MANILA – Millennials are an ever expanding demographic in Philippine society today. As the number of Filipinos born from the early 80s to the early 2000s continues to grow, we have seen a growth of clashing opinions about the attitude and values of young Pinoys.
In one camp, there’s a prevailing opinion that millennials are too headstrong, too addicted to instant gratification, and have an inflated sense of self-worth. On the other, a school of thought says that the youth are a transformative force in various sectors of society from business, politics, culture, and education, millennials are changing the way we approach things by harnessing technology.
There is a certain truth to these clashing beliefs, but for Bea Lim, managing director of integrated marketing communications agency TeamAsia, the ideas of the two camps can be reconciled to properly portray Filipino millennials.
“Millennials are a complex group of individuals, but what’s clear is that they want to make their mark in the world,” Lim said. “Some people have portrayed the youth negatively, but if you look at it, our generation is intent on pushing the envelope and going beyond the box. At the end of the day, it is about perception. If you seek to see the youth in a positive spectrum, you’ll see the best, if you choose to focus on the negative, all you’ll see is the bad.”
Lim is unashamed to be called a millennial. At 28, she leads a dynamic team of young professionals who believe in the transformative power of communication. “My generation has some of the most passionate and idealistic people around. But at the same time they are grounded in reality brought by unprecedented access to information,” Lim says. “We need to harness this passion and idealism to recognize what we can do to improve the world we live in. We need to invent new ways to approach our problems to make sure that when we leave this world, we leave it better.”
Lim recently joined a roster of accomplished young professionals at the Asia Young Leaders Summit to discuss the youth of today and how they impact their workplaces. In her talk entitled “I’m a millennial too”, Lim shared her story as a young corporate leader and also an individual with various pursuits. She also dispelled common myths about the youth and also painted a picture of millennials as people of varied interest that they are unafraid to pursue.
She also has a tip for managers who want to maximize millennials in the workplace. Lim said that young professionals do not want handholding, what they need is mentorship. With proper guidance and empowerment, the youth can truly make a difference not only in their respective professions but also in their other pursuits as well. She says that instead of telling millennials to “go forth and make a difference” why not challenge them to make ‘differences’ and transform everything they touch?
Lim adds that the millennial spirit of curiosity, innovation, and creativity might be their greatest contribution to the future. Utilizing technology that is available to the youth today, Lim believes that millennials can shape how we shape a better world through their vision and determination to defy the status quo.
“All I can really tell millennials is just be yourself, and be yourself well. What you need to take care of is the inside – yourself. The rest of the world will follow.
