The More Things Change…
Part I
by Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
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I hear the question everywhere I go these days. Sooner or later every manager, supervisor, and, of course, human resource department asks the question. The question they ask is, “can you help us make sense (and make progress) out of the generational differences we are seeing in our workforce?” Some (Boomers and Millennials) more candidly pose the question in its raw form and ask, “can you help us make sense out of the differences between “Boomers” and everybody else?”
Behind these questions, in their various forms, assumptions are aimed at whatever generation the questioner happens “not” to be a member. To the younger generations, Boomers, those born 1945-64, are selfish and have ruined everything. Millennials (born 1981-96), on the other hand, are viewed as narcissists and guilty of killing institutions ranging from marriage to napkins! The paper product industry, reports Millennials prefer paper towels to dinner napkins. Gen Z, the youngest entrants into the workplace, are characterized as “snowflakes” who are frightened by their employers’ insistence they begin “adulting.” I should add that Generation X (born 1965-80) hardly shows up at all in these debates. I’ll leave it to the reader to explain their absence. Though I do not think I’m likely to forget the comment of a fellow Boomer: “Gen X? Who in the world is Generation X?”
Based on my four decades of working with generations who were present in, entering, or exiting the workforce, it is my experience that generational differences exist, and are often exaggerated. When I began my career, The Veterans/Greatest Generation (born 1900-1927) made up the majority of supervisors, managers, and executives.
Simply stated, there are clear and discernible differences from generation to generation. It is equally true, that people across all generations are more alike than they are different! A 1997 song, written by Bon Jovi comes to mind. Here are a few lines from the song: The More Things Change, The More they Stay the Same.*
*The more things change, the more they stay the same originated with Jean Baptiste, 1744-1829, a French philosopher and writer.
I tell you one more time with feeling
Even though this world is reeling
You’re still you, and I’m still me
I didn’t mean to cause a scene
The times they are a-changin’
We’re here to turn the page
It’s the same old story, but it’s told a different way
You know the more things change the more they stay the same…
When we think of generational differences as larger than they are we tend to focus on what is least helpful. While we can account for the generational differences, our focus should begin with what we have in common — The Human Experience. Manufacturing false generational battles denies us the opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of intergenerational connection.
My maternal grandparents were members of The Greatest Generation. Decades later, they remain the single, most influential persons from my youth. We were and are from different generations (I’m a Boomer). Yet, their moral compass, kindness, unpretentious decency, and their certainty that all we value in the human experience must be protected by order and structure have guided (and corrected) my course across the years.
So how is it we have come to this unsettling moment in the “Battle of the Generations”? And just how is it we are more alike than we are different? People are people no matter the time or place we find them. We all share the same basic needs. And I am not referring to the mere obvious needs of air to breathe, food to eat, shelter, and some sense of security.
All human beings have a deeply personal and emotional need to:
A. Be valued.
B. Make sense out of the world around them.
C. Discover purpose and meaning.
These needs cut across not only generational divides but also cut across all ethnic, racial, cultural, socio-economic, and political divides. If you have some reservations about whether this is true, consider the question at its most basic level. While you might easily find a Boomer, Millennial, or Gen Z who believe they are not obligated to treat others with basic human dignity and respect, you will have a much more difficult time finding a Boomer, Millennial, or Gen Z who believe it is just fine to treat them with disregard and disrespect!
As for making sense out of the world around us. Take a moment. Find a quiet place to sit down and think. Name something you, your friends, coworkers, and family do each day that is not an effort to make sense out of the world. Setting the alarm for four a.m. Grabbing a cup of coffee at a C-Store or Starbucks. Putting in a day’s work for a paycheck. Hugging your kids when you arrive home. Changing the diaper of your youngest. Spending a Sunday afternoon with an elderly parent who no longer knows you or maybe even knows that you are there. The list could go on and on. We do all these things — big and small— because it is in the act of doing that we express our self-respect (the need to be valued) and live out the meaning found in human connection. From a diaper change to a sip of water to a granddad who takes a deep draw on the straw, says “thanks,” and then asks you (their granddaughter) who you are, you keep coming back to visit with your Granddad.
When it comes to discovering meaning and purpose, people of every age and stage, every time and place, and every generation long to live for something larger than themselves. Every human being wants to matter to at least one other human being. These things are not optional for a life that includes a measure of emotional stability and happiness. Think about the old assertion that “everybody needs someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.”
Everyone wants human connection, to make sense out of their life and work, and to have a purpose (meaning) that pulls their heart and efforts toward a more hopeful future.
To bring some objectivity to the background noise which serves only to separate and divide, we must look past the clickbait headlines and questionable research.
For example, consider the widely held Boomer belief that Millennials are fickle employees prone to switching jobs on a whim. It is true young people change jobs more often than older employees. And, it is equally true this has always been true. The young are less risk-averse and more “in” for an adventure. This includes looking around for the job that suits them. By the way, when a Boomer, Millennial, Gen X or Z say they “love their job,” it means (from a neural science perspective) that the job “fits” the way they think. In other words, it adds to their need to be valued, they can make sense of it, and the job gives them a sense of purpose.
Another common misconception is that Millennials are obsessed with material concerns. Here again, when put in perspective, this is not the divide it is often said to be. Ever since social surveys have been done, young people have been twice as likely as their parents’ generation to say, “it is important to me to get rich.” This was true of Boomers and Xers when they were twenty-five years old. It is true of Millennials and “Zs” at age twenty-five years of age. The big difference is Boomers are more likely than any previous generation to still be interested in getting rich at age sixty and older.
Our generational stereotypes are also full of contradictions. While one myth claims young people only care about cash, another presents them as wild-eyed social justice warriors. But this assertion does not support their behaviors as consumers. Big corporations who carefully track consumer behavior tell us Boomers are far more likely to join a boycott than Millennials or Gen Zs are. My own guess is younger people are like I was (a Boomer) at age eighteen or twenty-five. I was so self-possessed I didn’t have time to worry about the social conscience of Coca-Cola or Nike.
Finally, it is true now, and it has always been true, young people are on the leading edge of cultural change in every generation. And the older generation has always worried about the cultural changes they see emerging among the young. My grandmother’s voice still echoes in my head, “Jim Croce is not Johann Sebastian Bach!” I can’t help but wonder what my grandmother (born in 1895) would think of Justin Bieber or Beyonce? In 400 B.C., Socrates complained about the bad manners and disrespect for elders he saw in the young. Socrates, arguably one of the greatest thinkers of all time, had simply discovered what my parents, grandparents, and I rediscovered two thousand years later. Young people are less set in their ways than older people.
There are real generational differences. Some of those differences are the result of more than the usual generational tension. This fact will be explored in a future article. The point is to begin making sense out of the differences you see in your workforce focus on what your team members have in common. Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z are more alike than they are different.
Here is a strategy for making sure your generational focus is putting first things first.
Create and sustain a company culture where Boomers, Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z give your company high marks when asked these three questions:
1. Are you treated with dignity and respect by everyone you encounter during the workday (No matter their position, department, shift, or generation)?
2. Are you given the resources to make a contribution to your company that gives meaning to your life?
3. Do you receive recognition for work that is well-done?
This is the place to begin in bridging the gap between generations. It is also the most predictive strategy for employee satisfaction and retention.
