Part of me can’t believe we’re still talking about this topic.
I’m not sure who first coined the word “millennial” or when it started showing up as a reference to the generation, but I know I have been working with this subject for about a decade now.
That makes sense because, while there’s no definitive date when the generation was birthed, the oldest members of it now are in their mid-30s.
Many businesses, though, are still trying to figure out millennials.
Beyond that, they are trying to navigate how to improve the work environment shared by three — and soon four — generations.
This led the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce this week to bring BridgeWorks, a Minneapolis-based team that consults, researches and speaks about generations, to speak at its annual meeting and conduct a follow-up workshop for businesses.
“The idea is that different generations approach things different ways,” Scott Zimmer, one of the presenters, said when I met with him earlier this week.
“Neither approach is right or wrong. It’s just different. Leaders figure out how to balance it.”