Dear Business CEO, VP, HR, (whoever else deems themselves mid and upper level management!),
Hello from the Millennial generation. Hope this letter finds you doing well. For some of us we are very excited to be entering the workplace and look forward to learning a lot from you.
With that out of the way her are a few things some of us 20-somethings have been talking about lately.
About three weeks ago I met Maggie Richardson at a Baton Rouge Social Media Club meeting. She politely came up to me and introduced herself saying "I'm here to meet you." We briefly discussed her upcoming article about examining the the generational gaps in the workplace. I was very excited to see Baton Rouge Business Report take on such a timely topic.
In the article, out on newsstands today, I mentioned “Our generation is the one where no one really gave us the box to fit in; they just said build the box in a different way." Think about. Millennials were not given a typewriter and told "learn to type 60 words a minute!" Instead, we were given a computer and told to develop creative presentations and flashy images. The one factor I find that separates Millennials from any other is the influence and stressed importance of the arts and creativity in our education. From music to art and a world wide web, we learned that fitting into a box would not meet our serious attention deficit needs. Thinking back on it, I begin to feel claustrophobic at the mere thought of my self expression, creativity and wit being constrained by an authoritative figure.
I shared with Ms. Richardson a situation that many newcomers to the workplace experience early on. "This is the way we've always done it, so we'll keep doing it this way." This attitude that is carried in many workplaces, in my opinion, is a sign that change and the thought of a better and newer way of accomplishing a goal is scary. I've found that this attitude can prevent an organization from staying relevant in today's society and stifles their own growth.
With every generation comes its high points and low points. My uneducated sociology opinion would suggest that every generation, even you, once held a sense of optimism and youthfulness. We were all young once! The difference, at least at this point, is Millennials have not conceded to the box that some have put before us. Instead we attempt to find new ways to shape the box or work around it. No only means "find another way."
While I truly believe other generations have built their philosophies based on their experiences, I contend that their experiences do not have to shape the future and philosophies of the Millennial generation. I believe Millennial have the passion, drive and motivation to press forward and reshape the workplace as we know it today.
Tomorrow's consumer is today's Millennial. The fact that we grew up with a computer in our bedroom and Google giving us instant results should serve as a hint into how we will work, live and play. To some it up, we multi task without great ease.
My biggest advice to any CEO or mid-level manager working with Millennials in the workplace today, "take us seriously. We have the knowledge that your organization needs to succeed. We are not here to replace you. Most of us honestly have great ideas and opinions that may not have thought of and will take you very far. Just because it has not been done before does not mean it can not be done."
Sincerely,
A Millennial.
Learn more about the generation gap in the workplace in Richardson's cover story in the June 29th issue of Baton Rouge Business Report "Here Come Millennials!"
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What are some of your experiences working with Millennials? Or as a Millennial, how do you feel about the workplace today?
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