

    SHARON HADARY: One of the millennials’ biggest challenges is that they are so very different from other groups in the labor force. There are about 76 millennials in the U.S. population today—roughly equal to the number of baby boomers. However, baby boomers still control access to capital and markets—and many of them are not comfortable with the technologically-savvy, self confident, nontraditional young generation represented by the millennials.

    Most often, it is up to the millennial to bridge the gap between the generations and making the older generation comfortable with them. So, they have to explain their business in terms the baby boomers understand without losing the excitement of their vision.

    Sometimes it is the little gestures that make a big difference. Recently, I was in an audience of baby boomers listening to a millennial speaker. He had outstanding credentials. Most importantly, he understood his audience. At the beginning, he explained that as a millennial he did not wear a watch—so when he turned to his iPhone, he was checking the time not his emails. Just this little statement prevented the older audience from feeling he was being disrespectful by checking his email and helped make his presentation successful.


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