On Monday, I posted a link to my latest column in The Globe & Mail‘s Leadership Lab series. Provocatively titled “Four things millennials hate about you“, it addressed the fact that just as Boomers and Gen Xers shake their heads at the attitudes and actions of Millennials, so do Millennials question and ponder about some of the things company veterans say and do. Well to say that it got a reaction would be a gross understatement. When all was said and done, the article garnered over 50,000 views with over 4,000 direct “shares” in social media. Many of the comments were positive, as the points I made resonated with readers across the country, but there were negative comments as well, most annoyed because they felt that the article perpetuated stereotypes.
The viral storm caught the eye of Gary Doyle, popular talk show host at 570 News Radio in Kitchener/Waterloo and he invited me to be his guest on his show yesterday morning. Here is a link to an archived version of my conversation with him. It’s just over 13 minutes long so you probably want to get another cup of coffee first; but if you are leading (or work in) a multi-generational workplace, then I think you’ll get value from listening in.
The Gary Doyle Show – Wednesday April 2, 2014 – millennial segment
While I am certainly passionate about this topic, I simply had no idea of how much interest this column would generate. I am absolutely thrilled at this response, even the negative comments, because it means that I struck a chord, and perhaps more importantly, it means that people are talking about this subject. And it’s this kind of dialogue that creates greater understanding of the differences between generations, and leads to more positive and productive workplaces. What are your experiences? What can you reveal about multi-generational workplaces that would be useful to other leaders like you? Doesn’t matter if you’re a Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial or a Traditionalist, please share.