An Employee's Parents' Place is NOT the Workplace

I just read something so incredibly stupid that I have to share it with you and rant.

In the November 2012 issue of Free Enterprise, a newsletter from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there's an article titled Managing Millennials: A Crash Course by Jennifer Kushell, founder of Young & Successful Media. Here's a quote:

"Parenting: Millennials are extremely close with their parents. It is a fuzzy line these days as to what is the appropriate level of parental involvement in interviews, discipline, contract negotiations, etc. It's up to you to set boundaries, but making helicopter parents your allies can pay off as well."

No, it is not a "fuzzy line." The appropriate level of parental involvement is precisely ZERO. I have a hard time even imagining parental involvement in an interview. If you show up for an interview or a disciplinary meeting or whatever with your parents let me promise you that they'll be shown the door followed shortly by you. It would be a galling display of immaturity and unprofessionalism on the employee's part and shameful meddling on the parents' part.

Certainly, I expect and encourage employees of any age to share workplace issues with their parents (spouse, clergy, friends, life coach, etc.) to gain from the latter's experience and wisdom. But that's to be kept outside the workplace.

And if you're a Millennial I suggest you read the article and decide for yourself whether you want to be lumped into a group that's saddled with so much generational baggage.  That goes for you Gen-X, Gen-Y, Gen-Whatevers too.