In nature everything circulates. In fact, it’s said that for every glass of water you drink at least one molecule has passed through the bladder of Oliver Cromwell. And history repeats itself, they say. The same applies to fashions, fads and crazes.

One thing that keeps changing is the general sentiment of a generation. Baby boomers are different from Generation X and the latter are unlike Generation Y a.k.a. Millennials. And it’s Millenials who are currently beginning to dominate the workforce. But how do they think? What are their values?

Check out: How Millennials Think, and What To Do About It

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Glossary

• chasm – a profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings, etc.
• sibling – each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister
• slacker – a person who avoids work or effort
• savant – a person who is considered to be mentally handicapped but displays brilliance in a specific area
• gouge – overcharge; swindle
• diligent – having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties
• start from scratch – start anew

Think about it

Answer the questions below.

• What does the writer mean by saying “the chasm between college and the working world?”
• In what way does the author’s attitude differentiate him from the rest of advice givers?
• What work-related tasks can you think of that Millenials would be best at doing?
• What can a company do to retain a Millenial for a longer time?
• How has the idea of holidays changed in the mind of Millenials? What holiday policy seems to be the best?

Practice makes perfect

 Fill in the blank spaces with the words in bold.

way   –   forever   –   less   –   attract   –   for   –   dust   –   either   –   on (x2)  –   last   –   spend   –   have

During the ___ month, hundreds of thousands of our nation’s college graduates ___ proudly crossed the chasm between college and the working world. With 21.9 million Americans ____ unemployed or underemployed and plenty of doting parents, mentors, and siblings dispensing advice ___ what they should and shouldn’t do, I thought I’d take the road ___ traveled. I propose we ___ less time debating whether Millennials are slackers or savants and focus instead ___ how we as entrepreneurs and business leaders can adapt our companies to ___ millennials. The ___ in which people work has changed ___, and those of us who don’t adapt will be left in the ___ when competing ___ top talent.

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