Yet Another Book About How "WE" Are

In the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, a new book, The Trophy Kids Grow Up, was covered. The book addresses how the Millennial Generation is interacting in the workplace.

I have not read the book, so I cannot comment on the content in its entirety, but the tips that the Wall Street Journal pulled out for "managing Millennials" were condescending and semi-ridiculous.

Examples:

"Even if a chore seems mundane, explain why it's meaningful and critical to a project."

or

"Managers should be very clear in explaining job responsibilities and how meeting them will pay off."

Just like other generations, most of us understand that a job is a job, and that sometimes we have to do things at work that are not quite so "riveting."

This feeds into a key insight that the media and researchers don't quite understand: you cannot label "Millennials." We are a very diverse generation, and because of the age span of the generation, roughly ages 16 to 30, it is tough to don a label.

I also wonder who is being studied in these multiple studies, since it never seems to be anyone I know.

Hmmm...