The Method of Madness

There’s a helluvah lot of hulla-baloo about differences between generations. Consultants, managers, recruiters, bloggers of all stripes just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the fact that we are all different.

Yup, we’re different. End of story. If you don’t believe me, hop over to the folks at Pew and see some of their generational research. Let’s be real, though: are you surprised? If there weren’t differences between people, then life would have gotten boring about 10 million years ago and the prospect of human civilization would have faded away with the last, dying gasp of a vague eukaryote.

The problem is that people continue to harp on differences as if they matter. As I’ve just stated: they don’t, because saying “we’re all different” is like saying “the sky is blue.” So the dialogue needs to shift from “Are there differences?” to “How do we bridge those differences?” And by “bridge” I mean “learn about each other.” There’s a wealth of experience that Gen Y needs to tap into from the Boomers. There are new perspectives that Gen Y can show to Gen X. You can see where I’m going with this. Bottom line: the differences we observe in others are just chances to learn something more.

And what do we call the process about learning about others? Building relationships. What’s one of the major keys to career success? Building relationships! If you have the ability to seek out and create meaningful relationships, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Boomer leading a team that spans generations – if you know and understand your team members, you’ll know the best way to engage them.

Staying on point with the “generational differences” only procrastinates the real, meaningful discussion about how to harness the differences, move beyond on them, and do something greater. My Hofstra-grad-in-crime Steve Levy said it best yesterday: “It doesn’t matter if you’re Y, X or BB, we’re all part of Generation Learning – GenL – until we die.”

There have been a lot of articles about how to retain, engage, recruit, manage, INSERT HR TALENT BUZZWORD HERE the so-called Gen Y’ers. As a Gen Y’er myself (1983, whut whuuut), I can agree with some of the points raised by these authors. Every generation has its differences and I think there are definitely subtleties and strategies when dealing with a certain generation. However, some of these authors make it sound as if some employment apocalypse has descended upon them as those ages 20-something descend into the talent pool of America.

Based on articles I’ve read, we would be completely unhappy in any “traditional” workplace, we’re self-absorbed, have a sense of entitlement that would make British royalty give pause, and we’re all ardent technophiles. With all of our crazy values, we’re just ready to upend corporate culture and make senior management cringe in terror like a parent with an unruly 13 year-old. I say… bullshit.

Yes, we’re different people. But our needs are the same.

This article highlights some factors that appeal to my generation: casual dress code, flexible hours, flat hierarchy, transparent/explicit reward system, and frequent feedback. I have to ask, though: what generation would this not appeal to? I work with 40-somethings, and I don’t see them coming to work in pant suits and collared shirts. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t appreciate frequent and timely feedback. And an explicit rewards system is just good HR.

Gen Y has the same needs Gen X, Baby Boomers, and… well, whomever came before them. At the end of the day, it’s about being appreciated and feeling like a valued member of whatever organization we join. Yes, we’re young, and yes, even I’d agree that we’ve been promised the world throughout our academic journeys. We have high hopes, high potential, and a desire to change the world. All we want is recognition that our ideas mean something… just like anyone else.

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

Clearly, the problem isn’t in expectations, but how generations communicate. This, I will agree, is different from how Gen X communicated with each other. With the advent of Twitter, Facebook, social media, and the explosive growth of the Internet, communication has radically changed. Technology as a communication medium has been ingrained into my generation, and let’s face it: it’s fast, efficient, and enables you communicate in a variety of ways. You don’t need a special strategy. All you need to do is listen and legitimately care about what your Gen Y employees have to say.

Don’t believe me that generations really aren’t that different? Here’s an excerpt from the article I just mentioned about Gen Y:

They represent the first generation that grew up with the Internet, multitasking and they are in constant real-time communication with family, friends and classmates.

And here is an excerpt from a book called “Managing Generation X,” by Bruce Tulgan (2000):

My initial goal in writing this book [...] to introduce the world to the real Gen X: flexible, adaptable, technoliterate, information-savvy, independent, entrepreneurial, and in tune with the just-in-time workplace.

Sound familiar?