and as they’ve aged, they reluctantly admit that they’ve stayed in jobs that had no growth or future, but still continued to work hard calling their work a “badge of honor.” In light of their experience, and empowered by their strong work ethic, they encouraged their children to have a sense of their own self-worth, to never settle; and instilled a belief in them that they could do anything that they set their minds to.

According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, your beliefs play a pivotal role in what you want and whether you achieve it. Dweck suggests that many people are trained in the two types of mindsets early in life, often through the way they are raised or their experiences in school.

Fixed Mindsets

• Children who are taught that they should look smart instead of loving learning tend to develop a fixed mindset.
• They become more concerned with how they are being judged and fear that they might not live up to expectations.

Growth Mindsets

• Kids who are taught to explore, embrace new experiences, and enjoy challenges are more likely to develop a growth mindset.
• Rather than seeing mistakes as setbacks, they are willing to try new things and make errors all in the name of learning and achieving their potential.

Generational Comparisons

Stories of how it was “back in my day” have been handed down from generation to generation. Personal experiences continue to build frames of reference for the next one in line ready to strike out on their own. However, making generational comparisons is extremely flawed. Regardless of where you stand on the timeline, the world was different then. Again – Context.

Take marriage for example. For Boomers, a woman traditionally got married at 21 to a man usually around the age of 24 with their eyes immediately set on having a family. Today, with an independent focus on their careers, women are closer to 30. They are presented with the opportunity to work for companies who offer freezing a woman’s eggs as part of their benefits package and have an unprecedented opportunity to climb the corporate ladder, more so than any time in history. The priorities, expectations and climate of each era are entirely different as is the maturity level of someone 21 compared to that of a 30-year-old. Responsibilities and perspectives are drastically different providing the foundation for one’s inability to relate to the other, which is the entire issue on this topic. Therefore, the “When I was your age” comment no longer applies in practical application. It’s apples and oranges, which is a significant part of the cultural challenge that many companies are faced with today. An Apple and Orange culture that takes the inherent differences in individuals and instead of dividing them and comparing one to the other as if trying to determine which is better, they strive to find a way to unite those complimentary differences to make the company stronger as a whole, and effect positive change.

A Generation Side Note on a "Connected" World

Perhaps unknowingly, Millennials will likely be playing the technological game of the century with the massive impact of 5G on the immediate horizon. Demand will be placed on the need to bridge the strengths of both Millennials and Gen-Xers who created the framework for social media, cell phone technology and a vast array of other advancements that we simply take for granted today. The grandeur of it, is that it will be integrated into virtually every product and available at every turn. The unfortunate reality however, is that they may simply mistake the instrumental evolution of this technological achievement and see it as nothing more than the assumed natural progression. That is, up until the time that they look back over their shoulder and realize that they had a hand in the current state of the world as we know it.

They Jump From Job to Job!

We claim that “Satisfied” can be a dangerous word. I for one know that I’ve stated it several times in previous articles, yet we seem to cast aspersions on those who are not, if they happen to fall within a certain age group. Being more self-aware, Millennials “jump from job to job” because unlike the Boomers before them, who considered remaining at a job with no growth and no future as a “badge of honor,” they see as simply an unconstructive waste of their time. But here comes that word again – context. Are we talking about younger Millennials who are in their twenties or, are we referring to those in their mid to upper thirties? For argument sake, let’s say it’s the younger end of the spectrum. The fact is, according to the WSJ the numbers on job tenure for Americans in their 20s were almost exactly the same in the 1980s as they are today. So much for that headline.

They Are So Entitled

When asked what the “right” amount of time is to stay in a single role before being promoted or moving to another, about two-thirds said less than two years and a quarter said less than 12 months. But is this entitlement or, self-worth? Let’s be honest, if you could go back to your twenties and knew that you could find a position with another company and make $5,000 to $10,000 more per year – would you? If you realized that after 12 months of working for a company that this was not going to be a long-term fit for you, would you stay on simply to be a good little soldier or, seek a new opportunity that may hold long-term potential?

The problem that I see is that companies have the answers to the test but are still get the questions wrong! If statistics tell you that two-thirds of the people that you hire between the ages of 24 and 39 are planning on leaving in 24 months unless they are promoted – what are you proactively doing about it? Call me crazy, but if it were me, I would stop and take a quick glance at the age groups that make up my company’s population and come up with a plan to stop the bleeding. On the other hand, if I choose not to, then I really don’t have a right to complain about it.

We can’t dismiss the fact that this generation was led to believe that they could do anything that they set their minds to. They could be anything that they want to be, encouraged to never settle for less than they deserve and understand their own self-worth. This self-awareness, perhaps like no other time in history, places companies at a distinct disadvantage. They’ve lost the leverage and control that they once had over the narrative. And with the scarcity of talent that is undoubtably in high demand, perhaps for the first time the tail is wagging the dog and companies simply don’t like it. It’s funny, when organizations possessed the power, it was ego driven business as usual. However, when the talent has the power – it’s entitlement. My how times have changed.

Flexible Hours

And what about the desire for flexible hours? From a glass half-full perspective, we may be simply looking at a sign of the times. Nowhere does it state the productivity only exists between 9 to 5. Instead of a concession to Millennials, perhaps it's an opportunity to reinvent the wheel, to streamline and adapt as we always have to the needs of those who have chosen to spend a small portion of their lives under our roof. Maybe it’s time that we anticipate change instead of reacting to it.

“Lazy?”

According to an article in the NY Post, one in three Millennials will turn over in the first 90 days. The reasons for failing, 62 percent is poor performance, 50 percent is absence, 25 percent is lateness and 30 percent is gross misconduct.” However, you have another source stating that 73 percent of Millennials report working more than 40 hours a week and nearly a quarter work more than 50.

Now I don’t know about you, but my mind immediately goes to who in the %$#@! are responsible for recruiting here? Perhaps companies should stop paying so much attention to the symptoms and treat the source. And once again we are dealing with the word – context. Regardless of age, everyone falling within the guides of this generation are tossed into the same pot. What we need to realize is that everyone is an individual and should be judged on their own merit. They are not a spokesman or role-model for their generation. Is your company like every other competitor in your industry? Is Redmond like every other executive search firm out there? No. Then why do we assume that men and women ages 24 to 39 are all the same?

Gen-Z

Now I could address Gen-Z and all the talk lately around ghosting etc and propagate the negative, but there are plenty of people out there with nothing better to do discussing it now looking to cast aspersions on a generation as if they invented it, when the reality is it’s nothing new. It’s simply that the internet allows it to be amplified and make it into something that it’s not. Personally, I don’t have time to entertain it.

We all have a choice, we can read the headlines or, think for ourselves. In my view, sensationalism and tabloid mindsets have no place in the constructs of a dynamic and productive corporate environment. If they’ve become an issue, it’s because we’ve chosen to make them an issue or, in some cases, an excuse for our short comings. After all, it’s always easier to blame someone else.

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: steve@redmondresearch.com or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

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