Millennials overshadow their immediate predecessors, Gen X, because there are nearly three times as many members of this younger generation. They also, in general, are born of working parents and have more disposable income than previous generations.
Changing Generations/Changing Ideas
Unlike their rebellious Boomer parents, Millennials tend to have stronger relationships with their parents through their teenage years. Also, they are used to being regularly praised and rewarded for their efforts at school and at play.
From these early days of shared rewards, constant media stimulation, and technological savvy, they became a generation accustomed to quick answers, a constant flow of information and new ideas, and immediate gratification.
These are the characteristics that the Millennials bring into a workplace dominated by the Baby Boomer generation, whose own youthful experiences were markedly different. Teenage Boomers demanded change through rebellion and revolutionary tactics. Their early years were permeated by street protests and standing up against an unpopular war and a military draft which threatened all income levels. Their friends were killed, their heroes were assassinated, the political establishment seemed immune to the changing world, and generational conflict was rampant.
For these two sizeable demographic groups to co-exist in the workplace, they must learn to understand how their formative cultural experiences guide their behavior and then find the common ground for a successful working relationship.
In reality, these are two generations that should have the capacity to work extraordinarily well together. Both are smart, work at a fast pace, and can exhibit great passion about what they do. Their different styles and expectations are an outgrowth of their life experiences, and the culture in which they were raised.
A Better Work Environment
How then, can these two groups communicate better in the workplace? First and foremost, Baby Boomers need to stop complaining that the millennial generation is lazy and unwilling to work hard. In fact, the Millennials enter the workplace accomplished and with high expectations.
Millennial workers, however, reject the notion of face time as a means of success, and expect clear assignments, regular feedback, and reward for their efforts. They will not stay for long if they do not understand the big picture and the opportunities that lie ahead.
By understanding these differences, Boomers can partner with the Millennials to create a far more humane work environment.
Savvy Baby Boomers should recognize that the expectations of the Millennials actually translate into the fundamentals of a better workplace.
An organization that carefully trains all of its employees, sets clear goals and expectations, and provides regular feedback to ensure that individuals learn with each assignment is a model for success. Even more, if the workplace can recognize the strains on two-career parents by providing a flexible work environment, then it is going to be a magnet for the best and the brightest of the millennial generation.
Source: Lauren Stiller Rikleen is a senior partner with Bowditch & Dewey, LLP and the executive director of the Bowditch Institute for Women's Success. She is the author of Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women's Success in the Law."