Why Talking About Generations Matters
“There are no myths about Generation X. It's all true."
- Chuck Klosterman
This month, I'll be delivering another free webinar, From Woodstock to TikTok: How to Work Across Generations. Join me!
See, I love talking about the generations. I've been doing it for over a decade. But it might be worth explaining why I started doing it.
It was about twelve years ago. I got a phone call from my mother. My mother is a Boomer who ran an engineering consultancy in the Caribbean. She was working late, as many Boomers do, and was complaining about how she just couldn’t understand her Millennial employees. They left work early, didn’t complete their assignments on time, visited all these personal sites on their computers, weren’t dressed professionally, and, what really annoyed her, they wore these earbuds in their ears and they kept them in their ears all day long, drowning out all the sounds of the workplace.
And she wasn’t simply complaining. She was frustrated. She was frustrated by the unprofessional work ethic that she saw in her younger colleagues and what she, and many in her generation, ascribed to a widespread generational lack of professionalism.
That conversation with my mother started me in this work. And it continues on to today. Because there is a lot of frustration. From executives, managers, partners. They do not understand how this new generation, whatever generation it is, works. And on the flip side, from younger generations, why can’t you understand us? Why can’t you understand what we’ve been through? Why can't you see how much harder we have it than you did?
That's why we have this dialogue. Because it's crucial to remember, even in the broadest strokes, what different generations have experienced, what they've fought for, what they've gained, what they've lost, and what they hope for from their futures. I ask people to think about how our economy has shifted. How our workplaces have shifted. How in less than twenty years, mobile technology has thoroughly upended how we work. From wars to recessions to pandemics, how understanding the highs and lows of each generational touchpoint makes us better colleagues, mentors, and, sometimes, even friends.
I hope you join me. Because this is how we create workplaces where everyone feels seen and that they can belong and succeed here. Let's get to work.
Do the work
This week, I commit to seeking out knowledge about generations outside of my own, asking questions, and learning from my peers who have had different workplace journeys than me.
Spread the Word
Some book recommendations this time. The Vietnam War, the Challenger Disaster, 9-11, and the Great Recession. Four major touchpoints for four different American generations. Try these non-fiction books, all of which I have read and recommend highly, and learn more about events that deeply affected the formative identities of millions.
Join me for a free webinar
Welcome to the next generation!
Join me for my free October webinar to learn how we can all successfully navigate generational differences at work. In this highly interactive and engaging program, I use news clips, commercials, music, and cultural touchpoints to navigate attendees through a world of inter-generational communication and changing dialogue. We learn the history of the five generations in the workplace, how each generation puts its own unique stamp on their organization, and how best to recognize, engage with, and grow from the challenges presented by these differences. The goal, as always, is to build a workplace centered on inclusion and belonging for all of us.
