The Millennial Dialogue: Stevie Wild
March 19, 2018
Do you describe yourself as a millennial? What does millennial mean to you?
I don't describe myself as a millennial, but I understand the year I was born (1985) is technically inclusive of this description.
The reason I struggle with this classification is that I remember what it was like growing up without the internet as a child. I didn't have a smart phone until well into my 20's. I developed film, I watched the ads because there was no PVR, I passed elaborate and well thought out hand written notes because we didn't have iPhones to send text messages, I called my crush's house and his Mom would answer the phone...
To me a millennial didn't have these experiences, or at least a younger millennial didn't so how can we belong to the same generational category? The stereotype is that in their careers they're impatient and entitled. I always knew I needed to work hard and prove myself in order to build up my career. I am proud of my journey and am eager to continue to grow in my role as an Executive Producer, managing amazing projects I feel very passionate about.
As this young group starts to enter the work force I am now in a position to hire and mentor them. I can see that these stereotypes are unfair and that it will be important for someone like me to bridge the gap between the generations and be an advocate for this young group to start up their careers and work their way up the corporate ladder.
What are the challenges to good communication between generations?
A big challenge is managing stereotypes. Assuming young people have no relevant experience, or that older people are out of touch and can't be trained to learn something new holds us back from being inclusive and diverse in both the corporate world and in our friendships in general.
What do you think older generations today don't understand about younger generations? What stereotypes do you not like and why?
Why are young people so bad with money?
Are they? Or is it something else going on? For example, education is way more expensive now. Goods and services cost more now in comparison to what our parents and grandparents paid. Real Estate is outrageously expensive, especially in the Vancouver market. Many of our parents got into the real estate market before it became insane and some are sitting on homes worth over a million dollars now. For most that wasn't a strategic or "smart" decision, it was fortunate timing! The job market is difficult to break through today, as many postings ask for a minimum amount of experience that a young person might not have. Last, internships are a foot in the door, but are often unpaid or for minimum wage. The economic circumstances that young people are faced with is certainly impacting the amount of money in their bank accounts. But also, many young people spend big cash on travel and technology - - but I would say this is more of a reflection of priorities vs being "bad" with money and is a matter of perspective.
Why are young people so disloyal - they don't stay at one job for very long!
It is true that many young people won't stay at the same company for the next 30+ years of their life. They leave for many reasons including looking for the right culture fit, for work-life balance, for better pay and career growth opportunities. I think any of these are good reasons for leaving a company and I feel you spend too much time at work to be unhappy. Furthermore, young people are more willing to move to another town or province for the right opportunity. This is easier now since many have delayed getting married or having a family to focus on their career instead (or they might not get married or have children at all and - - to me - - that's OK!)
Where do you get your news?
- Facebook and Twitter news feeds
- YouTube, especially Philip DeFranco
- CBC app on my Apple TV
What communication tools / environments do you find most effective at work and at home?
- At home: face to face, phone calls, text message, email, WhatsApp, FaceTime
- At work: face to face meetings, email, gchat, conference calls, Skype
What communications advice has helped you?
- Be your authentic self
- Commit to lifelong learning and development
- Call out good ideas, not just your own but also your coworkers
- Seek out people you wouldn't normally talk to
What book have you read recently? What is a favourite TV / Netflix show?
- CBC: Workin Moms
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One of my favourite aspects of this blog series is finding out what people watch for news. Stevie's YouTube fave Philip DeFranco is one to check out. Seeing how he deals with a mistake is a lesson for anyone in business - my link is to his show last Friday. Having spent a good chunk of my career doing crisis communication, I found his approach particularly refreshing. Philip is also a 32 year old millennial with some 6 million subscribers of his network of shows with some 2 billion views as of this month. Definitely not a slouch!
Stevie's point about the wide range of ages described as millennial comes up quite often in this blog. Another good reason to not generalize about generations. I also loved her comments about money. How you choose to spend is often more about priorities rather than lack of interest or skill. And, sometimes amassing wealth is just dumb luck and timing.
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