Despite my experience and background in Human Resources, I have resisted the generational stereotyping so common in my field. I have given presentations on the topic of Generations In The Workplace on several occasions, and I am invited to do so because my approach is that of common ground – how we’re the same – as opposed to how we’re different.
If you want polarized views, tune into the news or Facebook. If you want to learn why Millennials are such a joy to coach and work with, read on.
Millennials are self-aware.
Clients hire coaches from a variety of self-awareness levels. Part of my work as a coach is to meet them where they are and guide them in their development, regardless of where they are starting from. But I have to confess: As a coach, I will always appreciate a client who is more self-aware than one who isn’t.
Millennials tend to approach coaching with more clarity of their purpose and meaning than any other group. When anchored in personal purpose and meaning, goals tend to get accomplished! At minimum, goals get unstuck more readily – and Millennials tend to get back on track more readily than any other generational stereotype out there.
Millennials have their stuff together more than they are given credit for.
In my experience, this is true because of their clarity of purpose and meaning in life. They may not be measuring success the same way previous generations did, which is why they appear different. If we hold the Millennials to THEIR standards, rather than ours, we quickly see how talented and capable they really are. They possess a wealth of abilities, and they also tend to excel at prioritization, project management and organizing their worlds. They have their “stuff” together a little differently than other generations, and when we embrace their structure we can see that they are pretty darn put together!
They aren’t afraid of the hard work.
As a coach, I fire clients from time to time. The number one reason? The client is wasting their time (and money) on me because they are not doing the work. Millennials not only do the work, but they ask for more. Perhaps they don’t always allow enough time for processing – youth! – but they lean into the work with all they have and they deliver time and again. I’m going to be vulnerable here: I sometimes work really hard to keep up with my Millennial clients.
The greater challenge I see with Millennials isn’t actually with them; it’s with other generations holding them to other generational expectations and metrics. As leaders, we not only have an obligation to the results of our organizations; we have an obligation to remain valid and contemporary. If we are to sustain, we must meet people from where they come and embrace their approaches presently and into the future.
Let’s seek more common ground with one another. As leaders, let’s meet others where they are and optimize their full being rather than work to fit them into our own molds. Let’s work to include more diverse strengths and skill sets, more variety in experiences and more opportunity for growth, development and succession planning- what an amazing way to increase the effectiveness and richness of teams!
Team FORWARD offers just that … the skills to identify and develop clear pathways to common ground, so that teams can outperform their current levels of performance.
Contact Emergent today to get started.
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