Millennial Strengths

We all have a voice. We all should use our voice.

We all want to connect with each other, and many feel a sense of responsibility with those connections.

What if your voice is amplified because you are a member of a popular professional sports team?

What responsibilities do you have to yourself, to your employer, and to your community when you become famous because of the platform your employer gave you?

Not too long ago, before the rise of digital social media platforms, the opinions of a professional athlete was not a focal point in the perspectives of a society. The perspectives of a professional sports team, for the most part, stayed on sports.

Today, everyone’s platform is elevated. We all have a “channel” via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Now, think of an Millennial athlete just drafted into the NFL, NBA or any high profile professional sport. Those Millennial athletes have the same profiles as most of us do, yet their existing platform has now elevated significantly.

I spoke with Keenan Harrell, Community Relations Coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens, to explore the impact of today’s societal expectations on a pro athlete today, and how an organization manages a multi-generational workforce, particularly one as high-profile as an NFL team.

Let’s explore what we can learn from those perspectives as we develop our own platforms and our own voice, and let’s also explore the talents of Connectedness and Responsibility in our journey to become more effective stewards of our public platforms.

What I have shared with you is the most personal I have ever been on a public facing forum to date.

Simon Sinek (grand critic of the Millennial Generation) told us to "Start with Why".

So here it is. Why Millennial Strengths?

I share with you three personal stories. One about my childhood. One about a moment during my career as a management consultant. And one about my days at business school.

My goal is to illuminate certain parts of my background that will show you why I'm here, and why I'm here now. Why this is what I am doing now. And then how I intend to do it, and what it will do for our society.

This is the most personal I have ever been publicly, and I feel this is an important step in my journey to making the most impact.

I hope you enjoy this show, the last one of "Season 1". If you have any comments or questions, email me at [email protected]. Find me on Twitter and Instagram @bryantstrengths. Or on LinkedIn under my name, Bryant Ramirez.

Thank you.

Dr. Jeremy Rifkin of the Wharton School is one of the foremost experts on industrial revolutions. He coined the term "The Third Industrial Revolution" to define the current era, where the sharing economy, connectivity of the internet, and the growing threat of climate change are impacting how we fundamentally interact with each other. In particular, he describes a fundamental change in three concepts: Freedom, Power and Community. According to Rifkin, today's freedom does not come from autonomy, but instead accessibility to others. Today's power is no longer top-down; it's lateral and networked. And today's community is defined not by borders, but by a common conscience.

These changes the way we define the concepts of Freedom, Power and Community are impacting the workforce, as Millennials continue to make up a growing share of the workforce and become the primary decision makers of our society.

Here's my take on how organizations can best interpret these changes and make the most of the "Millennial Revolution" in the Workplace.

When I met Deepak Chopra this past summer, he reminded me to do something that is greater than myself and to be in the 'Now.'

The 'Now' extends into everything we do, which includes how we approach making an impact on our career.

Let's dig in deeper on how being in the 'Now' gets us to balance priorities, minimize stress, and pursue our passions dispassionately.

And, at work, it starts by 'telling' your boss, "I'm not here forever."

Millennials grew up in a transformative period of history and serve as the bridge between the analog and digital worlds. Their talents manifest in strengths that perhaps are not as well understood by their predecessor generations. Nonetheless, when these strengths are coupled by an intent to design a course to change oneself, they can make a significant social impact in the aggregate, especially as Millennials become the decision makers of our greater society.

We can design the strongest generation ever, and we can do this by learning about how the millennial generation 'ticks', how their talents can manifest into strengths, and how strengths can be used to design the life that we want. Once we do that, we can realize the power of Millennial Strengths and "change the world decisively more than any other generation."