Millennials

This issue has been noted by large corporations as well. The corporations now offer classes to their managers on how to deal with, develop, manage, inspire and cope with millennials. This generation inspired these corporate courses. This isn't to say there aren't very motivated and hard working millennials. But the vast majority coming out have an entitlement attitude and expect maximum reward for little effort. The millennials are the first generation to grow up with the everyone gets a trophy mentality throughout their school years. They went through a school system that rewards and encourages mediocrity (not all, but most public schools are this way), and celebrates meeting requirements. They are the first generation where the requirements to achieve an A has been seriously reduced because some kids feel bad if they don't make the honor roll. They grew up in an environment where feelings are valued more than actual accomplishment. In middle school, I had a teacher tell me the reason why our public middle school did not offer advanced science, history or English was because middle school is about socialization and some kids would feel bad if they weren't included. (Moved both my kids to private school for high school). In elementary school, the principle had my eldest's first grade teacher stop giving advanced spelling and vocabulary to the students who were above the grade level and needed to be challenged. The principle did this because a parent of another student was upset her son wasn't getting the same material. I could go on. But this generation is the product of all the social engineering found in the public schools today. Please note, I don't say all are that way. But enough are, such that industry as well as the armed forces is noting it.
 
I don't think this just applies to the military. I think that this generation acts like this (entitled, path of least resistance, min. required) in general. I am sure it's just magnified in the military ranks but there are lots of milennials that could use this kind of "course correction"!
 
+1 MombaBomba we posted at the same time. And don't even get me started on the public schools and the dumbing down of the education. I still have a 6th grader!
 
+1 MombaBomba we posted at the same time. And don't even get me started on the public schools and the dumbing down of the education. I still have a 6th grader!

Back at you! Great minds post alike :shake:

I realized I was on a roll and had to stop myself! :eek:
 
LOL! With 7 years between my oldest and youngest (plus a middle) I have watched how the education system has changed and I have not liked what I have seen (all attended the same elementary school). I will say I am smarter as a parent and now I know when to advocate for my kids and I'm not shy about doing it. Thank goodness my son was really really smart to start with because I used him to figure it all out. :)
 
I think the top comment underneath the article sums it all up.
 
How about Mommy and Daddy letting their little darlings run the show at home? They don't respect or obey other adults, including their own parents. :eek:
 
Criticism about "milennials" is old-hat and stupid for two reasons:

1. The baby boomers are without a doubt the worst generation in the history of America.

2. Every time you criticize the young generations, remember who raised them.
 
Oh look, ANOTHER article/post about how terrible millennials are now. :rolleyes:

Peter Munson does a good job of responding to this article in the comments below the text. I've quoted his first post as a sample.

I have considered several approaches to responding to this post, but in the end, what I think is needed is education, and perhaps a personal improvement plan. So I propose the following actions:

1. Take a drive south to Balboa Naval Hospital, north to the VA Polytrauma Center in Palo Alto, or go to Walter Reed on your next TAD to DC. Spend some time with the millenials there. Ask them about their stories - if they're in a condition to speak. Ask their doctors and physical therapists about what they've endured and their work ethic in fighting back to some semblance of normalcy.

2. Go to http://projects.militarytimes.... and click on some of the recent, senior valor awards (those being the Medal of Honor, which is buried a bit down the page, the Air Force/Distinguished Service/Navy Cross, and the Silver Star). As you read through the citations for actions during the last decade of war, recognize that most of these heroes (real heroes, not airport heroes) were millenials, led by millenials, trained by millenials.

3. Read the book "Matterhorn" or talk to some vets of the Vietnam and especially early post-Vietnam era. If you don't have time for that, just watch Platoon and realize that the lack of discipline, drug abuse, racial tensions, and fragging in that movie were actually less severe than found in some actual units (this confirmed to me both by professional reading and personal relationships and discussions with many Vietnam and post-Vietnam vets). Consider whether today's youngest generation of military members, those that volunteered for service during a time of war, are really any less disciplined than those young men and women who came before.

4. If you know who "Willie and Joe" are and the attitude they represented, ask yourself if "the Greatest Generation" was really any less irreverent or disgusted with lifers and the way the organization works than the millenials are. If you don't know who "Willie and Joe" are, educate yourself on a piece of U.S. military history using Google.

5. Go to Camp Pendleton or Fort Irwin or some other base where real combat troops are stationed. Find a peer - an O-5 infantry battalion commander - and ask him how the millenials did in Fallujah, Sadr City, Karabalah, Ramadi, Najaf, Tikrit, Tal Afar, Dey Chopan, Khowst, J-Bad, Sangin, Musa Qaleh, the Pech Valley, Kajaki, Marjeh, Kandahar (the real city, not the place with the boardwalk), the Arghandab, and on and on. If there's any one of these places you can't find on a map, again, do the PME with Google.

6. Ironically, I read an article today about the Global Leadership Forecast. The researchers found that organizations with more millenials in leadership positions, as well as those with more women in leadership positions, outperformed their peers. Square that data with your assertions, while also considering how one might take an article that maligned an entire demographic - say, women, for example - without some rigorous data to back it up.

7. After doing all of the above, consider what being Commanding Officer means and what you can do in order to enable the millenials, and their leaders, to achieve the standards in your organization that they have clearly achieved in other organizations.

8. I suggest that you then write another post detailing what you learned about leadership, respect, humility, and the nature and direction of causality in social interactions and human organizations.

This one really got me laughing:
There are an increased number of negative confrontations between very junior members and senior leadership. Rather than saying “Yes Sir” or “Yes Chief” when tasked with a project or simple task, our newer members frequently question why they have to do it.

God forbid junior officers/enlisted don't act as "Yes" men/women.

And finally, a nice rebuttal from a Navy officer:
http://blog.usni.org/2014/08/18/a-defense-of-the-millennial-officer-from-an-old-guy
 
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Hornetguy,

I read the posted articles and they were interesting. I have nerve been in the military and my husband hasn't either. So I can't speak to changes in attitude in the military. What I can speak to are changes in the corporate world and from the small business. I suspect that the military doesn't get as many of the "average" millennials, as it is strictly volunteer and it takes a special person with certain qualities to volunteer especially in this day and age of uncertainty and confusion.

But there is a real problem with the out look of millennials. The business world not be creating management courses to deal with them if there wasn't. I would not hear small business owners talking about how they avoid hiring millennials because of their work ethic and expectations whenever possible. Many of them think there should be praise and promotion just for fulfilling the basic requirements of their job. Some think they should be able to pick and choose what they get to do. Others take a job understanding the vacation time alotted, and then proceed to justify getting more because they are tired and need a break. Many are shocked when they are told this is the job and if you don't like it, then quit. They really believe they ought to have a greater say in their employment. Others have been fired for not fulfilling requirements and are surprised, since in their mind what they did was good enough and they tried hard. It goes far beyond asking why. Many of us generation x'ers asked why. They demand justification. These type of millennials aren't just here or there. They are a large enough percentage of the population that it defines their generation.

In the second article, the author stated that the millennials care more about results and less about effort. That is completely opposite of what the business world has experienced. To the millennials, "trying" is more important than actual accomplishment. "I tried doing it, and thus, I should be rewarded."

I agree, parents have played a large role in the out look of millennials as well as society. However, as a parent, I had to actively work to prevent my kids from going down the entitlement attitude pathway. My kids constantly told me that we made them do more work around the house and take more responsibility than their friends did. "How come we have to and so and so doesn't?" was a constant question when they were younger.

The author of the article is right in that we have to work with these millennials to develop them into better leaders, etc.. I don't think they are a loss. I just think they are seriously underdeveloped, and are learning some of life's lessons and real world work place expectations and values later than others before them.

Millennials aren't all this way. Just as us gen x'ers weren't all "material girls living in a material world" willing to cut any throat and stab any back in our attempt to become the masters of Wall Street.
 
Every Generation is unique with different characteristics- we are never the same as our parents generation. Does this generation march in lock step? No. Do they accept what those of previous generations tell them just on face value? No they don't. Much of the current generation of young people are less experienced in interpersonal relationships than those in the past, because they spend so much more time on devices than those in the past. But those are kind of superficial things - underneath it all, when given a good reason they are there when you need them. I was at a funeral the other day for a young Paratrooper (from my son's brigade in the 82d) who was killed in Afghanistan- and thru my tears I thought- the description of Spc Arsenault could be the description of my son or indeed any of the hundreds of thousands of Soldiers of the generation that these articles disparage who have dropped everything they were doing at home to go do something that they believed was really important. So they don't like listening to some crusty old CSM waxing on about the Army going to hxxx because it no longer starches fatigues or spitshines boots- who cares really?

The following is from the Memorial service conducted in Bagram for SPC Brian Arsenault who was killed a week ago in a firefight . If you still think that there are fundamental issues with this generation then – I can’t help you or agree with you:


1-504 PIR Homepage.
Below are the speeches from the Memorial Ceremony that were given by CPT Frankovic, SPC Helmreich, and SPC Huntsberry.
CPT Frankovic:I must begin by admitting that I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Brian well while he was with us, so I will be brief. The biggest drawback of being promoted is that with each promotion, you’re a little more distant from your men. I was his company commander, and only for a short time at that. I can’t tell you a great deal about his personal life, his hobbies, or his plans for the future. I’ll leave that for those who knew him best— his friends. What I’d like to talk to you about is what I learned about Brian the night he was killed. What he did in the moments preceding his death showed me something that will stay with me for as long as I live and I’d like to share it with you.
We in this profession can sometimes lose sight of just what this job really entails. We can become so accustomed to our mission and so embroiled in our daily tasks and busy schedules that we forget to step back and look at the big picture. Brian, like the rest of his friends and brothers in the company, volunteered to do this. He saw the easy life his civilian counterparts enjoy and chose instead a life of hardship and deprivation. At a time when most Americans place nothing higher than their own interests, Brian chose to live a life of service to something bigger than himself. His mere presence on that mission says something about the kind of man he was but doesn’t tell the full story. His actions that night tell that story.
Most people, average people, react predictably to certain events. If the average person were walking in the pitch dark through a dangerous village in Afghanistan and heard several AK-47 shots fired at them from close range, I would venture to say they would find the nearest hole, crawl into it, and curl up into the fetal position. As I mentioned before, the average person is primarily concerned with their own self-interests. Nothing threatens your self-interest with the quite the same immediacy as someone trying to kill you. Brian was not an average person.
Brian, along with the members of his squad, reacted to that gunfire in the way that professional soldiers are trained to do. They maneuvered toward it. What is it in some men that motivates them to do this? What is it in them that is missing from the average person? Did he not understand the risks? Talking to his friends, I come away certain that he was an extremely thoughtful and intelligent man. He understood the risks and did it anyway. Philosophers and scholars have pondered this for as long as men have fought wars. Some would call it courage, but I think it goes deeper than that. What Brian did was certainly brave, but that bravery sprang from something else.
I would call it a stubborn unwillingness to let his brothers down. Brian maneuvered toward danger because he knew that was the quickest and surest way to stop the enemy from harming his brothers. There’s a word for that- character. Brian’s actions that night demonstrated his character to all of us.
Men with character are in short supply and the loss of Brian is that much harder to handle because of this. If there is any comfort to be had, any silver lining to his loss, it is that his example— his character—will never be forgotten by those of us who witnessed it. Brian died as he lived; with character. We would do well to remember him and to remember his example. By doing so, we’ll carry on his legacy and do our best to honor his memory.

SPC Helmreich:
Brian Arsenault was not a man that could be described by words nor would they do him any justice. This was a man full of charisma and had a natural suaveness about him. He was family-oriented and cared a great deal about his sister, Lindsey. He was considered a hometown legend amongst the people of Northborough and within minutes of talking with him you would begin to understand why. He had an essence about him that would just draw you in; he is someone that you would never forget.
Brian showed up to 2 Fury Scouts during the Spring of 2013 and that was when I met him. There may not be many stories that are appropriate for me to tell you here today but there are a few that come to mind. During a field exercise with the scout platoon Brian was right there singing songs and motivating everyone around, trying to boost the morale of the platoon...
That was beauty of it all; no matter what we did, anything even as simple as that, Brian would make sure we had fun. Between walking around on missions, sitting up on a guard tower and just hanging around the little shack we lived in, he always found a way to have a good time and just made things a little better. He just had a knack for appreciating the small things in life and could always find a positive side to anything.
Brian was not one that would be considered big on military ceremonies and he is probably laughing at me for coming up here and speaking today. But we do this to honor a man who deserves every bit of this. Brian will always be a part of my life as he has affected me so many ways and taught me so many life lessons to live by. He was not easily swayed by others and could always form his own thoughts and opinions regardless of the situation at hand.
Brian was a man that rooted for the underdog and wasn’t afraid to stand up for them either. If there was a person in the platoon that was taking a lot of heat, he was there to encourage them and be their friend; in some cases, their only friend. He was a man that would not think twice to give the shirt off his back to someone in need. He would never fail to take their side and he had patience that went on for days. Anyone could learn from Brian but I think the best lesson all of us have learned was to not sweat the small stuff.
So as we try so hard to commemorate this man with so much honor and so many wonderful attributes, we must remember this isn’t a goodbye, but a see you later. I think we should take a step back and do our best to live life to the fullest and try to live our lives like Brian would want; with optimism and patience, enjoying life in every aspect. ...We miss you and I will see you on the other side, brother!

SPC Huntsberry:Thank you all for coming here today to honor Brian Arsenault. I know many of you did not have the privilege of knowing him, so I will do my best to explain to you the kind of man he was. A man I'm honored to say was my friend and who I'm thankful for having shared time with. Knowing him has made a great impact on my life, just as I know it did with other people who came to know him. He was a genuinely good man who deserved so much more than what this world could give him.
I met Brian back in Fourth Brigade when he joined our scout platoon. Immediately I knew there was something different about him. After only a few days of getting to know him, I discovered what an open person he was. He had absolutely no filter and there was no telling what would come out of his mouth next. Nothing was taboo for him and he would share stories about his life that others might've taken to their grave. But that was just the kind of man he was.
He had an infectious personality that was impossible to hate. He was a very charismatic man, that was a friend to anybody who knew him. It didn't matter who you were; he wasn't afraid to talk to anybody and if he ever started a conversation with you, after only a few minutes you'd be hooked by his reserved yet animated charm.
There are no two words that could ever describe Brian. He was a person the world had never seen and wasn't ready for. A true rebel, he was his own man who lived his life going against the grain— which was just how he liked it. He didn't conform to other people because he wasn't afraid to be different. Although he wasn't stubborn by any means, you'd be hard pressed to change his mind after he had made it up.
Brian was a man that couldn't be beat, as much as the Army may have tried. After getting smoked, he'd just shrug it off and ask, "was that it?" and continue on with his day. If he was told to do something he thought was dumb, he'd always complete the task, but he'd be laughing about it the whole way through. He had an ability to always look at the bright side of things, which helped motivate the people around him.
During one of the many field exercises we endured together back at Bragg, our platoon walked for what seemed like an endless amount of time, bogged down by heavy rucks and equipment. When we finally stopped, everybody collapsed on the ground to take a break for a couple of hours before getting up and walking some more. Exhausted and miserable, I was looking for someone to complain to and I saw Brian sitting up against a tree, eating an MRE with a grin on his face. As I walked up to him, he smiled and said, "Food— it’s a game changer." And I couldn't help but laugh with him...

Brian had all the best qualities in a man and he's someone I wish I could be more like. Although he has passed on, he will always live on in the happy memories he made with those who care about him. He will be deeply missed by friends and loved ones, but I know that he would want us to remember him for the man that he was and live our lives to the fullest for him. If it was up to him, I know we wouldn't even be having this ceremony right now. ..
God bless you Brian and thank you for being a part of our lives.
 
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From the general profile of Millenials I've read, they're a vast improvement of Generation X. Granted I'm somewhere close to both, and in some countries (Australia I think ) I'm a Gen. X while in the U.S. I'm a Millenial.

But Scout's right, Baby Boomers were a major step back in the generation evolution. :wink:

In truth, businesses shouldn't be "dealing" with Millenials, they should adapt. The company loyalty of your grandpa's generation is no more, both from the employee standpoint and employer. This isn't a blip in history. It's a process. The business model of 1900 doesn't work in 2000. The business model of 2000 won't work in 2100.
 
Since only very small fraction of millennials are serving in the military, I don't think there are not a good example. Also for every millennials in the military that breaks the stereotype, there are plenty of millennials that fits the stereotype.
 
In truth, businesses shouldn't be "dealing" with Millenials, they should adapt. The company loyalty of your grandpa's generation is no more, both from the employee standpoint and employer. This isn't a blip in history. It's a process. The business model of 1900 doesn't work in 2000. The business model of 2000 won't work in 2100.

Accordingly, Millenials to adapt to their employer. It's a two way street, not one way.

I always find it interesting how perspective of some people change when you are leading instead just following.
 
Accordingly, Millenials to adapt to their employer. It's a two way street, not one way.

I always find it interesting how perspective of some people change when you are leading instead just following.

True, although employers (unless they're young) will be dying at a faster rate than employees. Millenials will just have to wait them out... :biggrin:
 
Accordingly, Millenials to adapt to their employer. It's a two way street, not one way.

I always find it interesting how perspective of some people change when you are leading instead just following.

Like any generation and any culture this is a two way street. A manager or leader who doesn't recognize that one size does not fit all- is a lousy manager. different generations, different groups of people and different cultures all require different approachs and you either understand that and succeed or you don't and you (either literally or economically) die. It's stupid to rail against a group of people wexpecting them to change to fit your template- your template needs to adapt to fit them. Successful companies do this all the time. So does the military. Commentators who comment on those difference to help identify and develop different approaches to success are useful- - making value judgements (these "kids" are no good etc..." are not in my humble opinion.
 
It's stupid to rail against a group of people wexpecting them to change to fit your template- your template needs to adapt to fit them.

Made me laugh.

Have a "young" employee that I supervise that wants to be marked working for 40 hours when he doesn't arguing that it shouldn't matter since he gets the work done. Even if I agree within him, don't know how I can change the hourly based compensation to salaried system.
 
Criticism about "milennials" is old-hat and stupid for two reasons:

1. The baby boomers are without a doubt the worst generation in the history of America.

2. Every time you criticize the young generations, remember who raised them.

1. Don't worry Scout, in about 20 years you will be lamenting the generation before you, and they will be calling your generation the "Worst generation in the history of America" It's just one big circle.

2. Couldn't agree with you more on this one. It was the parents of this generation that decided it was important that all kids received a trophy, that we shouldn't keep score because it might hurt little Johnny or Jany's feelings. We watched our kid's schools lean towards giving credit for trying, the correct answer wasn't important.

I always hate slipping into the "When I was younger", but here goes. You could make mistakes back then, you didn't need to be almost perfect in High School, you could spread out, try something harder and fail without it following you like gum on your shoe. I could get into our Flagship University with a 3.0 without much trouble. This gave you the opportunity to test yourself, and yes fail sometimes, at a younger age.

These days the kids need a 3.8 and even that isn't a guarantee, you also need a resume 2 pages long and are judged by what classes you take and if you take them you better not fail.

Parents of this generation sometimes found themselves blindsided, they would begin to look for any edge they could. Paying for tutors, shuttling kids from one activity to another, the world began to revolve around the kid. Gone was the time you just handed them their lunch and sent them to the bus.

If the older generation thinks these kids seem to feel entitled, well our generation had a big role in making that happen.

Don't even get me started on athletics, My day you could easily play 4 sports in school, these days kids are pushed to excel in one. Parents sign their kids up for select teams, travelling teams, spent thousands to make sure their kid has a shot on a Varsity team, Why wouldn't this generation feel some sort of entitlement, we were the ones that fed the machine.

Frankly I could care less about who is what generation, to be honest I had to google what age group all these generation groups cover.

As an employer I want one thing, someone that works hard, has pride in what they do, put's in a full days work for a full days pay, and is respectful to other employees, and I don't care what generation they are from. For workers like this I will bend over backwards.

There is really only one complaint I have about the generation in question, communication skills. I can always tell by the emails I receive, I swear some look like they were on Twitter. My own son's look at me strange when I ask if they have called a relative just to say hi, the comment is I'll send them a text....really, grandma doesn't even know what a text is. Now in their defense, if we had all this technology when we were young, we would be exactly the same, I really don't blame the generation as much as the Tech itself.
 
1. Don't worry Scout, in about 20 years you will be lamenting the generation before you, and they will be calling your generation the "Worst generation in the history of America" It's just one big circle.

2. Couldn't agree with you more on this one. It was the parents of this generation that decided it was important that all kids received a trophy, that we shouldn't keep score because it might hurt little Johnny or Jany's feelings. We watched our kid's schools lean towards giving credit for trying, the correct answer wasn't important.

I always hate slipping into the "When I was younger", but here goes. You could make mistakes back then, you didn't need to be almost perfect in High School, you could spread out, try something harder and fail without it following you like gum on your shoe. I could get into our Flagship University with a 3.0 without much trouble. This gave you the opportunity to test yourself, and yes fail sometimes, at a younger age.

These days the kids need a 3.8 and even that isn't a guarantee, you also need a resume 2 pages long and are judged by what classes you take and if you take them you better not fail.

Parents of this generation sometimes found themselves blindsided, they would begin to look for any edge they could. Paying for tutors, shuttling kids from one activity to another, the world began to revolve around the kid. Gone was the time you just handed them their lunch and sent them to the bus.

If the older generation thinks these kids seem to feel entitled, well our generation had a big role in making that happen.

Don't even get me started on athletics, My day you could easily play 4 sports in school, these days kids are pushed to excel in one. Parents sign their kids up for select teams, travelling teams, spent thousands to make sure their kid has a shot on a Varsity team, Why wouldn't this generation feel some sort of entitlement, we were the ones that fed the machine.

Frankly I could care less about who is what generation, to be honest I had to google what age group all these generation groups cover.

As an employer I want one thing, someone that works hard, has pride in what they do, put's in a full days work for a full days pay, and is respectful to other employees, and I don't care what generation they are from. For workers like this I will bend over backwards.

There is really only one complaint I have about the generation in question, communication skills. I can always tell by the emails I receive, I swear some look like they were on Twitter. My own son's look at me strange when I ask if they have called a relative just to say hi, the comment is I'll send them a text....really, grandma doesn't even know what a text is. Now in their defense, if we had all this technology when we were young, we would be exactly the same, I really don't blame the generation as much as the Tech itself.
I have 3 factories that I am responsible for and about 500 hourly and salaried employees- ranging from around 20 to 62. I can assure you that no generation has a lock on stupid, lazy, entitled , or on the characteristics of hard work, generosity, pride in achievement; and in fact many younger/ newer employees have a way of forcing us to look at the way that we do things because frequently - we do the things we do because we have become too content with how we do things or are just too lazy to think of changing. I just had a meeting on a machine with a 22 year old "kid" who had all kinds of interesting observations about improving our thru-put at his machine. He is as good as many of the far older operators who are working with him - and sadly for him he's working for a paycheck that is relatively much smaller than the guys who entered this plant at his age 30 years ago.

Like JCleppe- my only complaint/ concern about the current generation is that their personal communication skills (both spoken and written) are less developed by a lot than was the case when I was their age hunting dinosaurs. That however is just a fact of life- the proliferation of devices has made them far more comfortable communicating that way than face to face or in writing (non- twitter style writing that is). So that's a skill that you need to work on with them. But otherwise- they work hard, they come to work, they do their jobs . Many of them go to War because they are convinced that it is the right thing to do- just like the "greatest" Generation and the multiple generations since including my own. Read the comments about Young Spec4 Arsenault: "Chose to live a life of service" "Unwilling to let his brothers down"; "family oriented and cared about his sister"; "would not think twice to give the shirt off his back to someone in need"; "a man that couldn't be beat", "when told to do something he thought was dumb, he always accomplished the task- laughing about it the whole way thru"... What else else can you ask for from someone? I would take those attributes all day long in any job- Military or civilian- and he's as representative of his generation as anyone else- just as the self-centered twits from my generation who gleefully off shore jobs and factories while pocketing big bonuses for doing so are chalked up to my age. (Neither is the whole story of the generation by a long shot). So I stick with my contention- making generalizations about this or any other generation is a wrongheaded exercise. This generation has the distinction of being the foot soldiers- the bearers of the load- of the longest war in US history, and has done so uncomplainingly. They may have some different approaches to things, but if businesses can't manage them then it's the failure of managers and leaders.
 
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