“Good listeners have a huge advantage. For one, when they engage in conversation, they make people ‘feel’ heard. They ‘feel’ that someone really understands their wants, needs, and desires. And for good reason; a good listener does care to understand.”
Who is Simon Sinek?
Chances are good that you’ve heard of Simon Sinek. Sinek is an accomplished author, trained ethnographer, sought-after motivational speaker, and visionary thinker. He’s done TED Talks, has an astronomically popular YouTube channel, and has written multiple bestselling books including Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last. Sinek is also one of the accepted leaders on inter-generational relations, especially working with Millennials and young professionals.
In his talk on Millennials in the Workplace, Sinek speaks about the importance of understanding Millennials, why they do what they do, and what they want. In a world where the “Millennial” generation is often spoken of in negative terms, Sinek’s perspective is refreshing. After all, Millennials are the future, whether in business, politics, the arts, or the sciences, and overcoming the breakdown in communication with them is of the utmost importance.
Who are Millennials
There is no one-size-fits all definition for who the ‘Millennial’ generation includes. Some sources say that it’s anyone born after 1980, who came of age in the new millennium. Some put the cut off between 1984 and 2004. Some set the beginning of the Millennial generation firmly at 1981, directly following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. However, those who fall into the Millennial generation are generally accepted to share certain characteristics:
Tech-savvy
Achievement-oriented
Impact/Why-oriented
Family-centric
Team-oriented
Their way of thinking and the social anxiety they face from a lifetime of social media and screens often comes into direct contact with the other generations in the workplace. However, this conflict is not a permanent death sentence for relationship building between Millennials, Baby-Boomers, and other generations. It’s simply a wakeup call that we must change our frame of thinking about the way workplace communication works.
That’s where Future Image Group comes in. Our entire mission is bridging the gap in intergenerational professional relationships and teaching individuals and companies how to develop meaningful, intentional face-to-face relationships with others. Simon Sinek is one of our role models because – like him – we believe that Millennials (Gen Y) are exceptional, talented people who are sometimes misunderstood, and definitely don’t deserve the negative reputation they’ve received.
We’ve developed a curriculum that addresses the issues that arise with communication between multiple age groups with different ideals and that helps individuals face their social anxiety to become more successful relationship builders. Want to learn more about our business communication curriculum? Contact us today!
“Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them. They hire already motivated people and inspire them.”