Me: Why do Millennials act like they don’t need to earn their place?
Mom: … Aren’t you a Millennial?
Me: *glares* No.
Mom: Yes, you are.
Me: *silence*
There is nothing wrong with being a Millennial.
Unfortunately, most Millennials have been under attack from other generations via a large spectrum of medias – FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, T.V., Radio, Music, etc. (Washington Post). We fear being categorized under the Millennial generation; therefore, we respond defensively or with embarrassment when asked when we were born.
It isn’t just something between friends and family, thanks to the global attention that Millennials receive, but also in the work force.
“How you act in the work place is not due to
just the year you were born.”
This quote, by the talented speaker Phil Gwoke, came up during his presentation to Washoe County Employees titled Generations in the Workplace. I must say, his presentation was phenomenal!
Who we are in our private and professional lives is influenced by our family, our culture, what events occurred while we were learning about the world, our base personality – the makeup of who we are is endless! With this in mind, we cannot, as a generation or as an individual, look at ourselves as though there is something wrong with us. There isn’t. We are simply different from those who came before us, those who came after us, and those who will continue to come after us.
The presentation that I attended by Phil today made me realize that I’m not the only person who believes that no single generation is better or worse than another.
Our main problem is finding a way to interact and communicate with one another when everything we have been raised on is completely different.
Our Base Separators
Baby Boomersb. 1946-1964Professional
|
Generation Xb. 1965-1979Blunt
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Millennialsb. 1980-1995Casual
|
So misleadingly simple.
So massively difficult to comprehend.
I love being tech-savvy because I believe it allows me to assist my co-workers, friends, and family in their computer endeavors! But I don’t know if this is inherit, or a product of my time. In addition, I’d like to believe that Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials are managing to co-exist quite well despite their differences… but I have my own stories of misunderstandings. The good news is, we usually find a way to compromise.
Kiminy Cricket 