Why mentorship is a better tactic than decrying millennial shortcomings

Repeat after me: “Throwing the term ‘millennial’ at someone is only a lame excuse for my lack of commitment to be a better mentor and teacher.”

Generalizing any group of people, especially with broad stroke statements such as, “all women love shopping” or “old people always carry Werther’s in their pockets” (a statement that has proven to be untrue many times, much to my chagrin) is not only lazy, it’s irresponsible.

Sweeping statements allow people to shrug off their lack of understanding or willingness to change—and place the blame entirely on a cliché misconception.

If we want to preserve the integrity and relevance of our industry, we must not generalize those who are going to be representing us in the not-so-distant future. Instead, we need to adapt our behavior and beliefs to help them thrive.

Here are a few things I believe to be (mostly*) true:

1. Millennials want to be part of something important.

Professional millennials are very concerned with how they fit into the bigger picture.

They ask: