Mentoring Millennials

Susan DaicoffProfessor of Law

Florida Coastal School of Law

Who are the Millennials?

• Birth Years: mid1970s – early 2000s (e.g. 1982-2001, acc. to H&S)

• Books by Howe & Strauss:• Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to

2069 (1991)• Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (2000) • Book by Junco & Mastrodicasa (2007)• Must Read: Susan K. McClellan, 15 Clinical L. Rev. 255

(2009) & Melissa H. Weresh, 61 S. C. L. Rev. 337 (2009); & Melody Finnemore, 66-Nov. Or. St. B. Bull 9 (2005)

Proposed Generations

• Lost Generation (1883–1900) • Greatest Generation (1901–1924) • Silent Generation (1925–1942) • Baby Boomer (1943–1960) • Generation X (1961–1981) • Millennial Generation/Generation Y/Generation

Next or Net(1982–1998) • Generation Z/New Silent Generation/Homeland

Generation (1999–2019)

The Last Century & 6 Generations• G.I. Generation• Hero (Civic)• 1901–1924• World War I/Prohibition

• Silent Generation• Artist (Adaptive)• 1925–1942• Great Depression/World War II

• Millennial Saeculum• (baby) Boom Generation• Prophet (Idealist)• 1943–1960• Superpower America

• 13th Generation(a.k.a Generation X)1

• Nomad (Reactive)• 1961–1981• Consciousness Revolution

• Millennial Generation2

• Hero (Civic)• 1982–2003?• Culture Wars

• New Silent Generation 3• Artist (Adaptive)• 2004?– present• Millennial Crisis?

Generation Type Birth Years Historical Time Period

Greatest or GI Generation

Hero/Civic 1901-1924 WWI & Prohibition

High but Unraveling

Silent Generation

Artist/Adaptive 1925-1942 Great Depression & WWII

Crisis

Baby Boomers Prophet/Idealist 1943-1960 Superpower America

High (peace & prosperity)

Generation X Nomad/Reactive 1961-1981 Consciousness Revolution

Awakening

Millennials Hero/Civic 1982-2003 Culture Wars High but Unraveling

New Silent Generation

Artist/Adaptive 2001/2004 - present

Economic Crisis, …

Crisis

??? Prophet/Idealist ???? The New World Order?

High (peace & prosperity)

Source: Howe & Strauss (1991)

Media & Technology Use“an increased use and familiarity with communications, media,

and digital technologies”“Next Generation” college students…used technology at higher rates than

people from other generations:• 97% of students owned a computer• 94% owned a cell phone• 92% of those reported multitasking while Iming• 76% of students used instant messaging• 56% owned a MP3 player• 40% of students used television to get most of their news• 34% used the Internet to get their news. • This generation spends at least 3.5 hours a day online.[57]

Source: Junco & Mastrodicasa (2007) (who conducted a research study of 7,705 college students).

• Now add: social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.

What are they doing in class?

• Facebook• Twitter• YouTube• Online Learning Tools• Email

Trophy Kids/Sense of Entitlement• Used to “no one loses” and everyone gets a "Thanks for

Participating" trophy resulting in a sense of entitlement• Have “too great expectations from the workplace and

desire to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt their lives to the workplace”

• “Assertively seek more feedback, responsibility, and involvement in decision making”

• Resulting “generation & understanding gap” between older employees and supervisors in the workplace & younger, Millennial employees

Communication With Parents

• College students were frequently in touch with their parents -- Junco and Mastrodicasa (2007) also found that students spoke with their parents an average of 1.5 times a day about a wide range of topics.

Anecdotal Characteristics• Balance: Demand “balance” -- that work and school fit around

their lives & interests– Not ashamed if unprepared in class

• Multimediative:– Always use multimedia themselves, e.g., Powerpoint, Youtube, video clips,

homemade movies– Multitask constantly unless they are actively participating in an exercise, role play,

or presentation– Have a very short attention span– Pay attention to video clips and sound bites

• Peer-oriented: Prefer to interact in groups rather than 1:1 dating– Really excel in projects requiring public presentations of written or oral material

• Need Direction: Demand more structure and certainty in assignments and schedules

Characteristics• Celebrate & enjoy diversity• Optimistic/realistic• Self-inventive/individualistic• Rewrite the rules• Killer lifestyle (demand work/life

balance)• Irrelevance of institutions• Internet is a given; assume use of

communications, media, & digital technologies; multitask fast

• Nurtured; Sense of Entitlement• Collaborative, teamwork & learning• Friends = family

Gen X v. Gen Y/Millennials

Generation XBorn 1965-197651 million

• Accept diversityPragmatic/practicalSelf-reliant/individualisticReject rulesKiller lifeMistrust institutionsPCUse technologyMultitaskLatch-key kidsFriend-not family

• Mentoring Do’s�· Casual, friendly workenvironment· Involvement· Flexibility and freedom· A place to learn

MillennialsBorn 1977 – 199875 million

• Celebrate diversityOptimistic/realisticSelf-inventive/individualisticRewrite the rulesKiller lifestyleIrrelevance of institutionsInternetAssume technologyMultitask fastNurturedFriends = family

• Mentoring Do’s�· Structured, supportive workenvironment· Personalized work· Interactive relationship· Be prepared for demands, highexpectations

Source: The Learning Café and American Demographics enterprisingmuseum 2003.

Video

Gen WeMillennial Law Prof

Greatest Assets• Work well collaboratively in groups/teams• Peer oriented (e.g., use of social networks)• Excel in public presentations and real-life exercises (e.g.,

PR skills assignments) • Easily use multimedia in public presentations (e.g., SBA

awards presentation, 1L projects)• Innovate - sidestep traditional methods and use

technology (internet) to achieve goals (e.g., Napster)• Demand “balance” of work/life/pleasure• Celebrate cultural diversity• “Hero/Civicmindedness” qualities• The next “Great Generation?”

Mentoring Steps To Take With Millennials• Give directions and structure and certainty for assignments, samples• Explain what to expect, reduce uncertainty and do NOT assign meaningless

tasks, do not assign too much (overwhelming, makes them feel incompetent) or too little (makes them feel like you’re wasting their time, which is tight already)

• Realize they are timepressured, they value work/life balance, they want time for leisure and friends and family, explain when just-in-time learning will work and when it will backfire, so they are prepared

• Give immediate, regular feedback laced with lots of praise (sandwich critiques between praises)

• Encourage collaborative, team projects in groups, particularly in diverse groups • Encourage their input & presentation in group settings – use weekly staffing of

cases• Treat them like peers, don’t insist on respect for authority or tradition, but try

to fit into a “parent” role with them, since they have great, close relationships with parents

• Get ready for them to “ask why,” buck tradition, and propose better ways to do things, give them hands-on civic-minded opportunities & meaningful work

• Be transparent, real, & honest about what’s really going on • Use technology and multimedia and multitasking to accomplish the above goals

Mentoring Do’s�• Structured, supportive

workenvironment

• Interactive relationships

• Immediate, direct feedback

• Be prepared for demands, highexpectations

• Collaborative, team learning

• Personalized work• Validate importance of

satisfaction, fulfillment• Work/life balance• Embrace tech literacy• Avoid lecture;

involve/engage

The State of the Legal Profession During the Millennials’ Lifetimes

Deprofessionalism and incivility

Low public opinion of lawyers and the legal system

Lawyer distress and dissatisfaction

Rising unemployment

Instability in law firms and clients

Changing client demands, changing lawyer roles

2004 book:*

•Legal Profession

•Lawyer Wellbeing

•Lawyer Personality

•Approaches to Practicewww.amazon.com sdaicoff@fcsl.edu

ABA SURVEY - 1993Peter D. Hart Research Associates

19%22%36%

63%

40%

78%

45%

7%16%

0%20%40%60%80%

1993 Peter D. Hart Survey

Caring and Compassionate Honest and EthicalConstructive Part of Community Make Too Much MoneyAre Greedy Charge Excessive FeesLack Necessary Ethics Not Honest or EthicalLiked Own M.D. Liked Own AttorneyDisliked Own M.D. Disliked Own Attny

PUBLIC OPINION POLL - 1991

22%

62%

50%

35%

24%20%

16%12%

6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

High Honesty or Ethical Standards

Lawyers

Pharmacists

Doctors, College Teachers, Clergy,Dentists, Engineers

Funeral Directors, Bankers,Journalists

Newspaper Reporters

Building Contractors

Realtors

Advertisers

Car Salesmen

(c) Susan Daicoff, 2007. Use with permission.

DEPRESSIONAmong Law Students & Lawyers

10%

32%

40%

17.90% 19%

9% 9% 9% 9% 9%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

PreLaw 1st Year 3rd Year 2 YrsPostGrad

0-78 Yrs ofPractice

Lawyers General Population Maximum

ALCOHOLISMPercentage of Alcoholic Drinkers

18%

9%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Lawyers General Population

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESSBeck, 1995-96

18%

30%

21%

7%10%

27%

16%11%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%

Male Lawyers Female Lawyers GeneralPopulation

Global Distress AnxietyDepression Paranoid IdeationInterpersonal Sensitivity Social Isolation & AlienationObsessive-Compulsiveness Hostility

2.27%

CAREER SATISFACTIONSatisfaction With the Practice of Law

21.20%51.20%

20.60%

6.90%

Very Satisfied

Somewhat Satisfied

SomewhatDissatisfiedVery Dissatisfied

GROWING DISSATISFACTION?Summary of ABA/YLD Surveys

3%

12%

5%

14%

7%

17%

0%

10%

20%

30%

1984 1990 1995

SomewhatDissatisfiedVery Dissatisfied

LAWYER DISTRESS: A Constant 20%?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Depression Alcoholism Psych.Distress

Dissatisfaction

All LawyersGeneral Population

THE “LAWYER PERSONALITY”

competitiveness

materialism; value economic bottom-line

need for achievement; ambitious under stress

interpersonal insensitivity

“Thinking” MBTI preference

“rights” orientationdominance

aggressive under stress

DRIVE 2 ACHIEVE

INTERPERSONAL RELATING STYLE

pessimism?

As children Pre-law Law school In practice

Scholastic achievement

Need for achievement

leadership need dominance, leadership, & attention

incr. aggression & ambition under stress

extroversion & sociability

active approach to life

less subordinate and deferent, more authoritarian

prefer competitive peer rel'p.s; don't rely on peers for support

competitive, masculine, argumentative, aggressive, dominant

Low interest in emotions or others' feelings

Low interest in emotions, interpersonal concerns, & others' feelings

Increased "rights" focus (justice, rationality, etc.) vs. "ethic of care"

Low interest in people, emotional concerns, & interpersonal matters; prefer "Thinking" & conventional, rights-based morality

Higher SES, materialism

Decreased interest in public interest work

Focus on economic bottom-line of settlement options

Normal levels of psychological problems

Elevated levels of psychological problems

Elevated levels of psychological problems & substance abuse

HOW LAWYERS DIFFERED...

KRIEGER & SHELDON STUDIES• Intrinsic motivation and community service values decreased in the

first year• Appearance values increased in the first year• Those with the most intrinsic motivations attained the highest grades• But, those with highest grades most often shifted in career

preferences towards "lucrative" and higher-stress law careers, and away from "service"-oriented and potentially more satisfying law careers

During Law School:• Shift from interest in public interest work to private practice• Ethic of care disappears• Subtle fostering of: pessimism, competitive peer relationships,

introversion, and Thinking style of decisionmaking• Values shift from intrinsic to extrinsic rewards• Distress develops (depression, lowered wellbeing)

The “Comprehensive Law” Movement

Therapeutic Jurisprudence

Restorative

Justice

Holistic Justice

Problem Solving Cts (DTCs, DV cts, MH cts, UFCs)

Procedural Justice

Mindfulness & Spiritual Practices

Creative problemsolving

Collaborative Divorce Law

TransformativeMediation

Preventive Law

Mentoring Do’s�• Structured, supportive

workenvironment

• Interactive relationships

• Immediate, direct feedback

• Be prepared for demands, highexpectations

• Collaborative, team learning

• Personalized work• Validate importance of

satisfaction, fulfillment• Work/life balance• Embrace tech literacy• Avoid lecture;

involve/engage