by Grant Yee, chief financial officer, Ontario, California

Don't be scared! They come in peace. Millennials are here to serve and will save us all. We need to welcome them into the workplace and allow them to use their special powers of living first and working second to raise ourselves higher. Higher not only by making a difference in the workplace but higher in the even nobler purpose of making a difference in this world by curing people’s cancer of work. 

Every day, thousands of talented millennials are entering the global workforce.  By the year 2020, it is projected that millennials will be the single largest generation group in the workplace, comprising approximately 50% of the workforce. As a result, there is no doubt that millennials are beginning to have a significant and positive influence on the workplace.

As a 54-year-old baby boomer, I recognized a few years ago that my fixed mindset and traditional management methods of the past were no longer effective in leading this new breed of employees. By keeping an open mind, I’ve learned that millennials are extremely talented and gifted. They possess government personal values such as living life to the fullest, genuinely caring for people and desiring to make a difference in society — all wonderful qualities that I admire and strive for in my life.

Inspired to live these values at work, I happily changed my leadership style and workplace culture to a people-centric model rather than a work-centric focus.  Surprisingly, this has resulted in a more exciting, healthier, and more productive work environment.  After several years of completing this cultural transformation, I found that my colleagues (millennials and non-millennials) are happier and more fulfilled not only as government employees but as people. The millennials at the City of Ontario have helped me in my journey of self-discovery, making me not just a better leader of people at work, but a better and happier person in life.

3 Ways Millennials Will Save The Workplace And Our Lives

1.         Live Life! -   The millennial mindset of “Live First, Work Second” sounds counter productive, but it isn’t! When people are happier, healthier, and fulfilled in life, they perform better at work. Organizations that celebrate people’s lives and create meaningful employee experiences will engage people’s hearts and imaginations.  This, in turn, results in innovation and greater success both on an organizational and individual level.

2.         Care For People - Great leaders genuinely care for people.  This is why millennials make great leaders in the workplace.  Their authentic leadership style of caring for people will significantly improve today’s work environment and will result in higher employee engagement and happiness.

3.         Make A Difference In Society -  Millennials place a great importance on social causes and their organizations’ higher purpose in society.  This makes them ideal for careers in local government. Their desire for an altruistic purpose at work will influence greater social responsibility efforts and a higher noble vision.

Organizations that recognize and move forward to meet the new standards of a modern workplace will attract and retain a talented workforce. There are some people in local government that are concerned about the “silver tsunami” of retirees creating a significant “brain drain” in our industry. I am, however, more concerned that without the right organizational values, leadership model, and workplace culture to recruit Millennials, local governments will miss out on an amazing opportunity for a massive “brain gain”. 

It’s time to change our mindset and cultivate the generation that will completely reshape the workplace culture. Millennials can help save the American workplace and ultimately change the world by curing people’s cancer of work. 

To learn more about workplace culture from a Millennial's point of view, please visit:

https://icma.org/articles/once-you-get-mad-your-life-will-never-be-same