Critique: Winning with Millennials

Griffin is a mechanical engineer who leads a firm in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. His book does a wonderful job of defining the characteristics of millennials and how to attract them and keep them in your firm.

Millennials—a demographical grouping for those generally born between 1980 and 2000—are the largest generation since the baby boomers and the first generation to grow up immersed in technology. They share many of the traits of their boomer parents—the desire to give back, peer orientation, optimism, and confidence. The biggest difference, however, is impatience and the need for instant gratification.

According to Griffin, to keep millennials in your firm, give them assignments with real responsibility. They are, perhaps, too confident for such a young age, but don’t let this keep you from giving them the chance.

He says that if you want “to build a legacy, you have to win with people.” Bring these young leaders along with you and “take advantage of a tremendous generation coming out of today’s colleges and universities.”

The book is published by Design Leadership Press.

Reviewed by John Paul DeFrank, AIA, a managing principal with The Beck Group.