So, I’ve spent some time today doing research.  Its research that I need to do, but always have an activity or something that keeps me from buckling down and just being nerdy.

As I’ve begun serving here at Fellowship, I’ve come across some of the amazing leaders and strategists we not only have in NWA, but here in our church.

One such guy is Steve Graves (@stephenrgraves).  This article was in my bin of “things to read” (yes, that’s how I keep the good stuff but get it out of my current inbox!). I had read it once but came back to it, so the words could marinate a little more. 

How Big Companies are Missing it with Millennials – hits at the core of the American business structure.  It brings about some very true points.  It puts perspective on behavior and mindset.  It doesn’t make excuses, but explains the behavior of a generation that could help us and take us to the next level or who we could hinder to frustration and burnout.

But what it doesn’t say is “quit being fearful”.  These are my words!  Think about it, especially if you’ve ever manages a group of people.  Are you scared that you will hire an awesome rockstar and they will be better than you? (isn’t that the point?)  Are you scared you will hire someone who will offer a suggestion in a meeting with your boss that is a fantastic idea?  Are you scared that the young gun, flat belly might come up with an idea to improve a process you’ve had in place for 20 years?  Are you scared that you’ve always done business a certain way when you could make one small adjustment and increase dividends and still have freedom on Friday
afternoon.

I’m just saying.  We give these Millenial types a lot of crap. We read books and “try to understand” them as if they are a new species of a wild, exotic jungle animal that has protruded from the far reaches of the Amazon. We’ve been knowing these kids for 20+ years. We catered our
commercials to their wants and needs. We fell victim to their cravings for new, different, quicker and more effective technology. We changed our jingles to catch their attention just enough to annoy their parents.  We changed the way we interacted with them in the elementary and college classroom.  We handed them all a blue ribbon and taught them to dream beyond their backyard. We equipped them to be grown-ups and believe in themselves triple-fold to the generation before them.

So, why are we surprised that they are little creative geniuses who think they have the power to improve our world? Because they can!

Our job (or the job of those who came before them) is to embrace their strengths, harness their downfalls and equip them to run the world in greater and better ways than it has to date.  

I think times they are a changing and I think it can be a good thing if we will stop complaining and start embracing.  Stop degrading and start encouraging.  Stop withholding and start investing.

I mean when you can buy a cup of coffee, a purse, a pitza and change someone’s life toward curing a world epidemic…it’s time to start paying attention!

Thanks, Steve  for getting me all fired up!