I’m getting more and more requests for my workshop Leading Across Generations. Managers are really asking:
- How can I deal with Millennials, and
- How can I get them to change?
So I thought I’d share what I love about Millennials and why.Valuing Millennials for the way they “do” diversity and inclusion, makes companies stronger and better. Recent conversations at a client company illustrate this point.
Before I share that story, let’s consider the diverse world in which Millennials came of age.
Valuing Millennials – Diversity is Their Normal
Millennials, more than any previous generation, grew up experiencing various diversities. Those who didn’t live in diverse neighborhoods or attend schools with diverse populations, connected with people all over the world through social media. The families they saw in the media were far different from Boomer era families like the Cleavers of Leave it to Beaver.
My own son Jordan, now 28, had a kindergarten classmate named Max who had two moms. The phrase “Max’s moms” rolled off Jordan’s tongue as nonchalantly as “Judy’s mom and dad.” At age four, diverse family structures were his normal.
Millennials also came of age in an era of increased globalization. In 2015, for the very first time, the number of foreigners attending college in the United States exceeded one million. Millennials fortunate enough to go to college, met students and faculty from around the world.
Valuing Millennials – Conversations in Diversity
Recently, I facilitated Conversations in Valuing Diversity and Inclusion for a client company. The group included:
- Millennials, Boomers and GenXers
- Men and women
- African Americans
- Native Americans
- Parents of disabled children
- Millennials who had lived and worked in Haiti and South America
- Millennial women who had served in the armed forces
I asked participants to state their names, roles, and share something others weren’t likely to know about them. Amy talked about getting her bear tags. As a city girl from the Northeast, I pictured Amy at a Build a Bear Workshop, attaching a bear tag to her creation. Because we were in the mid-west I didn’t trust this particular image, so I inquired. Amy’s tag allowed her to hunt and shoot a bear. Sophie spoke next. She hunted too, but with a bow and arrow.
Ben introduced himself as a member of the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin. He mentioned the challenges of developing relationships when you’re an outsider to the company’s predominant culture.
Valuing Millennials – Inclusion with Respect and Grace
The group discussed factors that foster inclusion at work and factors that get in the way. As people grew more comfortable, Ben returned to the topic of bears. He looked at Amy. He spoke gracefully, no shred of criticism, anger or intention to shame. “Bears are sacred in tribal cultures. We don’t hunt them for game.” Amy received Ben’s words with equal grace. “I didn’t know that. It’s so important. Thank you.”
Amy didn’t apologize or promise to stop hunting bear. Ben wasn’t asking for that. He sought understanding and respect. Amy gave him that.
Amy hunts bears. Bears are sacred to Ben. These two Millennials could allow both truths to exist side by side.
Later Ben shared that the bear is one of the clans and a spiritual animal to his people, The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. As such, it is the most sacred of all sacred animals, the holy of holies.
Sophie, our bow and arrow hunter, spoke emotionally about her deep respect for the spirit of each animal she kills. Her eyes filled with tears. Like Amy, Sophie would continue to hunt and kill. Ben, Amy, and Sophie showed respect for all life and for each other. No one had to change.
Since this conversation, Ben and Amy have worked together on several projects. They say getting to know and develop a deeper respect for each other, has resulted in a highly effective working relationship.
Sophie refers to these sessions as,
Pausing to be Humans Together