My parents were of the Greatest Generation. I am a Baby Boomer. My granddaughter, Lauren, pictured above with her husband Chris on her wedding day, is a Millennial. When I think about her behavior and the way she conducts herself, I am convinced that a lot of Millennials are getting a bad rap.
No, she doesn't return voice mails, but if I text her I get an immediate response. Yes, she wants to make the world a better place, and that's part of her focus. What's wrong with that? She wants to do things that matter. Will she stick to the same job for 40 or 50 years and retire like my father did? Probably not. She wants to have experiences in her lifetime. I don't see that as a bad thing.
What I see is a loving, caring, giving heart who makes the world a better place because she is in it. She currently is a direct interface to customers in her company, and she makes them feel like a million bucks. The CEO of her company told me recently: "If I want something to get done, and done well, I give it to Lauren." That's a ringing endorsement for her capabilities, and any company would be lucky to have her, even if only for a few years!
The world has changed a lot since the Greatest Generation worked an 8-hour day at the same job for so many years. Is there anything wrong when you see a young person pull 12-hour days to get the work done and hope for a little more vacation in return? The way business is done is being transformed by these young people, and that's not a bad thing. I want my grandchildren and their children to experience all that life offers.
Like any generation of people, there are good ones, bad ones, great ones and not-so-hot ones. I think we should start looking for the good qualities in Generation Y and stop complaining about what's wrong with them.
Til Next Time,
Carol
No, she doesn't return voice mails, but if I text her I get an immediate response. Yes, she wants to make the world a better place, and that's part of her focus. What's wrong with that? She wants to do things that matter. Will she stick to the same job for 40 or 50 years and retire like my father did? Probably not. She wants to have experiences in her lifetime. I don't see that as a bad thing.
What I see is a loving, caring, giving heart who makes the world a better place because she is in it. She currently is a direct interface to customers in her company, and she makes them feel like a million bucks. The CEO of her company told me recently: "If I want something to get done, and done well, I give it to Lauren." That's a ringing endorsement for her capabilities, and any company would be lucky to have her, even if only for a few years!
The world has changed a lot since the Greatest Generation worked an 8-hour day at the same job for so many years. Is there anything wrong when you see a young person pull 12-hour days to get the work done and hope for a little more vacation in return? The way business is done is being transformed by these young people, and that's not a bad thing. I want my grandchildren and their children to experience all that life offers.
Like any generation of people, there are good ones, bad ones, great ones and not-so-hot ones. I think we should start looking for the good qualities in Generation Y and stop complaining about what's wrong with them.
Til Next Time,
Carol
RSS Feed
