What Millennials Need - Feedback and Mentoring - The Muse

What Millennials Need - Feedback and Mentoring - The MuseWhat Millennials Need - Feedback and Mentoring These days, you cant make it through a piece of media content on Millennials in the workplace without coming across the same, solemn prognosis Need for constant feedback. Houston, we have a problem here. Its elend the prognosis itself that bothers me as a Millennial (its accurate) so much as the dismissive, condescending, and ultimately misguided belief that it always belies My generations need for constant feedback is ultimately founded in narcissism, self-absorption, or some other greater failing of our overall character.Stop to consider this for a second Maybe workforce-age Millennials havent figured ourselves out yet. And no, Im not talking about existential ideas of What fulfills me? or What is my purpose in life? Im talking about fundamental, concrete questions every professional asks oneself Am I good at what I do? Am I meeting expectations? Where are my professional weaknes ses? Recently, a New York Times feature on Millennials concluded with this wry quip from a group of marketing researchers No one truly understands millennials. Not even millennials.Isnt this indicative of a generation that is not so much narcissistic as we are uncertain? Everyones calling for humility, but what I binnensee is a need for direction. On a professional level, there is compelling evidence that Boomer and Gen-X mentorship is the cure for bridging the generation gap and fixing Millennials, for the betterment of all parties involved.To that effect, here are the three biggest reasons we Millennials need elder generations to adopt and mentor us in the workplace. 1. Weve Come of Age During a Time of Massive Uncertainty9/11. A Great Recession. A taxpayer-funded bailout. Two lingering wars (never mind the War on Terror). Record-low approval ratings for Congress. I could go on, but the point here is that my generation has been uniquely, dramatically shaped by the major events (mo stly lowlights) of the new Millennium. Moreover, we are entering an increasingly globalized world where everything is constantly changing and the idea of a heroic public figure seems as antiquated as a $20 CD.The result We have no reason to trust institutions, and that goes for employers as well. The proof here is in the pudding. At 28, I can count on one hand the number of peers I know still working for the same employer they joined upon graduating college. Contrast that with my Greatest Generation grandfather, who spent his entire career working for Heinz. Small wonder that Gen-X journalist Rick Newman recently presented one of the fairest appraisals of my generation Ive yet heard Cynical, untrusting and mercenary, that is, the traits we consider necessary to survive.Look We watched the CEO of the worlds sixth-large energy company refuse to accept blame for a devastating oil spill. From his yacht. Yes, we badly need respectable professional mentors.2. We Are Conditioned to Expect a Constant Feedback LoopIts no secret that Millennials are the most educated and tech-savvy generation in history. Our generation (myself included) entered law school in record numbers, completed unprecedented Ivy League applications, and now shoulder monumental levels of student debt. Why? Our parents drilled into us a desire to succeed, to platzset ourselves apart, to become the unique, special snowflakes were rapidly learning to be as real as Tyler Durden in Fight Club.The need for constant feedback, on a subconscious level, goes back to these origins. Studies have identified that Millennials were raised with a heavy emphasis on structure and measuring systems, constant coaching, and feedback. And now, we expect it to continue in the workplace.Bottom line Our desire for parent-like oversight, nurturing, and feedback in the workplace at times borders on unreasonable. That being said, the indicators, here and elsewhere, point to mere occasional doses of coaching as an effective sol ution for addressing Millennial need for feedback. Experts have denoted that encouragement doesnt always need to be a substantial time investment and that even a few minutes can help make employees feel valued and strengthen company ties. 3. We Sense Your Antipathy and Measure Ourselves Against Peer SuccessTicking off some of the most recent, unflattering characterizations of Millennials- narcissistic, godless, precious, lazy and probably much worse, Newman drives home an important point about workforce-age Millennials We hear all the disrespect, disdain, and downright antipathy being heaped upon us by our elders. When major news articles are declaring you likely the most maligned generation in American history, you know where you stand. If we seem obsessed with how we are performing, its because we Millennials have spent years being bombarded with not just a constant stream of negative mainstream media coverage, but daily, self-promotional social media updates from friends and acqu aintances celebrating promotions, graduations, and career milestones, ad infinitum. Case in point I failed the bar exam, twice. Both times, I watched my successful colleagues unleash a non-stop wave of jubilant posts all over facebook inc and social media. All this goes back to the fact that Millennials, subconsciously, measure ourselves against our parents generation, and against one another. We think about the six-figure student loan debt on our back. Most critically, we recognize the fortune and opportunity that comes with our youth We still have time to reach our maximum potential. Here, ultimately, is where the pleas for coaching and constant feedback originate.Baby Boomers and Gen-X workforce members Expect a return on your investment if you adopt a Millennial in your workplace.Why take my word for it? Six months ago, I entered Lamp Post Group, a startup incubator in Chattanooga, populated by Millennials and run by Gen-X entrepreneurs-turned-venture capitalists, who started me ntoring me the second I arrived. They have enabled me to unlock untapped potential, set new professional goals, and provide a vital role to my company, Ambition. Thats the power of mentorship.So I beseech my prospective Boomer and Gen-X mentors out there Mentor a Millennial. A lot of my colleagues are where I was six short months ago- they could use your help, too. Photo of man on bench courtesy of Shutterstock.