Shutterstock/AnchiyMillennials often get in their own way.
Millennials are now ubiquitous in the workplace.
Not just as newcomers, either — many have years of experience (as they range in age up to 35) and hold positions of management.
Patterns are emerging both for those who fall into generalizations and for those who buck the trend.
Understanding the behavior patterns is not just important for past generations to cope with millennials on the job, but millennials themselves need to understand potential weaknesses that make them get in their own way of success.
Fortunately, with a little awareness everyone can avoid the obstacles and help young people exceed expectations. Here is my observation on how millennials create their own success barriers and additional insights from my Inc. colleagues.
1. They focus too much on disruption.
Very little success in life is built on disruption. Sure, we in the media love to write about it, talk about it, and create heroes of those who succeed in creating it, but that's because the disruptors are indeed anomalies. Millennials have grown up in an era where disruption is touted as the only path to success.
In truth, most attempted disruption fails miserably, while those who emulate patterns and execute well do achieve success consistently. There is value in experience and history. Millennials would do well to own the knowledge of the past and disrupt only when it makes sense.
2. They want responsibility without accountability.
I hate addressing this issue, because a negative generalization is unfair to so many people. But with that said, maintaining the idea that dues do not need to be paid is a typical fault of this generation. Millennials love being given responsibility — don’t we all — but are quicker than my generation to expect responsibility to be granted almost immediately.
Of course, that can be turned into a positive, because when you find people with the right skills and attitudes you want them to want more responsibility. Jeff Haden — Owner's Manual
Want to read more from Jeff? Click here.
3. They avoid key conversations.
It's no surprise that our millennials lack in traditional communication skills. Being raised as gamers, with a tech gadget always nearby, they seem to have been given a pass on verbal communication skills.
While 55% of our millennials still prefer to communicate face-to-face, 34% prefer text or email, so it can be difficult at times to coax the smaller details out of them. Be patient; it's not that they don't care. They would simply prefer to get the job done rather than talk about it. Marla Tabaka — The Successful Soloist
Want to read more from Marla? Click here.
4. They struggle with staying the course.
Working with 20-somethings can be a challenge. They are always looking for the next new experience, which means they get bored easily. When a 20-something gets bored, it can be tricky to keep them engaged. They lack the patience of other generations and don't expect to stay with a company or in a job for the long term.
They have grown up in a time when company loyalty is a thing of the past and if they don't feel challenged, appreciated and that change is happening fast enough, they will leave.
In order to motivate a Millennial, keep them in the loop during slow times. Give them a challenge they can own, a goal to attain, and help them understand the impact they can have on your organization by staying the course. Eric Holtzclaw — Lean Forward
Want to read more from Eric? Click here.
