When Will the Millennial Myth End?
This article is reprinted with full credit to ThinkBusiness.ie – one of a growing number of voices who are tired of the mythological millennial. We encourage them all.
Valuegraphics proves that millennials only agree on anything, across 380 values, wants needs and expectations we measured with 100,000 surveys in Canada and the USA, 15% of the time. And given that a random sample of all ages agrees 8% of the time, the millennials only agree with each other 5% of the time more than anyone they happen to be walking past on the street of any age. How can they be a group when they bear no resemblance to each other?
Let's agree to stop these demographic stereotypes, and get over the generational labels. The maligned millennials have had more than their fair share of abuse, but maybe, just maybe we can save the next crop, Generation Z, from the same fate?
The Myths That Follow Millennials
As the latest crop of millennials heads into the workforce, they’ll face a host of stereotypes – that they are entitled, lazy or lack a strong work ethic. But is this all one big myth?
By Jess Alfaro
The myth of the millennial is finally being dispelled. With the advent of our dependence upon social media to make our lives easier and dare I say it, more enjoyable, it’s no longer just us pesky youngsters craving instant gratification as we carry out our daily actions.
“How is it that millennials are the ones left with the reputation of being entitled and demanding?”
Our parents and even our grandparents are liking, sharing, posting and ‘Ubering’ their way home. Feedback and validation from those around us have become so normalised, we don’t consciously register the fact that we are experts in the art of giving and receiving feedback.
So how is it that millennials are the ones left with the reputation of being entitled and demanding when there are no age limits on who’s participating on social media? Well, for one millennials are brilliant at following the role modelling set by previous generations. As Simon Sinek muses in his well-known millennial talk, millennials were dealt a bad hand, by no fault of their own, we learned to be this way from those who brought us up to think we could have anything we wanted.
“It’s not only millennials demanding feedback. Everyone is feeling the feedback famine.”
If we skip ahead to how this translates to the world of work, and the demands corporations feel millennials are placing upon them, we can see this is a myth.
“Baby boomers are the ones who raised us so it only makes sense that they also want the things they instilled in us to value.”
A greater amount of baby boomers, 72% to be exact, believe that feedback is more valuable for work and development than official training courses. This clearly tells us, it’s not only millennials demanding feedback; being immersed in a world where feedback is king, everyone is feeling the feedback famine happening in our offices. Baby boomers know the power of feedback and have raised millennials not to be shy in asking for it.
What we’re learning is that millennials aren’t culturally isolated on their island of entitlement, but that everyone feels rightly entitled to feedback to take control of their own growth and development. After all, baby boomers are the ones who raised us so it only makes sense that they also want the things they instilled in us to value.