Equipping the Millennials for Yesterday’s Management
Ryan Giffen
“Our nation’s long-term ability to succeed in exporting to the growing global marketplace hinges on the abilities of today’s students”
-J. Willard Marriott, Chairman & CEO, Marriott International, Inc.
Educational institutions across the United States have heard from business leaders and politicians that a gap of the workforce is approaching quickly. By and large, the business community identifies educational institutions the sole responsible advocates for creating workforce readiness. As a result, the educational sector continues to revamp its curriculum, modify teaching methods, and embrace the inevitable future.
A driving force for the future is the “Me Generation,” sociable, optimistic, talented, well educated, open-minded, and influential people. They are arriving by the thousands daily with higher expectations then any other generation. Perhaps you have heard them referred to as the Internet Generation, Generation Y, the Digital Generation, or Echo Boomers. Their official title is, “Millennials” and they were born between 1980-2000.
Shaped by their times, Millennials were raised with the Apple Computer (1984), the Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991), the Oklahoma City Bombing (1995), Columbine High School shootings (1999), and various U.S. invasions including the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), Somalia (1992-1993), and Haiti (1993-1994). These events and many more have burned images in the minds of the Millennials and have shaped their culture, values, and perspectives in the world.
The educational sector has noticed a recent trend of learning preferences occurring in the classroom. Millennials desire to learn in a non-threatening environment where they can be creative. They crave the ability to work in teams, using technology in an entertaining and exciting way. Millennials also yearn to use their current or past work, life, and school experience to enhance their classroom learning.
Today’s education is making tremendous strides in adapting the work ethic of Millennials to better them for tomorrow. Their work ethics range from confidence, to optimism, to civic-mindedness. Both education and organizations today must partner together for the purposes of remaining competitive in the marketplace. The organization that fails to embrace the inevitable future of the Millennials work ethic and learning preferences will become irrelevant in the years to come
Remember…through the click of a mouse, or a quick text message, a student and/or employee has the power to communicate to thousands about your organization.
© Ryan T. Giffen May 2010