Millennials Take the Media: A Round-up of Generational Differences at Work

Lately, millennials and generational differences in general have been all over the news: in Fast Company, on the Freelancers Union blog and in Planetizen, to name a few. Here is a round-up—including a few pieces I’ve written on the topic of generational differences and work. From this perspective, the future may seem brighter than we might think.

1.  3 Ways Millennials Are Revolutionizing the World of Work

1. Entrepreneurship is a state of mind. They expect to be treated like freelancers even if they are employees.
2. They are accustomed to multiple revenue streams and expect to make money at what they love – even if it’s only a fraction of their overall income or something to keep them active while they start families.
3. They think about their first job as a first date. They expect a lot form an employer and aren’t afraid to switch jobs frequently.

Read more about how differently millennials think about work than the other generations and the implications that has for all of us here.

 

2.  Why Millennials Might Save the Suburbs

Despite concerns that aging millennials will put a damper on urban revival by moving out to the suburbs, it should be noted that both urban and suburban environments might benefit from the potential trend. There is no reason to think the next generation won’t replace the millennials in urban centers. Further, bringing newly-minted millennials back to the suburbs may be exactly what the suburbs need. Read more about why millennials saving the cities might mean they can save the suburbs too here.

 

3.  Jeff Bezos Is Here To Save Your Soul (Well, Newspaper)! Who Cares?

Fewer than 13% of millennials picked up a print newspaper for their news in 2012. How will Jeff Bezos save newspaper culture despite the radically different consumptive habits of millennials and the nanolennials that come after them? This article offers a lot of great ideas for brands looking to stay relevant to millennials. Read more here.

 

4.  Millennial Thinking: Young Entrepreneurs Buy a Mountain

A group of young entrepreneurs named Summit have convinced approximately 50 investors to help them purchase a mountain in Utah to use as a center for community and innovation. They call it Summit Eden. From concept to design to execution, we can look at Summit Eden as almost a complete embodiment of Generation Y’s principles and values– read more here.

Do you manage millennials? Here are some tips.

5.  Four Quick Tips for Managing Millennials

1. Provide room for growth
2. Give them access to mentors (they love to learn!)
3. Channel their problem-solving capacity
4. Give them constant feedback.

Read more details about implementing the above tips here.

Have you read any great articles on millennials lately? If you have, or if you do, please share them in the comment section below, tweet me or send me an email.