Last week I began a short series discussing some of the distinctives that may be helpful in establishing a leadership setting to which the emerging millennial generation will respond. As I said then, I am neither a sociologist nor a psychologist – and certainly not an expert. My perception is simply that of a practitioner - and it is in such a context that I am proposing some thoughts for consideration. And on that note, we continue…
A prerequisite to attracting this generation to an organization is to understand that millennials often perceive their parent’s generation as one that is peppered with mistakes. Pursuit of the best house, twin Audis in the driveway, and memberships in the “right” clubs far too often outweighed the importance of family, resulting in fractured relationships and relational disillusionment. Accordingly, looking ahead for their own lives, Millennials seek to establish a balance between their work and family lives. They want to be home for dinner, have weekends off, be free to travel, and have time for vacations with their significant relationships.
Work and life balance is therefore more important than the constant pursuit of a career “just to make more money.” Knowing the relational and painful price tag for the family from over-commitment to the workplace has created a generation that considers time away from work priceless.
In summary, Mission-purpose (discussed last week) and work-life balance are two of the attributes considered attractive to millennials. Next week we will look further at this topic in our pursuit of fueling the Courage to Lead.