Why do Millennials quit everything?
In recent weeks I have had the pleasure and horror of interviewing for a few positions within my team. I love getting to know people and chatting with them about the job, hoping to find someone with a desire to grow and drive to learn more and take on a challenge. I, unfortunately, found quite the opposite. After sifting through all of the awful resumes, lack-luster phone calls, and disappointing in-person meetings, I could not help but reflect on this generation of millennials, of which I am a part. I have read articles that line up with my own observations that most millennials tend to fall into two categories: entitled, lazy, unmotivated, dreamers without action or drive or different thinking, entrepreneurial, motivated and self-aware.
I wonder, what could have caused this divide and the obvious change in culture for some of us? Why are some entitled dreamers while others start companies that are worth billions in only a few short years? (Evan Spiegel of Snapchat 27, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb 36, and of course Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook 33) I look at my own life as well as take notice of those around me to find clues as to why we see this behavior. I wonder sometimes if the behavior is really all that bad? Maybe it’s good that we think differently. In some cases, it’s a positive thing for our world, but, on the other hand, it can be a recipe for disaster.
I think back on my life as far as I can and find myself remembering my grandfather. We called him Paw Paw. He was 100 when he finally passed. Having lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, seven children, and nearly 70 years of marriage, he knew how to work hard for his family. There are stories of my grandfather holding up the driveway of a business until the owner would give him work to help his family. There exists another tale of him paying for the birth of my eldest aunt with chickens and many, many more stories from that generation so far removed. I was not part of the conversations that he had with his children, but I feel like the notion passed down from Paw Paws generation to their children was “Get a job and keep it”. Try and get a job to support the family, even if you don’t like it. My dad worked for Mecklenburg county here in Charlotte for 30 plus years and retired in his 50s. He, as well as many others in the baby boomer generation, have been in the same work environment for long stretches of time with little to no change in their careers.
Some baby boomers had jobs that were not fulfilling, some let down by their companies plummeting single stock options when nearing retirement, and some retired with a gold watch and a pat on the back as they walked away on their last day. This, I think, is where we begin to see a turn in the millennial generation. Watching parents who were disappointed in the lack of excitement in their job, unfulfilled promises were given by their companies, and glass ceilings of growth lead to a change in the way some of us live our lives today. We only have one life to live, and it seems to pass along faster and faster as we get older. I know some were told by their parents to follow their dreams, find their passions, do something they enjoy and avoid getting stuck in a job they will hate for the rest of their career. These are all good things if combined with a few other key factors.
The first is hard work. This is an age of entitlement, everyone gets a trophy for just showing up. Everyone is rewarded equally so as not to make anyone feel bad or overly good about themselves. The fact of the matter is, this is not how the world works. If you do not plant a garden, there will be no food. My grandparents knew this well. Hard work, however, is viewed by people differently. Some only consider hard work when you sweat, others think hard work is making to a full work week of 40 hours. Although there are a variety of ideas on hard work, most of the ideas can be measured by the other key factor which I feel is missing in some of the millennials who are less driven. That key is goal setting.
When goals are properly set, a person can see progress, or lack thereof, and determine just how hard they are working. Goals help us to stretch ourselves and uncover our aptitudes and our capacity for just how hard we can work. Zig Ziglar has a great approach to accomplishing goals by looking at the “Wheel of Life”. The seven spokes of the life wheel include: physical, social, career, family, spiritual, financial, and intellectual. Setting a goal for each of these spokes and using the following framework will help those goals materialize. Make goals: 1.specific, 2. measurable, 3.yours (meaning not a goal someone else set for you), 4.set a deadline, and 5. write it down.
Many in my generation don’t stick with anything very long. I have at times struggled with the desire to just give in and make a change to get out of a tough situation. Jobs, churches, marriages, homes, friends, cars, just to name a few, seem to last for a shorter amount of time than the shelf life of a can of beans. People do things with no plans and no direction for what they want the end to look like. As soon as things get rocky, it’s easier to bail and start fresh even though the reality is the baggage will continue to pile up with every move.
So why do millennials quit everything? A combination of parenting, entitlement, lack of direction, unset goals, and no hard work lead to the types of people who give us a bad name. Next time you see a millennial, even if they are in the mirror, ask them if they have passions, goals, and a plan for their life.
Please feel free to comment. I love talking to people, so your response is welcomed.