People Development 2017: Part 2—Curing ear blindness

Blog Post

In Part 1, we discussed ways to identify when your people’s vitality is low and how it ties into motivation, goals, and much more.

Millennials, in general, find many company cultures and environments either not self-fulfilling or lacking purpose, a feeling that even extends to companies with slides and ping pong tables in the lobby.

As with all generational shifts, Millennials do not think like previous generations, so it's important to know (and cater to) what they value: 

For most businesses, that is a monumental challenge. Changing the way they do business, in some cases is impossible. So what can they do? One key aspect is to focus on what they can control, like adding vitality.

Part of the problem is that many employees have become “ear blind” to those already in the company. In simple terms, ear blindness meaning that they no longer listen or believe what they are told by the current executives or staff.

I asked our expert People Coach, Amanda Thompson, who has been addressing these types of issues for clients for over a decade: Why is Vitality important and what can folks do?

The most important trait that company’s can leverage with Millennials is their desire to be a part of a cause, or in other words, something bigger than themselves—a purpose! 

While they tend to place less value on money and more value on happiness and work-life balance, the most efficient and effective way to create vitality among the Millennial workforce is to, first, discover specifically what their highest values are and then help them see how their role serves those values; how their work has a direct influence on the overall success of the mission and impact the company is making on the world, especially in their own community. 

While this generation has been deemed the most difficult generation to hit the workforce to date, I predict that using the methodology suggested in this article will spark a side to these harbingers of the up-and-coming business culture that will pleasantly surprise.

Want to learn more how you can add vitality personally, or for your employees, just ask us! Good luck, and we hope tomorrow brings a better day.