Millenials as a secret weapon

I've been reading a lot about "Millenials" lately -- a generational label most often defined as someone born between 1982 and 2000. People are very opinionated this breed of young people, a generation I call my own.

Take Wayne Staley's politically charged rant as an example. He points out how previous generations put Millenials in a financial rut and defines how the Millenial generation is perpetuating the problem.

Despite recognizing Millenials' technological capabilities, Staley also calls on society to "cease the meaningless discussion about helping youth trapped in marginalized circumstances, and take positive actions. In an increasingly complex world, there is a danger they will be lost. Technological training must be available, and potentially offer them hope for positive futures."

This technological training is available. It's called the Internet, and many Millenials were raised by it and cable television. The trick to enabling Millenials to "fix" the state of the world is to help them define a future that is impacted by their own actions and how those actions will affect and influence others.

Contrary to some of Staley's assertions, IBM is championing Millenials' abilities. The organization's publication Myths, exaggerations and uncomfortable truths calls out several asinine generalizations about Millenials and puts the focus on their strengths:

"The key takeaway for business leaders is this: Millennials represent the first wave of digital natives to enter the workforce, and this does distinguish them. Organizations that have embarked on their own transformation urgently need this digital capital. They should eagerly look for ways to embrace Millennials and create the work environments where top talent can flourish—across all generations. This will require nuanced strategies that reflect the reality of a multigenerational workforce: employees of all ages are complex individuals working in an environment that’s becoming more virtual, more diverse and more volatile by the day."

Millenials are not all self-entitled, digital-addicts who were raised by helicopter parents and instant gratification. In light of being raised by the Internet and a parental set often inclined to adopt technology, many Millenials are highly intelligent people who have been brought up in a world where information remains virtually free at their fingertips.

To this degree, willing Millenials are capable of designing their own journey.  To reach full potential, Millenials must look past decadent lifestyles that are being marketed to them and instead focus on doing good in the world. However, some would argue that money brings mobility, and mobility brings positive social change.

My advice to Millenials would be to stay cautious of appeals to their idealism, to assure their own needs are taken care of first, and to be aware when they are not being treated fairly in comparison to their older counterparts.

I predict that monetary capital will not be the chief indicator of Millenials' successes --  their vast social reach will continue to be invaluable in solving all that is wrong with the world.

We can all communicate better.

My office manager recommended this book to me:

It's a game changer, but I won't spoil it for you. At least read a summary if you can't get to the full text.