During a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy discussion Engaging Millennials for Social Causes I asked guest Allison Fine, author of Social Citizens, the following questions:

What can I share with our Millennial readers about connecting with other generations in the workplace? How, as a Millennial, can I break through the barrier of age and experience in my organization? How can I prove I can do the job?

She wasn’t able to get to my question during the conversation, but followed up later. Here was her response:

I’ve heard this complaint before, and frankly, some of it is Millennial-related and some of it is just a reflection of being a younger member of a staff. One thing that you can do to break down the distrust is perhaps run a seminar or two for the older staff members on social media tools – what they are and how they can be used in philanthropy and social change efforts. This would bring out your natural strengths, be informative for folks, and provide a common language for you all.

She has a great suggestion. This could be a great way for any Millennial to display their strengths in a different way, much like a stretch assignment.

Do you think this would work in your workplace? What experiences are you having in your organization with working with older or more experienced staff members? Do you have any suggestions?