MILLENNIAL VALUES

Millennial values have shifted from previous generations. Millennials’ unprecedented digital upbringing has made it difficult for experienced leaders to see the world from their point of view. This results in leaders becoming frustrated and defaulting to correcting instead of connecting. Correcting positions, the leader is seen as a nit-picking and authority-hungry parent guru. Connecting positions, the leader as a wise coach.

Millennials aren’t trying to be difficult or frustrate you on purpose. They have had a very different upbringing which has created a new breed of worker. Thus, a new breed of leader is needed to effectively lead them.

Maturity is the ability to see and act on behalf of others. Immaturity is not seeing things from someone else’s point of view. It’s natural for Millennials to exude immaturity in the workplace because they lack the necessary context and experience. But unfortunately, it’s all too common for leaders of Millennials to also be immature. Leaders of Millennials aren’t immature in their experience, knowledge, or skills but rather on seeing the world from the perspective of Millennials. The digital age has fundamentally rewired Millennials.

The top three priorities highlight a trait of the Millennial that many commentators and researchers have noticed that Millennials place a high priority on relationship and family.

The top three priorities highlight a trait of the Millennial that many commentator and researcher have noticed, that Millennials place a high priority on relationship and family. Millennials are forced to live at home with their parents longer than previous generations. Millennials are also more socially engaged and believe in improving society, social activity and service. But, though the above priorities are positive, it’s interesting to note the low role religion plays in the lives of the Millennial generation. Only 15% of Millennials polled ranked living religiously as a high priority in their lives. And we should be cautious about assuming that even the 15% who rank religion as important are typical religious people who subscribe to an established faith and attend church regularly.

Another Pew report pointed out that compared with their elders today, young people are much less likely to affiliate with any religious tradition. This includes identifying themselves as part of a Christian denomination. The religious views of Millennials are all over the place.  Many are inventing their own ideas of spirituality and others even considering atheism or agnosticism as their religion.

In work terms, Millennial employees are the largest group in the workforce, and that means they’ll be the largest group in your workforce. To remain successful, organizations and their managers must take steps to understand this generation of workers and to learn what drives them.

Everything is a constant process for Millennials, and they look at things in terms of job opportunities and what they can learn, or what they can get out of the experience.

Leadership IQ research identified the top three drivers that are predictors of what makes Millennials love an organization and feel motivated to give their best efforts.  Quality-customer focus and the quality of work an organization provides is the number one driver of Millennial willingness to say, “this is a great organization to work for.” Focusing on quality has the added advantage of pushing to get your quality to where it needs to be to impress your employees (which in turn will impress your customers). Millennials are good brand ambassadors if you have Millennial customers.

One of the biggest things that leaders can do to help Millennials maximize their full potential is to create a learning environment. And that’s not just true of millennials, it’s true of every generation of worker. Millennials enjoy being on a lifelong learning path. Millennials don’t make the same learning/doing distinctions as do older generations. Everything is a constant process for Millennials. They look at job opportunities for what they can learn, or what they can get out of the experience.

Millennials also appreciate feeling valued, especially at work.

Millennials also appreciate feeling valued, especially at work. Encouraging a more enterprising environment that embraces friendly competition, values creativity and intelligence, and where the best idea sometimes wins regardless of status or tenure gives Millennials a chance to stand out and be great. Something like Google’s concept of ‘20% time’ is an example of this in action.

Millennials are on course to become the most educated generation in American history.   This may have been accelerated in recent years by the millions of 20- somethings enrolling in graduate schools and colleges. This is in part because they can’t find a job. Census data shows among 18 to 24-year olds a record share — 39.6% —enrolled in college as of 2008.

They get along well with their parents. Millennials report having had fewer spats in their teenage years with mom or dad than older adults had with their parents. And now, hard times have kept a significant share of adult Millennials and their parents under the same roof.

They respect their elders. A majority say the older generation is superior to the younger generation when it comes to moral values and work ethics. Also, more than six in ten say that families have a responsibility to have an elderly parent come live with them if that parent wants to. By contrast, fewer than four in ten adults ages 60 and older agree that this is a family responsibility.

They are the generation gap that has widened notably in recent years. It has to do with satisfaction over the state of the nation.

They are the generation gap that has widened notably in recent years. It has to do with satisfaction over the state of the nation. In recent decades, the young have always tended to be a bit more upbeat than their elders. But, the gap is wider now than it has been in at least twenty years. Forty-one percent of Millennials state being satisfied with the way things are going in the country. Just 26% of those ages 30 and older express satisfaction. Whatever toll a recession, a housing crisis, a financial meltdown, etc. may have taken on the national psyche in the past few years, it appears to have hit the old harder than the young.

Check out: INSPIRATION IS IMPORTANT TO MILLENNIALS

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