Insights: ‘OK, Boomer,’ it’s time to embrace your millennial and Gen Z coworkers

In this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, we’re joined by M.J. Clark, an author, senior consultant and executive coach serving healthcare and energy professionals. Clark was a featured speaker at MGMA19 | The Annual Conference, presenting a session called “Leading, Managing and Understanding Millennials and Gen Z.”

Don’t quite have time to listen to the entire episode? No worries. We’ve compiled a handful of highlights from Clark’s interview for your convenience:

• (22:31) “I think most of us just communicate in the way that is most comfortable to us. We’re not looking at the other person and saying, ‘How will they best receive this?’ We’re looking at, ‘How do I best say this? How do I say it my way?’” 
• (34:41) “I think a lot of times, the poor millennials have gotten a bad reputation. That word ‘entitled’ gets thrown around a lot. And in your mind, if you’re thinking these people are entitled, you are going to behave with negative intent.” 
• (36:23) “I think it’s very helpful to have different generations in the workplace. I think we need a variety of thoughts and practices so that we’re all challenged to become better versions of ourselves, better teammates to each other. And I think if everyone thought all the same things in the same ways, then having a team at work wouldn’t even be necessary.” 
• (41:14) “Not everybody falls into the stereotypes. I think getting away from them a little bit so that we can be curious and try to understand each other, instead of labeling somebody, can be very helpful in the workplace.”

Here are some links and references related to this week’s show: 

• ‘OK Boomer’ Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations 
• How Millennials and Gen Z are Driving the Digital Healthcare Revolution 
• Stress in America 2019: Interactive Graphics 
• 5 ways Millennials and Gen Z are revolutionizing the healthcare industry 
• Healthcare leaders: Here’s how to recruit—and retain—Generation Z 
• Millennials earn 20% less than baby boomers did—despite being better educated 

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We love hearing from listeners about the show. If you have topics you’d like us to cover or experts you’d like us to interview, email us at podcasts@mgma.com or reach out to MGMA Sr. Editor and podcast host Daniel Williams on Twitter at @MGMADaniel. 

MGMA Insights is presented by Craig Wiberg, Rob Ketcham, Decklan McGee and Daniel Williams. 

Get a jump on the transition to value-based care with a new jointly created report by Humana and MGMA. To read the comprehensive report — complete with data, case studies and advice — visit mgma.com/VBCreport.

To further understand the complexities of a medical practice’s revenue cycle, be sure to check out MGMA’s November Book of the Month, “Revenue Cycle Management: Don’t Get Lost in the Financial Maze,” by Taya Moheiser and Kem Tolliver. To purchase or preview the book, visit mgma.com/RCM.