How Millennials Can Earn Their Seat At The Table

By Erica Dhawan via Forbes Woman
Jan 20, 2013

I’m a Millennial. Like many of my peers, I want more responsibility and visibility in my job, and I want to move faster in my career.  This desire is not about wanting more money or feeling entitled. It’s about wanting to have an impact on a world that is politically charged, economically volatile and culturally divided.

At work, however, Millennials are still being shut out of the corporate conversation — we’re told sit down, be quiet and do as we’re told. But this is a mistake: In today’s hyper-connected world, Millennials are in the perfect position to create new possibilities for global and local impact that nobody could have imagined 10 years ago.

Every day, Millennials are reaching exponential levels of connectedness. My fellow Millennials curate TEDx events via webcasts that reach millions, or start social businesses blending profit and purpose, like Tom’s Shoes and Warby Parker. They use social sharing tools to reach new audiences. They crowdfund innovative projects in the developing world with KickStarter and other platforms.

And they participate in user-driven development for products at forward-thinking companies like Nike Design and Lego Factory.

But not every company sees the value in this – yet.

Leadership expert and Forbes columnist Saj-nicole Joni wrote recently that Millennials want to unleash what she and I are calling “connectional intelligence” already evident in these and a thousand other ways. Connectional intelligence (CxQ) is the ability to make sense and enable breakthroughs by connecting ideas, people, information, and resources, and to sift through various sources of information and put pieces of a puzzling problem together in new ways. It’s not limited by time, place or space.

Connectional intelligence is a terrible thing to waste. If Millennials really want to leverage it in our careers, however, we need to reach across generations in a radically different way. The onus is on us to demonstrate how our skills in making connections, creating content and collaborating can make our companies — and the world — a better place.

To do so, instead of demanding work-life balance, free food and gym programs, we need to demand a seat at the table so that our connectional intelligence doesn’t get left at the door. In the second decade of the 21st century, companies can no longer afford to dismiss innovative ideas from anyone, least of all their most connected employees and leaders.

So how do you, as a Millennial, get your CEO to pay attention? Read full article>>