Whether it is the church, businesses, non-profits,
professional groups, or service organizations, the question is the same: “How do we get more young adults involved?” (The only exception is the AARP!)
When I hear this question, my first response has to do
with motivation: “Why?” Are you just interested in financial support,
the continuation of the organization, or more hands to do the work? If the answer is “Yes” to any of these, then
you are on the wrong track. If you want
to involve young adults in your organization, you must be willing to take some
risks and adopt some new strategies.
In a recent article on marketing to Millennials (or “Generation
Y”, “Net Generation,” or “Echo Boomers”), Gary Vaynerchuk suggests four tips
for connecting with adults in their 20’s.
Here they are with some interpretation from my perspective.
First, listen and don’t talk. Listening precedes dialogue. If you really want to connect with these
folks, you have to come to some understanding of their perspectives and life situations. Only then will there be a real basis for
discussion.
Second, understand that they inherently want to explore
as many things as possible. Vaynerchuk
comments, “Way too many people think that this generation is simple. Their DNA has shown me that they are far more
exploratory than any other generation.”
Perhaps their unsettled nature reflects this desire to investigate all
the alternatives available.
Third, you’ve got to tell your story quickly and that
story has got to be relevant. Your
message needs to be as personal and pertinent as possible. Twenty-somethings do have a short attention
span, but they are also highly relational.
You have to make the connection between your story and their lives
quickly or you will lose them.
Fourth, people want to put the Millennials in a square
hole. In other words, we want them to
conform to our structures rather than being willing to adapt to their approach
to life and service. If we really want
to involve young adults, we have to step over onto their turf. This is scary for those of us who lead
institutions. We are afraid that what we
have built will crumble. Of course, if we don’t breathe new life into the
institution, it will crumble anyway!
To really young adults to make a contribution, we will
have to go more than half-way and be sincere about our willingness to accept
their involvement and support in the way that they can offer it. This means that we must be accepting,
flexible, and resilient. This is not an
easy assignment, and most of us don’t want to expend the time and energy necessary
to do accomplish this task, but it may be difference between stagnation and growth.
(Thanks to Tom Ehrich for forwarding the link to this article.)
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