WILL MILLENNIALS FLY HIGH OR IS THERE NO HOPE FOR THE HIPPIE GENERATION?

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z, with 1981-1996 marked as their birth period. Stereotypes say that there’s no hope for the hippie generation, but are we judging them too fast based on a very few sets of individuals who might have created the stereotype?

“Parents have caused Generation Y; because parents were able to provide better opportunities.”

-Tracie Duncan, Senior Director at Adidas.

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE OF MILLENNIALS

WHO ARE THE MILLENNIALS?

Are they a set of selfish, uninvolved, unmotivated, pampered narcissists who depend on their parents or a set of individuals who are creative, independent, motivated freethinkers and want to be happy? Well, maybe it depends on our perception.

HOW MUCH IS THE MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE?

There are about two billion of the world’s population formed of the Millennials, out of which Generation Y accounts for more than 15% of the global labor force. By 2025, Millennials will comprise three-quarters of the worldwide workforce.

WHY ARE MILLENNIALS MISUNDERSTOOD?

Generation X was in a better position, and hence, the world could provide its next-generation with better windows. This made Generation Y look for faster ways of getting work done because, let’s face it, everything was just a click away, and Google was the universal answer to all their questions. Is that any wrong?

“Everything for Millennials is instant gratification.”

– Tracie Duncan, Senior Director at Adidas

We can’t always erase the mess we created. Is it a mess, or we just need to see things differently and understand things better?

POPULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF A MILLENNIAL

• The Breathing Metro: Millennials always want the fastest way of getting things done. They would rather Instagram over Email and communicate through emoticons over texts. For them, positive feedback would consist of three heart emojis, and they’d rather DM the updates over a report.





• The Impatient Clock: Millennials are not lazy. They are impatient. They don’t like to wait and want to get more work done in less time. The concept of working without the expectation of results does not apply to them.
• Life is A Stock Market:Millennials love challenges. They are not looking to change companies; they are looking to try out new opportunities. As a result, Millennials are not scared of risks. This doesn’t just benefit them but the organization itself. Imagine the amount we spend on training a new set of the workforce every year. Instead, if we could follow a rotational leadership system, knowledge won’t be lost entirely, just moved to another department.

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• The workplace is The Ultimate Playground: Team building, social hours, and having fun in what one does is the most important thing to a Millennial. However, there’s a set of people belonging to Generation X who do not enjoy weekly bowling leagues and look at work just as work.

Bridging the gap between the two generations is the real problem.

How do we get a Millennial to stay for ten years in the same company?
How do we use a Millennial’s potential to complete an 8-hour job in merely six hours?
How do we bridge the last generation gap?
And how do we find so many answers and practical solutions?
Here’s How!

THE FIVE PRONGED APPROACH FOR WORKING WITH MILLENNIALS

• Treat Them As Individuals: As much as they love working in a team, Millennials want recognition for their accomplishments. Every individual has something unique, and they want us to appreciate their uniqueness. It is imperative to the success of working with Millennials.
• Be Clear As A Crystal: Be transparent with them because they seek on-point transparency. They welcome one to one feedback. Hence, we might as well engage them with individual development programs and make them acquainted with future growth opportunities.



• Embrace Diversity & Flexibility: They are the only generation that embraces people for who they are. From L, G, B, T to Q, everyone’s respected and welcomed for what they have to offer and not for who they are. Understanding this mantra is equally essential for us if we want to work with Generation Y.
• Don’t Squash Their Ideas: Millennials want to be heard. Ergo, we need to give them the empowerment to explore their ideas. We need to encourage their creativity and will to make a difference. And that’s how we’ll be able to transform them from a selfish, demotivated individual to a creative and highly motivated freethinker.
• Take Advantage of Their Tech Savviness: We don’t need to forget our ways of communication; all we need to do is blend into theirs. Learning various technologies that are trending would benefit any company not just in communicating but building a global brand. And who better to learn from than the makers themselves, the Millennials.

“We, as leaders, need to change our thinking.”

– Tracie Duncan, Senior Director at Adidas

IN A NUTSHELL

We cannot ignore the presence of Millennials, but the silver lining is that we don’t need to. Generation Y is just slightly different from Generation X or Generation Z with high potential. All we need is to adapt to their existence and align their capabilities with our needs because it is not for them to fit in; it is for us to stand out. This blog talks about a few characteristics and ways to work with a Millennial but, Tracie Duncan, Credit, A/R, Senior Director at Adidas, has a lot more to offer in the link below.