Last night found me attending a truly fascinating discussion on the Millenial Generation. Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of the newly released The M-factor: How the Millennial Generation is Rocking the Workplace were in Minneapolis speaking to a group of corporate managers and, um, me (don't even ask) about their research and findings.

The Millenial Generation. We've heard absolutely legendary stories about them. "The mother who called HR to complain when her daughter got a mediocre performance review." "The new hire who dialed the CEO directly to tell him what the company could be doing better." The sense of entitlement. The cordless umbilical cord to their parents. Etc. Etc. But are we getting lost in the headlines and not making it to the meat of the Millenials? Could the very traits that drive us crazy about this group, if repackaged or repositioned, be the freshness and reinvention stodgy corporate giants might really need right about now? How can we bridge the generational gap between this group and we Boomers and Gen X-ers (no, I'm not going to say into which bucket I fall) and harness for our brands the Millenials' desire to contribute, to add meaning, to move at lightening speed? I swear, with a little finessing and thoughtful management, we have here the makings of a spark that could get us to true innovation, reinvention, evangelism, brand meaning.

(And yes, Good People Branding does tap into a network of Millenials on a project basis for ideation, inspiration and refreshing perspectives. We are never disappointed and often blown away.)
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