"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We also must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." ~Lyndon B. Johnson
What timeless messages are you sowing into the world's next generation leaders? The key word here is…timeless. Timeless principles transcend the nuances of generations. They are not bound by time and have the power to raise up an army of heroes.
I got the idea for this post while reading a book called The Resolution For Men (also available For Women). It's a book based on the Christian movie Courageous (worth a viewing!). The context of this particular inspiring chapter was about the passing on of timeless values that must remain unchanged. While I agree with the book, my mind drifted towards the idea of what messages are communicated to the next generation workforce. Are the messages truly timeless or just trivial?
I hear stories of too many senior leaders who want to "change" the Millennials way of doing things. Instead, I'd recommend leaders begin to reinforce (or remind) the timeless principles of human behavior that drive technology and innovation. The same goes for your company/team mission. If it appeals to a timeless, human element you can't go wrong. The timeless one's will resonate with any soul (no matter the age).
Non-Timeless messages communicated:
Hit your numbers.
Have company loyalty.
Limit the technology.
Work long hours to move up.
Find work-life balance.
Meet face-to-face with people.
Play by the rules.
Timeless messages that should be communicated:
Serve people.
Be true to yourself.
Be adaptive to change.
Add value to move up.
Find work-life flexibility.
Connect sincerely with people.
Innovate.
If you condemn the next generation's use of technology or compare "back in my day" techniques to the digital era...you'll quickly distance yourself from them.
No matter the technology that integrates into our lives, there are human undercurrents that will never change. Appeal to the human element when passing along "advice" to the next generation or setting your teams' mission.
Question: What messages are you communicating that do not transcend generations?
