I’m fascinated by millenials.  It’s no surprise considering the fact that I am one, and most of the individuals I associate with on a daily basis are as well.  Blame it on association, but nevertheless, I’m here with data to back up the fact that we are, for lack of a better term, a badass generation.  

In a study led by one of my favorite integrated marketing agencies and one of Fast Company’s 10 Most Innovative Marketing companies, Mr. Youth, we’re given a look into what it may be like once Millenials start to run businesses.  

When we think of millenials, what comes to mind?  Most Gen X’ers would say “lazy, spoiled, privileged and downright obnoxious.”  I’d simply say we’re misunderstood.  What are millenials exactly?  We’re the generation born between 1978 and 1994, the generation born out of the boomers,  and the generation that will lead the country to the next big revolution.  What are some of our key characteristics?  Just keep reading.

Team Players

We are collaborative in every sense of the word.  We share responsibility and 82% of us believe it is important to have a staff that can do each other’s jobs.  We flatten leadership and divide and conquer amongst specialities rather than choosing an overarching leader to run the business.  We make decisions democratically valuing input from our peers and weighing everyone’s opinion as equal.

Risk Takers

We love change, and would change jobs often until we feel challenged by the environment around us.  We are driven by innovation and ideas and believe confidently that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Disobeyers

“Seniority” and “tenure” are dirty words to us. Authority is earned and proven through direct interactions, not given blindly based on titles and experience.   

A typical millenial viewpoint?  Look no further than below:

“In setting up the hierarchy of the company, we shouldn’t have ‘experience’ or the amount of time someone has held a roll determine their aptitude for a specific position – I’ve had more jobs where my manager doesn’t necessarily know more than me or have the ability to do the work better, they just have been there longer. We should let people grow through the company  to demonstrate ability instead.”  

Celebrities Mean Nothing

If we see a celebrity in a magazine wearing a certain designer, we have no problem adding the piece to our wish list.  If we see the same celebrity in a magazine advertising the piece, it loses it’s value.  We like invisible endorsements, and we prefer liking something, rather than being told to like it from a spokesperson.

Commercials don’t convert, but experiences do engage.  

We want relationships with brands, we want to connect as consumers, and we want the experience wrapped up neatly in whatever form we choose (iPad, laptop, tv, mobile, etc.)

We trust our peers to your print ad - change the way you work.

How can you prepare for the millenial madness that will someday take over the traditional workplace?  Mr. Youth concludes the study with the following:

• Enable open collaboration across the organization. Remove silos and enable diverse cross-functional teams 
• Ask for more from every employee. Continually present new challenges and allow for rapid growth for those who perform 
• Value ideas over experience. Seek out and recognize good ideas wherever they exist in your eco-system, whether from the CEO, mail room clerk, supplier or even customer engineer humanity. Utilize technology to make products more customized, communications more personal and consumers lives more enhanced 
• Don’t skimp on quality. Consumers will quickly avoid those products that fail to meet their expectations and have megaphones to ensure their thoughts are heard 
• Integrate responsibility into the business. Don’t give back- be a company with a mission beyond just profits 
• Be genuine. Don’t hide behind celebrity personas- focus on connecting to individual consumers and communities in ways that are authentic, relevant and meaningful  
• Think 2-way. Partner with consumers  across all areas of the business- live and breathe transparency and open communication 
• Foster advocacy. Build products and create marketing that invites consumers to share and leverages word-of-mouth, the most influential source of information  
• Change. If your business is not continually searching, evolving and finding new ways to do things, you're going to fall behind.

Still confused about this goofy generation?  I’ve got a great resource for you that I read almost every day.  The Next Great Generation. It’s a blog and a community started by Mullen’s Edward Boches, but written entirely by Gen-Y: 18-27-year-olds willing to share their thoughts regarding life, work, brands, technology, environment, money, faith, sex, love. At least that’s the idea.  Completely free and completely crowdsourced.  

We are at your fingertips waiting to get figured out.  Leave your thoughts on millenials (good or bad) in the replies.

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