Comments on: Millennials: Not Lazy, Just Misunderstood http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/ Marketing to Millennials Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:52:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Anthony http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1724 Anthony Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:18:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1724 I'm a Gen Y and I appreciate this article...not simply because it's pro the Gen Y attitude/outlook...but because it's got insight, which so many don't seem to possess when it comes to pathetic attempts to categorize my generation. We aren't "lazy". We are simply seeking to live a more fulfilled, "balanced", meaningful life that doesn't remind us of the catatonic state so many boomers seem to be in from a life lived with unreasonable devotion to capital C Career. We are not, most of us I would say, consumed by the all mighty "career" and rather wish to live our passions while maintaining a sense of dignity that isn't squashed by bosses, jobs and companies that expect us to blindly follow their every demand w/o giving us a real and sincere (and we can tell the difference) voice in matters or expecting us to work like mules for pennies merely because we are young and in their eyes must "pay dues".  I’m a Gen Y and I appreciate this article…not simply because it’s pro the Gen Y attitude/outlook…but because it’s got insight, which so many don’t seem to possess when it comes to pathetic attempts to categorize my generation. We aren’t “lazy”. We are simply seeking to live a more fulfilled, “balanced”, meaningful life that doesn’t remind us of the catatonic state so many boomers seem to be in from a life lived with unreasonable devotion to capital C Career. We are not, most of us I would say, consumed by the all mighty “career” and rather wish to live our passions while maintaining a sense of dignity that isn’t squashed by bosses, jobs and companies that expect us to blindly follow their every demand w/o giving us a real and sincere (and we can tell the difference) voice in matters or expecting us to work like mules for pennies merely because we are young and in their eyes must “pay dues”. 

]]> By: Workplace Issues More About Organization Level Than Generation | Millennial Marketing http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1714 Workplace Issues More About Organization Level Than Generation | Millennial Marketing Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:12:16 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1714 [...] a post over two years ago, I maintained that Millennials aren’t lazy, just misunderstood. Boomer and X’er bosses view unwillingness to sacrifice as ‘laziness’. Yet Gen Y is not [...] [...] a post over two years ago, I maintained that Millennials aren’t lazy, just misunderstood. Boomer and X’er bosses view unwillingness to sacrifice as ‘laziness’. Yet Gen Y is not [...]

]]> By: thedivinedetails http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-294 thedivinedetails Thu, 21 May 2009 21:30:22 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-294 Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Hull are downright blind if they think we are "lazy" and "incompetent." The bar to get into top colleges and law schools is 100 times higher for us than it was for them. We've been juggling school, work, and activities our whole lives because we had to in order to differentiate ourselves. We know how to work, but we also learn from what we perceive as the mistakes of generations before us. They don't want to hear that their systems are antiquated and prefer us to just fall in line because it's what they went through. It's pointless corporate hazing. Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Hull are downright blind if they think we are “lazy” and “incompetent.” The bar to get into top colleges and law schools is 100 times higher for us than it was for them. We’ve been juggling school, work, and activities our whole lives because we had to in order to differentiate ourselves. We know how to work, but we also learn from what we perceive as the mistakes of generations before us. They don’t want to hear that their systems are antiquated and prefer us to just fall in line because it’s what they went through. It’s pointless corporate hazing.

]]> By: thedivinedetails http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1330 thedivinedetails Thu, 21 May 2009 21:30:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1330 Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Hull are downright blind if they think we are "lazy" and "incompetent." The bar to get into top colleges and law schools is 100 times higher for us than it was for them. We've been juggling school, work, and activities our whole lives because we had to in order to differentiate ourselves. We know how to work, but we also learn from what we perceive as the mistakes of generations before us. They don't want to hear that their systems are antiquated and prefer us to just fall in line because it's what they went through. It's pointless corporate hazing. Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Hull are downright blind if they think we are “lazy” and “incompetent.” The bar to get into top colleges and law schools is 100 times higher for us than it was for them. We’ve been juggling school, work, and activities our whole lives because we had to in order to differentiate ourselves. We know how to work, but we also learn from what we perceive as the mistakes of generations before us. They don’t want to hear that their systems are antiquated and prefer us to just fall in line because it’s what they went through. It’s pointless corporate hazing.

]]> By: JR Moreau http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-284 JR Moreau Mon, 11 May 2009 03:54:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-284 This is a great post Carol. Thanks! This is a great post Carol. Thanks!

]]> By: JR Moreau http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1329 JR Moreau Mon, 11 May 2009 03:54:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1329 This is a great post Carol. Thanks! This is a great post Carol. Thanks!

]]> By: DrJohnDrozdal http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-283 DrJohnDrozdal Sun, 10 May 2009 01:08:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-283 I try to be mindful of how organizations react to diversity tension when it occurs. When faced with a 100% turnover of in a particular class, most of my client organizations will immediately ask, “What is it that WE are doing that is contributing to this high rate of turnover?” Placing all of the blame on Gen Y associates because they “don’t know how to work” eliminates the possibility of examining what practices at the law firm may also be contributing to the situation. The worry conversation I have for organizations that begin their problem solving with the statement “…the problem is that they (Gen Y) don’t know how to ______, is where those organizations will find talent once the Millennials who have left text all their friends warning them about this “bad place to work”? I try to be mindful of how organizations react to diversity tension when it occurs. When faced with a 100% turnover of in a particular class, most of my client organizations will immediately ask, “What is it that WE are doing that is contributing to this high rate of turnover?” Placing all of the blame on Gen Y associates because they “don’t know how to work” eliminates the possibility of examining what practices at the law firm may also be contributing to the situation. The worry conversation I have for organizations that begin their problem solving with the statement “…the problem is that they (Gen Y) don’t know how to ______, is where those organizations will find talent once the Millennials who have left text all their friends warning them about this “bad place to work”?

]]> By: DrJohnDrozdal http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1328 DrJohnDrozdal Sun, 10 May 2009 01:08:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1328 I try to be mindful of how organizations react to diversity tension when it occurs. When faced with a 100% turnover of in a particular class, most of my client organizations will immediately ask, “What is it that WE are doing that is contributing to this high rate of turnover?” Placing all of the blame on Gen Y associates because they “don’t know how to work” eliminates the possibility of examining what practices at the law firm may also be contributing to the situation. The worry conversation I have for organizations that begin their problem solving with the statement “…the problem is that they (Gen Y) don’t know how to ______, is where those organizations will find talent once the Millennials who have left text all their friends warning them about this “bad place to work”? I try to be mindful of how organizations react to diversity tension when it occurs. When faced with a 100% turnover of in a particular class, most of my client organizations will immediately ask, “What is it that WE are doing that is contributing to this high rate of turnover?” Placing all of the blame on Gen Y associates because they “don’t know how to work” eliminates the possibility of examining what practices at the law firm may also be contributing to the situation. The worry conversation I have for organizations that begin their problem solving with the statement “…the problem is that they (Gen Y) don’t know how to ______, is where those organizations will find talent once the Millennials who have left text all their friends warning them about this “bad place to work”?

]]> By: DrJohnDrozdal http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-281 DrJohnDrozdal Sat, 09 May 2009 19:21:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-281 I completely agree. The most frequent criticism of Millennials by Boomers that I also hear is the "lazy" one. Moreover, Boomers and Xers translate laziness as "incompetence". Certainly, the law firm context is where the diversity tension could really boil over. I offer this observation. The "billable hour" standard where more is better was a policy that Traditionals handed down to Boomers. This billable hour race resonated with the highly competitive Boomer associate who in turn taught the Gen X law associates about it. And it is a practice that has been accepted as “the way it's always been”. Work life balance does not line the pockets of the law firm’s partners. Billable hours do. The more billable hours, the more revenue there is for the firm, and the more money partners make at the end of the year. And the dirty little secret that most law large firms do not share is that some senior partners actually bill less then junior partners or associates who aspire to the partner position because the unwritten rule is that senior partners “have paid their dues” and they get to have work life balance – after their second heart attack and third divorce. So when the Gen Y associate comes along and sees the system as broken and values work life balance more then the billable hour game, it is easier for a partner to label the Millennial as “lazy” then it is for that partner to deal with the cognitive dissonance of having sold their soul to the firm and lost any semblance of a personal life.<br /><br />And billing more hours does not make a great attorney, mentoring does. Great post! I completely agree. The most frequent criticism of Millennials by Boomers that I also hear is the “lazy” one. Moreover, Boomers and Xers translate laziness as “incompetence”. Certainly, the law firm context is where the diversity tension could really boil over. I offer this observation. The “billable hour” standard where more is better was a policy that Traditionals handed down to Boomers. This billable hour race resonated with the highly competitive Boomer associate who in turn taught the Gen X law associates about it. And it is a practice that has been accepted as “the way it’s always been”. Work life balance does not line the pockets of the law firm’s partners. Billable hours do. The more billable hours, the more revenue there is for the firm, and the more money partners make at the end of the year. And the dirty little secret that most law large firms do not share is that some senior partners actually bill less then junior partners or associates who aspire to the partner position because the unwritten rule is that senior partners “have paid their dues” and they get to have work life balance – after their second heart attack and third divorce. So when the Gen Y associate comes along and sees the system as broken and values work life balance more then the billable hour game, it is easier for a partner to label the Millennial as “lazy” then it is for that partner to deal with the cognitive dissonance of having sold their soul to the firm and lost any semblance of a personal life.

And billing more hours does not make a great attorney, mentoring does. Great post!

]]> By: DrJohnDrozdal http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/comment-page-1/#comment-1327 DrJohnDrozdal Sat, 09 May 2009 19:21:00 +0000 http://millennialmarketing.com/2009/05/millennials-not-lazy-just-misunderstood/#comment-1327 I completely agree. The most frequent criticism of Millennials by Boomers that I also hear is the "lazy" one. Moreover, Boomers and Xers translate laziness as "incompetence". Certainly, the law firm context is where the diversity tension could really boil over. I offer this observation. The "billable hour" standard where more is better was a policy that Traditionals handed down to Boomers. This billable hour race resonated with the highly competitive Boomer associate who in turn taught the Gen X law associates about it. And it is a practice that has been accepted as “the way it's always been”. Work life balance does not line the pockets of the law firm’s partners. Billable hours do. The more billable hours, the more revenue there is for the firm, and the more money partners make at the end of the year. And the dirty little secret that most law large firms do not share is that some senior partners actually bill less then junior partners or associates who aspire to the partner position because the unwritten rule is that senior partners “have paid their dues” and they get to have work life balance – after their second heart attack and third divorce. So when the Gen Y associate comes along and sees the system as broken and values work life balance more then the billable hour game, it is easier for a partner to label the Millennial as “lazy” then it is for that partner to deal with the cognitive dissonance of having sold their soul to the firm and lost any semblance of a personal life.And billing more hours does not make a great attorney, mentoring does. Great post! I completely agree. The most frequent criticism of Millennials by Boomers that I also hear is the “lazy” one. Moreover, Boomers and Xers translate laziness as “incompetence”. Certainly, the law firm context is where the diversity tension could really boil over. I offer this observation. The “billable hour” standard where more is better was a policy that Traditionals handed down to Boomers. This billable hour race resonated with the highly competitive Boomer associate who in turn taught the Gen X law associates about it. And it is a practice that has been accepted as “the way it’s always been”. Work life balance does not line the pockets of the law firm’s partners. Billable hours do. The more billable hours, the more revenue there is for the firm, and the more money partners make at the end of the year. And the dirty little secret that most law large firms do not share is that some senior partners actually bill less then junior partners or associates who aspire to the partner position because the unwritten rule is that senior partners “have paid their dues” and they get to have work life balance – after their second heart attack and third divorce. So when the Gen Y associate comes along and sees the system as broken and values work life balance more then the billable hour game, it is easier for a partner to label the Millennial as “lazy” then it is for that partner to deal with the cognitive dissonance of having sold their soul to the firm and lost any semblance of a personal life.And billing more hours does not make a great attorney, mentoring does. Great post!

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