[Music] Millennials are driving people crazy for
Millennials are driving people crazy for
Millennials are driving people crazy for the last 10 years from managers to top
the last 10 years from managers to top
the last 10 years from managers to top executives to university professors this
executives to university professors this
executives to university professors this generation has been causing us to tear
generation has been causing us to tear
generation has been causing us to tear out our hair we’ve labeled them with all
out our hair we’ve labeled them with all
out our hair we’ve labeled them with all sorts of unflattering adjectives like
sorts of unflattering adjectives like
sorts of unflattering adjectives like lazy and entitled and in fact begin um
lazy and entitled and in fact begin um
lazy and entitled and in fact begin um the nickname of generation me except
the nickname of generation me except
the nickname of generation me except we’re wrong
we’re wrong
we’re wrong Millennials are brilliant energetic
Millennials are brilliant energetic
Millennials are brilliant energetic they’re source of endless potential and
they’re source of endless potential and
they’re source of endless potential and new ideas they hold two critical keys
new ideas they hold two critical keys
new ideas they hold two critical keys new ways to solve problems and the
new ways to solve problems and the
new ways to solve problems and the passion and energy to do so I discovered
passion and energy to do so I discovered
passion and energy to do so I discovered this by accident as a university
this by accident as a university
this by accident as a university professor I work with Millennials every
professor I work with Millennials every
professor I work with Millennials every day
day
day Millennials make sense to me as one of
Millennials make sense to me as one of
Millennials make sense to me as one of the youngest of Gen X I’m just a few
the youngest of Gen X I’m just a few
the youngest of Gen X I’m just a few years away from the Millennial
years away from the Millennial
years away from the Millennial Generation close enough in age to
Generation close enough in age to
Generation close enough in age to understand them but far enough away to
understand them but far enough away to
understand them but far enough away to be fascinated so as a researcher of
be fascinated so as a researcher of
be fascinated so as a researcher of human behavior I see Millennials as an
human behavior I see Millennials as an
human behavior I see Millennials as an obvious product of the world that they
obvious product of the world that they
obvious product of the world that they grew up in you see Millennials are the
grew up in you see Millennials are the
grew up in you see Millennials are the most educated group in human history
most educated group in human history
most educated group in human history never before have we invested so much in
never before have we invested so much in
never before have we invested so much in one group
one group
one group so while prior generations grew up with
so while prior generations grew up with
so while prior generations grew up with this mantra of being seen and not heard
this mantra of being seen and not heard
this mantra of being seen and not heard our Millennials have had the opposite
our Millennials have had the opposite
our Millennials have had the opposite experience since birth their development
experience since birth their development
experience since birth their development and their interest have been at the
and their interest have been at the
and their interest have been at the focal point of our attention from
focal point of our attention from
focal point of our attention from mommy-and-me groups at age two to
mommy-and-me groups at age two to
mommy-and-me groups at age two to itty-bitty soccer for four-year-old
itty-bitty soccer for four-year-old
itty-bitty soccer for four-year-old French language lessons for six-year-old
French language lessons for six-year-old
French language lessons for six-year-old the family schedule began to revolve
the family schedule began to revolve
the family schedule began to revolve around what the kids wanted and what the
around what the kids wanted and what the
around what the kids wanted and what the kids needed so with trophies for
kids needed so with trophies for
kids needed so with trophies for everyone to protect that self-esteem
everyone to protect that self-esteem
everyone to protect that self-esteem these Millennials they’ve grown up with
these Millennials they’ve grown up with
these Millennials they’ve grown up with the idea that they have a voice and that
the idea that they have a voice and that
the idea that they have a voice and that they are important so why then do we
they are important so why then do we
they are important so why then do we expect them to come into our classrooms
expect them to come into our classrooms
expect them to come into our classrooms and later
and later
and later board room with this idea that they
board room with this idea that they
board room with this idea that they shouldn’t have a voice that they
shouldn’t have a voice that they
shouldn’t have a voice that they shouldn’t have a say so I want to tell
shouldn’t have a say so I want to tell
shouldn’t have a say so I want to tell you a story in 2008 I was invited to do
you a story in 2008 I was invited to do
you a story in 2008 I was invited to do a leadership development workshop at a
a leadership development workshop at a
a leadership development workshop at a company they asked me to come in and
company they asked me to come in and
company they asked me to come in and explain to their managers how to handle
explain to their managers how to handle
explain to their managers how to handle those Millennials to them Millennials
those Millennials to them Millennials
those Millennials to them Millennials were a problem that needed to be solved
were a problem that needed to be solved
were a problem that needed to be solved one woman in the audience raised her
one woman in the audience raised her
one woman in the audience raised her hand and she said how do I get these
hand and she said how do I get these
hand and she said how do I get these kids to put their phones away and get
kids to put their phones away and get
kids to put their phones away and get some work done and I thought that’s the
some work done and I thought that’s the
some work done and I thought that’s the wrong question they are not putting
wrong question they are not putting
wrong question they are not putting their phones away but what if we shifted
their phones away but what if we shifted
their phones away but what if we shifted the question and said how could we get
the question and said how could we get
the question and said how could we get those kids to use the phones to do work
those kids to use the phones to do work
those kids to use the phones to do work that’s important for all of us things
that’s important for all of us things
that’s important for all of us things that potentially could solve problems
that potentially could solve problems
that potentially could solve problems for our schools our businesses and our
for our schools our businesses and our
for our schools our businesses and our society so since then I’ve done dozens
society so since then I’ve done dozens
society so since then I’ve done dozens of these workshops I work with leaders
of these workshops I work with leaders
of these workshops I work with leaders not to help them change the Millennials
not to help them change the Millennials
not to help them change the Millennials but to change themselves to change their
but to change themselves to change their
but to change themselves to change their perspective on what the Millennials
perspective on what the Millennials
perspective on what the Millennials bring to their workplace and what might
bring to their workplace and what might
bring to their workplace and what might be possible if they opened up their eyes
be possible if they opened up their eyes
be possible if they opened up their eyes to that idea because you see
to that idea because you see
to that idea because you see generational differences are simply a
generational differences are simply a
generational differences are simply a very powerful kind of diversity and in
very powerful kind of diversity and in
very powerful kind of diversity and in that diversity and the leveraging of
that diversity and the leveraging of
that diversity and the leveraging of those differences we can develop what I
those differences we can develop what I
those differences we can develop what I like to call Gen telogen and in
like to call Gen telogen and in
like to call Gen telogen and in utilizing ghent elegance we can actually
utilizing ghent elegance we can actually
utilizing ghent elegance we can actually learn to solve our problem so let me
learn to solve our problem so let me
learn to solve our problem so let me give you an example of how this has
give you an example of how this has
give you an example of how this has solved a problem in my life in 2011 I
solved a problem in my life in 2011 I
solved a problem in my life in 2011 I was asked to take over a business
was asked to take over a business
was asked to take over a business leadership program for students here at
leadership program for students here at
leadership program for students here at Miami University the program had been
Miami University the program had been
Miami University the program had been around for quite a while and students
around for quite a while and students
around for quite a while and students were starting to kind of lose interest
were starting to kind of lose interest
were starting to kind of lose interest so the first thing I wanted to do to
so the first thing I wanted to do to
so the first thing I wanted to do to re-energize this program was to make a
re-energize this program was to make a
re-energize this program was to make a new website kids these days like
new website kids these days like
new website kids these days like websites right so our old website was
websites right so our old website was
websites right so our old website was circa
circa
circa 1990s graphics clip arts it was it was
1990s graphics clip arts it was it was
1990s graphics clip arts it was it was not him so I requested an website update
not him so I requested an website update
not him so I requested an website update through proper organizational channels I
through proper organizational channels I
through proper organizational channels I I was put in the queue and I was told it
I was put in the queue and I was told it
I was put in the queue and I was told it was gonna be months before anyone would
was gonna be months before anyone would
was gonna be months before anyone would have time to process that request so I
have time to process that request so I
have time to process that request so I was very frustrated that same day I was
was very frustrated that same day I was
was very frustrated that same day I was talking to some of my students
talking to some of my students
talking to some of my students Millennials who I had convinced to join
Millennials who I had convinced to join
Millennials who I had convinced to join this leadership program and I said how
this leadership program and I said how
this leadership program and I said how am I supposed to revolutionize this
am I supposed to revolutionize this
am I supposed to revolutionize this program if I can’t even get a new
program if I can’t even get a new
program if I can’t even get a new website and they said we could make a
website and they said we could make a
website and they said we could make a website they said you know how to make a
website they said you know how to make a
website they said you know how to make a website like when could you make me a
website like when could you make me a
website like when could you make me a website and they said tonight and they
website and they said tonight and they
website and they said tonight and they did and it was this moment that blew
did and it was this moment that blew
did and it was this moment that blew opened my whole world it was my first
opened my whole world it was my first
opened my whole world it was my first lesson in ghent elegance because up
lesson in ghent elegance because up
lesson in ghent elegance because up until that point I had always enjoyed
until that point I had always enjoyed
until that point I had always enjoyed working with Millennials I get energy
working with Millennials I get energy
working with Millennials I get energy from being around them but I had really
from being around them but I had really
from being around them but I had really always viewed my role as being someone
always viewed my role as being someone
always viewed my role as being someone who was there to teach them and this
who was there to teach them and this
who was there to teach them and this experience opened me up to the idea that
experience opened me up to the idea that
experience opened me up to the idea that maybe we were there to teach each other
maybe we were there to teach each other
maybe we were there to teach each other so these lessons continued over the next
so these lessons continued over the next
so these lessons continued over the next few years we work together to come up
few years we work together to come up
few years we work together to come up with a vision in a strategic plan and
with a vision in a strategic plan and
with a vision in a strategic plan and those Millennials really helped us
those Millennials really helped us
those Millennials really helped us understand what was needed to create a
understand what was needed to create a
understand what was needed to create a cutting-edge business leadership program
cutting-edge business leadership program
cutting-edge business leadership program for the 21st century just this last year
for the 21st century just this last year
for the 21st century just this last year we opened our brand new Center for
we opened our brand new Center for
we opened our brand new Center for Business Leadership and that the core of
Business Leadership and that the core of
Business Leadership and that the core of this program is the idea that the
this program is the idea that the
this program is the idea that the Millennials the new generation they have
Millennials the new generation they have
Millennials the new generation they have such tap talent this untapped talent
such tap talent this untapped talent
such tap talent this untapped talent that will allow us to come up with new
that will allow us to come up with new
that will allow us to come up with new ways of thinking we invite them to sit
ways of thinking we invite them to sit
ways of thinking we invite them to sit at the table we ask for their input and
at the table we ask for their input and
at the table we ask for their input and when we run into problems that were not
when we run into problems that were not
when we run into problems that were not sure how to solve we ask those
sure how to solve we ask those
sure how to solve we ask those Millennials what they would do are they
Millennials what they would do are they
Millennials what they would do are they always right no do they need feedback
always right no do they need feedback
always right no do they need feedback and coaching absolutely most Millennials
and coaching absolutely most Millennials
and coaching absolutely most Millennials they know
they know
they know need mentors and they’re hungry for them
need mentors and they’re hungry for them
need mentors and they’re hungry for them but in truth we need their reverse
but in truth we need their reverse
but in truth we need their reverse mentorship as well Millennials are not a
mentorship as well Millennials are not a
mentorship as well Millennials are not a threat we view them as a threat because
threat we view them as a threat because
threat we view them as a threat because they think differently than we do but if
they think differently than we do but if
they think differently than we do but if you think about it this kind of
you think about it this kind of
you think about it this kind of interaction is how we feel about almost
interaction is how we feel about almost
interaction is how we feel about almost every kind of diversity men see things
every kind of diversity men see things
every kind of diversity men see things differently than women
differently than women
differently than women people have different races and
people have different races and
people have different races and ethnicities they all have different
ethnicities they all have different
ethnicities they all have different lenses through which they see the world
lenses through which they see the world
lenses through which they see the world based on their life experiences but just
based on their life experiences but just
based on their life experiences but just as we argue which of those lenses is
as we argue which of those lenses is
as we argue which of those lenses is more valid we’re doing the same thing
more valid we’re doing the same thing
more valid we’re doing the same thing with generational differences and if
with generational differences and if
with generational differences and if instead we can view those differences as
instead we can view those differences as
instead we can view those differences as a source of amazing opportunity if we
a source of amazing opportunity if we
a source of amazing opportunity if we can leverage this idea of ghent elegance
can leverage this idea of ghent elegance
can leverage this idea of ghent elegance perhaps we’re onto something
Einstein once said we cannot solve our
Einstein once said we cannot solve our problems by using the same thinking we
problems by using the same thinking we
problems by using the same thinking we use to create them and in this
use to create them and in this
use to create them and in this generational diversity there are new
generational diversity there are new
generational diversity there are new ideas new solutions new ways to solve
ideas new solutions new ways to solve
ideas new solutions new ways to solve our problems and possibly prevent them
our problems and possibly prevent them
our problems and possibly prevent them from happening in the future in
from happening in the future in
from happening in the future in generational differences there are
generational differences there are
generational differences there are answers we just have to be willing to
answers we just have to be willing to
answers we just have to be willing to ask
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