What Are Millennial Searchers Looking For?

I read an article over the weekend posted on nytimes.com entitled “Millennial Searchers”. It is a very insightful and well-written post. The post started off by revealing to the readers that when you do a Google search on millennials and type in “are millennials”… the first options that pop up are selfish, lazy and narcissistic.

I actually followed through with this exercise, as I’m sure many of you will do also. I also searched by the phrase “millennials are”. In addition to the above-mentioned options that the author of the post pointed out, I also found “the screwed generation” among my list of options.

I appreciate that the author went on to discuss the fact that, for the most part, millennials are not in fact, lazy, selfish or narcissistic, but that they are seeking lives filled with meaning and purpose with a strong desire to help others and impact change. This is consistent with my findings of 20 years of insights and experience with this generation.

After reading this article, it made me wonder what millennial searchers are actually looking for when they conduct Google searches and other exploratories regarding the millennial generation. Are you looking to validate what you believe to be true? Are you looking to find something positive? Or are you looking to find something negative?

It’s been my experience that people tend to find what they are looking for if they look hard enough. So it is my hope that millennial searchers are looking for the truth about millennials.

If millennial searchers were to stop at the first options that popped up, they would run the risk of being grossly misguided and misinformed.

There are many stereotypes out there about millennials. Millennial searchers should be careful not to fall into the trappings of stereotypes and/or allow your negative perceptions to become self-fulfilled prophecies in your millennial engagements.

If you are a millennial searcher, I encourage you to follow these few simple guidelines…

1. Establish clear information goals – Understand exactly what it is you are searching for and why. Be sure your why is not just for selfish reasons, but that its rooted in a desire to really get to know them to build a mutually beneficial and meaningful relationship.

2. Go to the source – Spend some time talking to and hanging out with actual millennials instead of relying strictly on stats and data. Data alone won’t tell you how millennials really feel about something. Immerse yourself into their social circles, lifestyles and communities in meaningful and relevant ways.

3. Seek the truth – Don’t just base your thoughts and opinions on surface information or seek to validate self-serving stats and data. Deep dive and garner true insights. Genuinely seek to understand the real drivers, attitudes and opinions that define this generation.

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/trends-news/millennial-searchers-looking-0701601?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=millennial-searchers-looking