Give Millennials a Chance

Source: CPA Success

The following includes experts, reproduced with permission, from a blog entry by Bill Sheridan.

There's an exception to every rule. In Maryland, there are about 40 of them.

We've heard all the old complaints about millennials: They're entitled, self-centered, blameless, narcissistic, impatient.

Maybe there's some truth in that. I don't know. I'm sure there's a nugget of truth in every over-generalization.

Here's what I do know: The MACPA pulled together about 40 young CPAs for our inaugural Leadership Academy, and they would have solved world hunger if we had given them enough time. (They weren't all millennials – there were some Gen Xers and Boomers in the mix. But most of them were.)

Thankfully, their job wasn't as big as world hunger. They merely had to draft a blueprint for the future of the profession.

Piece o' cake, right? Yet in two-and-a-half free-flowing, facilitated days, they did it.

These young professionals determined that the profession's biggest opportunities are found in six areas:

• Professional unity
• Life balance
• Leadership
• Proactive, goal-focused planning
• Networked collaboration
• Embracing and adopting technology

To me, what they did isn't nearly as important as how they did it – and what they proved in the process.

These folks left their self-interests at the door and worked together as the altruistic, patient, accountable, selfless future leaders they know themselves to be.

Lesson learned: You can't pigeonhole millennials as entitled and self-centered. Some fit the bill ... but many of them don't. Many of them are ready – starving – to lead. All they need is our support.

Let's give it to them. Given the complexity our world is facing, we can use all the leadership we can get.

For the complete blog post, read “Not all millennials are created equal. Here's proof.”

From CPA Success, the blog of the Maryland Association of CPAs, http://www.cpasuccess.com, September 29, 2011.