“We want to work in a place with a purpose. We want to make an impact. We want free food and bean bags.” The words of Simon Sinek are what he declares millennials demand in the workplace. Millennials are defined as those whom were born in the year 1984 and after. Most of the previous generation calls the millennials entitled, lazy, self-consumed kids. However, this is clearly a fallacy at play, because not all millennials are unproductive, egotistical brats. And for those that may fall under one or more of these categories—fear not! Sinek attempts to explain the reasons behind the millennials’ spiral into obsolescence.
There are four pieces to the puzzle: parenting, technology, impatience, and environment.
Parenting
Millennials are subject to failed parenting strategies. For example, a child is told they are special all the time. Of course, children are gifts, miracles in the eyes of any religious belief, and shed light on true innocence. However, this sets up a child up for false hopes. A child in today’s age is told he/she could have anything they want in life just because he/she wants it. The real world does not work in this utopian manner. Students are enrolled in honors courses, not because they deserved it, but because parents complained. Some children get A’s because teachers don’t want to deal with parents, not because the child earned it. Participation awards are given out as a last resort to make children feel as though they accomplished something. Science tells us that this method devalues the true award’s value for those that truly deserve it. It also embarrasses the person who receives it, as it makes them feel like they didn’t deserve it as much as others that receive it.
Upon graduation, this group of people gets a job. They soon come to find that there is no medal for last place. They can’t have everything they were once told they could have. Their parents can’t get them a promotion. In other words, these entry-level workers are thrust into a reality where no one can help them (at least that's what it seems like). They lose all self-esteem because their self-image is shattered.
Technology
This brings Sinek to his second point. How does a generation with low self-esteem compensate for their lack of success? Filters. In the world of technology, one is able to disguise his/her depression or tribulations with Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. People put on a ‘toughie’ facade, hoping to exhibit a sort of ‘I’ve got it all figured out’ message. When in reality, only a trivial amount of these people are truly ‘toughies.’ Take note that these people, the millennials, are not at fault. “They were dealt a bad hand.”
Engaging with social media, laptops, cell-phones, etc. all release a substantial amount of dopamine. “A 2012 study by Harvard research scientists reported that talking about oneself through social media activates a pleasure sensation in the brain that is typically associated with food, money, and sex.” For example, kids now face the trauma of being unfriended or bullied over social media platforms. People also vie for the most likes on social media platforms, and if they aren’t performing as well, they feel as though no one likes them as much. We millennials become obsessed with counting the likes due to the release of a chemical reaction you may be familiar with: dopamine. Sinek says that dopamine is the exact same chemical released when we smoke, drink, and gamble. An interesting thing to note here is that all of these dopamine-linked activities have an age restriction, but the door to social media is wide-open to abuse by all ages.
As an adolescent, one transitions from wanting approval from parents to peers. This is a stressful period of our lives. Almost all alcoholics discover alcohol in their teenage years leading to the accidental discovery of the numbing effects of dopamine. They will then find such effects of dopamine attractive and turn to the bottle instead of parents or friends during stressful times whether they be social, financial, or culturally related. The same analogy can be made with social media. Many people in today’s generation admit to not having meaningful relationships nor do they know how to form such a relationship. They don’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with social anxieties or any type of stress, so they turn to social media just as alcoholics turn to a bottle. Is drinking bad? Not in moderation. Is gambling bad? Not in moderation. The solution to this equation of dependence on social media is a balance.
If a person is having dinner with you and/or your friends, whilst continuously texting other friends that are not present, it is not a stretch to say you have an addiction. During a meeting, if you put your phone on the table (face up or down) you are sending a subconscious message to the audience that they are not as important. The fact that one cannot put his/her phone out of sight, even when not in use, is a clear sign of addiction. If you immediately check your phone in the morning without saying hello to parents, friends, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, dog or cat—YOU HAVE AN ADDICTION. It will destroy relationships, cost time and money, and you will basically implode.
Impatience
The next issue is the ease of access to self-gratification, thus leading to impatience. Want to buy something? Order it on Prime Amazon and get it the next day. Want to eat dinner? Heat-up that Lean Cuisine in a finger-snap. Want to watch a TV show? Go on Netflix and binge—you don’t have to wait anymore per weekly basis. Do you want to go on a date? You don’t have to learn the social coping mechanisms of meeting a boy/girl. Just swipe right on Tinder! Everything you want, you can have the instant gratification of in this day and age…EXCEPT, job satisfaction and strong relationships. These are slow, messy, uncomfortable processes.
Sinek claims millennials are failing to see the mountain that we climb to reach the summit titled ‘impact.’ All we want to do is make an impact in whatever job it may be that we hold. However, millennials are increasingly wanting to quit their jobs after a mere 5-8 months, because they feel as though they have a lack of power in the company. There is a mountain, whether or not you get there fast or slow is not the point. During the journey, Sinek claims we should focus on things that truly matter in and of themselves: love, job fulfillment, joy, a skill set, hobbies etc. The overall journey is arduous, and you must ask for help and learn your skill sets; this takes an immeasurable amount of time that requires personal relationships. Yet, our generation has been consumed by the glamorous shields of media and failed parenting strategies. The worst case scenarios for indulging in the above issues include increases in suicide rates, an overdose of drugs, and drop-out rates. The best case scenario: an entire population going through life and never truly finding joy in work or life.
Environment
The fourth point is environment. Putting people to work in corporations that care more about the numbers than the people allow for a mistreatment of a person. Companies are squeezing out employees’ confidence, and pushing them into a shadow of short-term employment. Companies are failing to help them learn and overcome the challenges of climbing the mountain. The companies are making these people feel responsible for being ‘failures.’ Truthfully, companies need to work 100 times more to teach people good leadership skills because of failed parenting and evolving societal factors.
Sinek suggests the prohibition of cell phones in conference rooms to propagate more physical interaction. These little innocuous conversations allow for one to learn the proper social gestures and tools for successful relationships. Sinek goes to great lengths to avoid the loss of meaningful conversations in what most would claim to be an insane method: all of his friends leave their cell-phones at home when they go to eat with him. Only one cell-phone is brought for emergencies. He claims that removing the temptation is the key to solving any problem.
The world is where ideas happen. When we wonder, we innovate. Taking away the little moments of meandering thoughts leaves us with a lack of creativity. The next time you go to a restaurant, leave your phone in the car, or even at home. Maybe you’ll learn more about yourself and others around you.
Click here to watch Simon Sinek reiterate the importance of millennials in workplaces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU
