Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
Some thoughts and findings about Millennials + Gen Z…
We are living in a time and place where it seems as if reaching the next generation is impossible, and if not impossible, at the very minimum: elusive. Young adults in our world today are the most researched generation and yet the least reached generation of all time. There is an overwhelming amount of data, and an underwhelming amount of relationships. That dynamic can leave a lot of leaders with a multitude of questions and few or no answers.
So if you’re a CEO, pastor, or leader of an organization, non-profit, church, or company attempting to better understand today’s generation I want to share some principles that can help you immediately! Here’s four of my favorite statements lately about the next generation that can inform our thinking and our approach in relationships:
I love that Carey Nieuwhof tweeted this thought: “When we’re strategizing on how to reach the next generation, let’s actually include the next generation in that conversation.” The main reason I believe this to be absolutely vital in our organizations, companies, churches, and ministries is this gives voice to and demonstrates value to the next generation.
When people are given voice, they feel listened to. When you stop and think about your own experiences in your life - so many conversations were had about you and maybe even your future without you even being present in the room. Not every idea may be implemented - that’s impossible. Every person can be listened to, though - that’s called consideration!
An example of a company that has done this well is Pixar! In his book Creativity Inc. Ed Catmull describes the leadership culture at Pixar and how even the newest and youngest interns are given a seat at the table and also given a voice in the decision making process. In fact, he gives some examples about some of their very best and most profitable ideas came from some of the youngest people who had the least experience and very easily could have been overlooked in the process.
When people are valued, they feel included. It’s been often said in leadership, and we all know this, that while people may forget what you say - they will not forget how you make them feel. Isn’t the goal to include and value a generation? Then, stop and think about this for a second: who knows the next generation better than the next generation themselves? Let’s include the next generation, now! Let’s value the next generation every opportunity we get!
In their book “Growing Young”, Dr. Kara Powell and The Fuller Youth Institute share about a study they did of churches who were effectively reaching and ministering to the age demographic of 18-30 year olds. One of the common threads in each church in their study was they gave young adults a voice in leadership. This included staff decisions, volunteer and serving opportunities, elder board and deacon level decisions.
So, how can you begin to include the next generation in leadership and decision making conversations starting today?
Earlier this year, Q Ideas hosted a Generation Z panel. And, believe it or not, they put that last principal into practice by including some of the most influential leaders FROM generation z on their panel! One of those people was Sadie Robertson Huff (author, podcaster and speaker). Sadie said this of her own generation: “Generation Z is craving absolute truth and community in dealing with the world around them.”
Why is this important? This statement is important for two reasons:
Absolute truth. In a world where subjective is normal, young people are asking hard questions and longing for substance. We see this where the priority is making an impact even over making an income. Social scientists define Generation Z by the way to be comprised by those who were born in the years (1997 - 2010) and are entering the work force as ages 12-25. We don’t need to have all the answers, but asking questions can guide us as leaders and those we lead:
Compromises are common. What do we actually know to be true?
Morality and ethics are openly debated. How can we help young adults discover their values and beliefs?
Authority. How do we lead effectively? How do we ourselves respond to authority? Can we lead when we are not in charge?
Community. Is there contagious community? Relationships that can last a lifetime? Young adults are more connected globally and digitally through social media than ever before in world history - and yet they are the loneliest and most anxiety stricken generation of all time. This is a massive opportunity for leaders to lean into and take advantage of:
Is there networking opportunities in your organization with people both inside and outside your group?
Is there inter-generational relationship opportunities in your church, community where discipleship, mentoring, and leadership can become the new norm?
I hear a lot of people say that teenagers and college students are millennials, and actually they are now Gen Z! It’s crazy how fast time goes. Millennials are those born 1981-1996 and are currently ages 26-40. This is a huge segment of the population that is now in the workforce.
As leaders, there is sometimes a pressure we place upon ourselves to be trendy, relevant, or cool. Shane Pruitt tweeted this: “Gen Z aren’t looking for “cool leaders” to follow, they’re looking for authentic ones.” It would appear that authentic > cool. I really believe there is a pre-requisite for us before we can be authentic though, and that is to be self-aware. Who are we, really? This is why personality tests can be so insightful! We begin to learn who we are? When we are self-aware, we also are more specially aware and situationally aware. Who are we leading?
Craig Groeschel, the pastor of Life Church often says that people would rather follow a leader who is always real than a leader who is always right. This should provide a tremendous amount of freedom! Take off the pressure to perform, to be cool, to be perfect, or to be relevant. The truth is that we are not perfect and those who surround us see it! Find ways to be transparent. When we are honest about our short-comings, flaws, and scars as leaders - those we lead will be empowered to do the same.
I was recently listening to the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast on one of the more recent episodes, Andy has a conversation about start-up culture with Entrepreneur and Podcaster Sangram Varje. Sangram shared one concept that stopped me in my tracks and caused my head to spin. He said “Retention is the new acquisition.”
It dawned on me then that so much effort is expended through time, research + development, and energy for churches, companies, non-profits, and organizations to acquire new customers, new clients, new leads, and first-time visitors. Rightfully so. This is not a bad thing. In fact, on season 12 of Shark Tank, one of the first questions the sharks seem to ask candidates about their business is “What is your cost of customer acquisition?” Sangram’s statement provides the wisdom to think beyond acquisition. By the way, I’m not suggesting that we lower our value of acquisition - rather that we raise our value of retention!
Retention is incredibly important. Why? What happens after you land that dream account? Then what? What about after you find that new client? Then what? When first time visitors walk through your doors? Is the door going to be an ever-revolving door?
For the church: especially for a generation that is known from exiting the church, Christianity, and their faith involvement. Here are a couple of questions to ponder:
Are we answering questions people are asking?
Why are people leaving? Why would they stay?
How can we help those who’ve followed Christ for a long time to stay engaged as well as being mindful of the new visitor who’s seeking?
For the company: the next generation is known in the business sector for spending no longer than three years on average at each job. Perhaps your organization or team is trying to retain talent longer. Here are a few things to think about:
Are we offering compensation that resonates with impact > income?
How can we invest in the futures of young leaders?
Are we casting a vision big enough for the high capacity individual to want to stay rather than start over somewhere else?
If you want to retain life long learners and leaders, what type of growth opportunities are you offering?
For those of you who are looking for ways to reach the next generation, we have developed a youngadultstoday resource for FREE to help you do just that!