The common view of millennials today is they are difficult to manage, lazy and entitled. The more I hear this, the more I fear I am going to graduate college and go into the workplace with the qualities companies so strongly dislike about people my age. Am I as bad as they say? Will I not be qualified for a job because of what is beyond my control? Or can I control these traits that so many say people of my age have? Recently, I watched a video by Delta Protective Services where they interviewed Simon Sinek. Sinek spoke about his view on millennials--a view which I had not heard before. This completely changed the way I look at myself, my friends, people my age and the world around us.
What many people do not realize is millennials actually have a strong desire to work and have a powerful impact on their work. Yet, the skills and mindset they have acquired, or not acquired rather, have led them to be less successful for themselves and the companies. This has lead to an extremely negative image for millennials, but Sinek has really found the four main contributors the issue: parenting, technology, impatience and environment.
Parenting
According to popular views, millennials grew up in an era of failed parenting strategies. With too much encouragement, parents would say “you can do anything you’d like” and hand out trophies for participation. When translated into the real world, you don’t get everything you want and you don’t get a trophy for coming in last. As a result, this child’s self-image is completely shattered as an adult with very little self-esteem.
Personally, I do not agree with this view. I can honestly the participation trophy I won for playing soccer at five years old, has actually not led me to believe I am the best and will earn that trophy for whatever I do. As you proceed on through your life, you come to understand the concept of working for something. I do think, though, that we have made life look nearly perfect through highly edited photos and Instagram filters. Life is not perfect. We do need to realize that. Yet I do not see as big of an issue with a positive outlook and some encouragement.
Technology
According to research, receiving a text message, like or friend request released dopamine into our systems. This is the same compound released during smoking, drinking, and gambling. Therefore, it is inevitable that we are going to become addicted to social media and our cell phones the same way, especially because we start so young. The same way that many use those methods to cope with the stress of life, we use our phones and social media to cope with adolescence. This is obviously not well understood by generation X or baby boomers because they did not grow up being exposed to such things. But we cannot blame them necessarily. We need to understand that this can ruin our lives and relationships. The fact that we can barely sit at a table without our phones on it is not healthy. Having a separate conversation while speaking to someone else is rude and unhealthy. The worst part is: very few realize how bad it is. It will not be easy, but somehow we must learn to use our phones productively and not rule over our entire lives. Train ourselves to take a step back and admire life for itself. Just live in the moment.
Impatience
As Sinek says, “we live in a world of instant gratification” (Amazon, Netflix binge watching, etc.) Whatever we wish to do or receive, we can at the drop of a hat. But when we step foot into the real world, nothing is just handed to us. So many are not used to taking time and working for something and eventually receiving the gratification. So many give up if they are not getting the results they expected right away. Unfortunately, our cell phones have not taught us basic social skills needed such as asking someone out on a date, applying for a job or working through a relationship. Only we can learn these things by experiencing them. Yet this takes time--time which people rarely nowadays realize they need to experience. Sinek reminds us that this leads most to never find real happiness. Millennials tend to just settle for “fine” because they do not take the time to find this real happiness.
Environment
With the lack of skills required to work jobs for large companies and high responsibility, there is a disconnect between the company and the worker. Sinek says the companies are more to blame because we cannot change the situation. It is what it is. What we can do is foster and mentor these millennials in order to show them what must be done to be successful. Rather, nowadays, companies do not care about training the worker. Instead, they care about the short term effects and feel it is a waste of time to help them.
This can definitely be true but I’m going to have to disagree a little. I know that people higher up can help those lower to do better, show them what is lacking for them to improve. But there has to be some sort of desire to succeed by the millennial. There are many out there who ask for help and do all they can to show they care and will do whatever it takes to rise up to the top and be impressive.
But there are also a handful of people who wait for one to approach them and play the “woe is me” card for anyone who says they need to improve. It is a partnership. Both are responsible to cultivate the millennial’s current skills and help them gain new ones to continue to improve for themselves and the company.
The issue with the image of millennials nowadays is certainly fascinating. There are times when I am offended by it and times when I cannot help but agree that there is an obvious problem. All we have left to do is change ourselves personally and go into the work world with an eager attitude to learn and a desire to succeed. Then, maybe, we can surprise everyone above us and make them rethink their view on millennials.
