Different Generations, Different Work Styles

We’ve all heard it before– how “entitled” Millenials are, how “old-fashioned” Gen-xers are, and all of the other silly stereotypes of each group. While these stereotypes are pretty over exaggerated, it is true that there are differences between generations. Those differences can come out in one’s work style and impact how we interact with each other.

In her article, Mira Zaslove illuminates some of these differences and how it can cause conflict at work. The good news is that she identifies some ways we can all work more effectively and happily together too. The boils down the differences well here:

“Boomers and Xers had pretty similar levels of freedom growing up. Kids could safely be out of sight of their parents for long periods of time. Many Xers were Latchkey kids. In contrast, Millennials, due to the technological ease of staying in contact, and changing parenting norms, often weren’t out of their parents’ sight until their teenage years.”

Put simply, Xers and Boomers are a lot more accustomed to independence, little guidance, and having a thick skin. Conversely, Millenials are used to a more dynamic approach, like to work together, and seek clear expectations and instructions on how to do a particular thing.

The first step to working well together is for a team to understand each other. This is just one of many examples of difference we experience in the workplace. The more we seek to understand, the more dynamic our colleagues and ourselves will be.

Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.