Nigel Dessau's Advice to Millenials in the Workforce

Milliennials are the biggest generations ever after the baby boomers.  We are the last generation that had the privilege to experience the influences of the pre and post  .com era. We got the best of worlds. With our new found access to limitless information we are more socially and globally aware than those before us.  The way we connect, our goals, the way we view the world is drastically different than our parents’. With these changes , it naturally leads to change in the corporate world and the way things are handled. We talked with nationally award winning marketing professional and author Nigel Dessau.

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  Nigel has over 25 years of experience in corporate marketing and communication for multiple multi-million and billion dollar companies including business like IBM. Dessau puts a significant emphasis on millenials, because we are the future.

“By 2020 half of the workplace will be millenials. When I joined IBM they spent the first 18 monthes training me. That type of training doesn’t exist anymore. They’re not getting the type of training that I got. If they are going to be successful..” they’re going to need the advice from someone with the experience. “It’s my pleasure to pay it forward.”

Dessau suggest that there are ten things that millenials need  to succeed at being a leader in the 21st century. Here are a few:

Be knowledgeable
Being knowledgeable about whatever your expertise may be makes you valuable to the company. “Knowing something gets you invited.’

Get a mentor
Many people don’t get mentors anymore. It is very important to have someone there for you who has been there and done that. You will be able to receive feedback from someone who has been in your shoes and who can build you and make you better.

Connect with people
Networking is so essential in any field. As great as it is to have influential friends, you have to meet people you don’t  know to get your name out there. 

Be effective in presenting yourself to others
 people develop their judgement  upon you within seconds. It is substantial to genuinely represent yourself to potential suitors, and have a positive lasting impact on them.

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When asked what today’s managers can do to prepare to manage the next generation  Nigel says, “By talking to them. While that sounds terribly simplistic… “ . The goal is to figure out “what they do and how they do it.”. Looking at what drives millennials will help employers establish an effective way to motivate their employees.

“The challenges and benefits are in the same. They (millenials) are very connective and they know how to exploit technology. You want them because they bring those technical skills. It’s challenging because older people don’t understand . You want them not to use technology.” Talking about most employer’s dislike when young people check social media at work. “Millennials want some me time at work. Older managers struggle with that.

We asked Mr. Dessau what advice would he had given himself when he first entered the business field.  He explained, “You have to decide what you want to do in your life without changing your mind. You have to be more mindful in your plan. To plan a bit more and execute content, skills and network. Don’t cut the end of your career, because you wasted your time. Don’t work so hard that you haven’t created  a life for yourself. On your gray stone it’s not going to say  I shouldn’t have worked harder."

Mr. Nigel Dessau’s book Become a 21st Century Executive: Breaking Away from the Pack is available on amazon now.