Millennials and Gen Z Believe in Making a Difference
If you work in a multigenerational workplace you’ve probably stumbled upon some different perspectives on life. Do millennials and gen Z (Gen 9/11, iGen) believe in making a difference?
Nearly everyone has heard the idea (value) of treating others the way you would like to be treated. It is a decent value to carry. It shows that you care. You typically want the best for yourself and when you deliver that to others it would certainly seem to make the world a better place.
One stumbling block for many organizational cultures today is integrating the knowledge, experience, and talent across all generations. Things often seem to lean towards one end of the generational framework or the other.
When a business or organization really wants to have a supportive culture across all generations they might need to think differently.
Multigenerational Harmony
Trust me when I say, “What I’m about to say rubs some people the wrong way.”
Businesses that have been around for a while insist that those coming on-board must adapt to their culture. After all, their culture is the preferred culture and it is how the business was built. That might be okay, if you don’t plan to hire across all generations.
If you want, or more importantly need (which most businesses do) to start onboarding those representing the two most recent generations you might have to think differently.
You might have to change your philosophy from treating others the way you would like to be treated, to treating others the way they would like to be treated.
Millennials and Gen Z Believe
In the workplace many traditionals, baby boomers, and generation X, are focused on building their professional portfolio and establishing professional recognition.
In contrast, recent studies indicate that 84 percent of the millennials believe that, “making a positive difference in the world is more important than professional recognition.”
As with all of the research related to generational differences, it is not everyone, in every sector, or every business.
Consider asking someone if they believe in making a difference. Most will say, “Yes.”
Then you’ll just need to understand what that really means.
– DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
