Millennials Aren’t The Problem. You Are.

Leading Millennials

Ouch, did that hurt to read as much as it did for me to type it out? The title stings. It’s accusatory. And, more often than not, I believe this is true.

Millennials aren’t the problem. Just like the Baby Boomers or Gen Xers weren’t the problem either when they began to invade the workforce.

Young man pointing his finger towards you in an accusatory manner

Photo by Adi Goldstein

The problem was and continues to be, the previous generation. That means you and I are the problem.

Millennials Aren’t The Problem

Millennials have received a bad rap. From the media to your friends and family, you’ve probably heard of the negative aspects of millennials.

Older generations are stuck in a continuous loop. Much like the generation before, they were accused of the same inaction, laziness, and downfall of the United States as the millennials are being accused.

I know millennials aren’t the problem. I think I know who the problem is. The problem with millennials is you and me.

How Dare I?!?

How dare I accuse you and me of being the problem?!? Easily. I’ve seen it.

We’ve placed our fears and doubts about the upcoming generation(s) and made a snap judgment. We hear from the media how lazy or entitled the next generation is. And we side with them.

I dare to accuse us of alienating millennials because it’s the truth.

We don’t want to get to know these people who are taking over the workforce. We want the “same” type of employee we’ve always had. Compliant. Complacent. Complicit.

That’s the workforce we’ve had. That’s the workforce we want. Thankfully, it’s not the workforce we’re getting.

We’re The Problem. That’s Okay.

Every generation has struggled to win the respect and honor of the generation before them. Previous generations tend to believe the worst about the generation that succeeds them.

But, now that you know you’re the problem, it’s okay. You know the problem. Now, you can begin working on fixing the problem.

Knowing the truth frees you to take action. You can see where your prejudice lies and you can work on changing it.

Look at yourself. Take a deep dive into what you believe about Millennials and, now, the iGens.

What do you believe about these amazing people? Are your thoughts negative? Positive? Apprehensive?

It’s probably a mix of all of those and more.

You need to focus on your negative perception of these generations. You need to look for ways to shift your perspective from negative to positive. It’s possible. Every other generation has shifted their opinions of the previous generation. We can too.

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