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For those of you keeping tabs on this blog, you know that I have learned a lot about the world in the last year. I traveled pretty extensively throughout Asia hitting multiple parts of China, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong – and spent a little time in Europe as well – listening to Millennials discuss their world and trying to figure out what it means for us. Surprisingly, I might have learned just as much about the new world that we all now live in from recent visits with Millennials right here in the USA. As part of our ongoing study of this generation, two colleagues from Harvard’s Institute of Politics and I set out to talk with young people about their views of the world, the economy – and the man that they just elected president, Barack Obama. In all, we conducted four focus groups, held one small town-hall style discussion and met some pretty amazing young people along the way from Cambridge to Columbus to Nashville. Time (and a follow-up survey of 2,400 Millennials due out in May) will tell if I’m right, or wrong, but in the meantime, here are three things I think I know about Millennials:
- Just as the tragic events and aftermath of 9/11 changed the way in which Millennials think about politics (probably forever), the current economic crisis/recession/depression is changing and resetting the fundamental economic values of this generation as well. I am not prepared to say that we are raising millions of Socialists, but what I do believe is that Millennials, especially older ones in their mid-20’s, are in the process of rejecting naked materialism in favor of a return to the responsible, some would say, frugal spending and saving habits of their grandparents’ Greatest Generation. This is potentially a very big deal to anyone who’s selling to or communicating with this generation.
- Millennials today are on a completely different timeline than my generation or almost any other one before them. These young men and women – especially the ones we met at Ohio State and Tennessee State University – are ready to make an impact. They think about getting ROI on their college degrees like Billy Beane and Theo Epstein thinks about OBS and WHIP, bordering on maniacal. They will choose between Job A and Job B based on where they can have the greatest and most immediate impact – sure money matters, but making a difference trumps everything. It doesn’t matter if we were talking to future teachers, preachers, or real estate developers – making a difference today is what Millennials live (and work) for.
- More than half of young Millennials are already volunteering in their communities in some meaningful ways – whether they realize it, or not. You know what? They want to do more still. They tell me time and time again to simply ask them for more. Thankfully, President Obama did just that Tuesday night when he called for passage of the Kennedy-Hatch legislation that will offer tuition breaks to young men and women who volunteer and serve their country for one year after college.
It doesn’t matter if you work in a government office, on Main Street or Wall Street – the Millennials today are a most remarkable generation. They are changing and maturing in front of our eyes. The best and brightest who disproportionally were recruited from college into careers in finance, law or consulting now will be entering as entreprenerurs and public servants. Listen to what they’re telling you – and if you’re smart you will empower them and give them the tools to do something special. I know that is what Barack Obama is doing. And lastly – here is one other thing I now know from my trip to Nashville after having dinner with Bill and Laura at the legendary Prince's Hot Chicken -- a most sage piece of advice passed on from someone who knows ... after eating H-O-T-T-T-T chicken, “Don’t touch nuthin’ before washing your hands.” Amen to that.  
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