I have often asked myself why Millennials generation is so special, or at least why it is perceived by the media to be so. I found many answers by reading, observing, and thinking.. but the one that satisfied my curiosity the most was the following: access to information.

This single advantage millennials had has widened the gap between themselves and the generations before them drastically and in many ways. Parents and their children, teachers and their students, employers and their employees. Here, I write two open letters. One to Employers (millennials and otherwise.) The other to Millennial Employees, and those who come after them. This is an important topic coming from personal experience and observation, and to defy the age-old Arabic saying “He who is a day older is a year wiser” aka “أكبر منك بيوم، أعلم منك بسنة”.

Kids today can grasp in 1 day of YouTube more than what you learned in 1 month of school. We must grasp this fact and accept it. It will help us get over our communication issues, and become more productive as a society.

DISCOVERY:

I know finding out what you want to do is not easy. Believe me, I’ve been through it, and I’m from your generation. You know what worked for me, and still is? Experimenting with different things. Try out different roles and majors, but make sure you give each one enough time, and when you’re doing something, then give it your ultimate best.

DISCIPLINE

Your generation is known for and accused of lack of discipline. It’s nothing surprising, considering you grew up in the age of speed. Lack of discipline is a byproduct of that, and is caused by being used to getting whatever you want instantly, or as psychologists define it; Instant Gratification.

You must prove this wrong, as it’s a horrible trait that will end up causing disappointments, and will hurt your reputation. Reputation matters a lot because it could make you lose the incredibly underrated positive network effect, aka people talking good about you.

You must stick to your responsibilities, even when it feels really tough. The time to stop doing something is when you are certain that you’re not learning anything out of it anymore, or when there’s a better opportunity for you to learn and grow more. In the process though, make sure you still are doing you ultimate best at your job, and help your employer as much as possible finding a replacement not to hinder any operations.

ATTITUDE

Other than that, never assume that you know too much. That attitude will kill you intellectually, among other ways. And in the case of you knowing more than someone on a specific case, never point it out bluntly. That would do more harm than benefit. Instead, be smart and witty about it, and try to illustrate the right approach in an indirect manner, or try out both to be sure which one is right. E.g. employer thinks approach A is better, you think approach B is? Perform an A|B test and prove by numbers why approach B is better. Yes, it’s twice the work, but it will not only prove your hypothesis to be right. And that will help you evaluate it yourself in a scientific approach with numbers, which is tough to argue against and it gently puts down any emotional connection one has with an idea. This will also build on to your credibility, but as you start, you will have to prove yourself.  “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission” could be another approach, but always watch out for the possible outcomes not to be too risky.
All in all, stay away from ego and arrogance. They will indefinitely destroy you. Be confident, but always accept that you may be wrong.

LISTENING

Also, learn to listen. I cannot stress enough on the benefits and power of getting feedback. Whether from a friend, manager, or mentor, feedback is gold. Always work on developing yourself and look for feedback, ask for it. Let the goal be your personal growth and development, not necessarily the actual numerical salary you get at a specific point. Your growth opportunities and self-satisfaction somewhere will be much better than the other. Pick that. The money will follow.