Empowering Beliefs When Coaching Millennials
Millennials, or Generation Y, are born around the period of 1980–1994, and they have often been negatively labelled with terms such as “instant gratification”, “impatient”, “distracted”, “self-centered”, “lazy”, etc.
It’s hard to believe that a whole generation of humanity can survive and thrive with the above traits. Then again, I also find those traits in every generation (including mine), in every country, and in every race — just like any form of stereotypes!
If we look deeper, we will realize that what most Millennials want are the exact same things as what another human being wants:
- Fulfillment
- Job satisfaction
- Comfortable life
- Social acceptance
- Self-worth
- Self-confidence
- Work-life balance
- Accomplishment
It’s the contexts of where to explore and how they achieve the above that have changed.
Being in a Millennial coaching business and having a teenage son myself, I have learned and found the following beliefs to be empowering to me as a coach (and as a parent). If you are coaching any Millennial or younger clients, and if you are not their generation, please read on.
- They know. No doubt about that. So, don’t try to compete with them on knowledge — focus on their internalization of experiences and reflection insights.
- They are loyal. Their loyalty is tied to a different set of ideologies, less so on forms and entities like organizations or roles. Help them find meaning and emotional connection to their environments, their roles and contribution.
- They have the same needs as “older generations”. They also need security, appreciation, money — the same needs as most of us do. They appear to have less patience because their world moves faster. They have a shorter runway to some extent.
- They deliver. They may need to travel every quarter or go to the gym at 5pm, but they do deliver and complete tasks on time. Do not judge their competency based on their “sense of urgency” as the way we normally define.
- They have options. In fact, too many options. So, the focus is to help them on making the best decisions — in their definition — not yours. Do not judge their decisions, support them on the process.
- They like to explore and grow simultaneously. Many of them know what they don’t want but not sure what they want. Let go of our own urge to nail down something concrete for them. Their world is fluid and no longer in sequential order, so help them stay in an exploratory state, while working on some short-term hypothesis or goals.
- They have fears. They have knowledge but may lack experiences. Fear is common when it’s a “first-time”. Give them reassurance and acknowledgement. Empathize and hold the space.
- They benefit from reflection. They have many distractions, so staying long enough with themselves is not a common practice. Use silences and stay focused on what matters to them.
Reach out to us if you want to discover more on coaching Millennnials!
Author:
Tang Seok Hian, Founder of IKIGAI Consultancy Services Pte Ltd
