11.29.17
The Good “New” Days: A Blended Workforce
Kate Allen, Millennial Blogger
In an ever-evolving, blended world of business, it is important to focus on what makes each group of people a valuable and necessary asset to the company team. These days millennials comprise a large and permanent piece of the workforce. While we may do things a little differently than those who entered the cubicles before us, we have an ample amount of knowledge and perspective to bring to the table that may often be overlooked.
Millennials are known for our love of digital media and technology. We were raised on it, and many computer or smart phone functions come as naturally to us as brushing our teeth. While many of us need to learn how to put the phone down at the dinner table, this realm of technological knowledge that we harbor is one of the many assets we bring to the workforce.
One of the other qualities that millennials are known for is our passion for environmental and social consciousness. We see the world as it has been; we see what it is; and we strive to make the voices heard that have been drowned out in the past.
We care about recycling and clean fuel. We are fighting for equal rights with a hunger that has not been seen since the days of Flower Power. We are rewriting the rules on how people from different cultures are represented both in the workplace and in the media.
We are changing the scripts on social and professional interaction so that every person, revolutionary idea, and pitch that might have otherwise been dismissed can be embraced.
While us as millennials have much to offer, we are also young and have a lot to learn. With each new opportunity, we look forward to learning from our coworkers that come from the generations before us. We welcome your knowledge on the building blocks of the companies we work with and for.
We can all take notes on how to conduct soft skills, respect, and common courtesy in the workplace. We crave the conversations by the water cooler where our coworkers with more life experience tell us the tricks on how to clean a cast iron skillet as well as when to order plane tickets.
It is safe to say that millennials and the generations before us are very different. However, there is much to be learned on both ends of the spectrum. There are classic skills that we need to learn from you and new skills and perspectives that we can teach you. Together, if we focus on how we can best blaze these trails, we can thrive.
Let’s work together toward the good “new” days.
