The Dallas Morning News has an article that caught my eye about the generation called “The Millenials.” Much of it resonated with me.
“They’ve been overparented, overindulged and overprotected,” she says. “They haven’t experienced that much failure, frustration, pain. We were so obsessed with protecting and promoting their self-esteem that they crumble like cookies when they discover the world doesn’t revolve around them. They get into the real world and they’re shocked.
“You have to be very careful in how you talk to them because they take everything as criticism.”
I would never say that this describes all of the Millenials but it is dead on for a bunch that I have encountered. Some of the comments I have heard about how unfair it is to have to work, what they think they deserve etc. just throw me. Listening to it makes me feel really old.
But the thing that really blew me away was reading that some parents are still so involved in their children’s lives they feel entitled to call their office on their behalf. If my mother or father contacted my employer to complain about how I was treated or buck for a raise I’d be irate.
Eventually they have to grow up and fend for themselves. This helicoptering thing isn’t going to help that at all.
He said to tell you if he beats his personal best he’ll be expecting a raise on Monday…
And I told him that I’d meet him in the parking lot….
KRG,
Yep, the bill will come due.
I agree about the helicoptering. BUT, I think there’s more to it than that: millenials (and many of gen X as well) don’t see working as the be-all and end-all of existence. COmbine that with the fact that the standard work week (especially for professionals) has expanded dramatically over the last 25 years, and it’s recipe for dissatisfaction. It’s quite difficult these days to make a living compared to our parents and grandparents. Yet those of those eras are still hanging around working, and often do not notice the actual erosion of time with family and friends that has been taken. Put that together with expanded debt from school, and it’s really apparent that people are going to be very unhappy with their work lives. It’s going to come due sooner or later: there will be a group who do what the hippies only talked about: dropping out and doing something different on a large scale- simply in order to have families and children.
Little Johnny can’t come in today. He’s playing with his Wii and is almost at 50,000 points.
He said to tell you if he beats his personal best he’ll be expecting a raise on Monday…
I can’t help but wonder what these parents are thinking. At some point you have to teach your children how to get by on their own.
GREAT post!!! This perfectly describes my experience with the two employees I’ve hired straight out of school. Neither had a work ethic to speak of and both expected to be CEO their second week in. And yes – I think that the issue is parents who solve every issue for their adult children and don’t ever teach them to fend for themselves.