5 toxic thoughts and behaviors, I am letting go as a millennial manager

“I am a millennial manager, of course you don’t have to tell me why you’re taking time off.”

I am sure you have watched the incessant TikTok videos that celebrate millennial managers who value work life balance and flexibility. These videos have brought a breath of fresh air into the American economy, and a change to antiquated workplaces cultures that see employees as mere machines who should be exploited for their labor. The impact that millennials have in changing how we conceptualize the relationship between employees and work is undeniable. Millennials now represent over 60% of all managers, which means we play a significant role in shaping company culture.

Consequently, we also are a generation that has been plagued with significant life altering societal events — from the expansion of social media, and the rise of the internet, 9/11, the Great Recession, the invasion of Iraq, and the COVID-19, global health pandemic. Even through world chaos, we have managed to still be supportive, present and empathetic managers, and provide care and concern for our employee’s mental and personal health.

In celebrating all of the notable aspects of the millennial manager, I also realize that we have been forced to be the sacrificial generation. What do I mean by this? We’re a generation that has sacrificed our own mental health and personal well being for the lives of others. A generation that has sacrificed the reality of owning a home, starting…