This document discusses characteristics of Millennials and provides tips for understanding and managing them. It outlines that Millennials are optimistic, team-oriented achievers who expect constant feedback and seek balance between work and play. The document advises supervisors to challenge Millennials, develop respectful working relationships, make tasks fun, and create a flexible environment to motivate them. The goal is for different generations to understand each other and work effectively together in the workplace and classroom.
1. Millennials are Achievers:
How you can expect more!
Ryan Greelish, Resident Director at Bridgewater State University
P. Max Quinn, Graduate Intern for Residential Learning Communities at Bridgewater State University
Information Cited By: Beth Moriarty, Director of Residential Life & Housing
2. Goals of this Session
• Introduction to Generations
• Characteristics & Traits of Millennials
• How to Better Understand Yourself & Your
Supervisor
• Successfully Utilize Your Strengths to Achieve More
in the Workplace, the Classroom & on Campus
• Learn How to Become a More Effective Supervisor
• Group Discussion & Questions
5. Generation X or 13th Generation
1965 – 1981
Generation Y or Millennials
1982 – 2004
Unnamed Generation
2005 – 2025 (?)
6. (1982-2004)
• Most “Watched Over” Generation
• Optimistic, Hopeful, Confident & Team players
• Scheduled & Organized
• Follow Rules & Admire Select Authorities
• Ambitious, but Appear Aimless
• Concerned About Values & Family
• Creative & Tech Savvy
• Have Never Known a World Without Cell
Phones, MP3’s, Computers & Cable TV
7. Defining Moments / People
• Second Gulf War
• Columbine Tragedy
• September 11th
• President Clinton Sex Scandal
• Oklahoma City Bombing
• Princess Di’s Death
• Fall of the Berlin Wall
• O.J. Simpson Trial
• Christopher Reeves & Mia Hamm
9. Millennials ARE Special
• Societal Issues That Affects Children has Risen to
the Top of Adult Priorities
• Millennial Teens Focus on National Issues That are
Child-Focused
• Millennials Believe That Their Role in History Will
be to Solve the World Problems That are in Place
Because of Their Elders
10. Millennials ARE Sheltered
• Parents Have Tightened Security Perimeters Around
Millennial Children
• Millennials: Parents are Getting Stricter
• USA Weekend On-line Teen Poll:
– 87% believe there should be limits on where teens
can go on the internet
– 75% say authorities should be able to search lockers
without permission
– 50% believe that evening curfew is okay
11. Millennials ARE Confident
• Millennials Believe That They Should be Optimistic
About Getting a Good Job
• Most Important Value is BALANCE Between Work
& Play
• Millennials Appear to be Better Prepared,
Functionally & Emotionally for the Post 9/11
America
12. Millennials ARE Team Oriented
• Team Ethic: Peer Leadership, Peer Counseling,
Student Juries & Peer Grading
• Friendships: Drawn to Circles & Cliques
• Internet, Networking, Cell Phone & Technology-
Increases Connections
13. Millennials ARE Conventional
• Millennials embrace traditional values of
home, family life, community and education
• Millennials generally get along with their parents
and agree with them on matters of right and
wrong
• Today’s teens often share their parents tastes in
clothes and music and agree on entertainment
14. Millennials ARE Achievers
• Timetables
– Detailed 5 & 10 Year Plans
95% Believe They have the Ability to Improve Technology
69 % Believe They can Improve Race Relations
60% Believe They can Improve The Economy
15. Millennials ARE Under Pressure
• Urgency to Complete Personal & Group Goals
• Pressure Keeps Millennials in Motion- Without
Enough Time to get it all Done
• Pressure to get Good Grades, get Into College &
Please Employers
16. Compelling Messages
• Be smart – you are special
• Connect 24/7
• Achieve now!
• Serve your community
17. Millennials in the Classroom
• Students Want Their Progress Monitored & Want
to be “Congratulated” for Progress Through the
Curriculum
• Millennials Want Feedback & Structure
• Favored Classroom Experience Will Include
Constant Practice, Quizzes, Regular Instructor
Review & Small Projects
18. Millennials in the Classroom
• Tend to Turn in Work That They Perceive the
Professor Wants in Order to get an “A”
• Students Will Gravitate Toward Conformity & be
less Likely to Take Risks Where Grades are
Concerned
• Colleges can Expect More Complaints About
“Unfair” Grades & Even Lawsuits Over Academic
Transcripts
19. Millennials in the Classroom
• Professors are beginning to hear from parents
who have differing points of view
• The definition of appropriate relationships
between faculty and undergrads will narrow
• Don’t Want to be Singled out
• Interest in the Social Science, Government &
Political Science are Expected to Grow
20. Millennials in the Classroom
• Millennials are More Inclined to Accept That
Professors are Telling the Truth
• Have Difficulty with Faculty who are Condescending
• Millennials Have High Expectations for
Administrators & Professors
• More Willing to Accept Adult Authority- Particularly
in the Advising Relationship
21. Implications for Student Life
• Addressing their “Special” Needs
• Parents as Partners
• Develop Services / Amenities
• Need to Encourage More Self-Responsibility
• Interest in Healthier Choices / Balance Needed
• School Spirit & Ceremony are Back
• More Active / Service Oriented & Political
• Challenges of “Fitting in” for Some
• Expect Issues to be Resolved / Customer Service
22. Millennials at Work
• Assets: • Liabilities:
– Good Multi-taskers – Impatient
– Goal Orientated – Lack Experience
– Positive Attitude – Over-Confident
– Technical Savvy – Low Skill in dealing with
– Strong Collaborators difficult people
23. Generation X vs Millennials
• Accept Diversity • Celebrate Diversity
• Pragmatic/Practical • Optimistic/Realistic
• Reject Rules • Rewrite Rules
• Mistrust institutions • Institutions are irrelevant
• The Personal Computer • The Internet
• Use Technology • Assume Technology
• Multi-task • Multi-task FAST
• Latch-key kids • Involved Parents
• Friend NOT Family • Friend =Family
24. … In The Workplace
• Values
• Diversity, Optimism,
Civic Duty, Confidence,
Achievement & Morality
• Motivators
• Meeting Personal Goals,
Skills for the Future,
Mentoring, Work & Play
Intermixed & Resume
Building Experiences
25. What Millenials want in a job?
• To work with
positive people
• To be challenged
• To be treated
respectfully
• To learn new
knowledge & skills
• To have flexible
schedules
• To be paid well
26. Tips For Millennial Supervisors
You be the leader!
Challenge them!
Develop working relationships!
Make tasks fun!
Create respectful environments
Be flexible
27. Discussion
Generation X and Millennials working together
• Challenges
• Strengths
• Giving Feedback
• Motivation/Reward
s
• Ex. Of Situations
28. The End
Special Thanks to Beth Moriarty, Ed.D. & YOU!
Comments/Questions?
Hinweis der Redaktion
1- friends = family, pictures2- celebrate diversity3- multi-taskingWho Are You?Why did you pick this session?
TRADITIONALISTS:Also know as “Veterans” or “The Silent Generation”Born prior to the end of World War IIGrew up without computers and televisions; some grew up without telephones and automobilesOften thought of as being adverse to technology and resistant to changeOverly conservativeOrganizational loyaltyValues: Dedication, sacrifice, hard work, conformity, rules, authorityWorkplace Motivators: responsibility, public recognition, accomplishments, control, organizational loyalty, moneyGeneration Shapers, EVENTS: Depression, WW II, Korean War, Social Security, 50% of men are veteransPEOPLE: FDR, Eisenhower, Churchill, Babe Ruth, BABY BOOMERSAlso known as the “Me” generationCurrently the largest group of people in the work forceRemember the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War as touchstones of their youthStereotyped as self-absorbed and materialisticConflict avoidersOverly sensitive to feedbackValues: Team, optimism, wellness, harmony, personal gratification, workWorkplace Motivators: responsibility, public recognition, peer recognition, desire to be in charge, control, loyalty to selfGeneration Shapers, EVENTS: Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, JFK Assassination, Arms Race, Space Race, Television, Women’s LiberationPEOPLE: The Kennedy’s, Gloria Steinem, MLK, John Glenn
GENERATION X OR 13TH GENERATIONGrew up when national institutions came under questionLayoffs - end of lifelong employment for their parentsNo common heroesWary of commitment, professionally and personallyCynical & pessimisticComfortable with changeSelf-reliant; fend for themselves, latch-key childrenValues: diversity, global thinking, technology, fun, independence, informalityWorkplace Motivators: meeting personal goals, recognition from authority, mentoring, balance of work & family, training for the future, time off for personal pursuitsGeneration Shapers, EVENTS: Watergate, Challenger disaster, Desert Storm, Energy Crisis, Iran-contra Affair, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Three Mile IslandPEOPLE: None
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THESE?Common Traits“They’re the ‘Babies on Board’ of the early Reagan years, the ‘Have You Hugged Your Child Today’ sixth graders of the early Clinton years, and the teens of Columbine,” say Neil Howe and William Strauss in Millennials Rising
Common TraitsHOW DO YOU SEE THIS PLAY OUT?
Special: They are, collectively, vital to the nation and to their parents’ sense of purpose (Movies of the ’80’s: Raising Arizona, Look Who’s Talking, 3 Men and a Baby)Sheltered: Millennials are the focus of the most sweeping youth safety movement in American history. (80’s child abuse frenzy, kid safety rules and devices, post-Columbine)Confident: High levels of trust and optimism, connection to parents and futures – Good news for self = Good news for countyTeam-oriented: Barney, soccer and other team sports, school uniforms, classroom emphasis on group learningAchieving: Accountability and higher school standards part of the political agendaPressured: Pushed to study hard, avoid risks and take advantage of collective opportunities adults are offeringConventional: Pride in behavior, Comfortable with parents’ values, support convential
Education, drugs youth violence, child health and moral values – Coalition for America’s Children 1996 – “the children’s agenda had become a PUBLIC agendaVolunteer to work on child abuse, kidnapping, homelessness and teen suicideHOW CAN A SUPERVISOR ADAPT TO THIS TRAIT?IS BEING “SPECIAL” AN ASSET?
Cars, homes, web sites, schools, prom nights, parties, tournaments, family meetings PTA, legislative committees, courts of lawHOW DO YOU THINK BEING SHELTERED WILL AFFECT WORK OUTPUT? SEARCHING FOR JOBS?
HOW CAN BEING CONFIDENT BE A STRENGTH AND A WEAKNESS?WHAT ELSE ARE MILLENIALS CONFIDENT ABOUT OTHER THAN GETTING A GOOD JOB?HOW CAN A SUPERVISOR UTILIZE THIS “BALANCE” VALUE?true, at new professional conferences alot
HOW CAN WE CAPITALIZE ON THIS GROUP DYNAMIC?HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE SUPERVISOR’S THAT WE KNOW (IN GEN X)?
Parents have added a new dimension to the work that we do – how can we incorporate this successfully into the work we do?
WHAT CHALLENGED DOES THIS FOCUS ON ACHIEVEMENT PRESENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS?JOBS: CHANGING TO MOVE UPACADEMIC AFFAIRS: MORE ENGINEERING MAJORS
Earlier teen suicide, 10 year plans, etcWHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THIS TRAIT?
Be smart—you are special. They’ve been catered to since they were tiny. Think Nickelodeon, Baby Gap, and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Leave no one behind. They were taught to be inclusive and tolerant of other races, religions, and sexual orientations. Connect 24/7. They learned to be interdependent—on family, friends, and teachers. More Millennials say they can live without the television than the computer. Many prefer chatting on line to talking on the phone. Achieve now! Some parents hired private agents to line up the right college; others got started choosing the right pre-school while the child was still in the womb. Serve your community. Fifty percent of high school students reported volunteering in their communities, many of their high schools requiring community service hours for graduation. On one Roper Survey, when Millennials were asked for the major cause of problems in the U.S., they answered selfishness.
Some of this was already mentioned, overlaps
Some of this was already mentioned, overlaps
I don’t mean “Special” needs in the usual sense, although this is also true. A sense of their situation being unusual/or needed special assistance – scheduling; exceptions, etc. Appealing to their acceptance of rules and sense of fairness without negating their specialness or leaving them feeling disrespected can help in handling this.The bond these students have with their parents can be an asset if you can establish the right kind of contact – parents are more likely to back off and be part of the solution if they don’t feel dismissed out of hand.The questions we get through admissions can be tools to adapting our offerings – flexible meal plans; technology; comfortable spaces to connect to other students; amenities in ways that are reasonable.It may seem that students don’t know how to deal with their own situation, and in many cases it is because they have not had to do so. We need to see this more as a fact and consider how we can help encourage them to take greater responsibility, even spelling out some things we didn’t need to do 20 years ago.While it may not seem to be the case, alcohol use has been declining over the last 20 years; use of health centers is up and will continue; exercise; health programs. On the other hand, finding balance can be difficult do to their high achieving expectations. Recreation of a social or hang/out nature has greater appeal to this groupThis generation has more school spirit and sense of community than in the past; ceremonies we might have considered “hokey” are back – awards; certificates; departmental identity programs are all likely to be well-received.SGA is once again popular; students want to be part of groups, especially those that serve causes and help others – service learning; raising funds for disaster victims; lobbying for faculty contract, etc.Dissonance of team-orientation and conforming for those who are not so “conventional”– some students feel very alone and campuses need to watch for this and provide support – suicides; destructive behaviors. Seems other students are fine with their peers “difference” but individual students need to be okay with it themselves.These students have very high standards and a respect for what we do. They expect our standards to be high and for “those in charge” to fix problems and live up to their high standards. Respect is important/but there is trust.Today more than ever, educating the whole person and helping students deal with contradictions and the gray in life. They have worked hard to get here – build the resume – get the grades and now that they are here, they are interested in pursuing their dreams, but may still be trying to figure out what those dreams are, which can be very scary for young adults who are used to having their parents tell them what to do and program their time for them. It is an excellent opportunity for all of us to use our interactions educationally.
HOW DO THESE ASSETS MACKE US SUCCESSFUL?
Common TraitsWHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU?
Common TraitsHOW DO YOU SEE THIS PLAY OUT?
HOW CAN A SUPERVISOR MEET A MILLENIAL WHERE THEY ARE AT?