HERE COME THE MILLENNIALS

They are lazy and narcissistic. And they are tomorrow’s leaders. Really.

The presence of Millennials or Generation Y (those who were born from 1980 to early 2000s) in the labor force is progressively increasing and in the near future they will comprise the majority of the working population. A study conducted by Bentley University in Massachusetts predicted that this generation will cover 75 percent of the global workforce by year 2025. However, when it comes to attitude towards work, Millennials  have a not-so-impressive reputation compared  to their precursors, the Generation X (people born from 1960s to early 1980s) and the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).

Baby Boomers are committed, hard working and career focused. Their work ethic exemplifies  dedication, loyalty and a willingness to stay in the same job for a long span of time. Younger generations perceive them as workaholics and sometimes find them difficult to work with.  Meanwhile,  those who belong to the Generation X thrive on diversity, challenge, responsibility, honesty and creativity in their careers. On the other hand, the Millennial generation have “what’s in it for me” attitude towards their job. They focus on rewards, promotions and development. They have been heavily criticized by the older generations and described as lazy, superficial, arrogant, have a short attention span and narcissistic. Can you imagine a future run by the Millenials?

But Millennials  are actually nice people.  According to a study conducted by Viacom International Media Networks (VMN),  93 percent of Millennials worldwide believe that it is their duty to respect people regardless of gender, religion, race, sexual orientation or political stance. Stated further in the study, titled “The Next Normal: An Unprecendented Look at Millennials Worldwide,” that surveyed 450 of today’s young adults in 32 countries, Filipino Millennials are “the happiest and least stressed in the world,” registering a happiness level of 83 percent, followed by India with 81 percent. China with 80 percent landed third place, followed by Thailand (78%), Malaysia (77%) and Singapore (69%). The VMN survey also revealed that Filipino Millennials value family and friendship as important factors in attaining stress-free and happy lives.

Raymond C. Ciriaco, a facilitator at Franklin Covey Philippines, perceives Millennials as diamonds in the rough, who need to be guided so they could make better use of their potentials to become great leaders. “The challenge for us earlier generations is we have to cope because eventually the world will be run by Millennials. So, we might as well understand how they operate,” said Ciriaco, who conducts seminars on leadership, management, productivity and personal as well as interpersonal effectiveness.

Ciriaco, who belongs  to Generation X, advised that the previous generations need to understand that Millennials grew up in a time where “information is right at their fingertips,” which makes them the most tech-savvy among the generations—and that’s their big advantage, thanks to the innovations in information technology such as computers, smart phones and the internet that democratized the exchange of information and made communication more convenient to all social classes. These technological advancements have heavily influenced their fast paced lifestyle, unconventional outlook and expectations. Baby Boomers and the Generation  X leaders should be  challenged to keep themselves abreast with the latest trends in technology to stay relevant as well as acknowledge the evolution in the workplace so they could efficiently manage these young adults. “Millennials do not think the way traditional thinkers do. They tend to find a way to ‘hack’ things. They have non-traditional approaches in learning. They search for shortcuts, ”the leadership coach noted.  Hence, he cautions current leaders on being too strict and too authoritative  in handling the members of Generation Y because the more they are restrained, the more they become distressed and unproductive. “If you want to get the best out of Millennials, rather than control and provide them instructions, you have to release them and allow them to use their creativity,” said the management expert who also works as a consultant at the Center for Leadership and Change, Inc.

Ciriaco pointed out one creative method the Millennials are so good at is  crowdsourcing, which is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers.” While Baby boomers and Generation Y were raised in a time when people directly approach experts to find the right answer to their queries, Millennials, with the use of modern communication technology’s  gift called social media,  try to solve their problems by  learning from one another.  Seniors should take advantage of this skill possessed by today’s young adults. “What the Millennials are so comfortable doing is to select from among what other people have already done. Let them know what the problem is, give them the big picture and allow them to use their creativity and combine with the information that they draw from their friends, like crowdsourced information, which is also reliable,” Ciriaco stated. Current leaders must open their minds on such synergy that could make processes and tasks easier and more efficient versus the traditional techniques.

Ciriaco, however, emphasized that the elderly still need to mentor and guide Millennials for technology is a powerful tool that may corrupt them if utilized with wicked intentions.  “There is a moral responsibility to make sure that the next generations are morally educated so they would bring it to the rest of their lives,”  the leadership expert said. “Practices evolve as time changes, but if you remain connected to the core principle you can still be a good resource, you can be a guide. For this generation still needs trustworthy institutions.”

On that note, Ciriaco, Co-Chair of RI District 3810 District Training Team, also recommends the Rotary’s Four-Way Test as one of the best guides for the young adults in discerning right from wrong in this age where people are swimming in data. 

 Ciriaco, father of four Millennials, is optimistic that, if properly directed, this next generation of leaders, blessed with advanced technology and abundance of information, will deliver the needed  changes in society.  “I can see the hope of having a new generation of people who could actually reboot the system in the society and government, whether you are a Gen Y or Gen Z. We need the best ’hackers‘ to make change happen.”

And this generation has them.